Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Major

Unit : 1st Bn, 3rd Bn

Biography :

Educated at RMC Sandhurst, Bertram Weldon (the third son of Sir Anthony Crossdill Weldon, 5th Bt) was appointed 2nd Lieutenant 12.8.1892 in The Leicestershire Regiment. Was serving with 1st Bn in West Indies in 1894, being promoted Lt on 5.2.1894. Was serving with Mounted Infantry Company of 1st Bn in South Africa as at 27.9.1899 and promoted Captain 12.11.1900. With 1st Bn at Talana, and wounded in action at Dundeee while leading a section of 2nd Bn The Royal Irish Fusiliers and fell into the hands of the Boers who sent him to hospital at Intombi on parole. Subsequently he was sent by the Boers with other wounded officers to Ladysmith where he endured the siege with 1st Bn. He entirely recovered. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his actions in Boer War. He served with the Egyptian Army 1902-03 and was awarded the Khedive's Medal. Sometime ADC to the General Officer Commanding The Curragh, Ireland. Latterly serving in 3rd Leicesters he retired from the Army on 8.8.1905. On the outbreak of the First World War he rejoined 3rd Bn as Temp Captain on 2.9.1914. He then served as a Major in 10th Service Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers, entering France in June 1915. As a Captain (later Major) in the General List he was awarded the M.C. (Edinburgh Gazette 4.6.1917). He wrote 'The Evolution of Israel. the Story of the English Race from 721 B. C. to the Present Day' (published in 1910), and 'The Origin of the English' (published in 1919). On 30.6.1920 he joined the Royal Marines as an Honorary Temp Major for service as an interpreter with Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control, Berlin. He died in 1922, aged 49 years.

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LETTER FROM LT B WELDON, XII LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT, STATIONED AT WELLINGTON BARRACKS, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA in c1892

Wellington Barracks, Halifax - 6th November

Dear Grubb,

I promised to write and give my opinion of Halifax and the Halifactors and the 17th in particular.

The latter gallant corps is the finest collection of the sort in Heurope, Hasia, Hafrica and Hamerica, as Mr Jorrock's would say.

I had no idea the British soldier ran to such gigantic proportions and such unlimited amount of mustachios. Even the Officers are built on a far more Liberal scale than the ordinary. This you will admit when I state that one sub, (Mr H Hawke) weighs 18 st and that another is 6 ft 4 and broad in proportion, whilst I am nearly the shortest of the lot. To square the average we have one dear little wee little 2nd in command who would have to look up to Colquhoun even. I was "let in" today into marching my company back from church and I flatter myself I did it in a very superior, even if original manner.

I also wander aimlessly around the mess rooms at dinner and kit inspections trying to look as though I knew exactly how many mustard pots there ought to be or where a man's most private articles ought to be laid out for inspection. However, it is no go, I see I betray myself instantly in the pitying manner that the sergeant looks at me. Up to lately most of my mornings were spent standing uneasily balanced in the middle of the square practicing the goose step to the delight of the local small boys and the amazement of the barrack ....?

However the latter are a depraved lot and I don't mind what they think but it is annoying to hear the farriers? discussing my balance or calling me an uncooked lobster because I had a blue ....? on.

However the sergeant is awfully good, if on the command right turn I strike off due east on a line of my own iot's not I who gets the blame. He picks on some meek little chap along side of me and jaws him for setting the Officer wrong.

I have a fairly good time on the whole though muffins are 'off' in Halifax and even if they wern't the girls are tarnation ugly. Society here is mixed, decidedly mixed. It bears the same ratio to England that half a pound of corn at Welliong did to a pound of the best .....? You meet the gent that you bought half a pound of candles from in the morning, in the evening at Government House.

The military is the Creme de la Creme of society here, At first I felt rather shy at having my paragraph in the local paper chronicling almost everything I do but I soon got used to it and don't feel half so proud now. They take three columns and enough flowery description to fill a novel over one wretched company match of footer. The Colonel and Adjutant are good sorts. I respect the latter immensely though between us we wasted 6 letters and any amount of government paper because my servanty had a light burning in his kitchen at 11.6 pm when the orders destincly say lights out at 5 minutes past eleven. I thought I would get cashiered on the matter.

He sent two memorendums on the same day telling me of the crime and ordering me to 'take steps' in the matter. I took steps and cursed the erring one and forgat the whole affair. A couple of days I received a letter asking me in very official and polite language why the devil I didn't answer the memo's. I replied with many Sirs I have the honour to be etc. I then got a letter telling me not to write a letter but send a memo and I had to acknowledge this. All the time his office was alongside.

I have used all the paper at my disposal and you will probably have to pay extra as it is.

Pay it to keep free the ......? of your friend. B Weldon, 17th Leicesters.

Date of Birth : 16.11.1872

Place of Birth : Kildare, Ireland

Date of Death : 7.10.1922

Civil Occupation : author

Period of Service : 1892-1905; 1914-22

Conflicts : Boer War, WW1

Places Served : Nova Scotia, West Indies, South Africa, France, Ireland, Germany