TOPIC:

I'm ressearching my grandfather who was in the 84th Battery, Royal Artillery (see Introductions section of forum). Amongst other things, I'm trying to work out how long he was in South Africa after the war ended. I assume that a garrison was maintained for some years and I am certain that my grandfather was still there in February 1907 as I have a postcard that he sent to his sister at that time, postmarked Potchefstroom. Does anyone know how long troops remained there?

Thanks

Stephen

Some soldiers chose to remain in South Africa after their army discharge, so your g/f could have done that, then returned home some time after 1907.

A British garrison remained until August 1914.

Thanks, both, for the replies. I don't think it was simply a matter of choosing to remain after discharge--he remained in the Artillery after the Anglo-Boer war and right through World War I as well, being finally discharged in 1923. So presumably he remained in the garrison, although he returned to England by at least 1909, so presumably there was some rotation of troops in and out of the garrison.

The troops rotated on a 3/4 year basis. Service papers should show how long he spent in various garrisons.

Unfortunately I have not been able to find his service papers. There is an Attestation Ledger on FindMyPast that gives the dates of attestation and discharge. I’ve also got his medals and am working my way through the meaning of the various clasps. I’ve also got about 20 postcards sent by him from South Africa, but all dated between 1905 and 1907. So that’s about all I’ve got to work with in trying to research his time in the Boer War.