TOPIC:

Vol.1860/SWB/Frank
I had a scroll through the various posts on this site re the release of pris from Waterval and there is only one block of ILI chaps there and I saw no ORWIN. Of course, the loss of a foot would certainly cause a recruiting officer to decline an application to join any of the SAMIF. Perhaps as a blanket basher or clerk? A lot of the info just does not add up.
A puzzled IL.

Hello Ian,
There are two issues here, the "wound" and the dates, Orwin could not have returned in August 1902, it just does not add up, as I said, a look in WO126/55-65 might make matters rather clear.
His clasp entitlement is interesting and too, his discharge on the 24th of April from the ILI.
Kind regards Frank

LinneyI wrote: Vol.1860/SWB/Frank
I had a scroll through the various posts on this site re the release of pris from Waterval and there is only one block of ILI chaps there and I saw no ORWIN. Of course, the loss of a foot would certainly cause a recruiting officer to decline an application to join any of the SAMIF. Perhaps as a blanket basher or clerk? A lot of the info just does not add up.
A puzzled IL.

volunteer1860 wrote: amputated the fore part of my foot just above the ankle.”

Reading this about his injury - I think he only had half a foot taken off - the original wound was "toes blown off". It all depends where you place "just above the ankle" - leg side or toe side?

I am sure he could ride a horse with half a foot, but equally have been employed at a depot.

There is some shipping info for Aug 1902 on ancestry but this relates to a 45 old LF Orwin and a Miss Orwin.

Regards
Meurig

Gentlemen,
A mans foot is below the ankle, not above it, a mans calf is "above" the ankle!
Unless the gentleman concerned was lying down with his foot (remains of!) in the air!

Reading through the long article again confirms that Orwin had been in Johnannesburg since June of 1899, and he left there on 19th October, travelling to Delagoa Bay via the Transvaal railway. He sailed with friends to Durban where there was considerable excitement, the news of Elandslaagte having been received. He said he was too late to join any mounted corps, as he had intended, and enlisted in the Imperial Light Infantry instead.

Near the end of the article it is stated that he had already been measured for an artificial foot - would the artificial limb technology of the time enable him to serve again? There is clearly some confusion over the extent of the injury, even within this one article. As I progress through the newspaper collection there may well be further information on this individual which clarifies things.

In my original post I took the statement that Orwin would "try his luck" in SA again to mean that he would return to the gold mines after the war, but perhaps the meaning was that he intended to take an active part in the war again, in some capacity. Members of the family definitely travelled to SA in August 1902 and others followed in August 1903.

Checked Orwin's service papers on FMP - he was discharged at Thorncliffe on 30th September 1900, being unfit for further service, having served 309 days. At that time he was with Provisinal Btn Imperial Light Infantry.

On his form he states "will require passage to SA in January next when my artificial foot is fitted"