CH41. Brass plate
In memory of / Private A. KIRBY / XII Royal Lancers / who gave his life for his Country / in South Africa / on June 5th 1900 / Erected by the XII Royal Lancers / Past and Present.
Private A Kirby
There is a brass plaque in the South Aisle which reads as follows:
In memory of Private A. Kirby XII Royal Lancers who gave his life for his country in South Africa on June 5th 1900. Erected by XII Royal Lancers past and present.
The 12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. On the day of Private Kirby’s death, the city of Pretoria was captured by British forces as part of the Second Boer War of 1899-1902. This war was fought between the British Empire and two independent Boer states, the trigger of the war being the discovery of diamonds and gold in those states. Eventually, the war ended with a British Victory with the 2 states being incorporated into South Africa (then part of the British Empire). Over 28,000 soldiers died from both sides, and over 46,000 civilians died, 26,000 of which died from appalling treatment in British concentration camps.
This memorial has intrigued me for a long time. From time to time, I try to find out more about Private Kirby but I always hit the proverbial brick wall. I’m assuming that Private Kirby was a Hillingdon lad but I haven’t been able to find out anything about him. We don’t have his first name which makes it even more difficult. I have written to the Royal Lancers Archives Department and they haven’t been able to tell me any more than we already know. Forces War records cannot provide any information either. So we are left with a mystery, who was Private Kirby?
Christine Bartlett