Joseph Henry Banks
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Lt.-Colonel Joseph Henry Banks | |
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| Born | 10 May 1843 Corfu,Greece |
| Died | c. 1916 Nuwara Eliya,Sri Lanka |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | 7th Dragoon Guards |
| Commands | Auckland Militia 6th New Zealand Mounted Rifles |
| Battles/wars | Anglo-Egyptian War Second Boer War |
Lieutenant-ColonelJoseph Henry Banks(1843–1916) was the BritishCommandantand instructor of theAucklandMilitiathrough whose capacity the first six of the ten contingents of the New ZealandMounted Rifleswere raised and trained for overseas combat in theBoer Wars,becoming the core of the modernNew Zealand Army.
Military background
[edit]Born 10 May 1843, atCorfu,where his father, William Henry Banks (1817–1880), was then billeted with theRoyal Artillery.His mother, Ann Anderson, was formerly aseamstressofCarlisle, Cumbria.
His father was a remarkable soldier, and one of only a handful of 19th-century soldiers to have received a commission from the ranks on raw ability. In November 1854, William Banks wasSergeant-Majorof Field Battery 'H' with theRoyal Artillery,then engaged at theBattle of Inkermanwhere he had his horse shot from under him. Following the battle, Brigadier-GeneralSir Richard Dacres,sanctioned byField-Marshal Lord Raglan,recommended him for a commission arising from an act of "distinguished conduct in the field". This was approved by Horse Guards in May 1855, when he was raised to the rank of lieutenant, without purchase. Having started his career in 1838 as agunner,William Banks rose tobrevetmajor and was retired on full pay in 1872 with the honorary rank oflieutenant colonel,97th Regiment of Foot– a considerable achievement for the time.
Early career
[edit]War Officerecords provide insight into the effort by which both father and son sought to further young Joseph's military ambitions. In 1860, his father (then acaptain) sought to obtain for him a commission, with or without purchase, both within the regularBritish armyand with a colonial regiment, but he was turned down in both cases. In 1862, Joseph sat and passed his entry exams to theRoyal Military College, Sandhurst,but did not attend, probably due to the family's inability to find the funds to send him there. He again passed his exams for a direct commission in 1863, but on being offered a commission "with purchase" in theGold Coast Regiment,the family again could not raise the required capital.
Despite these best efforts to gain a commission, in December 1864, Banks was forced to enlist as a private soldier with the17th Royal Lancers(known as the "Duke of Cambridge's Own" ). His ability did not go unnoticed, and he was promotedcorporalthe following year andsergeantin 1867. His father then again sought to further the career of his son by apparently invoking the interest of the commander-in-chief,Prince George, Duke of Cambridge,in the process. Something worked, and ColonelDrury Curzon Drury-Lowe,the commander of the17th Lancerswho had just promoted "this fine young soldier" to sergeant, was able to recommend him for a commission two months later. On 26 June 1867, Banks was finally commissioned as anensignwith the24th (The 2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot.Only a few weeks before,Gonville BromheadVCalso joined that regiment as an ensign, and he and Banks served alongside one another for eight years.
British Cavalry
[edit]Banks was promoted tosecond lieutenantand then lieutenant of the 2nd Battalion of the24th Foot.In 1875, the same year that that regiment departed for South Africa – leading to their decisive actions at theBattle of IsandlwanaandRorke's Drift– Banks transferred to the12th Royal Lancersasadjutantto the regiment. In 1880, having been promoted tocaptain,Banks again transferred to anothercavalryregiment, the7th Dragoon Guards,to which he remained attached for the remainder of his career.
With the7th Dragoons,he took part in the1882 Egyptian Campaign,serving onLord Kitchener'sstaff asbrigade majorto the cavalry in the Army of Occupation atEgypt.Banks saw action atMassawa,where (similarly to his father at theBattle of Inkerman) he had his horse shot from under him. He also took part in theMoonlight ChargeatKassassinduring theBattle of Tel el-Kebir.For his part, he received theEgypt Medal(1882–1889), and the Turkish awards of the Khedive Bronze Star and theOrder of the Medjidie,5th Class.
In 1883, the7th Dragoon Guardsremoved to thePunjab, India,where in 1885 Banks was promoted to major. There he was appointedcommandantof theKasauliHill Depot. He enjoyed several other staff and regimental appointments, including that ofmusketryinstructor to theDragoon Guardsand officiating assistantadjutant-generalof theBombay ArmyunderField Marshal Lord Roberts V.C.Banks retired onhalf-pay,on his 48th birthday, 1891. From the Punjab he removed with his family toNuwara Eliya,Ceylon.
New Zealand Mounted Rifles
[edit]
In 1895, Banks was brought out of retirement and posted toNew Zealandto instruct theColony'smilitia.In 1897, he was invited to apply for the post of temporarycommandantof theAucklandMilitia andNorth IslandVolunteers, with the temporary rank oflieutenant colonelin the New Zealand Militia. With the permission of Horse Guards in London, he took up the appointment on 1 April 1897, initially for a period of three months. The appointment was renewed every three months until April 1898, when it became a permanent position. In this capacity, Lt.-Colonel Banks raised and trained theAucklanddetachments of the first six of the ten contingents of the New ZealandMounted Rifles.Banks was a skilled horseman andpoloplayer, making polo compulsory for the troops he was training in practice for combat on horseback.
