great grandfather boer war

[DORAN54]

i have this war record but i can't read it all vey well is there someone who could tell me if this is a record to be proud of please it's my great grandad

[MaxD]

He has only blotted his copy book once in all his service.  He served 14 days hard labour but the record doesn't say what the offence was.  He was receiving one penny a day good conduct pay at the time and had that forfeited also but regained it a year after this and went on to receive a second good conduct badge after that.  He served twice in South Africa qualifying for both the Queen's South Africa medal and the later issued King's South Africa medal

Have you got all the pages of his record?  Do you need any clarification?

A side note - by coincidence there was a J Daly with the same number in the West Yorkshire Regiment who also served in South Africa but checking it isn't him in a different time frame!  And just to confuse the issue a bit, his (Philip's) initial is given as O in some transcriptions.

MaxD

[DORAN54]

Thank you so much yes i have the other pages but i find some of  them a bit difficult to  make out, did he serve in  ww1? or maybe he was to old ? i'll have another look  see if there's anything else you can clarify for me  thanks again 

[MaxD]

He was on the Section D Reserve from 30 August 1910 which was a 4 year commitment so at the beginning of August 1914 he would have been recalled to serve.  However, in October he was found unfit for war service and was discharged so his Great War service was a couple of months.

MaxD

In South Africa he served for some time in 17 Field Company, pictured here:

https://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/190-royal-engineers/586-royal-engineers?start=1

From the Anglo-Boer war web site describing the picture:
17th Field Company at Durban. We have here a picture of a company of Royal Engineers, which has done excellent service with Sir Redvers Buller, just landed from the transport at Durban. It was engaged on the Tugela, and suffered in conducting its operations under fire. Nowhere in South Africa have the Engineers done better service than in the operations in and about Ladysmith. They have been continually employed in assisting the gunners by preparing the positions to be taken up, and in the digging of shelter trenches, besides all the work which has fallen to them at the camps. At Frere they built a bridge alongside that which the Boers had so thoroughly wrecked, and they found a great deal of work in repairing the railway line. In the picture the men are seen drawn up and wearing the khaki which is universal in South Africa. At home their uniform consists of red tunics, or serge frocks in undress and marching order, with collar and facings of blue, braided with yellow, dark blue trousers with red stripes, and infantry helmets.

See also the picture of the bridge at Frere.

[DORAN54]

wow  fantastic   thank you so much  did you find anything else are these the medals? he would have had?

[DORAN54]

hi max 2 more

[MaxD]

The 6 clasps he received for his Queen's South Africa medal are listed on his records as:
Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Laing's Neck, Relief of Ladysmith and Tugela Heights.  Each is described here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_South_Africa_Medal  The QSA covered service in the period between Oct 99 and May 02.  He served there 12 Oct 99 to 14 Jul 00 and then again from 5 Mar 01 to Feb 06 (ie staying on after the war which ended in  May 1902).

For the service after the end of the war and the length of his service in total, he qualified for the King's South Africa Medal which had 2 clasps as you see on the picture.  Described here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_South_Africa_Medal#Clasps.

His service in summary was:

Signed on for 12 years in 1898 consisting of 7 years colour service (ie active service) followed by 5 years on the reserve.  There was a caveat that if he was overseas when the 7 years were up, the engagement could become 8 and 4.  He could elect to do 8 and 4 himself.

In 1904 he elected to do 8 and 4, so his active service ended in 06.  He then started his 4 years Section B Reserve service (ie home in his civilian job but committed to recall).  He received a little daily pay and he had to do one day's training a year. After the 4 years were up in 1910 he signed on for 4 more years on what was termed Section D Reserve, similiar terms to Section B.  A way of getting a little monthly to help keep the family.   Then the war broke out and as a reservist he would have been mobilised in August 1914.  He was found not physically fit for war service in October 1914.

With the clasps as a basis, anything you can find to read about the Royal Engineers in South Africa will help add more to the story.

The medal rolls are on Ancestry if you have access?  If not I can direct you to the right place at the National Archives where the rolls can be downloaded free.
MaxD

[DORAN54]

thank you so much for your help it's fantastic  can you direct me to where i can download for free please

[DORAN54]

i have come across this but i haven't got access   to fold 3  would it show his disability?

Pension Record Ledger ref 13/MD/1917
Philip Daly, Sapper, Royal Engineers, Service Number 2237
Record Type:   Disability
Residence :   Dublin
Military Service Region:   Ireland, Ireland