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Name: VANDELEUR, Cecil Foster Seymour DSO (Lieut.-Col.)

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Nee: eldest son of Hector Stewart Vandeleur of Kilrush, County Clare

Birth Date: 11.7.1869 London

Death Date: 31.8.1901 South Africa

Nationality: British

First Date: 1894

Last Date: 1898

Profession: Scots Guards 1895 - fighting on the Nile

Married: No

Author: 'Campaigning on the Upper Nile and Niger' 1898

Book Reference: Hobley, Moyse, North, UJ, DSO, Eton, Fox Davies

War Service: 2nd Batt. Scots Guards

School: Eton

General Information:

Moyse - 1895 - Capt. Cunningham withdrew troops from Bunyoro for a punitive expedition against the Nandi. At Mumia's Cunningham was joined by Capt. C.H. Sitwell (Manchester Regt.) who had been ordered to assist C.W. Hobley, the administrative officer. Lieut. Vandeleur was also involved. ..... In December 1895 Cunningham and Vandeleur left for the coast on the way to England.
North - Appt. 2nd Class Asst. UP 30/6/1894; arr. Zanzibar from Europe 30/8/1894; dep. Mombasa for Uganda 8/9/1894; arr. Entebbe 28/11/1894; Mukwenda Dec 1894; due to dep. Uganda for coast in a few days 17/2/1896; with J.W. Blackett on railway survey of route from Naivasha to Ugowe Bay, June to Aug 1898; Nairobi Sept. 1898
Uganda Journal - Vol. 2 No. 2 - Further Memories of Uganda by Sir Albert Cook - Seymour Vandeleur - His work in Bunyoro was remarkable both as a surveyor and soldier who had done so much in Uganda, Nigeria and the Sudan was foully done  to death by the Boers.
DSO - He was employed in the Uganda Protectorate1894-96 and served in the Unyoro Expedition, 1895 (Despatches & Medal). For the Nandi Expedition 1895-6 he was mentioned in Despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order - In recognition of services during the recent operations against slave-trading Arabs in the Uganda Protectorate
Hobley - 1896 - punitive expedition against Nandi
Black and White Budget - 7/9/1901 - One of the latest victims is Lieut.-Colonel Cecil Foster Seymour Vandeleur, DSO, of the Irish Guards. He was a most promising young officer, was only 32 years of age, and, like many other brilliant soldiers was an Irishman from County Clare. He distinguished himself in Uganda, in Central Africa, in the Soudan, and South Africa. He was a clever author as well, and was also a distinguished explorer and geographer. He was a favourite with the ranks.
Web Seymour was a fearless decorated soldier who served all over Africa in the late nineteenth century. He saw action in Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt and, in 1898, with Kitchener's army in the Sudan at the Battle of Omdurman. He met a dramatic and heroic death in South Africa in 1901. The locomotive he was travelling on to take up a command at Nylstroom, north of Pretoria, was blown from the tracks by a notorious Irish train-wrecker, Jack Hindon. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, fifty or so Boers opened fire on the beleaguered train's passenger carriages. Two ladies travelling in Seymour's carriage were wounded and he instructed the civilian passengers to lie on the floor. As he opened the door to assume command of the other soldires travelling on the train, he was immediately confronted by a Boer, named Uys, who shot him dead at point blank range. Seymour's extraordinary career was later documented in a eulogistic book by his great friend, the renowned general, Sir (Frederick) Ivor Maxse. Seymour had been Maxse's best man.

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