TOPIC:

Marcus I'll certainly second what Mike has said about this site. With regards to war diaries etc there wasn't really the level of record keeping in the ABW at unit level as there was in later wars. With my RPR QSAs I've tried to piece some things together by following casualties. If you have company details on the attestation forms then it can be possible to follow up on casualty records for men from the company and there would be a reasonable chance that your man would have been in the same action or place. A lot of RPR casualties resulted from accidents while working on the railway. My one 4RPR QSA, although British-born, landed up in Granville, New South Wales eventually.

Cheers,

Mark

QSAMIKE wrote: Good Morning Marcus.....

You are on the best site on the subject on the web right now.....

There are others that are about a specific battle or war and of course medals in general but this is the best BW site around......

Mike

Good Morning Everyone.....

Here are the two RPR that I have in my collection, note one was 1st, 2nd and 4th RPR....

Mike

BLACKIE, J. (James)

REG. NO.: 1324
RANK: LANCE CORPORAL

REGT: RAILWAY PIONEER REGIMENT
BARS: CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

REMARKS / HISTORY

1. ON LISTING OF 4th R.P.R., CROSSED OUT & CHANGED TO 1st R.P.R.
2. STATES TRANSFERRED FROM 2nd R.P.R.
3. ENLISTED 14-12-00
4. APPOINTED LIEUTENANT 3-7-01
5. DISCHARGED TO RESERVE 30-06-02
6. NOTE MEDAL IS NAMED TO LANCE-CORPORAL AND NOT LIEUTENANT


HAYWOOD, A. L. V. (Alaric Leopold Victor)

REG. NO.: 2250
RANK: PRIVATE

REGT: RAILWAY PIONEER REGIMENT
BARS: ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

REMARKS / HISTORY:

1. SERVICE DOCUMENTS ON MAIN FILE.
2. 2nd BATTALION, R.P.R.
3. ENLISTED 11-12-00


The Times, Monday, January 22, 1900:

The Situation In Cape Colony (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

Cape Town, Jan.3. 00

The Railway Pioneer Regiment, recruiting for which is busily going on here, at Port Elizabeth, east London, and Durban, is already over 300 strong and has gone out to camp at Stellenbosch. It is expected within a very short time to reach the limit of 1,200 men at present sanctioned. The object of this force is primarily to help in the repairing of the railway wherever broken up by the enemy, but being armed and drilled as a regular battalion it will also serve the purpose of a force for defending lines of communication, and thus release an equivalent number of regulars for service at the front. It is under the command of Major Capper, R.E., and the rest of its officers are composed about equally of Royal Engineers and leading mine managers and engineers from the Rand. The combination seems to work admirably, and the greatest keenness is displayed by both the Imperial and the volunteer officers to make their force a really useful military unit.

Boer war collectors please take note, here we have two QSA's that appear to be uninteresting, not so, both are fascinating and quite typical SAMIF recipients.

Whilst Lieutenant Blackie's QSA was issued from the 2nd RPR roll in WO100/265, he additionally earned his South Africa 1901 and 1902 Clasps, which were issued from the 1st RPR supplementary roll in WO100/265 page 106.

While Haywood's medal was issued from the 4th RPR roll in WO100/265 page 315, he had also served in the South African Light Horse as number 2796 and appears on their rolls in respect of his OFS, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps in WO100/275 pages 28 and 63.

QSAMIKE wrote: Good Morning Everyone.....

Here are the two RPR that I have in my collection, note one was 1st, 2nd and 4th RPR....

Mike

BLACKIE, J. (James)

REG. NO.: 1324
RANK: LANCE CORPORAL

REGT: RAILWAY PIONEER REGIMENT
BARS: CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

REMARKS / HISTORY

1. ON LISTING OF 4th R.P.R., CROSSED OUT & CHANGED TO 1st R.P.R.
2. STATES TRANSFERRED FROM 2nd R.P.R.
3. ENLISTED 14-12-00
4. APPOINTED LIEUTENANT 3-7-01
5. DISCHARGED TO RESERVE 30-06-02
6. NOTE MEDAL IS NAMED TO LANCE-CORPORAL AND NOT LIEUTENANT


HAYWOOD, A. L. V. (Alaric Leopold Victor)

REG. NO.: 2250
RANK: PRIVATE

REGT: RAILWAY PIONEER REGIMENT
BARS: ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

REMARKS / HISTORY:

1. SERVICE DOCUMENTS ON MAIN FILE.
2. 2nd BATTALION, R.P.R.
3. ENLISTED 11-12-00


The Times, Monday, January 22, 1900:

The Situation In Cape Colony (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

Cape Town, Jan.3. 00

The Railway Pioneer Regiment, recruiting for which is busily going on here, at Port Elizabeth, east London, and Durban, is already over 300 strong and has gone out to camp at Stellenbosch. It is expected within a very short time to reach the limit of 1,200 men at present sanctioned. The object of this force is primarily to help in the repairing of the railway wherever broken up by the enemy, but being armed and drilled as a regular battalion it will also serve the purpose of a force for defending lines of communication, and thus release an equivalent number of regulars for service at the front. It is under the command of Major Capper, R.E., and the rest of its officers are composed about equally of Royal Engineers and leading mine managers and engineers from the Rand. The combination seems to work admirably, and the greatest keenness is displayed by both the Imperial and the volunteer officers to make their force a really useful military unit.

Thankyou Frank for the additional information.... I should buy South Africa 1901 and 1902 bars in bulk......

Mike

I was contacted by another member of this forum lately, who wanted my thoughts on a potential purchase, which took the form of a single QSA to a well known Town Guard, oh dear, a little dull, I thought, but again, not so.

This particular recipient was also facinating, he took his discharge from the Town Guard in question and served in the Provisional Mounted Police, Damant's Horse, Imperial Yeomanry Scouts, 1st Kitchener's Fighting Scouts and the Kimberley Light Horse and at least two others!

The forum member concerned did get back to me to advise that he had bought the medal in question.

QSAMIKE wrote: Thankyou Frank for the additional information.... I shoud buy South Africa 1901 and 1902 bars in bulk......

Mike

A quite time consuming and rather expensive venture these days!

QSAMIKE wrote: I should buy South Africa 1901 and 1902 bars in bulk......

Mike