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22828 Sergeant WILLIAM S. JACOB
Royal Engineers
by
© Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis, 2000.

Introduction

No service records could be found for Sergeant Jacob in the Public Record Office at Kew in Surrey. This narrative account of his military service is based entirely on his medal entitlements, medal rolls, and campaign histories of the units in which he served. The author presents evidence to support statements made in the narrative. The reader must judge whether the statements are adequately supported.

Birth and Family Information

The 1881 British Census shows that a boy of 13 years of age by the name of William S. Jacobs was residing at 45 Robert Street [1] in Chelsea, London, Middlesex when the census data was taken [2]. One might ask how it can be assumed that this William S. Jacob(s) is the same W.S. Jacob whose medals are in the author’s collection [3]. The obvious answer is that one cannot be certain that they are the same individual. Let us examine some evidence that may lead us to conclude that they are the same person.

The census record shows that the head of the household at 45 Robert Street was one Frederick Jacobs, 43 years of age. Frederick was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The census record also indicates that in 1881 he was a Chelsea Pensioner, formerly a Sergeant Major in the Army. His wife, Laura Jane Jacobs, 48 years of age, was born in Chelsea. Now Frederick’s birthplace is interesting from the point of view that in 1838 when he was born, Halifax was a town in the making, garrisoned by British troops, and destined to be incorporated as a city only three years later. Frederick may well have been the son of a soldier stationed at the Citadel in Halifax. In fact, he may even have been the son of a soldier in the Corps of Royal Sapper and Miner [4] stationed there.

As was customary during the Victorian period, Frederick himself probably joined the Colours when he was of age. After many years of research, it has been the author’s experience that during the Victorian period, this was a common occurrence. If Frederick joined the Army as a boy soldier at age 14, he could have enlisted as early as 1852. If he joined at the age of 18 years, the minimum for service in the ranks, he might have enlisted in 1856.

There is evidence that Frederick may have been a soldier in the Royal Sappers and Miners. This can be gleaned from the birthplaces of all his children. The Jacobs’ eldest child, Mary J.L. Jacobs, was born in New Brompton, Kent in 1863. New Brompton, now Brompton, was the home of the School of Military Engineering located on the outskirts of Chatham. Mary was probably born there when her father was stationed at Brompton Barracks. William was born in 1868 at Sandwich in Kent, one of the Cinque Ports [5], and a traditional area of assignment for men of the fortress companies of the Royal Engineers. Again, we have more evidence that Frederick Jacobs may have been a non-commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers. The last two of the Jacobs’ children shown on the 1881 Census were Elizabeth K. (born in 1874) and Frederick Thomas (born in 1876), both on the island of St. Helena, South Africa [6]. St. Helena was a port facility to which fortress companies of the Royal Engineers were posted to build up the defences of the island. Again we see the connection between the Royal Engineers and the place of birth of the Jacobs’ children. One final assumption is required to make the connection between the son of Frederick and Laura Jane Jacobs and W.S. Jacob, the subject of this research. One must assume that there is a very good likelihood that as the son of a non-commissioned officer of the Royal Engineers, William also might have joined the Royal Engineers to follow in his father’s footsteps. As previously stated, it has been the author’s experience that during the Victorian period, this was a common occurrence. Usually the son enlisted as a boy soldier when he attained the age of 14 years, especially if there were many children in the family. In this case, as we shall see, William was about 20 years old when he joined.

Enlistment and Home Service

William Jacob enlisted as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers in 1888 [7]. The lack of service papers for Jacob makes it impossible to know to which unit he was assigned or what he did during the early part of his military service. It would be safe to assume that immediately following his enlistment, he reported to Brompton Barracks in Chatham, Kent to receive his basic training as an engineer soldier [8]. Following his basic training he may have been assigned to the 8th Railway Company, Royal Engineers, although this is by no means certain. It is possible that he served in another unit between the completion of his training in about 1889 and his subsequent assignment to the 8th Railway Company.

