Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: killed in action at Vryheid on 27.8.1901 or 3-5.11.1901.
Price1: War Memorials Ballarat Melbourne Canberra.
5VMR QSA Roll: CHRISP GJ Left Wing, Queen's South Africa medal and 3 clasps (CC OFS & Tvl) killed in action.
B5179: born 1866 a law clerk from Frankston Vic.
URL2: killed in action at Bedrog 5.11.1901 buried at Vryheid.
Melb. Leader: Frankston Vic., officer photo #28.
URL3: photo.
Source:# 1002 binoculars survive.
URL5: Vic. Field Arty. Bde. Church Parade 15.6.1902 in memory of Lieut. JG CHRISP killed on service in S. Africa.
URL6: memorial tablet for Lieut. CHRISP to be erected in St Paul's Cathedral by old comrades from Rupertswood Bty. VHA.
URL7: nok mother Julia CHRISP, Frankston.
URL8: Regret was expressed in Frankston and district when the news of Lieutenant CHRISP's death at the front arrived here. Flags were hoisted half-mast on the public places and a number of residents visited Mrs. CHRISP at "Marathon" to condole with her. Reference was made this morning by the Rev. AP MCFARLANE in St Paul's Church, to the death of the young soldier and the dead march in "Saul" was played by the organist.
URL9: Fifth VMR Memorial to Fallen Comrades opposite to St. Kilda Barracks ... The following is the list of names appearing on the tablets, together with the addresses, which we have obtained from official sources - Captain J KELLY, Melbourne. Lieutenant SR COULTER, Ballarat. Lieutenant JG CHRISP, Frankston. Lieutenant AG JOHNSTON, Hawthorn. Lieutenant AE MURPHY, Colac. Medical Officer HA PALMER, Ballarat. Sergeant AGK BUCKINGHAM, Yea. Farrier-Sergeant JF HOULIHAN, Collingwood. Corporal RPN ROBERTSON, Portsea. Corporal H HARRISON, Collingwood. Corporal H NEWLANDS, Prahran. Lance-Corporal AE BURLEY, Ballarat. Lance-Corporal HJ BOXALL, Melbourne. Lance-Corporal GH BUTTON, Anakie. Lance-Corporal HC HADLEY, Fitzroy. Lance-Corporal TS ROSS, Williamstown. Shoeing-Smith A HOUGHTON, Inverleigh. Shoeing-Smith AE SPOWART, Dean's Marsh. Shoeing-Smith RM THORNTON, Kilmore. Shoeing-Smith F RANKIN, Police Barracks, Melbourne. Privates SJ BARNARD, North Brunswick; EH BLANDFORD, Bendigo; L BOND, Longwood; FH CAUGHEY, Bairnsdale; J CHARLTON, Euroa; J COLLINS, Mumbannar; J COSTELLO, Dunolly; AB DAVIDSON, Moe; FG DOW, Balaclava; G GLENN, South Melbourne; LJW GOUDIE, St. Kilda; RG HARRISON, Mathoura NSW; WJ HEALEY, Melbourne; HH HENTY, Lyndhurst; HV HEWINS, Brighton; WW JAMES, Nagambie; HS LAMB, Sale; HJ LAWRENCE, North Carlton; AE MACK, Jolimont; TH MAHONEY, Darraweit Guim; J MCCANN, St. Kilda Road; J MCCORKELL, Queensclilf; MT MCDONALD, Yinnar; J MCNALLY, Carapooee; E REISENAUER, Armadale; EJ ROWE, Elsternwick; W SAULTRY, Port Melbourne; WA SMITH, Sutton Grange; GW STRATTON, Mooroopna; R TOPHAM, Yapeen; E VALPIED, Toora; NA WATSON, Pomborneit; J WHELAN, Glenhuntly; JE WHITE, South Melbourne.
