23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Ashanti War 1873-74

[historysearch]

Looking for any information that can help fill gaps with any information concerning operations in the Ashanti War 1873-74 involving 2nd Battalion, 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers. I found a web site that had all the despatches that were sent back to the War Office and this was good, although this details a lot of the actions of the Naval Brigade and the 42rd Highlanders.

I am sure that the 23rd must have been in some heavy action as the war was close fought in dense bush against large numbers of Ashanti tribsmen, but very little seems written about the 23rd.

If anyone has any service/medal information, I am particularly looking for  2318 Pte David Yeomans, 2nd 23 RWF.

Thank you in advance

Glyn

[neil1821]

2318 Pte Daniel Yeomans, 2/23rd is on the roll, qualifying for the clasp.
30 officers and 651 other ranks of which 20 officers and 287 other ranks got the clasp.

[teddymark]

looking for info on William Roberts
Campaign or Service: Third Ashanti War
 Service Date: 1873-1874
Service Location: Africa
 Regiment or Unit Name: 2/23rd Royal W Fusiliers
Regimental Number: 1709

thanks!

[neil1821]

1709 Pte William Roberts is confirmed on the roll. He was entitled to the Coomassie clasp and is listed as being with the battalion in Gibraltar in June 1874 when the medal roll was compiled.

The battalion was in England for the censuses either side, 1871 & 1881.
Have you found him? If not I can give you some more unusual soldiers names to search for first from the battalion.

[teddymark]

thank you Neil1821
I have found him on the 1871 census in Brompton and I know he was in Gibralter in 1876.
 I have a copy of a newspaper article where it states "He was the Harpist of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers and played for the then Prince of Wales" April 15 1876
I am hoping to find more information about him.
Where is the roll of names where you found him?
William was my gr gr grandfather
again many thanks!

[Beaujolaiswine]

Hi

I am also interested in this regiment as my Great Grandfather Pte. Henry Phillips (born 1851 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire) served with the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Regiment during the Ashanti War and appears to have been in Gibraltar in 1874 also.

I am particularly interested to find out about the movements of the regiment on return to the UK as he married my great grandmother Mary Jane James (born in 1853 Tidenham, Gloucerstershire) in 1876 in Hulme, Manchester, Lancashire. I am fascinated to find out how their paths crossed.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Regards

Richard

[1820 DESCENDANT]

Hello,

We have just discovered today, amongst a box of my husband's odds and ends, a medal with the 'bar' (clasp?) reading "Coomassie".  It may have belonged to my husband's great grandfather, as his grandfather's surname was Humfreys.  The engraving around the edge of the medal reads:
2355 (or 2555) the next word looks like Dr, but could be an abbreviation for another rank,
A Humphreys or Humfreys, 2 Bn, 23 R W Fusiliers 1873 - 74

Trust this informatiion may be of some use to you - would love to hear whether you have any info on this

regards

David and Heather Zeller

[km1971]

Hi Both and welcome

Dr will be Drummer. They got a penny a day more than Privates. Here is the medal roll on Ancestry - http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1686/31794_221407-00252?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d1686%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=31794_221407-00377

He is listed as 2355 Drummer J Humphries

Ken