Lt. J. Wodehouse 'N' Battery 6th Bde Royal Artillery, present at Ulundi

Lt. J. Wodehouse 'N' Battery 6th Bde Royal Artillery, present at Ulundi - Memorial Plaque (Kimberley, Norfolk.
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Photo By Tim Needham.

Lt. J. H. Wodehouse with the Prince Imperial

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Fantastic!! Photo.

WODEHOUSE, JOSCELINE HENEAGE (1852- )

Born July 17, 1852 : son of Admiral George Wodehouse : educated at Woolwich : entered the Royal Artiller}-, 1872 : served in the Zulu war, 1879 : Afghan war,
1880: Soudan, 1883-94 : commanded 3rd Brigade, Malakand Field Force, 1898 : severely wounded : Egyptian campaign, 1898-1900 : commanded Presidency District, Bengal, 1898-9. Sikandarabad, 1900-1 : Lahore, 1902, : C.B., 1889 : C.M.G.. 1890.

"During the first day's travel south, over the Nile, the Mercury sighted an unknown steam-powered aerial flier "shadowing" from far astern. At sunset, the Mercury descended to the border post at Derr (aka Horosko), where they were greeted by the British officers of the army gathered to repel a Mahdist advance. Lt. Colonel Josceline Heneage Wodehouse (really!) is the commander; he is an artillery officer, age 37, a veteran of the Zulu War, various Afghan engagements, and the Gordon Relief Expedition. Here, also, Mr. Matthews was contacted by an agent of Khemal; he is given the name of Khemal's brother in Lado (capital of Equatoria), Abdul el-Krit, as a contact, and also a pot of "sleeping salve". The Expedition views with some uncertainty the "Land Ironclad" being constructed at this camp also; Lt. Delacy comments, "It seems rather a waste of over a hundred Maxim guns."

Departing early for the dangerous run south to Equatoria, the Expedition watched anxiously below, where armies of dervishes, Arabs, fuzzy-wuzzies, and other dangerous types maneuvered and prepared far below. The mysterious aerial flier was seen far astern from time to time, also. Two days of travel, with only a brief watering-stop hovering over the Nile, brought them to Lado, where a tawdry band (playing, slightly alarmingly, the "Kaiserlied", used as the anthem for both Austria-Hungary and Germany) and enthusiastic crowd greeted them.

Lado is a grimy, poor town at the southern edge of a great marsh; the marsh is largely why the Mahdists have not captured Equatoria (also the two battalions of Sudanese troops). The Vice-Governor, Etoom Bey, greeted the Expedition happily, hoping for a new Governor and assistance from Egypt; but alas his hopes were dashed.

Matthews contacted Abdul el-Krit, a large, bald, homicidal Arab, who offered to make sure that Wooster Pasha is not killed by enemies of Britain ("Perhaps krokodils", he suggested). This offer was declined, but Matthews did agree to Abdul's offer of bold, dangerous, competent and cheap guides and camel-handlers for the Expedition.

A couple of days were spent in Lado, engaging eight Sudanese soldiers as guards, a dozen Arabs as guides and cameleers, and twenty-eight camels. The camels, soldiers, guides, and luggage (ammunition, golf clubs, evening wear, and all) were all carried, in a couple of trips, west to the town of Wau, on the Equatorian border. While staying in Lado, there was an incident involving scorpions in a chamberpot. Also, some information about Darfur was gained fom the Arab guides provided by Abdul.

Lt. Colonel Wodehouse on July 2nd led his "Flying Column" of nearly 2000 Egyptian troops to victory at the border village of Argin, against the forces of the Mahdists; the sharp action resulted in 900 enemy deaths, including many important amirs; 500 prisoners are taken. The Egyptians suffered only slight losses; Wodehouse will recieve the CB for his role as commander."