Hero of the Month - April 2024
Published in Britain and War - April 2024
Sergeant William Bernard Traynor VC
Sergeant William Traynor earned his Victoria Cross (VC) for a rare night action during the Second Anglo-Boer War. His decoration was also the only VC awarded to a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) or private soldier from the West Yorkshire Regiment during the conflict. Furthermore, I am pleased to say that I am the proud owner of his medal group having bought it at auction in 2012.
William Bernard Traynor was born in Hull, Yorkshire (now Humberside), on December 31 1870. He was the son of Francis Traynor, a flax dresser originally from Co. Monaghan, and his wife Rebecca (née Longfield). After being educated at Pryme Street Roman Catholic School in Hull, Traynor Jr worked as a labourer.
On November 14 1888, Traynor, just a month short of his eighteenth birthday, joined the 2nd Battalion, West Yorks Regiment (the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment) at Beverley, Yorkshire. From January 1891, he served with his regiment in India, including postings to the garrisons at Mooltan, Lahore and Lucknow. On June 12 1897, back in the UK, he married Jane Martin and the couple went on to have two daughters and four sons, including twin boys.
On October 20 1899, and having earlier extended his service to twelve years, Traynor went with his regiment to South Africa, where he took part in the Second Anglo-Boer War.
The Second Anglo-Boer War – generally known as simply the Boer War – was fought at the turn of the twentieth century between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics: the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (the Transvaal).
War was declared on October 11 1899, the Boers striking first by invading Cape Colony and Natal Colony before the end of January 1900. In a period known as “Black Week”, December 10–15 December 1899, the British forces led by General Sir Redvers Buller suffered devastating losses at Magersfontein, Stormberg and Colenso. The Boers also besieged the towns of Ladysmith, Mafeking and Kimberley, where the townspeople suffered terrible hardship.
There were further defeats for the British in the first five weeks of 1900 but, when reinforcements arrived on February 14, troops under the command of Field Marshal Lord Roberts launched a series of successful counter-offensives. Kimberley was relieved the next day, and there were further victories before the relief of Ladysmith.
However, it was the relief of Mafeking in May 1900 that prompted the biggest celebrations in Britain. As 250,000 British troops, under the overall command of Lord Kitchener, gained control of both republics, the enemy resorted to guerrilla tactics, while the British built large-scale concentration camps to hold refugees, including women and children, created by their “scorched earth” policy. The war rumbled on until the last of the Boers finally surrendered in May 1902. The war, which ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging signed on May 31 1902, resulted in the award of 78 VCs.
During the war, Traynor was present at several of the major engagements: Colenso, Spion Kop, Laing’s Nek, Tugela Heights and the relief of Ladysmith, and was promoted to sergeant on June 1 1900. He received his VC for bravery at Bothwell Camp, Transvaal. As a result of the Boer attacks on the Delagoa Bay (now Maputo Bay) railway line, Lieutenant-General J. D. P. French was ordered to clear Boer commandos from the area south of the line as far as the Johannesburg to Natal railway. The aim was to encircle General Louis Botha and his troops near Ermelo.
On the night of February 5 1901, French’s column camped at Bothwell, at the northern end of Lake Chrissie and around half way between Ermelo and Carolina. At 3 am, the Boers attacked the camp and for an hour they kept up a relentless assault. In his book After Pretoria: The Guerilla War, H. W. Wilson painted a vivid picture of the day’s events:
“On 5 February, General Smith-Dorrien, on the British left, reached Bothwell Farm, in the neighbourhood of Lake Chrissie, which is famous as being one of the very few sheets of fresh water in South Africa. Here he halted for the night and, with the studious attention to all reasonable precautions, which had won him so good a reputation in this protracted war, entrenched his camp strongly. The night was intensely dark, and the obscurity was increased by a heavy mist which hung over these uplands, rendering it impossible for the sentries and outposts to see anyone at a few yards’ distance. It was fortunate that so much care was shown on the British side, as Louis Botha during the day had reinforced Lukas Meyer, who was conducting the Boer retreat in this quarter, and had determined upon a night attack with 2,000 men, to cover the withdrawal northwards of the great bulk of his force, now menaced with the danger of being driven into Natal or penned in upon the Swazi frontier. At 3 a.m. on the 6th the assault was delivered.”
