TOPIC:

Hello all,

I'm researching my Great Grandfather (GGF). I've attached the birth certificate of my Grandfather (GF), wherein my GGF is recorded as "Dennis Caddis Joyce". It is also noted he was a Sergeant in the 18th Hussars. I've been searching for years under the name Joyce for no avail but more recently decided to review the information contained in "18th Hussars in South Africa by Charles Burnett". No Joyce's are listed in this book but I was surprised to see a Pvte D. Caddis 4161 of "B" company mentioned. He died on 5th September 1900. Could this be my GGF? What is the chance of there being a D. CADDIS in the 18th Hussars, matching the name on the birth certificate? It is however perplexing that the surname is recored as Caddis and not Joyce. Perhaps Caddis is the real name and Joyce was given to my Grandfather for some other reason, Both my Grandfather and his older brother were given up for adoption by the mother, right after they were born. The fact GGF was KIA might link into that.

I've checked the enlistment date of the service number 4161 and this appears to be 1893. Frustrating is the muster rolls in Kew stop at 1888 for the 18th Hussars. Also in 1893, when he would have enlisted, the 18th Hussars were stationed in Umballa, India...

Questions I have are therefore:

1. Is there a way to learn more about Pvte D. Caddis, in particular where he joined the 18th Hussars and any military history? Is there a way to confirm the D is for Dennis (as on the birth certificates).
2. What were the movements of the 18th Hussars running up to deployment for Boer War? My Grandfather was born in Aldershot in 1900, so the GGF must have been in that area at that time. The only record I can find of the 18th Hussars, in Aldershot, is when they returned from Boer War in 1902.
3. My GGF was born in a house in aldershot, which would have been directly opposite Warburg Barracks, which I understand to have been a cavalry barracks.
4, Intriguing is my GGF has an older brother (b. 1898) with same father and mother. The father is listed as a cavalry sergeant on that birth certificate also, but I can't think of a reason he would have been living in Milton area of Kent. Also interesting is the GGF is named as "Dennis Charles Joyce" on that birth cert, so we can see the parents were pretty fluid in deciding what name to record on the birth certs, which I understand was not uncommon at that time.

I did also manage to find a possible grave location for D. Caddis. We're indebted to people who collect and publish that info.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/206605344/d-caddis

Any info, ideas or insights on above would be most appreciated!

Hi Doc-Choc

As is usual for fatal casualties Caddis's attestation and service papers haven't survived. These would have shown the date and place of his enlistment, his age, birthplace and occupation as well as his service details. He has no entry in the Soldiers' Effects series that gives details of any money left and to whom in his will and sometimes gives enlistment details.

I have the QSA & KSA to 4154 Pte. J. Haynes whose number is very close to Caddis's. He enlisted at Hounslow on 17 October 1893 so Caddis must have enlisted only a short time after him.

He was in the original contingent of the 18th Hussars that landed in South Africa on 28 October 1898, almost a year before the outbreak of war, and was stationed at Ladysmith. He served in 'B' Squadron. He was entitled to a QSA with clasps Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Orange Free State, Laing's Nek and Belfast. Talana was the first major battle of the war taking place on 20 October 1899. The action at Belfast was the last major set piece battle of the war before the guerilla phase started. It took place on 26 August 1900, just 10 days before he died.

On 4 September 1900 'B' Squadron was the rearguard of a column moving in the area of Dullstroom. The horses were in very poor condition and many of the weakest ones were left to come up with the baggage column. Three men, including Caddis, on their weak horses couldn't keep up with the column and were cut adrift behind it when some Boers attacked and killed* Caddis and took the other two men prisoner. Caddis was buried at Dullstroom where the column halted for the night. *(He is shown as KIA in the account of the action in the regimental history but DOW the following day in other references).

