TOPIC:

From the same source this is the India which is not listed as a Boer War transport ship. She was the sister ship of the Persia so gives a slightly different view of how the Persia would have looked.

There are two images of the Pinemore (1898-1928) on the website of the ClydeShips.

www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=4738#v

S.S. Gaul, Union Castle

After scrolling through 44 pages of Steam Ships used in the transport of troops, livestock and supplies to South Africa ,I found just two minor references to the S.S. Gaul. This ship, built in 1893 for use by the Union Castle Line, was involved in the transport between the UK and South Africa (see Certificate of Discharge below) but, for some reason, is only fleetingly mentioned and remained unnumbered.

S.S. Gaul

(Photo credit: Ebay where this photograph is momentarily offered for sale)

Troops boarding the S.S. Gaul

Photograph previously posted in this thread by DJB

The reason for mentioning this ship is a small convolute of paperwork that once belonged to Mr. H.G. Toombs who, at 28 years of age, acted as Surgeon onboard the S.S.Gaul for the period of July 5 to October 20, 1900..






I couldn’t locate any further particulars about Dr. Toombs.

Everhard:

Dr H G Toombs was born on 22 November 1871 and christened Henry George on 14 February 1872 in St John’s Church, Brixton. His father was called Richard Daniel Lawrence Toombs and considered himself a “Gentleman”, his mother started out life as Maria Louisa Browne.

By 1881 the family were living in “Bellamy’s House”, Brampton Abbotts near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. The census return shows Henry George was born in the Lambeth area of London and both his parents were London born. His father’s occupation reads quite clearly as “House Dividenor”, whatever that might have meant it enabled him to employ a 19 year old live-in domestic servant. 9 year old Henry George was an only child and at school.

By 1891 the family had moved back to London (Wandsworth) and his father’s occupation was given as “Retired Solicitor’s Clerk”. 19 year old Herbert George was now a medical student and, despite the fees, his parents were still able to employ a live-in female domestic student.

Medical Registers show Herbert George qualified as a surgeon in 1894, the same year his mother passed away and the following year his father died.

We already know that between 5 July 1900 and 20 September 1900 Herbert George was a ship’s doctor aboard the SS Gaul. He cannot be found on the 1901 Census and presumably was still sailing the seven seas as a ship’s doctor.

The 1911 Census found him land-based, living in the Kensington area of London and practicing as a surgeon on “his own account”. He was still unmarried, in fact he never married, and no servant appears on the return but he was being visited by a Mr Wright (Social Club Secretary) and Mrs Wright (Milliner & Dressmaker) and their 14 year old son.

Newspaper reports in the East Anglian Times from 1915 show he was working as a Locum tenens in Woodbridge, Suffolk and this clipping from the East Anglian Times of 4 November 1918 shows he was involved with the RAMC during the Great War.



The 1921 Census found him still living in Woodbridge and working as a Locum tenens for a Dr Brebuer.

Sometime before 1934 he retired as a doctor and brought a hotel in Stroud, Gloucestershire and also took up bloodhound breeding for profit. Unfortunately he proved not to be a business man in either venture, and bankruptcy proceedings were started against him in 1934. His debts were not massive and by late 1935 he seems to have paid them off.

On 27 June 1938 he passed away, aged 66 and living in Bristol.

H.M. Transport "Bavarian" No. 16 – Luncheon Menu for 6 September 1902.

SEE ALSO: No. 16 - Bavarian




..

No. 60 - Englishman

This ebony page-turner was made for Captain W. Roberts, Master of Transport No. 60, S.S. Englishman, by a POW at Diyatalawa. The Englishman was involved in the repatriation of Boers at the end of the war, and is recorded as having arrived at Colombo, Ceylon, on 14 July 1902. “Eleven hundred Boer prisoners, mainly from Madras, and 400 from Ceylon will sail by the Golconda and the Englishman at the end of July for Cape Town.” The date of 20 August 1902 on the back of the carving suggests that Captain Roberts acquired this piece during a subsequent voyage to the island.

Chalked to highlight the inscription.




Page turner decorated with the arms of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, and inscribed: "GREAT BOER WAR / 10-10-99 / PEACE 31-5-02" "TRADE MARK / JCR (of CJR?) / P.O.W." "CEYLON 1900-02". Reverse: "CAPT ROBERTS / S.S. ENGLISHMAN / 20-8-02". 367mm long.








Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore), 26th August 1902

THE REPATRIATION OF THE BOERS.

The Times of Ceylon says: –
The second batch of 400 Boer prisoners-of-war left Ceylon for South Africa by the “Englishman” today (7th August), and, as on the previous occasion the embarkation was carried out as quietly as possible. The arrangements were precisely the same. Compared with the first batch of prisoners, they presented a more healthy and cheerful appearance. Our representative was given to understand that most of them were “well off”, and this was more or less apparent from the character of the kit that each man carried, photographic cameras and kodaks being greatly in evidence. A large number of men had red puggarees on their headgear, and this proved to be a distinguishing mark of the officers. A notable fact is that the batch includes as many as 26 officers, and one of them, chatting to our representative, said that he had followed the remarks in the press regarding the unwillingness of the Boers at Diyatalawa to sign the declaration of allegiance, and he believed that nothing would do more to induce the rest of the prisoners to accept the inevitable, than the knowledge that 26 of their officers had signed the declaration and were going back to South Africa.

SEE ALSO: No. 60 - Englishman.


..