TOPIC:

Hope I've placed this in the right category:

I see L F Orwin appears in this website's name index. Whilst searching newspapers for my own Boer war database I have uncovered Leonard's story.

In the Rotherham Advertiser of 9th June 1900 an article appeared concerning a young private in the Imperial Light Infantry. Leonard Frederick Orwin had been employed in the gold mines of Johannesburg when the war broke out and with other refugees he left the Transvaal for Natal where he joined the Imperial Light Infantry. Aged barely 17 he lost his right foot at Spion Kop, blown off by a “pom-pom” shell. After treatment in hospitals at Pietermaritzburg and then in England he returned to his parents home. He was described as very cheerful in spite of his serious injury and he talked enthusiastically of the gallant deeds of his comrades.

A further article in the 16th June edition contained a long interview with Orwin in which he described how he lost his foot. “The bullets were whistling about and shells flying, but I never got a scratch until about nine in the evening. The Boers had practically ceased firing and were just annoying us. I was struck on the instep of the right foot by a pom-pom shell and my toes were blown right off......It was just a kind of numbness. I was right at the top of the hill and had to wait half an hour for the stretcher-bearers, and then I had to hop a bit. The doctors at the field hospital dressed my foot, and I slept all right that night. Next morning they took me into the operating theatre and amputated the fore part of my foot just above the ankle.”

The reporter said “We are proud – sincerely proud – of this gallant young fellow and cannot sufficiently admire his pluck and hardihood, for we hear it is likely he will again go and ‘try his luck’ in Johannesburg.”

Further research shows that this brave young man did indeed go back to South Africa, returning in August 1902 accompanied by his father. A year later his mother and six other children joined them.

The end of the interview mentioned that Orwin had an amusing memorial card in his possession, which contained the following lines:

Though taken away from a world of strife,
He leaves a “Steyn” behind him
In Remembrance of
Cronje
Who succumbed to an attack of “Bobs”
On Majuba Day 27th February 1900

Not lost, but gone before – to St Helena

Volunteer1860
The NFF casualty list shows "915 Pte ORWIN" of the Imperial Light Infantry as being "Missing - released 6.6.00,Spion Kop". Note that no forename was given. It is interesting to note that the newspaper article does not mention his apparent captivity; his account indicates that the operation on his right foot was conducted by a British field hospital.
I am always rather awed by the fortitude shown by the irregulars especially during the early part of the ABW - and especially the TMI and ILI on the Kop. Stirling tells us that the ILI was "ready for active service" by the end of December 1899 - but had "comparatively little training and no fighting" until the Spion Kop assault. Perhaps the apparent fact that a lot of these lads were refugees from the rand did motivate them.
If anyone chanced upon Pte. Leonard ORWIN's QSA and consulted the casualty lists, that person would naturally assume that ORWIN had been captured on the Kop and later released. However, having the ability to "search newspapers" online (however that is done!) has added a possible new dimension to researching. Perhaps Volunteer1860 or our esteemed Mr. Biggins might tell us how searching period newspapers can be done?
Thanks for the post
IL.

In haste (train to catch!)...

Orwin later served with the SA Mounted Irregular Forces earning a SA02 clasp. He did not get the Transvaal clasp which is usual for POWs who were then released in the Transvaal and re-joined. So it appears the NFF Casualty Roll entry is incorrect.

Regards
Meurig

Hello Ian,
Period newspapers can be searched with ease via Trove, FMP, Times and Britsh newspaper library etc.
However, the information is often misleading and inaccurate and there are sometimes issues as here!
Frank

Thanks very much for your replies. I'm very impressed by the depth of knowledge you guys have and I'm glad I registered with this site.

The newspapers were searched at local archives, on film, and I am discovering some incredible stories. No one can fail to be amazed at the fortitude shown by these men. Its possible to access an increasing number of newspapers online, either via FindMyPast or the British Newspaper Archive, but not all areas are covered yet.

Its no surprise that some of the details on the official records for the Boer war are slightly inaccurate - this happened in the Great War too.

Though historians can debate forever the rights and wrongs of strategies and tactics, its the endurance of the men that shines through today and they deserve to be remembered as much as those in later conflicts.

Orwin was one of Colonnel Nash's original volunteers in the Imperial Light Infantry having joined on 26th of November 1899.
I would be very interested to see anything in WO126/55-65 with regard to his injuries simply because of his latter service in the SAMIF, clearly something is very wrong!
The South Africa 1902 clasp could only be earned for service in South Africa between the 1st of January and the 31st of May 1902, so notwithstanding the "blown off foot" which would certainly make for an "interesting" time on the veldt in the SAMIF, there is also the issue of the date of August 1902 here!

volunteer1860 wrote: Hope I've placed this in the right category:

I see L F Orwin appears in this website's name index. Whilst searching newspapers for my own Boer war database I have uncovered Leonard's story.

In the Rotherham Advertiser of 9th June 1900 an article appeared concerning a young private in the Imperial Light Infantry. Leonard Frederick Orwin had been employed in the gold mines of Johannesburg when the war broke out and with other refugees he left the Transvaal for Natal where he joined the Imperial Light Infantry. Aged barely 17 he lost his right foot at Spion Kop, blown off by a “pom-pom” shell. After treatment in hospitals at Pietermaritzburg and then in England he returned to his parents home. He was described as very cheerful in spite of his serious injury and he talked enthusiastically of the gallant deeds of his comrades.

A further article in the 16th June edition contained a long interview with Orwin in which he described how he lost his foot. “The bullets were whistling about and shells flying, but I never got a scratch until about nine in the evening. The Boers had practically ceased firing and were just annoying us. I was struck on the instep of the right foot by a pom-pom shell and my toes were blown right off......It was just a kind of numbness. I was right at the top of the hill and had to wait half an hour for the stretcher-bearers, and then I had to hop a bit. The doctors at the field hospital dressed my foot, and I slept all right that night. Next morning they took me into the operating theatre and amputated the fore part of my foot just above the ankle.”

The reporter said “We are proud – sincerely proud – of this gallant young fellow and cannot sufficiently admire his pluck and hardihood, for we hear it is likely he will again go and ‘try his luck’ in Johannesburg.”

Further research shows that this brave young man did indeed go back to South Africa, returning in August 1902 accompanied by his father. A year later his mother and six other children joined them.

The end of the interview mentioned that Orwin had an amusing memorial card in his possession, which contained the following lines:

Though taken away from a world of strife,
He leaves a “Steyn” behind him
In Remembrance of
Cronje
Who succumbed to an attack of “Bobs”
On Majuba Day 27th February 1900

Not lost, but gone before – to St Helena