JENKINS

Maj. Richard Lewis Hay Blake JENKINS
Clicking on Photo will return to Page H,I,J

JENKINS
Major Richard Lewis Hay Blake (Queen's South Africa Medal & 3 Clasps. King's South Africa Medal & 2 Clasps)

20th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force

Born 1866, in 'Nepean Towers', Douglas Park, NSW
[Birth certificate: 1866 13805 Picton, NSW]

Educated: King's School, Parramatta & Sydney Grammar School, NSW

Occupation: Farmer / Regular Soldier of Australian and Imperial Forces, of Care of J.C. Bragg, 76 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW / Belmont, Hornsby, NSW.

Next Of Kin: Wife; Blanche E. Jenkins (nee Brown) of Care of J.C. Bragg, 76 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW / Belmont, Hornsby, NSW.

Photos of Major Jenkins are known to exist in the following locations: Sydney Morning Herald 29 Jan 1916 p10. Burial service: Sydney Town & Country Journal 29 Mar 1916 p32



Killed in Action
11th December 1915
at Russell's Top
Aged 49







20th Battalion, AIF


No Known Grave


Notes:


Previously served in Manchester Regiment, Sydney Scottish Rifles, NSW Permanent Artillery (R.A.A.). Served in South African War and has Kings & Queens Medals with Five Bars. 2nd in command of 20th Battn. A.I.F.' Captain G.L.B. Concanon, 2nd Battalion [KIA Anzac], was a nephew, as was Flight Commander H. Ralfe [KIA], RAGA and Australian Flying Corps. Referees for further information given as: Blanche E. Jenkins (wife) & G.B. Jenkins (son), of 'Belmont' or 'Orielton', Peats Ferry Road, Hornsby NSW). (AWM 131 Informant Eldest Son, Godfrey Blake Jenkins, of 'Orielton', Peats Ferry Road, Hornsby NSW).


Served as a Special Services Officer in the South African (Boer) War:
Embarked at Sydney on transport Moravian, 17th January 1900. Arrived Cape Town 17th February 1900. Ordered to Orange River Colony on 27th February. Took charge of a machine gun section of Royal Garrison Artillery at Fort Munster. Commanded a detachment of Royal Garrison Artillery with two 9 pounder guns at Zuit Pan Drift. Admitted to hospital suffering dysentery, 20th March; returned to duty 12th April, took command of mounted infantry details at Fort Munster. Appointed staff-officer and Provost Marshal, 19th May. Returned to Australia, invalided, 17th August 1900. Captain Jenkins subsequently commanded machine gun section in 2nd (New South Wales) Mounted Rifles Regiment. Queen's Medal with three clasps, King's Medal with 2 Clasps. (Murray p199).


Also served in Second New South Wales Mounted Rifles:
Left Sydney 15 March 1901. Arrived Port Elizabeth 17 April 1901. Left Cape Town 4 May 1902, Albany, WA, 21 May, Melbourne, Vic, 29 May, disembarked Sydney 4 June 1902. (Murray p106).
Engaged in operations against Generals De La Rey, Kemp, Potgeitiers, and Vermaas:
(a) Served in the Western Transvaal under command of Major General Fetherstonhaugh from 23 April to 1st October. Principal operations: Capture of Potgeitier's convoy on the Vaal, 24th May 1901; capture by the regiment of General De La Rey's convoy of 106 waggons, a large quantity of cattle, ammunition etc.
(b) Served in the Eastern Transvaal, under command of Major General Fetherstonhaugh; engaged in many night marches, resulting in the capture of more than a thousand prisoners.


Birth Certificate Register states: Father; Richard L. Jenkins. Mother; Mary R. Jenkins. Registered Picton, NSW.

Mother; Mary Rae Jenkins (nee Johnstone)

Of Warrawee, Sydney (Sydney Morning Herald 29 Jan 1916 p10).

Father; Richard Lewis Jenkins. Mother; Mary Rae Jenkins.

'On Dec/11/15 three of our majors, Jenkins, Harcus and Uther, were killed by shrapnel whilst going through the sap to Russells Top. It appears that the Turks were firing their 75s at our battery at the back of Walkers Ridge and generally fired three times in succession and a shell fell short and got them. It was a severe loss to the battalion as these officers were very popular and the best we had.' (Journal, Pte John Booth, No.164, A Coy. 20th Bn).

'Poor Uther met his end on the 13th November. He was a wonderful chap, a keen, lovable soldier. He was with two other good soldiers - Majors Jenkins and Harcus. It happened that when it was decided to evacuate Anzac, the new Brigade was ordered to go back to Mudros, and the 20th were instructed to take over on the night of 13th November, and on the morning of that date the Headquarters staff (Major R.C.H. Jenkins, A./C.O., Major R.F. Fitzgerald A./2nd-in-Command; Captain C.H. Howard, Adjutant; and the two senior Company Commanders, Majors J.L. Harcus and G.A. Uther) started to go to Russell [sic] Top to go over the details.
When proceeding up Monash Gully sap, a couple of shells were fired at the party from a '75' at Olive Grove, but, as the trench was deep, no harm was done. When the party reached the top, the sentry there said the gun was shelling the wide sap heavily, and a halt was called. After a wait of a few minutes the party set off again, and had barely gone a dozen yards when a shell burst right among it, killing Uther, Jenkins, and Harcus, and only knocking down Fitzgerald and Howard.' (Brig. General John Lamrock, 20th Bn. 'Surprised: But the Turks Were There.' Reveille Vol.3 No.7 31 March 1930 p57).


Photo of Burial of Majors Jenkins, Harcus and Uther, of the 20th Battalion, at Anzac': in Sydney Town & Country Journal (29 Mar 1916 p32), is captioned:
'The cemetery is near the beach and contains the graves of officers and men from all posts of the Empire. The officers standing, from left to right, are: - Captain Single (Chaplain), Brigadier General Holmes, Major Fitz-gerald. Standing at the foot of graves - Captain Rush.'


Lest We Forget

Top Of Page

Back to Anzac officers died at Gallipoli Home Page