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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Romilly on Wednesday 25 January 12 20:37 GMT (UK)

Title: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Wednesday 25 January 12 20:37 GMT (UK)

Hoping that someone will be able to help with this...

My Great Uncle, William Dyer, born Erith, Kent 1882...alledgedly served in the Boer War. (See attached pic).

I've found him on the 1891 Census, in Tottenham with parents William and Ellen Dyer.

On the 1901 Census he's in Barracks at Litchfield with his Regiment. He alledgedly served in the Boer War.

Is this uniform right for the Boer War? And is there a Site where I can check if he definately served in it?

Cheers, Romilly.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: gortonboy on Wednesday 25 January 12 21:22 GMT (UK)
looking at the census for 1901,,the officers are from the Staffordshire regiment,,,so was he in this regiment,,,if he was in the boer war,,then he should have been in South Africa in 1901,,as the war was in progress,,,not to say he didnt ship out later?
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: kaysii on Wednesday 25 January 12 21:28 GMT (UK)
Maybe this site could help you

http://angloboerwar.com/

Find my past also has some records but you would have to pay to view them.

kaysii
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: gordonmcmullan on Wednesday 25 January 12 21:33 GMT (UK)
Find my past has Boer war records

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/boer-war-register-search-start.action?product=BW&ukwid=654956&sourceid=1&FindMyPast+Main_CPC&utm_medium=Military+Records&utm_campaign=Boer+War

should take you to a search page
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: mmm45 on Wednesday 25 January 12 21:45 GMT (UK)
Photo could be later he looks to have a ribbon on tunic?

Ady
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Wednesday 25 January 12 21:52 GMT (UK)
Hi All,

Many Thanks for the replies. Gordon, I don't have access to FindMyPast, only Ancestry.

The problem is that I know very little about this chap... He was my G/Grandmother Frances Dyer's younger brother. I was recently sent this photo by a (distant) cousin from Australia, who tells me that William Dyer served in the Boer War and then went to Argentina. (He's also supposed to have spent time in the Navy, - but I have no further details on this).

I was trying to verify the Boer War Service as a first step...(!)

Cheers, Romilly.

NB...what does that number to his right signify?
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: gordonmcmullan on Thursday 26 January 12 08:32 GMT (UK)
I suspect the number on the right is the studio's reference number for the sitting (or possibly the individual negative) placing it in-shot would ensure its accuracy and be less likely to be lost over time than a stamp or handwriting on the reverse.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Thursday 26 January 12 15:56 GMT (UK)
Find my past has Boer war records
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/boer-war-register-search-start.action?product=BW&ukwid=654956&sourceid=1&FindMyPast+Main_CPC&utm_medium=Military+Records&utm_campaign=Boer+War
should take you to a search page

Just checked out FindMyPast and there is one result for

William Dyer, Boer War(!)

However, having just taken out subs to Ancestry...I will have to wait quite a while before taking out anything else... ::)

Romilly.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: mmm45 on Thursday 26 January 12 17:44 GMT (UK)
If someone can confirm its your man through next of kin etc you can hopefully get his Boer War medal entitlement of Ancestry...Theres a couple of possibles though.

Ady
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Thursday 26 January 12 19:06 GMT (UK)
If someone can confirm its your man through next of kin etc you can hopefully get his Boer War medal entitlement of Ancestry...Theres a couple of possibles though.
Ady

Yes, I've found 2 possibles on there...

I can't see anything on them about next of kin though. (The next of kin for the chap I'm looking for would be either his father, also William Dyer, - or his mother, Ellen Dyer).

Romilly.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: dillonking on Thursday 26 January 12 19:46 GMT (UK)
That looks like the uniform of the 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment to me. I googled the name of the regiment in google images/pics
If so then Dwyer was in the Boer War and he was a private. I think he received the standard campaign medal.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Friday 27 January 12 09:37 GMT (UK)

Many thyanks for looking dillonking.

I love the pic! Yes, that does look like the uniform Wm Dyer is wearing, and as he would have been living in Tottenham when he joined up...I would imagine that the Middlesex Regiment would have been more likely than a Scottish one.

Cheers, Romilly.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Jebber on Friday 27 January 12 11:18 GMT (UK)
 Hi Romilly,

His records are on FindMyPast, he was in the East Yorkshire Regt, his number was 6529, and yes he was in the Boer war. He had the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps for the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.

He gave his father as next of kin.

Jebber
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Jebber on Friday 27 January 12 12:25 GMT (UK)
Here is the link to his entry in the Medal Roll on Ancestry.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0jzu/


Jebber

Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Friday 27 January 12 14:13 GMT (UK)

Gosh...Many Thanks that that Jebber!!

Best Wishes, Romilly. :) :)
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: km1971 on Friday 27 January 12 14:42 GMT (UK)
The 1901 Census entry is for the Militia battalions of one of the Staffordshire regiments. So something is not right.

Ken
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Friday 27 January 12 15:41 GMT (UK)
The 1901 Census entry is for the Militia battalions of one of the Staffordshire regiments. So something is not right.
Ken

Hi Ken,

It could well be the case that the 1901 Census entry that I found relates to another William Dyer. If my William Dyer served in the Boer War, (and the Medal List shows that he did)...then he would have been in South Africa then, and not in the UK.

Romilly.
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Jebber on Friday 27 January 12 17:46 GMT (UK)
Ken,

There is no doubt that the 1901 census entry is the correct William DYER, there are several other people in the barracks who served in the East Yorkshire Regt. Frederick ORCHARD from Bath and Herbert MENDHAM from Norfolk, to mention just two of them, their record are also on FindMyPast. Further investigation would probably prove that some or the other soldiers were from various other Regiments.

Jebber
Title: Re: Is there a Site for Boer War Look-ups?
Post by: Romilly on Friday 27 January 12 18:35 GMT (UK)
Ken,
There is no doubt that the 1901 census entry is the correct William DYER, there are several other people in the barracks who served in the East Yorkshire Regt. Frederick ORCHARD from Bath and Herbert MENDHAM from Norfolk, to mention just two of them, their record are also on FindMyPast. Further investigation would probably prove that some or the other soldiers were from various other Regiments.
Jebber

Thanks for enlarging on that Jebber, - I had thought that possibly I had the wrong chap there, - but it seems not!

Cheers, Romilly.