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Major Alfred Rent Heneage, Highlander and Dragoon

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Major Alfred Rent Heneage, Highlander and Dragoon Major Alfred Rent Heneage, May 23, 1888. Heneage appears to have been a strong Highlander and Dragoon horseman as he won the 5th Dragoon Guards Challenge Cup in 1893 riding his own horse, Sea King. Barney Mattingly Heneage served with the 5th Dragoon Guards while they were stationed in the United Kingdom but was assigned Alfred Ren4 Heneage was born on June 10, 1858 in Stags to the depot at Canterbury when the 5th Dragoon Guards End, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, the third were posted to India on September 6, 1893 and remained son of Edward Fieschi Heneage (1802-1880), Member with the depot until September 1897. After this, Heneage of Parliament for Grimsby, and his second wife, Renee traveled to India to rejoin the regiment, being promoted Elisabeth Levina Hoare (1825-1871). Educated at Major on January 22, 1898. At this time, the regiment Cheltenham College, Heneage was commissioned a Sub was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel R. S. Baden- Lieutenant in the 74th Highlanders on September 11, Powell (Figure 2), who would go on to fame for leading 1876 and promoted Lieutenant on September 11, 1877. the defense of Mafeking (October 1899 to May 1900) The regiment was associated with the 71st Highland and for founding the Boy Scouts in 1908. Light Infantry on July 1, 1881 and re-designated the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Heneage served with the 5th Dragoon Guards during the Regiment). Boer War. The regiment was stationed in India and was among the first units ordered to South Africa. Heneage Upon the outbreak of hostilities in 1882, the 2nd arrived at Ladysmith on October 26, 1899 as commander Battalion, Highland Light Infantry was ordered to of B Squadron, just prior to the beginning of the siege. proceed to Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on the 20th of August with an effective strength of 30 officers and 776 Heneage’s first action occurred on October 30, 1899 at other ranks. The regiment formed part of the Highland Lombard’s Kop. General Sir George White commanded Brigade and saw considerable action during the Battle an attack on the Boer positions beginning at dawn but of Tel-el-Kebir. On the evening of the 12th of September, the British infantry came under heavy fire and their the Brigade was ordered to advance under the cover of advance soon bogged down. The Cavalry Brigade, darkness. A night attack had never before been attempted including the 5th Dragoon Guards, was called out to by these British troops and caused some confusion. Still, extradite the force. It was during this that Lieutenant the Brigade neared the Egyptian positions just before John Norwood, 5th Dragoon Guards, received the only daybreak on September 13th and charged the last 150 Victoria Cross ever awarded to the regiment for rescuing yards under heavy enemy fire. The defenses were a wounded soldier under heavy enemy fire. On stormed and, by 6 a.m., the battle was over (Figure 1). November 3rd, Major Heneage (commanding B Squadron) was again involved in a similar action near Lieutenant W.M.M. Edwards, 2nd Battalion, Highland Long Valley when the regiment was called out to cover Light Infantry, received the only Victoria Cross awarded the retreat of the Imperial Light Horse from a difficult for the battle by leading a party storming one of the position. Egyptian redoubts. The battalion lost three officers and 18 other ranks killed, and five officers and 54 other ranks After these initial defeats, the British made no further wounded, suffering heavier casualties than any other unit effort to break out from Ladysmith and settled into the at the battle. Total British casualties were nine officers routine of a siege. The next several months were spent and 48 other ranks killed, 28 officers and 353 other ranks defending positions and occasionally probing the Boer wounded. 24 officers and 628 other ranks from the 2rid lines. Major Heneage was involved in one such sortie Battalion, Highland Light Infantry received the clasp for on December 7th but like other such attempts to probe Tel-el-Kebir. Heneage was among those wounded in the Boers, this failed due heavy and accurate enemy shell action and he was invalided directly to England after the and rifle fire. The last major action of the siege was on battle. Heneage received the Egypt Medal with one clasp the 5th and 6th of January at Platrand, when the Boers and the Khedive’s Star for this war service. attacked the British positions and the 5th Dragoon Guards, including Heneage, were sent to reinforce the After the war, the 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry Imperial Light Horse on Wagon Hill. returned to England before departing for India on October 1, 1884, reaching Bombay on October 29th. The Soon after, Major Heneage was