3rd Essex in Ireland and the Boer War 1900-1902
The 3rd Essex were embodied in December 1899 at Warley under the command of Col A T Digby Neave.
To a man they volunteered to undertake active service overseas.
By March 1900 their strength was 19 Officers and 672 Other ranks at which point they were transferred to Beggar's Bush barracks in Dublin rather than the expected posting to the Boer War.
The Battalion attracted critical acclaim for its conduct including favourable mentions in the Army and Navy Gazette and Major General Gossett, the OIC Dublin District.
The Battalion was demobilised in October 1900 but was embodied again in March 1902 when the Battalion was posted to South Africa.
The posting was put into question when Col Digby Neave, aged 45, suddenly died of pneumonia at his home in Hutton and an outbreak of smallpox prevented movement though the country.
The Battalion was isolated and on 27 March 1902 sailed from Southampton on the transport Orotava.
Command structure on arrival in South Africa
command - Colonel Sir Hugh Steuart, Bart who moved from the 3rd Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Second in Command - Major A J Galsworthy
Adjutant - Captain F C Winter who moved from the 1st Essex
On arrival at Port Elizabeth on 17 April 1902 four companies were left as a garrison for the blockhouse line ( Vryburg to Winderton, Barkley West, Schmidt's Drift and Fourteen Streams) under Major Galsworthy while the remaining 4 companies and HQ marched the 23 miles to Christina on the Vaal River.
The march proved more difficult than expected as the men had spent over a month on the boat with no exercise and then a few miles from Christina were forced to stop by Boer action which was driven off by cavalry from Christina.
Christina was a fortified post commanding the drift on the Vaal River.
The 3rd Essex helped to strengthen the defences with 11 Blockhouses surrounding the town and 7 more forming a second line of defence.
Additions skills were added to the Battalion by training for use of field guns and as mounted infantry.
A diversion for the officers was provided when Captain Winter started a foxhound pack to hunt deer in the surrounding countryside.
On 8 July 1902 the battalion moved to Green Point Camp as a staging post for Cape Town and return to England.
When the 3rd Essex left Christina a Garrison Order praised them for carrying out their duties with zeal and promptness and that their conduct had been exemplary.
The men were awarded the South Africa Medal 1902 with clasps for Cape Colony , Orange Free State and Transvaal.
No officers, and five other ranks died during service in South Africa.
18 officers and 532 men of the 3rd Essex returned to Southampton on the transport Cestrian arrivi8ng on 5 October 1902 after 7 months away from home.
Sadly on arrival Sgt Chris Reilly fell 30 feet down one of the hatches of the transport ship and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
