By John D Ellis
Private 5148 Valleton Algernon Sydney Redman was born at St James (Mucarapo), Trinidad c.1894-1897 (his obituary, in Trinidad, indicated he was born in 1897, which suggests that he claimed to be older to enlist). The son of Randolph S Redman of 28 Hunter Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad, he was educated at Queen’s College, Trinidad. He travelled from Trinidad as part of the “Second Merchants’ Contingent” on RMA Ballantia (departed 29th December 1915, arrived Tilbury 17th January 1916).
The arrival of the Trinidadian volunteers was much heralded by the newspapers of the time: The Westminster Gazette (18th January 1916), reported that they were mostly clerks or government officials, returning “home at the expense of Trinidad merchants” and wearing khaki drill-shirts, breeches and slouch hats. The Trinidadians were welcomed by the Lord Mayor of London, who enlisted them at the Mansion House in London. Thus, on the 18th of January 1916, Valleton Redman enlisted in the 4th Battalion (City of London) Royal Fusiliers.
In January 1916, the battalion were sent to train at Hurdcott Camp, near Salisbury, Wiltshire. This was one of the camps purposely built for the new “Kitchener Armies” – on land requisitioned from Naismith’s Farm and the Hurdcott Estate. The website map-of-australia.com, whilst ostensibly exploring the presence of Australian soldiers in the camp (from 1916 on), provides many details about life at Hurdcott. The soldiers were comfortably housed in huts provided with coal stoves, however, it rained frequently and heavily in winter, with one Aussie commenting “it was the greatest place for wet” he had ever seen. Daily training was demanding, and a typical day would be: 6.30 a.m. — Out of bed to fold blankets and clean hut, shave and wash. 7.15. — Breakfast. 8.5. — Fall in, in drill order. 8.30. — Battalion parade. 8.30 to 9.30. — Musketry (physical and lectures). 9.30 to 10.30. — Bayonet drill. 10.30 to 11.30. — Physical drill. 11.30 to 12.30— Company drill. 12.30 p.m. to 1.45—Dinner. 2 p.m. — Battalion parade. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.— Company drill. 3 to 4 —Physical drill. 4 to 5.— Bayonet drill. 5 to 7. — Teatime. 7 to 9. — Lectures.
The damp winter weather and rigorous training were not conducive to the health of a number of those training on Salisbury Plain. The website map-of-australia.com identifies thirty-four soldiers from the First World War who were buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Section, Compton Chamberlayne Cemetery. A cause of death is noted for twenty-eight of the men, with seventeen of them dying of bronchial related illnesses or pneumonia. Private Valleton AS Redman died at the Fovant Military Hospital, Wiltshire (five miles from Hurdcott), where he was being treated for pneumonia, on the 22nd of February 1916. He was subsequently buried at Compton Chamberlayne, Front Row Plot 12, and two comrades of the 4th Battalion are buried alongside him – Plots 10 and 11 respectively. His gravestone bears the epitaph written by his father:
HE DIED SERVING KING AND COUNTRY AND WE REJOICING RECORD HIS MEMORY
Sources: Trinidad 1919 Year Book. (West India Committee, 1919). Trinidad-1919-Year-Book-extract.pdf (westindiacommittee.org)Soldiers Died in the Great War database © Naval and Military Press Ltd 2010.www.findmypast.co.ukwww.cwgc.orgwww.findagrave.com/memorial/214137682/valleton-sydney_algernon-redmanSoldiers’ Effects Records, 1901-60; National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333; Record Number Ranges: 257501-259000; Reference: 124. ancestry.co.ukWestminster Gazette, 18th January 1916. findmypast.co.uk