CAMPBELL MILLIS DOUGLAS (Assistant-Surgeons, now Brigade-Surgeon, Retired M.D., L.R.C.P.) 2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire) South Wales Borderers

CAMPBELL MILLIS DOUGLAS
(Assistant-Surgeons, now Brigade-Surgeon, Retired M.D., L.R.C.P.)
2nd Battalion 24th (2nd Warwickshire) South Wales Borderers
One of our ships, the Assam Valley, had put in at the island of Little Andaman, in the Bay of Bengal and some of the crew went ashore. Apparently they must have been set upon and murdered by the natives, for none of them ever returned. To ascertain their fate, a part of the 24th regiment was sent by steamer from Rangoon, and on some of them landing on May 7th 1867, they were attacked by the natives. Meantime a storm arose and turned the surf into a raging sea, and the soldiers on shore being in great peril, Dr. Douglas and four men most gallantry manned a gig and attempted to reach them. They very nearly succeeded in their endeavours, but, the boat beginning to fill rapidly, they were forced to retire. They then made a second attempt and were successful in reaching the shore, taking off five men. On these being placed safely on board, the doctor and his four brave men turned once more to the rescue of the rest of the soldiers, and by their strenuous efforts the entire party was eventually taken off the island. The London Gazette states that Dr. Douglas accomplished his trips through the surf by no ordinary exertion. He stood in the bows of the boat and worked her in an intrepid and seamanlike manner, cool to a degree. The four privates behaved in an equally cool and collected manner, rowing through the roughest surf when the slightest hesitation or want of pluck would have been attended with the bravest results. Their bravery and devotion were the means of saving seventeen men from an awful fate. The four privates with Dr. Douglas were Thomas Murphy, James Cooper, David bell and William Griffith and the Victoria Cross was awarded to them all. They were the first recipients of the decoration in the “Old Green Howard’s,” which famous regiment had now sixteen to its credit, of which seven were gained at Rorke’s Drift in the Zulu War 1879. Fortunately it has been possible to reproduce photographs of Bell and Murphy, but those of Cooper and Griffiths, in spite of many inquiries, have not been able to be found.
Dr. Douglas retired in 1882. He is the son of Dr. G. M. Douglas, and was born in Quebec, being educated at St. John’s Canada, and Laval’s University, Edinburgh. Joined the 24th Regiment in 1863; was Medical Officer in charge of Field Hospital during he 2nd Riel Expedition 1885.





DAVID BELL
(Private)
2nd Battalion 24th Regiment
With Dr. Douglas and three privates, Bell saved the lives of seventeen of his comrades on May 7th 1867, at Little Andaman Island, under circumstances of great bravery and pluck.

JAMES COOPERS
(Private)
2nd Battalion Regiment
Was one of a party of five, including Dr. Douglas (V.C.), who at Little Andaman Island May 7th 1867, rescued a party of seventeen men of the regiment from almost certain death in a most gallant manner.
James Cooper died about fifteen years ago, at Birmingham and it has not been possible to find any trace of a likeness of him to reproduce.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS
(Private)
2nd Battalion 24th Regiment

At little Andaman Island, Bay of Bengal on May 7th 1867, William Griffiths Dr. Douglas and three privates saved the lives of seventeen men of their regiment by an act of fearless devotion and bravery. Unfortunately no portrait of this gallant could be found to reproduce, or details of him to be given, excepting to state that he fell on January 22nd 1879, at the massacre of Isandlwana, in Zululand, where, with hundreds of his regiment, he fought to the last against fearful odds, keeping untarnished the name and fame of one of the finest regiments in the British Army.



THOMAS MURPHY (Private)
2nd Battalion 24th Regiment
Accompanied Dr. Douglas (V.C.), when with Privates Bell, Griffiths, and Cooper (James), they rescued seventeen men of the regiment on May 7th 1867, from a most perilous position at Little Andaman Island, under Circumstances of very great bravery and devotion. A detailed account is given under the heading of Dr. Douglas.

http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/campbellmellisdouglas.htm

The reference to 'the old Green Howards' is incorrect - for 24th it should be 'Howard's Greens'. The old 19th Foot were the 'Green Howards'.

