| Date | 7 January 2000 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | PN-0025 |
| Volume | People in the News |
| Collection | Press Clippings |
Transcript
Centenary tribute to a brave Boer War soldier
By Derek Hunt
ONE hundred years ago Britain was fighting the last major war of the Victorian era in South Africa.
The Boer War, as it was popularly known, claimed the lives of more than 21,000 British and Empire soldiers, mainly through disease.
This month is the centenary of the death of one of those men – Lt Col William Dick-Cunyngham VC, Gordon Highlanders, who died from wounds received during the defence of Ladysmith on January 7, 1900.
He was buried near where he was killed in South Africa, but there is a memorial to him in Windsor.
Dick-Cunyngham’s widow, Helen, was for many years a Lady-in-Waiting to HRH Princess Christian, and when Helen died in 1939 she was buried in Windsor Cemetery. One side of the family memorial, a large stone cross standing on three plinths, is dedicated to her late husband; the inscription reads:
‘In loving memory of William Henry Dick-Cunyngham VC, Lt Col 2nd Batt Gordon Highlanders… [The full memorial inscription details his parentage, birth date on June 16, 1851, mortal wounding at Ladysmith on Jan 6, death on Jan 7, 1900, and burial in Ladysmith Cemetery.’
Dick-Cunyngham was born in Prestonfield, Edinburgh, in 1851 and joined the Gordon Highlanders in 1872.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery during the Afghan War in December 1879.
During an attack on Sherpur Pass, when there was a wavering of the troops. Lieutenant Dick-Cunyngham rushed forward, exposing himself to enemy fire and rallied his men to make a successful charge into the Afghan lines.
He was promoted to captain in 1881, major captain in 1891, and lieutenant-colonel, commanding the 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, in 1897.
Unfortunately, the memorial in Windsor cemetery has been neglected over the years and is in need of repair. The headstone is sinking into the ground and leans at an angle, and the stonework requires re-lettering.
The Gordon Highlanders Regiment are hoping to be able to help, together with Lt Col Dick-Cunyngham’s family, to pay for renovations.
This would be a fitting tribute to a brave soldier on the centenary of his death.
TRIBUTE: Memorial to Lt Col William Dick-Cunyngham in Windsor Cemetery.
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