Service in Egypt and the Sudan

The 8th Railway Company had been in Egypt for some time and Jacob may have joined the unit there. By 1897 he had risen to the rank of Corporal and was assigned to a detachment of the 8th Railway Company commanded by Lieutenant E.C. Midwinter, R.E. This detachment was employed on the Desert Railway and its extension southwards as part of the operations with the Egyptian Army for the reconquest of the Sudan from the Dervish leader known as the Khalifa.

During the advance to the Atbara, the only regular engineer unit available to the British and Egyptian field force for general engineering duties was a small composite unit. This unit consisted of a single fortress company (the 2nd Company, R.E.) and the detachment of the 8th Railway Company in which Corporal Jacob was serving. The Egyptian Army could not afford the luxury of a field company of engineers. There were many men, however, among the Egyptian infantry battalions, who would have been called "Pioneers" in a British unit, and in each Egyptian battalion there was at least one officer with experience in building construction. An examination of the medal roll for the Queen’s Sudan medal, which Jacob earned for this campaign, shows him on a list of "British N.C.O.s and Men Attached to the Egyptian Army for operation in the Sudan in 1897 and for the Expedition to Khartoum in 1898."[9] It is very probable that Jacob was serving with an Egyptian unit to augment the field engineering capability of the Egyptian Army. His Khedive’s Sudan Medal, also earned during these operations, was awarded with the clasp [KHARTOUM]. This clasp was issued for participation in the Battle of Omdurman on the 2nd of September 1898. No engineer units are listed in Gordon (1971) as being awarded this clasp [10]. It is very likely that Jacob was attached to an Egyptian Battalion during this battle, perhaps as an NCO in a "pioneer" platoon [11].

The Battle of Omdurman was fought by a British and Egyptian field force of some 23,000 men under Sir Herbert Kitchener, against a Dervish force of some 50,000 men. The Dervish force attacked the British who were in a defensive position in a zariba, with their backs to the River Nile. The Dervish were repulsed after suffering heavy losses. Kitchener then advanced to drive the enemy before him into Omdurman. In the course of the battle, the Egyptian Brigade on the British right, under General Hector Macdonald, became isolated and was attacked in front by the center of the Dervish army, while his flank and rear were threatened by the Dervish left, which had not been previously engaged in the battle. The position was critical, but through the extreme steadiness of the Sudanese, who changed front under heavy fire, the attack was repulsed. There is a very good possibility that Corporal Jacob was involved in this action and that he was attached to one of the Egyptian or Sudanese battalions in the Egyptian Division [12].

Corporal Jacob was not presented with his medals for participation in this campaign until the 29th of March 1899. At that time he was at Wadi Halfa in the Northern Sudan, on the east shore of Lake Nubia. Wadi Halfa was the northern terminus of the Desert Railway [13], just below the second cataract on the Nile.

Home Service or Direct Assignment to South Africa?

Based on the medal rolls from the Boer War of 1899-1902, it is known that Corporal Jacob was assigned to the 31st Fortress Company, Royal Engineers for his service in South Africa. The lack of service papers again causes a dilemma. Prior to the outbreak of the war in South Africa, the 31st Fortress Company was at Chatham. What is not known is whether Jacob returned to England to join the 31st Company following the campaign in the Sudan, or whether he was posted directly to South Africa as an individual replacement for the company. He appears to have been at Wadi Halfa as late as March of 1899. He may very well have returned to Cairo and from there taken a ship through the Suez Canal and down the east coast of Africa. He could have then proceeded from any one of the ports on the east coast of Africa to join his new company already in the field.

The 31st Fortress Company was mobilized at Chatham on the 7th of October 1899 for service in South Africa against the Boers. The company embarked on board Gascon on the 21st of October and sailed for South Africa by way of Gibraltar under the command of Captain F.G. Fuller, R.E.

