Corporal (later Lieutenant) Charles Beauclerk Despard
Number: 9364
Company: 46th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion, First Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 3 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 20 years
Trade or calling: Farmer
Place of birth: In the Parish of Cultra, in or near the Town of Holywood, in the County of Down
Address: Sheelah, Malone Park, Belfast
Family: Single. Father William Despard, land agent, mother Mary Despard (nee Hunt), of Malone Park, Belfast.
Previous military service: No
Description:Height 5' 10". Fresh complexion, grey eyes, fair hair. Scar left thigh.
Religion: Church of England
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 3 March 1900
Date home: __
Service medal clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa medal. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal 1901 clasps.
DISCHARGE
Date: 31 March 1901
Place: (?)
Reason for discharge: To take up a commission as a lieutenant in the Imperial Yeomanry
OTHER INFORMATION
Despard was among the 400 men captured by Boer forces at Lindley in May 1900. He was released on 30 August with the other members of the 13th Battalion when the British captured Nooitgedacht.
On 1 April 1901 he was commissioned as a lieutenant and posted to the 74th (Dublin) Company (New), 8th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry. He was mentioned in despatches in 1901:
... for excellent work when extricating a convoy from a difficult situation near Griquatown, Cape Colony, on 24 August 1901.
He resigned his commission on 11 August 1902.
Despard served in World War 1 as an officer in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron and the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was awarded a DSO, Military Cross, and was Mentioned in Despatches. He was killed in action on 18 April 1918. Further details can be found here.
This page last updated 20 November 2024.