TOPIC:

Dear All
Still very much as a beginner, I have been looking at the medal rolls for the Frontier Mounted Rifles (WO100/247) and wondered if some more expert members could help explain something. In the right hand column for "Remarks", a different unit is listed for each man - e.g. Riverstown Rifle Vol, Driscolls Scouts, local Town Guard etc. So what was the relationship between the Frontier Mounted Rifles and these other units? Did it precede the others and then men were dispersed into other units when (if) it was disbanded? Any insights very welcome!
Many thanks,
Johnathan

ps. I have attached an example from the roll, I hope that this doesn't fall foul of copyright rules

Hello Jonathan,

The right hand column was used to record a variety of information including the units served in either before or after the unit's roll. Many South African troops enlisted in a unit for a number of months (3, 6 or 12 typically) and then would often swap to another unit. This page shows several men who served in the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers and that their medal was issued from the QRV roll. Adding these comments must have helped those naming medals to prevent too many duplicate medals being issued.

The FMR does not have a nominal roll but if you look at other South African units' nominal roll, the prior and subsequent service is often shows (when I photographed both pages). here is an example, from the ILH: www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/so...-light-horse?start=1

In 1876, Lieutenant-Colonel E. O. Hutchinson raised a unit in Cathcart District, in the Eastern Province, with the title of the Cathcart Mounted Rifles, with a strength of 80; by the following year that strength had increased to 250 men. The unit was re-titled the Frontier Mounted Rifles in 1878.
Attached is from Stirling's "The Colonials in South Africa 1899 - 1902"
Rob

Thanks both for your input - clearly I need to read some more! But I guess what struck me about the Frontier Mounted Rifles medal roll was that pretty much for every man, a second unit was listed. I hadn't seen anything like that before (but then again, my sample size is not very large). So based on what David said, it would be interesting to check the nominal rolls for this different units and see if some of these names are there too - that should be the case, yes? Something to occupy me on the traditional rainy August bank holiday!
Best,
Johnathan