In 1901, Banks accompanied the 6th Mounted Rifles and embarked to South Africa for service in theBoer Wars.His joined his eldest son, Lieutenant Harry Cecil Banks (1878–1906) R.A., who had come the previous year with the 2nd Mounted Rifles, and was then attached to the 78th Battery of theRoyal Field Artilleryunder the command of Banks's brother-in-law, Lt.-Colonel Duncan Campbell Carter (1856–1942). Banks' second son, Bertram, accompanied his father to South Africa as lieutenant andadjutantof the 6th Mounted Rifles, until they returned in 1902, when he transferred to the 10th Mounted Rifles until the end of the war. 1902 also saw Major-GeneralSir James Melville Babingtontake over as commander of theNew Zealand Defence Force.He happened to be a cousin of Colonel Banks' wife, and was one of the best-known proponents of the usefulness of mounted troops, particularly in the Boer Wars.
As commander of the 6th New Zealand Mounted Rifles, Colonel Banks led this troop into action at theTransvaaland theOrange River Colony.In August 1901,Lord Kitchener,on whose staff Banks had served asbrigade majorin Egypt, requested that he take temporary command of Remounts until rejoining the 6th Mounted Rifles for their return toNew Zealandin May 1902. For his service in theBoer Wars,Banks received theKing's South Africa Medaland five clasps.
Shortly before his departure from South Africa, Banks retired from the regular army and received his final promotion in theBritish Armyto that oflieutenant colonel,7th Dragoon Guards,8 April 1902.[1]The BritishArmy and Navy Gazetteof 17 May 1902, carried the following notice:
Half Pay – Major J.H. Banks, retired pay, to be Lieut. Colonel. Memorandum – Lieut. Colonel J.H. Banks, half-pay, retires on retired pay. These announcements require explanation. The officer referred to left the 7th Dragoon Guards some years ago as a major. Since then, he has been rendering admirable service in connection with the New Zealand local forces, and it is due largely to his zeal and example that the New Zealanders have proved such excellent war material in South Africa. It was felt that his service deserved recognition, as his labours have been incessant and his popularity is very great. Hence his promotion to half-pay which enables him to retire on a higher rate of pension.
Five years after he had leftNew Zealand,following their highly praised contribution to theBoer Wars,in 1910 the contingents Banks had raised, trained and accompanied into battle were re-organised into professional regular regiments, becoming theNew Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade,which was the nucleus of the modernNew Zealand Army.
Retirement
[edit]After his final retirement, Banks remained inNew Zealanduntil 1905. He had become very involved in theAuckland Racing Cluband theAuckland Trotting Club.He remained inNew Zealandpossibly still in an advisory capacity to the militia, and was also called upon for local military ceremonies and inspections:
Last week, Colonel Banks visitedCoromandel,and reviewed the local martial array. The heat was very oppressive and the evolutions somewhat brisk. The sun's rays were somewhat striking, but one of the officers of the corps had come provided for either heat or rain. He took shelter from the sun under hisumbrella.Presently, Colonel Banks passed along the line, and, with remarkable gallantry, the local officer proffered a portion of his kindly shelter to his superior officer. That stern warrior looked with ineffable scorn at thesubaltern,took his measure from head to toe, and then, more in sorrow than in anger, said, "Well, well, this is the first time I have seen a volunteer on service take shelter under an umbrella; from henceforth this corps must be called the 'GinghamCorps'.
Joseph Banks was also a talented artist, and earned a reputation as something of a war artist, with some of his pen-and-ink drawings of the events in the campaigns in which he took part being hung in thePortsmouthMuseum in England today. In recognition of his contribution to the reputation of the New Zealand army under combat, his medals and military memorabilia were donated to theQueen Elizabeth II Army Memorial MuseumatWaiouru,North Island, in 1996.
Family
[edit]On 9 September 1876, at the Church of St. Nicholas inChadlington,Oxfordshire, then Lieutenant Joseph Henry Banks married (Frances) Edith Carter (1854–1950). She was the eldest daughter ofWilloughby Harcourt Carterand his wife Eliza Palmes (1831–1903), of thePalmes family,the third daughter of George Palmes (1776–1851), J.P., D.L., ofNaburn Hall,Yorkshire. The couple were married by the bride's uncle, Rev. George Carpenter (1829–1889), ofLangston House(the Parsonage at Chadlington), where their reception was held. George Carpenter was the husband of Mrs Banks' aunt and godmother, Frances Edith Palmes. Colonel and Mrs Banks were the parents of three sons and two daughters.
Lt.-Colonel Joseph Henry Banks died at his home atNuwara Eliyain 1916. Mrs Banks and her daughters continued to reside there, briefly living with her son Ralph on his tea estate before moving toColombo,where her eldest daughter had since taken up residence with her husband, Ian Stewart (1885–1956), atIndia House.Shortly beforeWorld War II,she and both her daughters leftCeylonforLee-on-the-Solent.Though ordered to do so, duringthe BlitzMrs Banks refused to move from her cottage and proudly collected bombshrapnelfrom her garden for her grandchildren.
References
[edit]- ^"No. 27433".The London Gazette.13 May 1902. p. 3179.