TOPIC:

Below is a letter which appeared in the Denbighshire Free Press (and probably other newspapers) of 25th May 1901.

"Sir, - On the T.M.R. Lines in the Transvaal and the O.R.C. there are railway church vans running, each of which carries a chaplain.

He visits men at all the outposts who guard the line, and who otherwise have no ministrations. To the men in these isolated positions newspapers, magazines, books, games, writing materials, &c., would indeed be acceptable.

If any soldier's friend can send such by post to the Senior Church of England Chaplain, Pretoria, he will undertake to distribute them by the church vans. - Yours truly, April 12th, 1901."

Would these vans have been part of supply trains?

That's very interesting Berenice, thank you.

I would imagine the church van was attached to whatever train was running at the time. Space on the railway was very limited so they wouldn't have run special "church trains" I wouldn't have thought.

Berenice,
Does it actually say "On the TMR Lines" if so, that is interesting in itself?
Regards Frank

BereniceUK wrote: Below is a letter which appeared in the Denbighshire Free Press (and probably other newspapers) of 25th May 1901.

"Sir, - On the T.M.R. Lines in the Transvaal and the O.R.C. there are railway church vans running, each of which carries a chaplain.

He visits men at all the outposts who guard the line, and who otherwise have no ministrations. To the men in these isolated positions newspapers, magazines, books, games, writing materials, &c., would indeed be acceptable.

If any soldier's friend can send such by post to the Senior Church of England Chaplain, Pretoria, he will undertake to distribute them by the church vans. - Yours truly,

A W B WATSON,

Senior C.E. Chaplain,

South Africa.

April 12th, 1901."

Would these vans have been part of supply trains?

Frank Kelley wrote: Berenice,
Does it actually say "On the TMR Lines" if so, that is interesting in itself?
Regards Frank

BereniceUK wrote: Below is a letter which appeared in the Denbighshire Free Press (and probably other newspapers) of 25th May 1901.

"Sir, - On the T.M.R. Lines in the Transvaal and the O.R.C. there are railway church vans running, each of which carries a chaplain.

Frank, I've copied out the letter as it appeared in the newspaper, but it's dependent on whether the original letter writer got his facts right.

Berenice
When this one first appeared on the forum I had a look in my copy of The History of the Railways in the South African War to see if "TMR" featured in the index. No it did not. Also, I could find no reference to Railway Church vans. Is it possible that "TMR" was a misprint; should have been IMR (Imperial Military Railways)?
Regards
IL.

Quite possibly. I can only find the one reference to it in a Welsh newspaper.

newspapers.library.wales/view/3793198/3793201/27/