The mission of the 31st Fortress Company was to serve with Army Corps Troops in South Africa in support of the railway companies on the lines of communication. Upon arrival in South Africa, the company moved directly to De Aar in the Cape Colony to participate in this work. De Aar was an important railway junction of the main lines from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

In November of 1899 the 31st Company was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division under Lieutenant Colonel J.B. Sharpe, the Commander Royal Engineers for that division. The 1st Division was with Lord Methuen’s column and was preparing to move to the relief of the besieged town of Kimberley. On the 21st of November the company moved northward with Methuen’s column and arrived at Belmont Railway Station. The Boers were driven from the hills commanding the railway at Belmont on the 23rd of November and the engineers with the column were employed to repair the railway damage caused by the Boers during their retreat from the area.

The 31st Fortress Company arrived at Graspan in the Cape Colony on the 25th of November and on the 28th of November the unit took part in an attack on the Boer positions on the Modder River near Rosmead in an unsuccessful attempt to save the railway bridge there from destruction. On the 29th of November the company worked on the construction of a temporary bridge to replace the one destroyed by the Boers. This bridge was completed on the 10th of December.

The men of the 31st Fortress Company who took part in the actions at Belmont (23 November 1899) and Modder River (28 November 1899) received clasps for their Queen’s South Africa medal for participation in these battles [14]. Corporal Jacob received no such clasp for these actions. The following two possibilities may be deduced from this fact:

  1. He was with the 31st Company at Chatham and proceeded to South Africa with the unit. His ineligibility for the clasps may have been the result of him being on detached duty away from the company when these two actions were fought, or
  2. He joined the 31st Company after the 28th of November and hence, was ineligible for the clasps.

In any event, he may have joined the unit prior to the 10th of December 1899 while they were still working on the Modder River bridge.

In May of 1900 the 31st Fortress Company was serving with Army Corps Troops in the Orange Free State and on lines of communications work. By the 4th of July 1900 the unit was at Naboomspruit in the Transvaal.

On the 8th of July 1901, Jacob, now a Sergeant, was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps [CAPE COLONY][ORANGE FREE STATE][TRANSVAAL]. These clasps, known as the "state bars" were authorized for the following periods of service [15]:

At the time the medal was authorized, the 31st Fortress Company was in Pretoria [16]. By the 31st of January 1902, the 31st Fortress Company was at Stormberg in the Cape Colony.

Home Service

Sergeant Jacob returned to England with his company at the end of the South African War under the command of Captain A.M. Henniker, R.E. He remained with the 31st Fortress Company at Canterbury until it was disbanded on the 31st of December 1902. At that time it appears that he was transferred to "A" Depot Company, Royal Engineers at Chatham. On the 21st of August 1903 he was awarded the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps [SOUTH AFRICA 1901][SOUTH AFRICA 1902] [17].

Sergeant Jacob completed 18 years of service in 1906, and in July of that year he was awarded the Long Service Good Conduct Medal (EVIIR) [18]. Sergeant Jacob probably completed 21 years of service in 1909 and was discharged. Since his service papers are not available, it cannot be determined if he served for more than 21 years. Similarly, there is no way of knowing if he received an additional promotion prior to his discharge. Nothing is known about his post-Army life.

REFERENCES:

