TOPIC:

Picture...….

Just worked out how the rather quirky insert function works on the forum...and that you mustn't press it more than once!!
Ian

Here is another example from the 2nd Essex Regiment contingent in the Burma Mounted Infantry:

Henry MOSS
Who was the Colour Serjeant of this contingent on its arrival in South Africa. I acquired the IGS first (which is scarce to the regiment: only 6 officers and 27 men earned the medal, 2 officers and 18 men with the clasps to which Moss was entitled) and the South African pair popped up on ebay a year later! One Essex Regt officer who had the IGS with 3 clasps served with the Burma Mounted Infantry but Moss' combination of medals is unique.

India General Service Medal 1895 clasp Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (2052 Sergt, 2d Bn Essex Regt; top lugs removed from clasp), QSA clasps Cape Colony, Driefontein, Johannesburg (2052 Colr:–Serjt:, Essex Regt), KSA 2 clasps (2052 Clr:-Serjt:, Essex Regt)

Served with No 11 British Field Hospital – also entitled to clasp Tirah 1897-98
C Sgt with Burma MI company, 2nd Essex

Papers in WO97/5553. Born Christ Church, Ashton under Lyme. Son of William. Enlisted 6 January1887 age 18 6/12, a moulder then belonging to the Artillery Militia. 1st Bn 1887 to Feb 1893, then 2nd Bn. L Cpl Sept 1887, with pay Dec 1888. Cpl Feb 1889, Sgt Aug 1891, C Sgt Jan 1900. Reduced to Sgt in Feb 1903 for going AWOL. Discharged 5 January 1908 – no long service medal. The papers confirm IGS with 2 clasps.
Served India Feb 1893 to Jan 1900
SA Jan 1900 to Dec 1900 and Nov 1901 to October 1902.

I thought that I would mention that the roll to the 2nd Essex is available on Ancestry, with BMI members annotated accordingly, although members may already be aware of this. I was researching the RMO who came with the main body of the Bn from India, although initially I thought he was with the BMI contingent.

Nemo

This isn't specifically about the B.M.I., it's some of the experiences of a private trying to rejoin the troop.
. ....Mr J. Wicks, of St. Briavels, Stafford-road, [Weston-super-Mare] has received the following interesting letter from his son, Pte. W. J. Wicks (Burmese Mounted Infantry):— ....Dear Mother and Father, Sisters and Brothers, — I am glad to have the pleasure of writing once more. Since I wrote you last I have had some rather funny experiences. You see I am in hospital again, and it seems as though I cannot get away from it. I left Langman's Hospital last week on my own accord as fit for service. They sent me to the rest camp, where all details are sent. I found that my troop had gone on up the country en route for Pretoria, so, of course, I wanted to go. I told the camp doctor I wanted to go on, and he said he would let me go in a few days, but I was not satisfied with this. While here I met some old friends who were with me in Bangalore. There are thousands of men here, all of them being details from regiments and hospital discharges. As I would much rather be on the move than in standing camp, I decided to pack up and go on my own hook. I rolled my blankets and coat, shouldered my rifle and bandolier, and got on to a railway truck with several others. We slept on the truck all night, and after frequent interruptions, which were by no means pleasant, we got to Brandfort, where the train could go no further owing to the bridge being blown up by the Boers. I got out here and slept on the side of the rails with a sergeant of the Scots Guards, who was lost like myself. Next morning he joined his brigade which was on the other side of the river. I was left alone for I found that my troops were about fifty miles on the right flank with the Cavalry Brigade, under General French. As there was no convoy going that way, I shouldered my baggage and marched along with Lord Roberts's column, which was the main point of attack. I attached myself to the West Australian Mounted Infantry, and as I was hatless, having left my helmet in the truck—which was a most serious oversight on my part—I got into a Cape cart drawn by a pair of mules. I was glad, indeed, of this shelter, for the heat is intense here by day. The cart had been captured with several other things from a Boer farm. I got some grub from the party, and away I went. This was the longest column I have seen, and it will give you some idea when I tell you it took a whole day and a half to cross a drift in single file, through a cutting made by the Engineers—waggons of all sorts and sizes and cattle commandeered from the enemy. They engaged us in the afternoon with a sharp artillery duel; it appears that our gunners destroyed one of our guns which the Boers had in their possession and killing seven and wounding several others. We had but few casualties, six of the W.A.M.I. (to which I was attached) being hit very severely. We drove the enemy away, but before they went they blew up another large bridge of five spans over the Vet River. We did another day's march, then stopped for another day at Winburg-road. While there I met Corporal A. James of whom N—— spoke; I was glad to meet him—he had been trying to find me, but had I not been lost and on this column I should probably never have seen him. I told him how I was situated, wished him good-bye, and then went to the field hospital to get my leg dressed, which had broken out again, when to my horror and disgust he marked me "hospital." In spite of my protestations of being able to go on, he sent me to the ambulance wagon with several others—a wounded Boer among them. We were taken back to Vet River and crossed the drift. Here we expected to stay in a field hospital, when to my chagrin, I found a train waiting; the engineers had mended the bridge at Brandfort and the train had come on. We had to get in an open truck—for no such luck as an open carriage—and here we made down our blankets and reached Bloemfontein next day, when we were then taken to this hospital in an ambulance; so you see after all my scheming I could not get to my troop, but I intend to have another try in a day or two, for I am determined to see Pretoria. This hospital is not so good as the one I left last week, and I am almost sorry I left it so soon. I am quite a lost sheep and no one seems to know anything of the B.M.I. Did I tell you that I went to the first Divine service at the Wesleyan Chapel since I left Rangoon? I enjoyed it very much and long for the happy time when I can go again. It will indeed be a joyful time when peace is declared. I know the Boers are sick of it, for the prisoners who came down with me said they were all fed up and would not hold out much longer. I must now wish you all goodbye for the present. The Weston Mercury, Saturday 9th June 1900