Boer War Recruiting

[ladyarcher]

I have the records of an ancestor who enlisted in the Sth African Light Horse which, I understand, you had to already be in SA to enlist.  Would ther have been newspaper advertisements urging you to go to SA to assist?

I cannot find his name on any passenger list so am wondering why he went to SA and how he got there, particularly as not from a wealthy family.

[liverpool annie]

Hi Ladyarcher !

There are records available at Kew ! are these the ones you have already ?

http://www.justdone.co.za/SAMU/Info_Units.asp?UnitID=489

Can you post his name and details ? ..... and lets see what we can find out !

He more than likely went over there with another regiment and changed over .... just as added information ... Winston Churchill was with the South African Light Horse ! 

Annie 

[ladyarcher]

Thanks for this link.

The records I found at Kew relate to where he signed on again on th 21 March 1905 at Potchefstroom with the 7th Corps of Hussars.  To question 11 (Have you ever served in the Army ....) he states he was was with the SA Light Horse until disbandment and to question 6 (have you resided out of your father's house for 3 years continuously ....) he states "Yes, South Africa.

His number is 6816 John Cooke of Corps of Hussars.

He did dessert in February 1906 and in January 1907 "tried to fraudulently enlist into the Bedfordshire Regiment as 8844 John Cooke".

I have been unable to find anything else about this person, although family "gossip" says that we had family in South Africa.