The British South Africa Company Medal Roll - Free lookups offered

[pampoen]

Neil thank you for that information.Sorry writing at 11.30pm is not a good thing to do.

Just to clarify my questions Trooper Luxford fought in 1896 and not 1906 as you correctly pointed out.Can you tell me though how it came about that this Natal Troop came to be involved in this skirmish in Rhodesia in 1896?

My grandfather was William P Austin service number 3212 served in the 14th Hussars as a sergeant first then RSM.Apparently also served in the 2nd Scottish Horse I think during the Boer War.I have his medals KSA and QSA with the clasps for 1901 and 1902 as well as clasps for Transvaal,relief of Ladysmith,Orange Free State,Tugela Heights and Cape Colony plus a medal for Long Service and good conduct.Can you tell me when did my grandfather sail to South Africa ie which year and on which ship?

After the boer war my grandfather was discharged and he joined the Northern District Mounted Rifles and fought in the Bambatha Rebellion in 1906 and for this he received another medal.

Regards Derek

[neil1821]

Your grandfather is confirmed as a sergeant on the Boer War QSA roll, clasps as you've given. Not listed as a casualty of any description.

If he was issued the LSGC medal it must have been after 1901. I have the roll to that date and don't see his name. His likely enlistment was sometime c.1883-1887 with the LSGC issue therefore c.1901-1905 (minimum 18 years service for the LSGC)

I've managed to retrieve my copy of the 1906 medal roll and as you say, he's RSM in the Northern District Mounted Rifles. So by that stage he's left the Regular Army.

[dingbat]

My Grandfather, Francis Verrill Brown was awarded the Mashonaland medal and inscribed on its edge is -his name, then  -  UMTALI VO1 TRS.  Can you please provide any information from this data ie his regiment, number war record.  He was an engineer so he may have been in the Royal Engineers.

Regards

Terry Brown

[neil1821]

Terry,
The roll confirms Trooper F.V.Brown awarded the medal for Mashonaland 1897.
His unit was the Umtali Volunteer Corps (or simply Volunteers). As the name suggests these were one of several locally raised units that existed purely for the duration of a particular campaign before being disbanded.

Here's a general overview of local units:
http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol011es.html

Since they're not regular troops, they don't have individual service numbers.
He could have been in the Royal Engineers at another time perhaps? What else do yoy know about his military service? Was he in the Boer War for example?

[cissy172]

Hi

My grt grandfathers brother was in the british army and I'm told served some time with the South Africa Corps.....he must have been in the army anytime from 1881-1900....

his name was James Shard this has also been spelt as Sheard..Sherd..Cherd..Chard..Shand. and so on....

Any help much appreciated

Thanks for your time

cissy

[neil1821]

Cissy,
Does he have a middle name at all?
It's all pretty vague information so far, so any little thing that may help is welcome 

Edit:
OK, well the only possible match I can see in all the variant spellings is 4091 Lance Corporal J.L.Sheard, 7th Hussars (Rhodesia 1896 & Mashonaland 1897)

Does that tie in with what you know?
 

[cissy172]

Hi Neil

No middle name as far as I know...none on his birth or death cert, but that doesn't mean anything...as I got a birth & marriage cert for another member of this family...no middle name on birth cert but a middle name on marrige....
All this family used the same names and I can't think of one begining with L that springs to mind.....but he may have added one himself...

I think he was out of the country for times between 1891 and 1901 as he was on none of these census's even with mis spell of his surname ...and in 1901 he was married but his wife and son were alone and she was down as married...he died in 1908 in Lancashire...

Many Thanks for your time

cissy

[neil1821]

Well on further digging the J.L.Sheard I mentioned before was John and he was still serving in WW1. So no good.

Of course, the man you're looking for may not have been in any campaigns, just on garrison duty in South Africa.
Have you found a marriage record? Also where/when was his son born?

[cissy172]

Hi Neil

James was born in 1865 in Lancashire and his son was born in 1895/6 Widnes......

james disappeared off the census after 1881.......married in Widnes in 1894/5...his son was born the next year then he re-appeared on the death register in 1908

Thanks again for your time....

This family have been a nightmare to trace....this was a long shot....

cissy