Robert Eccless - Boer War and WW1 Soldier

Robert Eccles was born in 1877 to Robert and Bridget Eccles near Preston in Lancashire, England. He attested for service with the North Lancashire Regiment in 1895 at the age of 18.

He served in the South African War for which he received the QSA and KSA serving with the 1st Battalion as well as during the 1st World War where he served at home with the 4th Battalion from the 4th Sep 1914 to the 24th Dec 1917.

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the North Lancashire Regiment on the 8th April 1896 but deserted on the 20th August of the same year. He rejoined the Battalion again on the 26th March of the following year but he was tried and sentenced to 84 days in prison before returning to duty on the 24th June 1897. He was then posted to the 1st Battalion on the 13th December 1897.

He was stationed in Cape Town, South Africa when the war broke out with the Transvaal and Orange Free State republics as part of a peace time garrison in the Cape. Four companies of the battalion were sent to Kimberley however Robert’s Mounted Infantry company was put in the 9th Brigade under Lord Metheun.

His company was at Belmont on 23rd November 1899, where they were mentioned in a telegram dispatch by Metheun as having distinguished themselves and at Modder River on the 28th of November where they did splendid work being the first troops to attempt the crossing on the British left and seizing some kopjes.

The advance to Paardeberg began on 11 February 1900 and the Mounted Infantry Company were also in action that day at Waterval Drift and they present at the decisive victory of Paardeberg. During the subsequent advance on Bloemfontein the Mounted Infantry were engaged at the battles of Driefontein and Poplar Grove. On 13 March 1900 Bloemfontein surrendered and pressed on with Roberts’ army to take Johannesburg on 31 May and then took part in the subsequent battle of Diamond Hill, 11-12 June.

He found himself in trouble again in 1900 when he was tried and imprisoned with hard labour for 7 days on the 31st Dec 1900.

He was awarded 4 clasps on his QSA: Orange Free State, Transvaal, Relief of Ladysmith and Laingsnek although it seems he should have received clasps for Belmont, Modder River, Paardeberg, Driefointein, Johannesburg and Diamond Hill as these are mentioned in his service record however these clasp entitlements have been smudged out on the QSA roll and the comments have “clasp readjusted 27.3.00” which suggests that he lost his claps for the crime for which he was imprisoned on 31 Dec 1900. The relevance of the date 27.3.00 is not certain. His military history sheet indicated that he received 6 clasps which would indicate the original 6 which were removed from the QSA roll which also has writing smudged below this which possibly mentioned the clasps he was originally entitled to. He received his KSA with 1901 and 1902 clasps.

In 1905 he was transferred to the reserves until her was finally discharged from service with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Section D Army Reserve in 1912.

He married Eda Eccles in 1904 and with her they had a son, Robert Kitchener Eccles and a daughter ,Mary Agnes where they lived at 10 Devonshire Place in Preston. He was working as a Railway Porter according to the 1911 Census and living at 80 Crown Court in Preston.

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 he was called up as a Reserve to join the 4th Battalion of the North Lancashire Regiment from the 4th Sep 1914 to the 24th Dec 1917. His military record showed that he remained in the home country during this time which means he was not eligible for medals in this war.

He was working as a General Carter and Heavy Worker in 1939 and lived with his wife Ada and son Robert at 88 Millers Road in Preston. He died in 1950 at the of age of 78.