Could a stint in the Boer War really fit into this man's life?

[kob3203]

Jebber - thanks, almost a perfect match, but I'm afraid it's the wrong Llanelli! (I got caught several times by this when I first started researching my Llanelli roots - there's a village in Glamorganshire called Llanelli. Our Williams roots are in the town of Llanelly [official spelling changed to Llanelli in 1974] in Carmarthenshire).

Ken - most interesting. Two leads now seem worth following up:
1) He could have served 12 months as an irregular in the Imperial Yeomanry for the whole year of 1900. This just about fits into what we know of his life, but doesn't explain the story about the photo, the red tunic, and metal helmet
2) He could have served in the Militia - this could explain the photo/tunic story. (Would members of the militia have kept their uniforms at home, or would they have been issued them each time they went for their annual 6-8 week?)
Or maybe even both - a year in S.Africa as an irregular, followed by 6 years in the Militia?

Pete

[km1971]

There is another Llanelli in Breconshire. It means Elli's church so there are probably more.

The arms and uniforms of the Militia were stored in the depot and handed out each year. Members of the Volunteers, who attended one evening a week, would keep their uniforms at home. But if they served in South Africa with a regular battalion their service records would be on Findmypast. If they only served in the Volunteers their records have not survived.

btw.. only cavalry units had metal helmets. Infantry units had cloth home service helmets.

Ken

[kob3203]

We've just had some more information from one of Walter's grandson's, and the trail is definitely warming up now!

Firstly, there was no metal helmet - it was a metal hat-box! But it contained military memorabilia. Walter's spurs, uniform, caps, letters, something from his two sons who were killed in WWI (more on them here http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=461618), etc. There's still a small chance that this is in an attic in Llanelli, and we should get an opportunity to check in mid 2011...
There was a photo - but we don't know whether it was from the Boer War or WWI, and don't have details.
Walter's headwear was a soft khaki peaked cap - apparently it looked like a naval officers cap (I assume it was in the memorabilia).
Walter was a Sergeant in, we think, the Royal Horse Artillery. He was the main rider on a team of 6-8 horses that pulled a gun carriage. There was an incident where the horses bolted and he managed to stop them, but his leg was injured when it got caught between the horses.
Walter was in the militia (I'm not clear on this - between the wars?). Apparently "...he would sign up and accept a Kings Shilling and be sent off all over the places..."

(Bron, if you can add, or correct, anything please feel free to post to this thread)

Pete

Edit - a couple of questions for Bron:
- Any details of the uniform in the memorabilia box?
- Was the photo a studio portrait of Walter in uniform?

[aussienl]

nope what you wrote was perfect and elegant, I always get side tracked when I try writing stuff...hahaha
sure hope this leads us to something !!

[kob3203]

Thanks Bron,

Just tracked done your first email on Walter - you were pretty clear on the sequence:

1) He was in the Boer war (the story about the horses was from here, and you apparently found a 'reference' somewhere).
2) He also served in WW1.
3) In between wars he was active with the militia (was this between the Boer War and WW1, between WW1 and WW2, or or both?)
4) He even dyed his hair to try and look younger to enlist for WW2.

Seems we have three seperate opportunites to trace his records - first for the Boer War, second for WWI, and third for the inter-war militia!

Pete


P.S. That bit about dying his hair reminds me of an episode of "Dad's Army"! My Dad thinks it's unlikely, as he remembers Walter being quite a frail old man (he'd have been 71 at the start of WW2). But as I've discovered, most stories have at least a small nugget of truth at their core, and if we can prove the Boer War, WW1, and Militia stories then I think we'd have enough evidence of the sort of chap Walter was to say, well, yes, it's the sort of thing he might have done!

[kob3203]

Interesting...
I tried Googling for images of - "royal horse artillery boer war".
I may have got this wrong but they seem to wear pith helmets and blue(?) uniforms?
But in WWI they wear khaki with peaked caps?
Curious,
Pete

[kob3203]

We've found Walter's WWI service records (Williams, Walter, 20212, Welsh Army Corps, Carmarthenshire Battalion), so it seems that we're going to start from the end of his military career and work backwards.

He did indeed lie about his age (saying he was 37 when he was actually 47), so the story that "He even dyed his hair to try and look younger to enlist for WW2." is true (I got the wrong war - should have been WWI).
Since that story is true, the others become more credible.

His WWI attestation form says he's served previously in the Carmarthen RGA. I assume that this is the Royal Garrison Artillery? We have our artillery link.

If the Carmarthen RGA was (or included) militia, this could be the "In between wars he was active with the militia". I assume that our starting point for this line of enquiry would be WO96 Militia Attestation Papers?

Of course he may have been with the Carmarthen RGA (either regular or militia) in the Boer War. So we want to consider all three artillery regiments - RHA, RFA and RGA. I'm inclined to believe the story about the accident with the horses is from this war - just a feeling though.

Pete