Sunb. News: 8.3.1902 On Thursday permission was given by the Cathedral Chapter to place a memorial tablet in brass in St. Paul's Cathedral to the memory of Lieutenant JG CHRISP, of the fifth Victorian contingent, who died in South Africa. The memorial will be erected by Janet Lady CLARKE of Rupertswood, and companions of the late lieutenant, who was a member of the Rupertswood Battery.
Sunb. News: The memorial will bear the following words - 'To the Glory of God and to the Memory of Lieut. JG CHRISP, who fell in action at Vryheid on the 4th November, 1901. This tablet is erected for the esteem in which he was held by Janet Lady CLARKE and his comrades of the Victorian Horse Artillery.'
Sunb. News: The following is part of a letter received by Mr. AF BOARDMAN from Private DW FORBES, of the 5th contingent. It is dated Wakerstroom, Nov. 20 [1901] - "Since August we have had some very lively times. On the way to Vryheid our right wing, who were advance guard under Major DALY, had a tough go with a good number of Boers who were pretty strongly entrenched on a high kopje. After fighting for an hour or so the Boers retired, but I am sorry to say not before killing Privates DOW and LAWRENCE and wounding Major DALY and 4 others. We arrived at Vryheid next day, and met Colonel STEWART's column, chiefly composed of the Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, among whom are several Victorians who joined in South Africa. We spent two days, and our own and STEWART's column went out towards Zululand on the third day. We were only a few miles out when we heard the old familiar 'ping-pong'. Our left flankers were the first to get it, and we soon got our pompom and 15-pounders into action. It was a terribly rugged range of kopjes the Boers were firing from, and when our left half wing operated on the right of it they were placed at a great disadvantage, as they had to attack under virtually no cover at all. After a very severe fight, in which we lost Lieutenant COULTER and six wounded, we retired, having only succeeded in capturing one Boer. Nothing unusual occurred (with the exception of our destroying BOTHA's country house) until the 30th, when we were camped 7 miles out of Vryheid on our return journey. That night about 11 o'clock, the Boers made another attack on our camp. Our company had instructions in case of attack to occupy a small kopje near us, whilst other companies fell out in different places. We were soon aroused by the outposts firing, and presently the Mauser bullets came flying over our heads. Everybody was soon 'up and at 'em', and when we got our little maxims into play it silenced them for a while. After a lapse of a couple of hours they started attacking in another direction, but we were not caught napping. The only damage done was the wounding of two of our horses. We left Vryheid the next day, trekking to Dundee in Natal, and on our way we had another slight encounter, and again one of our lot had the bad luck to lose his life. We arrived at Dundee on the 8th and entrained for Volksrust. On our way to this place we passed through the famous Laing's Nek and Majuba Hill - so we are seeing some places of interest. After a spell of four days at Volksrust, we left for this town, arrived same day and trekked to Utrecht. On arriving here we heard of Major GOUGH's cut-up - no doubt you have read of it also ere this - and at this time the Boers had threatened to invade Natal. This necessitated our immediate removal as a flying column, and during those few days we had a lively time. What with half rations, no blankets, and rain, it was as you can imagine lovely. We were holding drifts, but the Boers didn't trouble us, and we trekked to Dundee, arriving there on the 24th September. Leaving Dundee next day, we trekked through Zululand, and saw the noted Isandlwana Hill and Rorke's Drift, where the great defence against the Zulus was made in 1879. You can see graves in all directions, and each, we are told, contains more than a dozen soldiers. We did not meet any more Boers till we arrived back at Vryheid, when previous to reaching this place the 8th Hussars, who are with us, captured twelve of the enemy. At this time there were twelve other columns working near us, and they didn't get one. So you see the old firm smiles again. Once more to Utrecht and off again with General HAMILTON's column, we worked in conjunction to the Pongola Ranges. When we arrived there we were sniped at by a few Boers, who were in the scrub. Once more our guns got going and we landed a few shells among them. We were greatly surprised to see a large body of cattle and sheep come out, and we soon commandeered them. There were twelve or more columns operating round the Pongola Ranges as they had received intimation that Gen. BOTHA was there with 1,200 men, and the idea was to surround and search the place. In this