TOPIC:

My grandfather was in Kimberley during the Siege. He was a member of the Town Guard and received both the Kimberley Star and the Queens South Africa Medal. He worked for the De Beers company. He was also a very keen cyclist and was a member of the Kimberley Cycling Club winning many medals, trophies, cups, etc. I understand that the British used many of these cycling club members as scouts who would ride out at night and then report back on Boer numbers and positions etc. I wonder if any member has any information about this and whether any lists of names involved exist.

Hello Avi,
Welcome on here, I am sure you will find your grandfather listed here on this site on a transcribed copy of the medal roll, the original of which is in WO100 at the National Archives in Kew.
Many town guard attestation papers have survived there too in WO126, but the Kimberley Town Guard is not one of them.
However, all is not lost as there is a very substantial De Beers archive in the care of Kimberley Public Library which was on Chapel Street and I assume it still is!
They also have copies of the Diamond Fields Advertiser and the Kimberley voters lists etc.
I would, if I were you also consult The Cape Archives in Capetown and very extensive use was made of cycles by the Cape Government during the war.
I would be very interested to know how you get on, again welcome, good hunting.
Kind regards Frank

Avi Benn wrote: My grandfather was in Kimberley during the Siege. He was a member of the Town Guard and received both the Kimberley Star and the Queens South Africa Medal. He worked for the De Beers company. He was also a very keen cyclist and was a member of the Kimberley Cycling Club winning many medals, trophies, cups, etc. I understand that the British used many of these cycling club members as scouts who would ride out at night and then report back on Boer numbers and positions etc. I wonder if any member has any information about this and whether any lists of names involved exist.

Hi Avi

I have a QSA issued to a chap who served as a cyclist in the Ambulance Corps (there were only two in the corps if I remember correctly) during the Defence of Kimberley.

Regards
Brian

Hello Avi,
I quite forgot to add, that once martial law had been declared in the Cape Colony, the use of bicyles was subject to a permit having to be issued, with the end result being, that hundreds were handed in to the Cape Government and stored up at Graaff Reinet.
The enemy also made use of bicycles with their "Wielrijders Rapportganger Corps" I would think they also used many other cyclists too, but, not in any official capacity.
Regards again, Frank

Avi,

Can you tell me the name of your grandfather please?

Thank you
David

Hi David
Thanks for getting in touch. My grandfather's name was William Leech Shepherd.
Avi