Second Boer War

[Harli]

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

[km1971]

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

[Harli]

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.

[km1971]

...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

[Harli]

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

[gortonboy]

hi,,can u post his name and year and place of birth? 

[Harli]

Hi

His name was Walter Wellstood and he was born in 1881 in Long Wittenham, Berkshire.

Best wishes

Harli

[gortonboy]

maybe the confusion with the service number is because he was transferred to 18 CO Army service corp?

[Harli]

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