The Boers were able to crawl close into the British outposts before they were seen and challenged. Wilson described how their “forlorn hope” then rushed between two trenches held by the West Yorkshires, driving in front of them a troop of loose horses. The aim of this tactic was to confuse the British troops and lead them to think they were being charged by mounted men.
Although this did cause momentary confusion, the experienced soldiers of G and H Companies of the West Yorkshires held their position, while the British supports caught the Boers by surprise. Vicious hand-to-hand, fighting followed in which the British forces gained the upper hand.
Wilson said of the fighting that day, “Many men were killed or wounded as they lay asleep. But order was swiftly restored; the tired troops as they awoke collected their wits, snatched up their rifles, and dashed forth to repel their assailants. They had no mark at which to fire except the fitful flashes of the Martinis and Mausers, yet there is evidence that many of the British bullets found billets in the enemy’s ranks. Long before day broke, seeing that their onset had failed, the Boers withdrew, well knowing that the British were too ignorant of the ground to attempt pursuit until day came. They seem to have made off to the north, sending a detachment eastwards to make the British think that they were retiring in that direction. At daybreak Smith-Dorrien despatched his mounted infantry to follow them up, but they had already got so far that touch could not be recovered.”
The British casualties had been heavy: 24 officers and men killed and 53 wounded, with the West Yorkshires being hardest hit. However, it was during the height of the battle that Traynor showed such great courage that he was awarded the VC. He was, however, badly wounded – so badly injured that his wife initially received a telegram saying that he had been killed. In fact, he had received splinter and bullet wounds to his chest and thigh.
Traynor’s VC was announced on September 17 1901, when his citation stated: “During the night attack on Bothwell camp, on 6 February 1901, Sergeant Traynor jumped out of a trench and ran out under an extremely heavy fire to the assistance of a wounded man. While running out he was severely wounded, and being unable to carry the man himself, he called for assistance. Lance-Corporal Lintott at once came to him, and between them they carried the wounded soldier into shelter. After this, although severely wounded, Sergeant Traynor remained in command of his section, and was most cheerful in encouraging his men till the attack failed.”
Traynor’s injuries forced his discharge from the army in September 1901, the same month that his VC was announced. He was not well enough to travel to London for his investiture and so, instead, a presentation was made to him on July 2 1902 at the West Yorkshire Barracks, York, close to his home.
The Daily Mail reported on the event, “A brief but interesting ceremony took place at a full-dress parade of the troops of the York garrison at the infantry barracks this morning, when Sergeant W. B. Traynor, 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, was presented with the Victoria Cross gained during the South African War … The officer making the presentation of the trophy, Colonel E. S. Browne, Assistant Adjutant-General, North Eastern District, is himself a Victoria Cross man.
“Having referred to the circumstances under which Sergeant Traynor risked his life to help one under his command, Colonel Browne, V.C., said one could not conceive a brighter example of true devotion to duty in a commander.
“Colonel Browne then called Sergeant Traynor, who was in mufti, forward and pinned the Cross to his breast, and also the South Africa Medal with six clasps [thin strips of metal detailing the specific battles at which an individual had been present]. Colonel Browne addressed the troops, remarking that owing to the state of Sergeant Traynor’s health, it had not been possible for him to journey to London to receive the Cross, in the way he otherwise would, but that circumstances had its compensating advantage for it enabled Sergeant Traynor to receive it in the very cradle and home of the distinguished regiment to which he had belonged… At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sergeant Traynor received numerous personal congratulations.”
For a short time, Traynor worked as an orderly room clerk but in September 1902 he was given the job of barrack warden at Dover. In fact, during the Great War he was praised for his valuable service in this role. Following a dinner for holders of the VC in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords in 1929, at which the Prince of Wales was present, Traynor joined the Dover branch of the Royal British Legion and became one of its most enthusiastic supporters, at one point serving as the branch’s vice-chairman.
In 1935, he retired from his post as barrack warden. In his twilight years, Traynor was honoured as a non-Freemen of the Borough by an invitation to Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation lunch held at Dover Town Hall. Throughout his post-military career, Traynor had also remained a loyal friend of his old regiment, regularly travelling north to attend reunions. At the time of his death, he had a son serving in the Royal Engineers and a granddaughter serving in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC).
In retirement, Traynor continued living in Dover until his death on October 20 1956, aged 83. Traynor’s funeral was attended by numerous representatives of the West Yorkshire Regiment, as well as the Mayor of Dover. He was buried in Charlton Cemetery in the town.