  1. Merriam Webster’s Geographical Dictionary. Third Edition. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1997.
  2. GASE, S. and DE SANTIS, E. Unpublished study relating the date of enlistment of Royal Engineer soldiers to their regimental numbers. West Drayton, Middlesex and Columbia, Maryland, 2000.
  3. GRIERSON, J.M. Scarlet Into Khaki: The British Army on the Eve of the Boer War. Greenhill Books, London, 1988.
  4. Queen’s Sudan Medal Roll, 8th Railway Company, R.E., dated Wady Halfa, 29 March 1899.
  5. SANDES, E.W.C. The Royal Engineers in Egypt and the Sudan. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1937.
  6. WATSON, C.M. The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Volume III. The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1954.
  7. GORDON, L.L. British Battles and Medals. Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1971.
  8. HARBOTTLE, T. Dictionary of Battles. Stein and Day, New York, 1971.
  9. Queen’s South Africa Medal Roll, 31st Company Royal Engineers, dated Pretoria, South Africa, 8th July 1901, WO100/157.
  10. King’s South Africa Medal Roll, (The Late) 31st Company Royal Engineers, dated Canterbury, 21 August 1903, WO100/314.
  11. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Roll, dated 1 July 1906, WO102/17.
  12. FEATHERSTONE, D. Omdurman, 1898: Kitchener’s Victory in the Sudan. Campaign Series 29, Osprey Publishing Limited, London, 1893.
  13. CHURCHILL, Sir W. The River War: An Historical Account of The Reconquest of the Soudan. Longmans, Green, London, 1899.

ENDNOTES:

[1] This street no longer exists in modern day London.

[2] Mormon Family History Library Film 1341018, Public Record Office Reference RG11, Piece 0082, Folio 30, Page 8.

[3] The difference between Jacob and Jacobs can be dispensed with immediately. It was not uncommon for the spelling of names in the census to be incorrect. Both versions of these names were common in England at the time. The correct name, or at least the one that William S. used, appears to be Jacob, as this spelling is used on three medal rolls bearing his name, without the final "s."

[4] The Royal Sappers and Miners were later amalgamated with the officers of the Royal Engineers so that both officers and other ranks became Royal Engineers.

[5] Cinque Ports was a designation given to a number of seaport towns on the coast of Kent and Sussex in medieval times, including Dover, Sandwich, Romney, Hastings, and Hythe.

[6] St. Helena was a British island in the South Atlantic Ocean located about 1,200 miles off the west coast of Africa.

[7] The year of his enlistment is based on 18 years of service at the time that he received the Long Service and Good Conduct medal in 1906. The year has also been verified by the results of a study made by the author and Stuart Gase of West Drayton, Middlesex. The study relates dates of enlistment of soldiers in the Royal Engineers to their regimental numbers. Also, see Periods of Enlistment for the Corps of Royal Engineers.

[8] See Engineer Recruit Training.

[9] Queen’s Sudan Medal Roll, 8th Railway Company, R.E., dated Wady Halfa, 29 March 1899, prepared by Lieutenant G.B. Macauley, Officer Commanding, 8th Railway Company, R.E.

[10] GORDON, L.L. British Battles and Medals. Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1971, p. 259. It should be noted, however, that FEATHERSTONE (1993) indicates that there was a "Detachment" of Royal Engineers with the British 1st and 2nd Brigades at the battle of Omdurman. These may have been sections of the 2nd Company, R.E.

[11] The order of battle of the Egyptian Division at Omdurman was:

1st Brigade (Macdonald): 2nd Egyptians, 9th Sudanese, 10th Sudanese, 11th Sudanese

2nd Brigade (Maxwell): 8th Egyptians, 12th Sudanese, 13th Sudanese, 14th Sudanese

3rd Brigade (Lewis): 3rd Egyptians, 4th Egyptians, 7th Egyptians, 15th Egyptians

4th Brigade (Collinson): 1st Egyptians, 5th Egyptians, 17th Egyptians, 18th Egyptians

[12] See Sir Winston Churchill’s description of the battle in The River War: An Historical Account of The Reconquest of the Soudan.

[13] Later known as the Khartoum Railway.

[14] GORDON, p. 272.

[15] GORDON, pp. 270, 273 and 274.

[16] Queen’s South Africa Medal Roll, 31st Company Royal Engineers, dated Pretoria, South Africa, 8th July 1901.

[17] King’s South Africa Medal Roll, (The Late) 31st Company Royal Engineers, dated Canterbury, 21 August 1903.

[18] Long Service and Good Conduct Medal Roll, dated 1 July 1906