Anglo-Boer War help please

[BumbleB]

The following entry is from the ancestry24 beta site - Anglo-Boer War Free State Call up Register - but as I haven't got a subscription I can't see any more for myself.

J W Archbell (believe him to be Joseph William)
Rank - Burger
Farm - Dorp
Ward - Bethlehem-Dorp
District - Bethlehem
Field Cornet - J S Cloete
Remarks - Tydelik Ontslaan (-slagen)
Date of Call up - 18991001
Date of Attestation - 18991001
Archival Reference VAB GS 2113
Ref No - 1509

It is thought that his brother, Frederick Haigh Archbell also fought in the Anglo-Boer War.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BumbleB

[neil1821]

It is thought that his brother, Frederick Haigh Archbell also fought in the Anglo-Boer War.

Also on the Boer side?

Remarks - Tydelik Ontslaan (-slagen)

This means "temporarily discharged" according to the Afrikaans/English dictionary.

Some background reading on Boer forces here:
http://www.angloboerwar.com/forces/boer_forces.htm

And the relevant medal for the Boers:
 http://www.angloboerwar.com/medals/abo.htm

[BumbleB]

That's a very good question, Neil, rumour has it that they may have fought for the English, even though they were both born in SA, as were their parents, but would that have been possible?  That's one of the questions I would like an answer to.  If they did fight for the Boers then that could well mean that Archbell fought Archbell, as I've got one, possibly two, English Archbells in the Anglo-Boer War   

BumbleB

[BumbleB]

I'm even more determined now to get to the bottom of this.  From the websites you gave me, Neil, it looks very much as though at least Joseph William fought for the Boers.  Surely the English wouldn't have used the same terminology, ie Field Cornet and Burger?  He's just got to have fought on the Boer side.  Oooooh what else does that ancestry24 entry show?

BumbleB

[ShaunJ]

Casus Belli (a PPV site) has references to 5 Archbells in the Boer War:

Archbell FJH - a Private in Damant's Horse       
Archbell GT - a Conductor  in the Army Service Corps       
Archbell H - a Private in the Cape Colony Cyclist Corps       
Archbell H - a Trooper with Rimington's Guides         
Archbell JW - a Guide  with the Field Intelligence Department

 http://www.casus-belli.co.uk

[neil1821]

J W Archbell (believe him to be Joseph William)
Rank - Burger
Farm - Dorp
Ward - Bethlehem-Dorp
District - Bethlehem
Field Cornet - J S Cloete
Remarks - Tydelik Ontslaan (-slagen)
Date of Call up - 18991001
Date of Attestation - 18991001
Archival Reference VAB GS 2113
Ref No - 1509

This is indeed an entry for a Boer, no question!
That's what I was driving at before 

Feld-Cornet, Burger etc are Boer terms, plus it does say the "Free State Call-up Register"
Orange-Free State (along with Transvaal) were independent Boer republics.
There was no political entity called South Africa in those days.

[BumbleB]

This is getting more interesting by the minute, at least for me, a mere female 

Neil:  I did "catch on" when I looked at the websites you mentioned, and it would be natural for a Free State born person to fight for his future.  I'd do the same.  We Brits certainly knew how to "get up people's noses"    And probably still do.

Shaun:  I know who two of them are, and thanks for the website.  I'll have a look.

FJH died at Harrismith, of enteric.
H - Cape Colony Cyclists - time expired 1902

H of Rimingtons Guides is possibly FJH ??  I think they were also known as Damants Horse?

BumbleB

[BumbleB]

Be warned:  I've just spent £4.00 on the casus-belli.co.uk website and got absolutely nothing of any value.  I'm about to send them a stinging e-mail.

BumbleB

[EveM]

Frederick Haigh Archbell was the son of Joseph Haigh Archbell. Joseph William was his younger brother. From the call up papers he was indeed called up by the Boers - the file in Ancestry24 gives no more than that.

Frederick Haigh was a Bank manger in Bloemfontein and I have several original passes issued to him by the assistanr Provost Marshall of the Orange River Colony. He seems to have been quite lucky - he had two passes to the Vaudiville Theatre - one in March 1902 and another in may 1902. Another pass is a permanent Night Pass allowing him to be out until midnight "when on duty at the National Bank". The final one is printed in Dutch and overwritten in English giving him permssion to "ride on horseback within the picquets duriong daylight between sunrise and sunset." All signed by the Assistant Provost Marshall.

He served with the H.V.L.H. which I think is the Harrismith Volunteer Light Horse and there are several photographs of the troops who are wearinh khaki with domed helmets rather like a pith helmet.