Among the soldiers of the 1st battalion Leicestershire Regiment who fought
in South Africa during the Boer War were two from the tiny hamlet of Smeeton Westerby. One of these men was Lance Sergeant
Oliver Crowdell (left), a career soldier who fought with the battalion throughout the Siege of Ladysmith. Crowdell's father
was a butcher and also landlord of the Cricketer's Arms on Westerby Lane. The other man was Pte James Ward (right). The son
of a railwayman, he lived on Main Street, not far from the Crowdell home. Upon completion of his army service he
had enrolled in the Section 'D' Army Reserve. The Section 'D' men were called up at the beginning of 1900 and reached the
battalion in South Africa at the end of the Siege of Ladysmith. Ward must have brought Crowdell news of home and perhaps even
greetings from his father.
Sadly, Crowdell was not to survive the Boer War but Ward returned home to live out
his days in Smeeton, telling his 13 chidren stories of his part in the Battle of Lydenburg and other actions. Even in her
90s, his daughter Ida (pictured right) could remember her excitement at the news her father was at Kibworth station, upon
his return from the war.
