Description
Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, Rhodesia, Relief of Mafeking, 591 Tpr William John “Will” Middleton, F Troop, Southern Rhodesia Volunteers, who died at Salisbury in 1900, from Buckinghamshire.
Officially impressed: “581 Tpr: W.J. Middleton. S: Rhod: Vols.”
Excellent near mint condition as delivered to his Mother posthumously.
Confirmed on the medal roll, which notes due to his early death this medal was “issued to the Mother on guarantee, 4/11/09”, and remarks “Died of Fever at Salisbury”.
Tragically Will died of Fever at Salisbury during late 1900, his sister was due to marry but the family learned of his death on service very close to the wedding leading to a sombre event, both his death and sisters wedding being published on the same newspaper page.
Buckingham Advertiser, 22nd September 1900 writes:
“William John Middleton, the eldest son of Mr Middleton, of Station Road, who did railway duty at Willesden Junction for 11 years, and who left 5 years ago for South Africa, having joined the Rhodesia Volunteers, in which he was promoted to Corporal, was in his corps in Colonel Plumer’s Column, under Captain Butters of the F Troop of the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers, before Mafeking.
The first news received from the deceased, under date June 13, was on July 7th, in which, dating from the Bulaway Hospital, he gave his 7 months soldiering experiences.
Invalided, he went to Salisbury, where he suffered a relapse, and subsequent tidings of his death were received in a private letter from the High Court of Rhodesia, and the family are anxiously awaiting further tidings of the last of the deceased Volunteer.
The deceased is brother to Miss Middleton, whose marriage we are publishing this week.”
A neighbouring column on this page recalls the what should have been a jubilant event of the marriage of his sister.
“Marriage of Mr J.A. Middleton – a pretty wedding function marked the union of Miss Ada Middleton of Station Road, Willesden Junction, with Mr John Ashley Middleton, of Padbury, at the Presbyterian Church, Nicholl Road, Harlesden, on Tuesday the 11th inst, when there was a large and appreciative concourse present, the Bride’s family, who have been local residents for 30 years being well known and highly respected….
…
After leaving the church, a quiet reception only was held at the residence of the bride’s parents, in consequence of the sad news which had been received since the wedding arrangements were made, of the death of the Bride’s Eldest Brother, Will, who, it was hoped, would have been home in time for the wedding, from Malarial Fever whilst serving with the Rhodesian Volunteers at the Front…”
William John Middleton, aka Will, was born during 1863 in London, Middlesex.
The son of Thomas (b 1843) and Ann (b 1850), his father was a Railway Engine Driver from Steeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire.
William also worked with the Railways as a Railway Porter as of 1891, the family living on Station Road by the Willesden Junction.
William chose the path of adventure like many young men of his day, setting off for South Africa during 1895, and by the time of the Boer War, had found himself in the newly founded “Rhodesia” where he signed up as a Soldier with the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers.
The story of Plumer’s Column in the Relief of Mafeking, can be read below in the South African Military History Society’s Journal, there was an article published by Graham Winton during 2021:
http://samilitaryhistory.org/jnl2/vol193gw.html
Before the outbreak of war, in July 1899, Colonel Baden-Powell, before he became a National Hero, was sent out to Rhodesia to raise two regiments, in order to protect the borders of the newly founded state of Rhodesia and the Bechuanaland Protectorate in case of war. He began recruiting on 10th August 1899.
The next month Baden-Powell set off with some of his recruits for Mafeking, however as soon as the war began, these men came under siege and were held up in the town for months from 13th October 1899 until 17th May 1900.
Naturally the Rhodesian Regiment were sent off on the warpath to Mafeking to save their comrades, amongst them was Trooper Middleton, fighting under the Commanding Officer Colonel Plumer.