they were pretty successful, as the combined columns (it is reported) captured a few hundred prisoners, but unfortunately not Mr. BOTHA, as he skedaddled. However, he had a very narrow escape, as CAMPBELL's column came on his camp very suddenly, and found his two tents and all his cooking utensils. CAMPBELL also recovered two 15-pounder guns which were captured from Major GOUGH; and I may add that we should have had the honour of this, as one of our intelligence men got the information as to their whereabouts, and CAMPBELL got all the praise. Worse luck for us. After manœuvring round this vicinity for three weeks or so, we made back to Utrecht for rations, and on our way we had a couple of night marches. On the night of the 30th October 250 of us, with a few men also from Col. GARRETT's column (who has the 5th New Zealanders and Queenslanders with him), and as they had received information that Boers were in the habit of sleeping at farmhouses, we consequently surprised them on this particular occasion. We went first of all in a body to one farm house, and our rearguard the New Zealanders, were challenged by three Boers, who cried 'Hands up'! But one of the NZ, who happened to be further back than the rest, and hearing the demand, came up and said 'Hands up be blowed'! and shot one Boer dead, the others they took prisoners. Meanwhile our right half reached the house, and surprised the Boers completely. Most of them were in bed if you please, and two actually ran away in their little short shirts, but a couple of volleys soon saw them coming back with their hands up. Well, the 5th Vics. captured 15 and the NZ 5 - so 20 wasn't so bad for a night's work. We arrived at the main camp next morning, pretty fatigued. Our next night march was on the eve of Melbourne Cup day, and all that were available went out to surprise another lot of Boers in a farmhouse. We reached there before dawn, and partly surrounded the house, and F Company was sent down to open the attack, but the horses started neighing and nearly gave the concern away, as it woke the Boers and we were subjected to a pretty heavy fire. Meanwhile F Company went down, and Lieut. CRISP and two of his men were killed. All sorts of firing was going on, and Lieut. WOODS thrust his hand through a window and kept firing his revolver at 12 Boers in the room and flourishing it all over the place; he kept shouting 'Hands up, hands up, hands up'! keeping time with his revolver, and eventually the Boers came out. Barring our loss we did excellently, as we captured a hundred or so of their horses and burnt a great number of saddles, which are supposed to have been taken from Major GOUGH - so you see we are getting them all back by degrees. Among the Boer prisoners was an old grey-whiskered joker whose son was killed that night, and he asked our major would he kindly take on his son's body to our camp, so that he could bury him decently, and all the Boer prisoners could attend. The request was granted, and he was brought on with our killed. We arrived at Vryheid the next day, and buried our poor comrades. They were of course accorded a military funeral, and I can assure you nothing is more impressive - especially here. We have the Scottish Rifles with us, and their piper headed the cortege with [illegible] bagpipes. We buried them in the Vryheid cemetery in three separate graves, and each will have a decent memorial placed over it. Now nothing unusual has occurred since our arrival at Vryheid, and I want to let the Sunbury people know the way we are taking the comments in the Melbourne papers in reference to our doings here. Now in the first place a letter has appeared in both the Melbourne papers regarding our fighting abilities, etc., and signed by some individual who has had the luck (we call it) to be sent home for some reason or other, and who can naturally talk of things he knows nothing of. As I have not the papers handy, I cannot very well remember the remarks passed. But I do know that each complaint of his can easily be contradicted, and that by high authority. For instance, you would only have to apply to the chief in command now, and also the two majors, who are all English officers, and I think their testimony would satisfy the Victorian people. I may add that this contingent has had more fighting and hardships than any of the previous contingents, a fact to be seen when we have been on the incessant go ever since our arrival in this country; but time will tell, and everything will 'come out in the wash,' as the saying goes, when our time expires. There is a black sheep in every flock, and it does not signify if one or two commit an offence here that the contingent is disgraced, and it is only those who have not been in the fights can boast of what we should do or what we should not do."
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