Tom West Boer War COMPLETED THANKS

[Coxon]

Hello,

I have found a Short Service Attestation for Tom West, born in 1872 in Skipton, Yorkshire.  Please could somebody explain some of the details on the document.
1.  Do you now belong to Her Majesty's Army, the Marines, the Militia, the Militia Reserve etc?  He answered - Yes to the 1st V.B.P.W.O West York Regiment.
Have you ever seved in Her Majesty's Army? Yes West Riding Reg.  In/mbaleded??
My questions here are :-
a.what does V.B.P.W.P stand for ?
b. why has he answered Yes two both questions as one is asking if he has ever been in the Army/Militia and the other is asking is he in the Army/Militia?
c. Could the strange word In/mbaleded be invalided and I have just read it incorrectly?
d. If he had been invalided out once before is there any way I can find out what he was invalided out for?
e. Is there any way I can find out out his preious 8 years in the Army/Militia?

2.  His Military History Sheet says he was in S. Africe between 11.5.1900 and 22.8.1900.  His Campaign was in the Transvaal.  Can anybody tell me briefly what sort of work he would be doing in the 2nd West York,  Troop or Company K?

3. He has a Medical Certificate to say that he was at the General Hospital at Ladysmith 27.6.1900 2nd West Yorks K Regt. No. 6940 Pte West T and that he was admitted with Epilepsy this certificate says he is being transferred to Pretoria 4.7.1900 but on the 4.7.1900 he arrives at the Princess Christians Hospital in ???INETOWN (the first part is unreadable but it isn't  Pretoria.   Could anyou tell me where this new hospital is?
He was discahred 17.12.1900

4.  The next bit is about his WW1 service.  He rejoined during the first War and was discharged again with mental fatigue. He rejoined yet again to be discharged again for a minor injury.  Why would the army let him join again when he has been discharged in the Boer War with epilepsy?

I hope I have given enough information and that somebody can answer at least some of the questions.
Thank you in anticipation  Louise

[gortonboy]

VBPWO      volunteer battalion prince of wales own

[gortonboy]

The imbaled i think is in answer as to why discharged,,so  invalided.

[km1971]

Hi Louise

1st VB PWO West Yorks Regt = 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) to give them their full title. But as you can see on the rest of the form they are only referred as 'West Yorks Regt’.

Volunteer Battalions were part-timers and the forerunner of the TA. So men attended one evening a week plus a two week annual camp.  The 1st VB were based in York. He was a member when he enlisted for the Boer War.

He had also previously been a Regular in the same Regiment, and yes it does say that he was invalided out. His service record has not survived for either of these periods of service. So you will not find why he was invalided.

The dates in South Africa are interesting. He was only in Natal for a short time when he was sent to the hospital in Ladysmith. His epilepsy could not have been that serious as they returned him to duty after a week.

Debility means weakness, so it could be after a mild ‘fit’ or due to drinking polluted water. The second hospital discharge certificate is from the Princess Christian Hospital, Pinetown which is near Durban. By July 1900 the fighting had moved north into the Transvaal, and he was not awarded the Transvaal clasp, so he would not have seen action.

There are two entries in the medal roll (on Ancestry). One says he was awarded the Queen South Africa medal with clasps for Natal. The second says he was also awarded the ‘South Africa 1901’ clasp to his medal. This is clearly a mistake as he was out of the army and back in the UK in 1900.

Ken

[Coxon]

Thank you for replying so quickly. 
I have two more questions:-
1. Is the Prince of Wales own - West Riding Regiment the same as the Green Howards or is it completely different?
2. As there is a medal card saying he was given a S. Africa clasp 1901, could he have re-joined the Boer War and that service record doesn't survive?
I only ask the second question as he joined up twice in the First War into different regiments.  The man was a serial en-lister.  My husband thinks that he must have been bored in his civilian job.

I looked on Ancestry and Find my Past for Medal Cards, I think I will have to get stronger glasses!! Or learn to use the computer better.

Thanks once again,
Louise

[km1971]

Hi Louise

He was in the West Yorkshire Regiment - not the West Riding Regiment. They were a different regiment. Also, York is not in the West Riding.

The Green Howards were formerly the Yorkshire Regiment - renamed in 1921 - so again completely different.

He could not have re-enlisted for the Boer War as both medal rolls have the same regimental number. If he did re-enlist and they gave him the same number they would have continued to use the same set of papers. I just think it is a mistake. But you probably will never know for certain.

= http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1686&iid=31794_221469-00411&fn=T&ln=West&st=r&ssrc=&pid=1139422

= http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1686&iid=31794_221469-00418&fn=T&ln=West&st=d&ssrc=&pid=1139793

On the first one notice how the rest are awarded the Orange Free State and Transvaal clasps. If he did come back he would have received one or both of these.

Ken

[Coxon]

Thank you for clearing that up Ken.  I am going to click onto the links for ancestry now.

Once again thank you,
Louise