Caddis is an unusual name. There are only 85 men with that name in the entire military section of Findmypast and only one entry for D. Caddis for the ABW. There is no Dennis mentioned. The balance of probability strongly suggests that this is your GGF. He is shown in all references as a private not a sergeant but the glaring discrepancy is that your GF was born in April 1900 while Caddis was in South Africa from October 1898. It may be that he was born out of wedlock but it would be extremely difficult to ascertain at this stage.

His brother may have been born when your GGF was stationed with the regiment in the Gravesend area where Milton is situated. Alternatvely your GGF may have been serving elsewhere as the birth certificate shows he was born in the Union Workhouse in Milton.

Caddis's grave location is confirmed in 'In Memoriam' as being situated at Dullstroom Cemetery.

I hope this helps.

David

Casualty lists in British newspapers of the day all have him dying of wounds rather than killed in action.



The above from Reynolds Newspaper 16th Septem ber 1900

Hi David,

Many many thanks for this detailed and well considered reply - it is very much appreciated!

Do I read there is a likelihood Caddis also signed up at the same Hounslow location or were there many places recruits could have signed up? One thing I’ve been wrestling with for years was my Joyce surname - I always thought I may have Irish ancestry. The new information about D Caddis throws this into question and don’t know for sure what his real surname is! Caddis is the surname on the military info, but not on his Children’s birth certificates. I’m interested in any theories you may have on this!

The glaring inconsistency is a good one. How could Caddis have fathered my grandfather if he was in SA in 1899? Is it possible he shipped out in the back end of 1899 rather than arriving in 1898? In terms of parentage, I have evidence that Caddis is the father of both children (who also have the same mother). I know this as I have strong DNA matches with cousins who are descended from my GF’s older brother and I’ve actually met those cousins. We’ve established the entire family tree for the mother, Alice Agnes Tunstall.

I don’t currently have access to the medal rolls - is D Caddis mentioned there and does it say what conflicts he was present at? This might help establish when he arrived in SA? Also there is the tantalising fact that my GF was born in Aldershot in a house directly opposite Warburg Barracks. This obviously leads to the suspicion that Caddis was stationed in Aldershot at that time. I know from research that the 1st Royal Dublin Fusilers were at Warburg at the right time. Is it possible he was somehow attached to that regiment and then re-joined 18th Hussars on arrival in SA? Perhaps because his (wife?) was pregnant, he was able to make some kind of arrangement?

Also what was his real surname!? Was he a Joyce by birth and then dropped that name when he joined up. Or was he Caddis at birth and for some reason, he and his partner have them the surname Joyce on the birth certificates? That is perplexing! A quick google reveals Caddis is quite uncommon in Ireland but is a common to Scotland. As you say, it’s not a very common name it seems.

Very grateful for any further thoughts you may have on the anomalies.

Kind regards,

Mark Joyce.

Hi there!

Yes this is correct! In my haste to write the initial post yesterday I didn’t explain this well. Caddis was fatally wounded on 3rd September. The incident is actually well captured in the book I mentioned, which David has posted above. In the records he is recorded as passing on 5th September 1900 and buried at Dullstroom cemetery.

Many many thanks for taking time to review and comment on my post. I really appreciate it.

Mark Joyce.

Hi again Mark.

It is possible he went out at a later date but only his now non-existent service papers would have confirmed that. The regimental history lists the men who were in SA on 1 October 1899 but most of them would have already been there almost a year before. So, yes he may have gone after his wife fell pregnant with your GF.

The medal roll shows his QSA clasp entitlement as I mentioned. He was in the major action at Talana, the siege of Ladysmith and the actions at Laing's Nek and Belfast. He was subsequently on column duty but not for long as he died only 10 days after Belfast.

It's also possible, but I feel unlikely, that he was in the RDF on temporary attachment. This sometimes happened but usually between infantry regiments or cavalry regiments but not cavalry to infantry or vice versa. He would have been more likely to have been at the 18th Hussars depot in the UK but as I mentioned he's on the list of men who were definitely in SA by 1 October 1899 so even then his wife would have only been in the early stages of pregnancy even if he went out well after the main part of the regiment.

David