TOPIC:

Hi,
Sorry if some of my questions seem a little bit ordinary but I'm unexperienced and brand new on here! Anyway here goes.
I'm looking for information on my Grandfathers regiment the Sherwood Foresters and the part they took in the 2nd Boer war.
I never knew him as he died before I was born but from what my father told me he was in the 95th (my grandfather I am told used to sing the 95th song "I'm 95 I'm 95 I don't give a damn if I'm dead or alive"!
His Anglo Boer war medal has three clasps Orange Free State, Transvaal and Cape Colony. The medal has the number 4583,. SJT J BUCKLEY (J for Joseph). I do have one letter left by him which talks of a skirmish in the war which I will later post. For now please how do I trace information on my Grandfather and his regiment? I do know his main barracks in the UK were Normanton barracks and that he was wounded in the war (shot) but was only a flesh wound and recovered to return to the regiment.
I await your kind replies,
Bucknobs.

Bucknobs
There is an excellent chapter on the activities of the Sherwood Foresters in the book "Our Regiments in South Africa" by Stirling; I understand that it is on the booklist on this site. I had a quick look for a Buckley of the Sherwood Foresters in the Palmer Casualty list and no entry there; could have been not reported at the time. I am sure that members of this site would be appreciative of your posting the details of the skirmish you mention. Have you looked up your GF on the commercial sites? You might well discover much of interest on his attestation papers and military history sheet if they have survived.
Good luck
IL.

Buckley, a 19 year old collier from Derby, joined the Army, the Derbyshire Regiment, on the 17th of February 1894 and had very considerable service.
He served with both regular battalions of the regiment from the 29th of May 1894, when posted as a Private to the 1st Battalion, to the 2nd Battalion on the 24th of December 1896, appointed Lance Corporal on the 25th of January 1896, promoted to Corporal on the 1st of October 1900, appointed Lance Sergeant on the 1st of January 1901, promoted to Sergeant on the 24th of March 1902 and interestingly, POSTED TO THE MOUNTED INFANTRY on the 23rd of April 02, he subsequently returned to the 1st Battalion on the 1st of September 1902.
He returned to the 2nd Battalion on 3rd of March 1904 and on the 23rd of June that same year joined the 4th Battalion, he extended his service on the 6th of February 1906, but, chose not to complete 21 years and was discharged on the 18th of May 1912.
His actual campaign service was from the 24th of December 1896, in India, until the 24th of October 1899 and in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War from the 24th of April 1902 until the 7th of September 1902, in the case of the latter, not very much, but, enough to earn his QSA and clasps, granted for his time with Number 10 Company Malta Mounted Infantry, attached Derbyshire Regiment and verified in WO100/192, he had served on Malta after his time in India.
His earlier service in India with the regiment is shown and his India medal is verified in WO100/88 with both the Punjab Frontier and Tirah clasps.
He went on to serve in China before returning home to Great Britain, where he married Winifred Adey at St Giles church Normanton on the 16th of December 1906, doubtless, a very happy day and I would hope lived a good life until his death on the 17th of April 1946.

Good Morning Bucknobs.........

Here is something you may like to look at: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/20-tribute-me...t-sherwood-foresters

and

MALTA MOUNTED INFANTRY

At the end of December, 1899, Captain W. R. Marshall of the 2nd Battalion, (Derby) Sherwood Foresters was given orders to purchase ponies and take the needed steps to form a Mounted Infantry School. At the outbreak of the war the 1st and 2nd Battalions, (Derby) Sherwood Foresters were stationed in Malta and the 1st Battalion was immediately sent to South Africa. The 2nd Battalion remained in Malta along with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and Lancashire Fusiliers the latter three providing volunteers for the 1st Malta Company and the 2nd Battalion (Derby) Sherwood Foresters provided volunteers for the 2nd Malta Company of Mounted Infantry.

All ranks of the 2nd Battalion were greatly disappointed to find that they were not going to proceed home to England after a prolonged four of Foreign Service and still more because they battalion was not going to take part in the South African Campaign that was just starting. However, if it was to be denied the opportunity to serve as a battalion , many officers and men were sent to South Africa to serve in various sections and companies of Mounted Infantry that were organized in Malta.

The Derbyshires were not only to train in Malta at the new MI school, but two months after its formation, about the middle of February 1900, orders were received for No. 1 Malta Company Mounted Infantry Battalion was to sail in the Pavonia, which left Malta on the 20th. The Company was under the command of Captain J.E. Pine-Coffin of the L.N.L.R. And composed of men from Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and Lancashire Fusiliers plus a mixed section from the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters under the command of Lieut. H. K. Attfield.

Capt. Pine-Coffin was a man who kept records of events and of how the title Malta Mounted Infantry had originated. The following is from his diary.

“Cape Town, March 20th. Pavonia arrived and the M.I. Was ordered to proceed to East London. The Pay Office at Cape Town decided to christen us “the Malta M.I.” - Hence our name”, and the result of this appears to have been that the authorities laboured for some time under the impression that the Company was composed of Maltese: and when later on the Company was ordered to join the Colonial Division then forming under General Brabant for the relief of Wepner, that commander expressed to his regret to Capt. Pine-Coffin that the only languages he knew were English and Dutch!”


Mike

Just to be quite clear, Buckley served as an NCO in the 2nd Battalion on Malta from the 25th of October 1899 to the 23rd of April 1902, he saw the very end of the war out actually in South Africa, on the veldt and it's immediate aftermath, the latter could actually be quite dangerous, depending upon where, exactly, one was.

Hi All,
Thank you very much for your speedy response. Frank you have flabbergasted me with your information. You must be 100% correct in what you have told me because I do know he formerly was a miner and that I was told I was born years later on the same date as his death 17th April 1946 (myself being born 17th April 1956). Also you are correct about the Tirah 1897-98 and Punjab Frontier 1897-98 which I also have the medal and clasps. What I did not know though was his short service in the Boer war although I have the medal with the three clasps? In the next few days I will find the letter which I have back from his days spent in the Boer war where he describes a skirmish, the letter is all in bits and I have to put it together like a jigsaw (my late father also mentioned to me that my Grandfather was in a mounted infantry unit in the Boer war). One thing though which is not mentioned is his "Long Service and Good Conduct medal" which I have. This I'm sure can be explained by the fact he was called back in 1914 as "Company Sergeant Major" to train troops going to fight in the 1st World war. This long service medal has his company number as 7424? (why the change)?
Lastly Frank you may have answered a family secret that was held back from us children and that was that my Grandfather was married twice. We knew my dad had half brothers somewhere and the name of the lady you give is not my Grandma (I tend to think his first wife died).
Once again thanks. I will post a "readable picture" of the skirmish letter in the next few days. Plus a photo of my Grandfather at Normanton barracks during troop training for the 1st world war.
Bucknobs