24th (2nd Warwickshire) South Wales Borderers????

Mr Cooper - You are being horribly pedantic as usual. Soldiers in the regiment always referred to it as 'The 24th' in line with those in almost every other infantry regiment prior to 1881 reforms. County subsidiary appendages were only used in official documents and accoutrements. As I said the 24th were known as 'Howard's Greens' - because of their green facings and after their Colonel - Lt-Gen Thomas Howard (1717-1737). He later became Colonel of 3rd - who were known as 'Howard's Buffs. He was related to Gen Sir Charles Howard who was Colonel of 19th - 'The Green Howard's. As you see this piece of history has nothing to do with the South Wales Borderers. So you can go back to sleep.

It's True Martin. Look at the text on this photograph!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Kenny, I wasn't trying to be pedantic, I was actually referring to the wording in the heading of the topic. But as you mention it, the SWB might have thought they were and referred to themselves as being the 24th, but you know as well as I do that they never were, they were just the SWB, and never the 24th. All line numbers were officially abolished along with the old titles in 1881, bringing an end to the old regiments and their system of numbering. Also the reforms of 1881 brought about the new system of no line numbers and new regimental titles for the new regiments brought about by the reforms, therefor the new title for the new regiment was just SWB (as shown on the epaulettes of the new regiment), with no line numbers included in the new title of the new regiment. Later on, when yet more reforms took place and some regiments were amalgamated, the old line numbers appeared in brackets to show the seniority of the amalgamated regiments, however, they were not officially part of the new title of the amalgamated regiments, they were just added in brackets to show the seniority.

Well done LH, great picture, but unfortunately anyone can write something on a picture, but that doesn't make it official. As I said above, the SWB were just the SWB, they were never the 24th, they might have liked to refer to and think themselves as being the 24th, but it was just a case of wishful thinking as they never were, and never will be.

Mr Cooper - I was explaining that prior to 1881 the subsidiary County appendages to regimental titles had little meaning to the soldiers themselves as the regiments had no fixed base or depot in the area designated by the title. So the soldiers would say '24th' rather than 'Warwicks'. Pre-1881 almost all infantry regiments were mixture of men from all over the UK. I just making the point that the 24th - even I am wrong (!) - 'Howard's Regiment' in 18th century - were known as 'Howard's Greens' when Thomas Howard was their Colonel. I made no reference to South Wales Borderers in this context.

In 1881, soldiers of the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment, many who served with distinction in the AZW, en masse became South Wales Borderers naturally taking the honours with them.

Another point of accuracy - the official title of The Royal Regiment of Wales was actually The Royal Regimental of Wales (24th/41st Foot) as displayed on their Colours (the last stand being layed up in Llandaff Cathedral last Friday).

Kenny, yes, I understand what you are saying, however, after the amalgamation of the SWB with The Welch Regiment, the new regiment became the RRW, the numbers in the brackets were only to show the seniority of the amalgamated regiments, they had nothing to do with the title of the new regiment which was just the RRW.

A good example is that I worked on the railway for many, many years (with some official time off when I was in the T.A.). At the time I started on the railway it was British Railways, later, in 1965, it became British Rail, years later it became Regional Railways North West, so no matter how I may have looked at it, in 1965 I no longer worked for British Railways, I worked for British Rail, then years later I no longer worked for British Rail, I worked for Regional Railways North West. If I had gone to work and said that I was working for British Railways and wearing my old British Railways uniform, I would have been told in no uncertain terms, to take it off and stop claiming that I worked for British Railways, which had officially ended in 1965. Hope that you can see what I mean.



Chard. Look at the picture LH posted, someone has written on it in ink. My point is that anyone can write anything they like on a picture but that does not make it official.

I think that your uncalled for comment about 'medication' is rather a stupid remark to make, and is against the rules of the forum regarding personal insults, and making silly remarks like that could well get you into trouble with Admin, so I would watch what you say if I was you.

Chard1879 careful