TOPIC:

Moranthorse1 wrote: Whilst searching through the casualty records for men killed by wild or domestic animals during the Anglo Boer War, I have been surprised not to find anybody that died of being bitten by a venomous snake. Without antivenom serums that we have today, surely a bite from an adder or boomslang could have proved fatal.
I have read many diaries written by officers and other ranks where snakes have been encountered inside tents etc.
Does anybody have any anecdotes of soldiers encounters with snakes on the veldt.

From a letter by Private Sterling Nobes, referring to time spent at Komatie Poort, "The Boers . . . left millions of rounds of ammunition, Several heavy explosions daily put an end to it One day, however, a tremendous explosion occurred accidentally, and killed an officer of the Royal Engineers, and severely injured 30 Gordon Highlanders. A hippopotamus was in the river just below our camp, and one afternoon fully a thousand round must have been fired at it. It only showed its nose above water, and for a fraction of a second every two minutes, and a volley was poured in. We failed to kill it however. Further down the river they were firing at a crocodile. It is a very bad place for snakes and scorpions, more especially the latter, and it was a common occurrence to wake up in the morning and find one or two large ones among the blankets. One chap found a snake in his boot and another one under his arm.
The Kadina Times [South Australia], 28.11.1900

BereniceUK wrote: The letter was from Police Constable W. J. Sharpe (or Sharp), of the Blackburn Borough police force, who was a private in the 1st King's Shropshire Light Infantry. It seems to have been written on the 9th of December, 1899, and appeared in The Blackburn Times, 6th January 1900, so can't have been referring to Fraser.

...."We stayed at De Aar and had breakfast, and it was here that a man of the Gordon Highlanders was taken out and shot for cowardice at Modder River. Also nine Boers, or rather seven Boers and two Irishmen, who had been captured at Belmont, were placed in a row, their hands tied to a stake, and a company of the Cornwall Light Infantry gave them their last Beecham, as our fellows call the bullet."

The above extract also appeared in several regional papers, including the Edinburgh Evening News (3.1.1900), which commented "In regard to the above, which casts a slur upon the Gordons' reputation, it might be pointed out that the regiment was not engaged in the Modder River battle. It joined Lord Methuen's force subsequently, and was engaged with the rest of the Highland Brigade at Magersfontein."

Highly dubious, especially the shooting of the Boer and Irish POWs.

SWB wrote:

BereniceUK wrote: The letter was from Police Constable W. J. Sharpe (or Sharp), of the Blackburn Borough police force, who was a private in the 1st King's Shropshire Light Infantry. It seems to have been written on the 9th of December, 1899, and appeared in The Blackburn Times, 6th January 1900, so can't have been referring to Fraser.

...."We stayed at De Aar and had breakfast, and it was here that a man of the Gordon Highlanders was taken out and shot for cowardice at Modder River. Also nine Boers, or rather seven Boers and two Irishmen, who had been captured at Belmont, were placed in a row, their hands tied to a stake, and a company of the Cornwall Light Infantry gave them their last Beecham, as our fellows call the bullet."

The above extract also appeared in several regional papers, including the Edinburgh Evening News (3.1.1900), which commented "In regard to the above, which casts a slur upon the Gordons' reputation, it might be pointed out that the regiment was not engaged in the Modder River battle. It joined Lord Methuen's force subsequently, and was engaged with the rest of the Highland Brigade at Magersfontein."

Highly dubious, especially the shooting of the Boer and Irish POWs.

Surely you don't doubt the word of a police constable?

A quick note to say I have merged two similar threads 'Odd South Africa Casualties' and 'Of all the Ways to die' into this one.

Williams R H  Second Lieutenant 2nd Battalion Somerset Light Infantry
Demise: Killed accidentally shot 06 Sep 1901
Place: Nigel Mine , Gauteng, South Africai


 Raymond Henry Williams

2nd Lieutenant Williams was wounded by the accidental discharge of his revolver while on outpost duty on September 6th, 1901, and died the same day at Nigel Mine.

He was born in June 1882, educated at Wellington College Berkshire, he entered the 4th Battalion, Somersetshire Light Infantry in October 1899. His battalion was embodied in December 1899, and proceeded to South Africa in February 1900. 2nd Lieutenant Williams served with it for over a year and was then granted a commission in the Dorsetshire Regiment in January 1901, being transferred to the 2nd Battalion Somersetshire Light Infantry in the following May and joined it in South Africa. He had thus served throughout the war from February 1900.

His father was Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Burlton Williams and was in command of the Somerset's at Heidelberg. Alas, his son died on the same day and was transferred to Heidelberg for burial at Kloof Cemetery, Heidelberg.

Lieutenant William's QSA clasp entitlement was Cape Colony,  Orange Free State, Transvaal and 1901 date clasp.
He was 19 years of age.


Medal roll


Courtesy of Find a Grave

Alick Ruscombe Meaker 21816
81st Company,  21st Battalion Imperial Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

Killed by lightning on Sunday 23rd March 1902 at Laings Nek.

Private Meaker was one of the 54 casualties to be killed by lightning whilst serving in the South Africa Field Force.

He was born in 1881 at Fiddington,Bridgewater, Somerset.
The 1891 census has Alick living with his father Henry and mother Eliza at Brook Farm. He resided on the farm with his 6 brothers and 1 sister. He joined the Imperial Yeomanry on the 28th January 1901.
He was in the drapery business before he joined up, he had spent the previous 3 years in an apprenticeship.
He was of fair complexion, medium build with red hair, and brown eyes.

He served for 1year and 55 days, 374 of those were in South Africa.
His QSA entitlement was Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and 1901 /1902 date clasps.

Private Meaker is buried at Hardwick Street cemetery Newcastle Natal.

He is also commemorated on the Boer War memorial at St Martin's church in Fiddington Somerset, and on the Sharpshooters Imperial Yeomanry memorial at St Martin - in - the - Fields church in Trafalgar Square, London.  Note:- ( Initials W Meaker )


Courtesy Find a Grave



Medal rolls

Personal effects log