TOPIC:

Hello All,

Firstly, it is incredible to see such a vast forum dedicated to what is often an overlooked but very important war.
I appreciate all of you for your time reading this and for the work you have all done in adding to this catalogue of historical knowledge.

I am looking for answers on the following for a book I'm writing which is partly set in the second Boer war;

1. Under what circumstances could British soldiers keep uniform or equipment after the war?
2. For the equipment they needed to return, how was this carried out?
3. I assume soldiers could keep captured items such as weapons, or was this just an officer's privilege?
4. My story involves a man of the 29th Denbighshire Hussars, I can see that they arrived in South Africa via Cape Town, but where did they depart from once the war ended?
5. What was the situation with post from Britain, was it regular? Was there any post?
6. Did the 29TH Denbighshire Hussars wear slouch hats or the Pith helmets?

Thank you in advance for your response.

Here are a couple of photographs of the 30th (Pembroke) Company, compatriots of the 29th in the 9th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry.
They give an idea of the uniforms worn in the field. Ignore the civilians in the foreground of the second image.







..

Hiraeth,

I am not wholly sure of these answers but here goes:

1. Unless the equipment was owned by the soldier or paid for by a benefactor, I would image everything else was returnable on discharge.
2. There must have been some process at discharge but I do not know about this
3. Soldiers certainly brought back smaller items. Many Mausers were broken up during the war but we do see some that survived but whether these were brought back by officers is unclear. The regimental museums have a range of artefacts, some of which were gifted by past soldiers and other items may have been collected for the regiment specifically.
4. Suggest you have a look through the shipping records: www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/86-shipping-records
5. Yes there was a regular postal service but regular meant different things depending where you were in the area. Have a look at this link: www.angloboerwar.com/component/jifile/do...c=/maurice04-a09-pdf

On Ancestry.com you can see the attestation papers for men of the 29th and get a feel for their background, where they were born, occupations, accents etc. List of men here: www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...ompany-9th-battalion .

Best wishes
David

Hiraeth,

I can contribute a very small bit of info here, I hope it is helpful.

I have Discharge papers for a Sergeant Thomas Dexter of the Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard which has a question (from memory as I do not have the papers in front of me) thereon as follows:
"Has this man returned all government property?"
Then items returned are listed and signed off

Another interesting occurrence was that the men of the Cape Colony Cyclists Corps were allowed to keep their bicycle at the end of their period of service. Possibly because they were docked a small amount from pay if they took the option?
I should think the bicycle would be clapped out after six months despatch riding though!

Maybe arrangements varied within colonial units?

Cheers Steve

Hello Hiraeth

Reference to your question 4.

Does your man have a name? Is your book fact or fiction?
The 29th Denbighshire Company Imperial Yeomanry did arrive in Capetown 1900.
And went to a remount camp at Maitland. The 29th served under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Whites Flying column.
However, there were 3 contingents which made up the 9th Battalion (Welsh) Imperial Yeomanry which arrived from 1900 to 1902. What timeline was your Denbighshire trooper in S Africa?
I believe the last contingent to leave was in 1902 from Klerksdorp and moved by rail to Port Elizabeth. Embarking on the SS Braemar Castle for Southampton August 1902.

Best regards

Dave...........

A great thanks to all four of you for your help with this, between you you have answered almost all of what I need to know.

Neville_C, those pictures are exactly what I needed in regards to the uniform.

djb/David, thank you very much for the links and answers to some of the questions I did not expect to learn, I will certainly be scouring the records.

Moranthorse1/Steve, I will be looking into Sergeant Dexter, this helps a lot due to Sergeants being closer to the soldiers than the officers, unless I am wrong about that?

Dave F/Dave, thank you for your questions;
The book is historical fiction about a Welshman who is forced to leave home and so joins the army.
As a history buff it is important to me that the historical setting be correct and that I work within the limits of what was possible rather than what is easiest.

My character is not based on a real person and currently his name is Huw, I the timeline works best with him having been in the army for around six years, so in South Africa for as long as possible.

A significant element to my book is the character receiving a letter while in Africa at the very end of the war and being able to retain some parts of his uniform and captured weaponry.