TOPIC:

I have a record for Pte H.W. Baigent 23183 serving with the 48th (North Somerset) Company IY - second contingent. He was convicted by a field general court martial for an unspecified offence and awarded 28 days "J.H.L." on 6th March 1902. This cannot have been too serious as on discharge in August 1902 his military character is described as "Good" and allowing for the normal inflation of military grade means at least "Satisfactory"

Can anyone enlighten me to what "J.H.L." means?

Berks Yeoman
"JHL" looks like meant to be something to do with "Hard Labour". He obviously redeemed himself in later months.
Regards
IL.

Hi IL
Thanks very much that's a good suggestion.
The reason for my query is that seeing as I have some little time on my hands at the present, I have taken a month's subscription to Ancestry to look at WO 128 in regard to men of the second contingent who enlisted at Reading. Lord Anglesey in history of the British Cavalry said on the Types and qualities of the New Yeomanry - There were notorious exceptions. Those picked up in Leicester and Reading, for instance, were said to be largely rascals. I wrote to him when it was published but he had lost the reference. I have wanted to go into this in some detail and (hopefuily) set the record straight as regards to Berkshire men.
Regards
Andrew

Berks Yeoman
Yes, Anglesey Vol.4 has much info on the IY. Like any other topic, one can get as many opinions about the IY as you like. Perhaps generalisations such as "... were said to be largely rascals" might be treated with a grain of salt? The second contingent really were dropped into it; it appears to me that it was expected they would perform a police role - and got dropped into a nasty guerrilla war. Some time ago, I contributed a post on an NCO of the 48th Coy., IY who was awarded a DCM for his heroism at Moedwil. 48th Coy/7th Bn. saw quite some service. At Vlakfontein, the IY did not do well but the 48thCoy. certainly did so at Moedwil.
Will Bennett's "Absent Minded Beggars" (Yeomanry and Volunteers in the Boer War) has a deal of information on the IY as well.
Regards
IL.

Hi IL
I have come across another two reference and it seems to be I.H.L. not J.H.L (being a looped I) and one ref refers to imprisoned hard labour - one man getting 56 day for insubordination - both men were serving in the 57th Coy. A bit harsh it seems.

I do have Bennett's book but I have got a large collection of letters printed in the Newspapers and taken from the British Newspaper Archive, mostly accounts of the 10th and 15th Bn.

I enjoyed you post on Moedwil

Regards

Berks Yeoman wrote: Hi IL
I have come across another two reference and it seems to be I.H.L. not J.H.L (being a looped I) and one ref refers to imprisoned hard labour - one man getting 56 day for insubordination - both men were serving in the 57th Coy. A bit harsh it seems.

I have a medal to a man sentenced to 60 Days Imprisonment With Hard Labour for refusing to Stand Guard.... In reading the transcript he had just returned to camp after a 10 day patrol with very little rest and was immediately put on Guard Duty for 8 hours he refused.....

Mike