RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Harli on Monday 27 September 10 20:29 BST (UK)
-
Hi
My great grandad served in the Second Boer War. He was in the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Corps No. 15992) and enlisted on 14 February 1901. He was declared medically unfit and was transferred to the reserve in 1902. As far as I know he didn't serve in WW1. Where could I find out more about his time in South Africa? I have his service records from Ancestry but I don't understand all the codes on the pages, are there any good websites that tell you how to decipher service records?
Many thanks for any help
-
That number is from the WW1 era. In the Boer War it would have been four digits, c7-9000. Ancestry only have records from around WW1. If they mention enlisting in 1901 it looks as if they used the same papers and renumbered him. You should look for a four digit number crossed out. The date he signed the form should confirm this.
You are going to have to post extracts from the record that you do not understand. In what was page 4 there will be a summary of where he served. The same page should have details of next of kin and any medals he received. By the time he got to South Africa it was a guerilla war, with the infantry in lines of blockhouses and the Boers being driven into them by mounted troops.
Ken
-
Hi Ken
Thanks for the info, I didn't realise that they used the same papers and renumbered them, I guess that means he did serve in WW1 as well then, that would have been in the reserve I assume. He signed the form on 13 February 1900 and you are right, the original number has been crossed out but is so faint I can hardly read it, looks like 5181. Under Campaigns on page 4 it says South Africa 1899 and that he was entitled to the South Africa Medal. He was in South Africa from 6 February 1901 to 24 December 1901. He was a baker by trade.
I will have to work out how to upload the pages.
-
...I didn't realise that they used the same papers and renumbered them, I guess that means he did serve in WW1 as well then...
Generally they didn't. If there was a break in service there would normally be a new set of papers. If there was no break they would carry on with the same papers and number. Yours is odd because of the five digit number plus the fact it gave a date in 1900.
Ken
-
Hi
Sounds like a bit of a mystery then. As far as I know GG arrived back in the UK in 1902, married Great Granny and settled down to family life as a baker. Dad didn't know he had served in any war. It is definately GG though as the next of kin he gives are his mother and father and all his brothers and sisters.
Harli
-
hi,,can u post his name and year and place of birth? ;)
-
Hi
His name was Walter Wellstood and he was born in 1881 in Long Wittenham, Berkshire.
Best wishes
Harli
-
maybe the confusion with the service number is because he was transferred to 18 CO Army service corp?
-
Hi
All this war stuff is a bit of a mystery to me. What would the transfer to the Army Service Corp mean?
Many thanks
Harli
-
FindMyPast have a very clear copy of his papers. The original number is 5781 Royal Berkshire Regiment. The second number S/15992
He transferred to Army Service Corp in May 1900
Discharged medically unfit for further service march 1902
South Africa Campaign 1899. Entitled to South Africa medal
His death certificate is also there - 12th Jan 1941 age 60
No mention of any WW1 service.
Milly
-
I only mentioned WW1 because that would have been when a 5-digit number would have been used in the Berkshire Regiment.
Ken
-
very odd ???
I wonder if there are some other papers for if he went back in for WW1 that have got lost. These ones have "duplicate" written on the, so perhaps they were with the original? Although these papers have his death certificate and a piece of paper regarding some payent being made.
He was discharged for being medically unfit. Would they have taken him back for ww1 if that was the case?
Milly
-
Hi
When you say his death certificate do you mean his actual death certificate? The records I have came from Ancestry (they say "original"on them and there is no death certificate or mention of any payment. There is a note dated 7/1/1902 from Aldershot that says
Herewith original attestation of No S15992 pte W Wellstood No 18 Co, which has apparently been returned by you in error, along with the duplicate attestations on 3rd ? "(can't read the last word).
What is FindMyPast by the way?
As far as I know Walter never served in WW1.
Thanks for all the help with this, much appreciated.
Harli
-
yes,,,his actual death certificate is in the service record.
-
FindMyPast IS Findmypast,,,,you can access the service record there...you will need to buy some credits though ;)
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/chelseaPensionerSearchResult.action?sdrfnbr=976203072
-
Hi
The FindMyPast records are much better than the Ancestry ones! The death certificate mentions epilepsy, I wonder if that would have been the reason he was discharged as medically unfit way back then or maybe he developed it in later life. The person who informed the death was my grandfather, sadly he is no longer around to talk to.
Harli
-
That was very good value... good service records and a death cert thrown in for free ;D
Milly
-
Hi,
You may be able to get some assistance from http://www.casus-belli.co.uk/index.asp?PageId=116, they have a great wealth of knowledge and resources about the Anglo-Boer War including casualty lists which your GG Grandfather may appear on.
Hope this helps,
Dale