stricken with typhoid regiment was in India when Heneage was promoted fever (a.k.a. enteric fever) and spent the next several Captain and transferred to the 5th Dragoon Guards on Vol. 58, No. 1 35 Figure 3: Medal group to Major Heneage (from left to right): Distinguished Service Order (Victoria); Egypt Medal, 1882-1889 with clasp: TEL-EL-KEBIR; Queen’s South Africa with three clasps: DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH, CAPE COLONY, TRANSVAAL; King’s South Africa Medal with two clasps: SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902; Khedive’s Star, 1882. months on the sick list. During the siege of Ladysmith, 1902 to qualify for this medal. The 5th Dragoon Guards the 5th Dragoon Guards lost more soldiers to this dreaded was ordered to India on March 19, 1902 and there is no disease (25 killed) than to enemy action (11 men killed indication that Heneage returned before this date. If he or wounded). Heneage was fortunate to have survived. didn’t return, then it’s possible his Commanding Officer As it was, Heneage was invalided back to England included him on the roll anyway, perhaps not wishing to immediately after the siege was lifted (on February 28, begrudge the man this reward for serving throughout the 1900) to recuperate. Boer War, including being invalided home twice. Heneage returned by the summer of 1900 and was For his war service, Heneage received (Figure 3) the appointed second-in-command of the 5th Dragoon Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps and the Guards on August 20, 1900, a post he held for the King’s South Africa Medal with two clasps. Heneage remainder of his military career. Heneage spent the rest was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette, of the Boer War like most other cavalry troops, defending September 10, 1901) and awarded the Distinguished the lines of communication and making sweeps across Service Order (London Gazette, September 27, 1901). the veldt in the hopes of capturing Boers. Heneage took This decoration was dated November 29, 1900 and most part in the operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, likely was for his service at Ladysmith. The insignia 1900; in the operations in Natal, 1900; during operations were presented to Major Heneage by King Edward VII in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, 1900; and operations on May 12, 1902. Only two Victorian Distinguished in Orange River Colony, 1900. He also served in the Service Orders were gazetted to the 5th Dragoon Guards, Transvaal November 30, 1900 to August 1901, November both for Boer War service. The other, to Lieutenant (later to December 1901, and in the operations in Orange River Colonel) W.Q. Winwood, is at the Chester Military Colony, May 1901. Heneage again became ill and was Museum. invalided home to England on December 20, 1901 on board the Hospital ship Dunera. This late departure Heneage never married and resigned from the 5th brings to question whether Heneage truly qualified for Dragoon Guards on November 11, 1903, a premature the King’s South Africa Medal. Heneage appears on the end to his military career. Apparently, the many years of 5th Dragoon Guards King’s South Africa Medal Roll and campaigning, illnesses, and wounds finally took their toll. would have had to serve in South Africa after January 1, 36 JOMSA Local sources indicate that he stumbled across Thetis Under the name of Camp Columbia, it has been in Island, Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada (near continuous use, providing camping programs for Vancouver) on a trip home from Japan in 1904 and children, youths, and families of the Anglican Church decided to purchase 73 acres (Figure 4). Major Heneage since 1947. and his unmarried sister, Eveline, spent the rest of their days there, becoming local celebrities. Bibliography." Camp Columbia Web page: http://www.campcolumbia.com/r_hen. Heneage died on May 3, 1946 at age 87 and his sister in html Gore, Lt. Col. St. John. The Green Horse in Ladysmith, Sampson 1952 at 90 years of age. Their cousin, the Reverend Low, Marston & Company, 1901 Thomas Robert Heneage (later the 3rd Lord Heneage) Hart’s Annual Army List, 1885 had immigrated to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1909 MacVeigh, James. Historical Records of the 74th Highlanders From and served as the Executive Commander for the Boys 1787 to 1887, London and Dumphries, 1887 Official Arm3, List, various editions 1886 to 1902 Scouts Association of British Columbia from 1912 to Pomeroy, Major Ralph Legge. The Story of a Regiment of Horse. 1922. Upon the death of Major Heneage, Eveline donated Being the Regimental History from 1685 to 1922 of the 5th the homestead to the Anglican Church and moved to Princess Charlotte of Wales’ Dragoon Guards, William Victoria. Blackwood and Sons, 1922 Records at the Chemainus Valley Historical Society, Chemainus, British Columbia Figure 4: Heneage House on Thetis Island.
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