TOPIC:

Regarding the issue of service length:

That's indeed some interesting deatils! I've read in History of the War in South Africa, 1899-1902 that there were about 217 thousand men serving in the Regular Army at the beginning of the war, 20 thousand of which are stationed in South Africa. So, what I want to know is, how many men from auxilary force(Volunteers, Yeomanry, Militia) were mobilised? And did the Regular Army experienced any kind of significant expansion?

MountedRifleman

Mainechicken – I presume this is the author of “Half a Life”:



He is also the only C S Jarvis I can find on ABW medals rolls on Ancestry. His IY attestation papers and ABW service record can be found on both Ancestry & FMP. He was born is Essex in July 1879, but was brought up in Kingston-upon-Thames where he attended the Grammar School. His father John Bradford Jarvis is listed on the 1891 Census as an “Insurance Agent & Artist”. Further investigation shows he is recognised as an artist who exhibited at the Royal Academy and recently two of his paintings (both prominently featuring black & white cows) were auctioned by a London Gallery with an estimate of £60-£100 for the pair.

On New Year’s Day 1900 Claude Scudamore Jarvis (aged 20 years 6 months) attested in London for service in the IY but was assigned to the 31st (Montgomeryshire) Company of the IY. His service record shows he sailed for SA on 18th March 1900 and was involved in the surrender of Prinsloo and actions at Harmnon’s (?) Kraal & Warm Baths. In the Brandwater Basin, I believe the 31st Company’s involvement was the escorting of prisoners. He stepped on the soil of England again on 7th May 1901 and about a month before the first wave of the 31st Company officially arrived back. He was awarded the QSA with CC, OFS, Tr & SA1901 clasps. The July 1901 medal roll comments that he was invalided on 5th January 1901. My reading of this is that in January 1901 he went sick and spent the rest of his time in SA in hospital/convalescing. This view is reinforced by the fact he was not discharged a day or two after he returned to England (which was standard for IY men) but it was 60 days before he was discharged suggesting a further period of medical treatment/care under the auspices of the army. Thus, allowing 3 weeks for both voyages, his South African service comprised 8 months in the field and 4 months hospitalised/convalescing.

He died December 1953 in Ringwood, Hampshire as shown by this clipping from the Evening News of 10 December 1953.



I totally agree with his writings regarding the provision of food to the combatants in the two wars but, again, the main reason for the difference was the different nature of the wars - WW1 was a static war whereas the war of 1899-1902 was a highly mobile war – supplying a static army is a much easier task than supplying a mobile army. The canny burghers recognised this and during the guerilla phase, to me, seem to have put as much effort into denying supplies to the Imperial Army as trying to kill them. CSJ also points out, presumably from personal experience, that during WW1 they did run into problems with the supply of food in Palestine – Palestine was a (rare) non-static theatre of war in WW1.

Smethwick, Many thanks for your post. I hope this short discussion on Jarvis did not derail MountedRifleman's post. Jarvis' book is quite a good read and I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, when I took notes, I was looking for specific things so I can't help with the issue of his return to the UK. What I did write down was that he did not return with the 31st. He met Morant while recuperating in Pretoria and was offered a commission in the Bushveldt Carbineers. He rejected the offer in lieu of a commission in the 3rd Dorset Regt. He says that he sailed home on the Canada and joined the Dorsets there.

MountedRifleman asked "So, what I want to know is, how many men from auxilary force(Volunteers, Yeomanry, Militia) were mobilised? And did the Regular Army experienced any kind of significant expansion?"

This link www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...46-imperial-yeomanry takes you to the numbers of IY & Volunteers who served in the South African (Boer) War 1899-1902. To save you following the link this is what you would find:

The original proposal to organise regiments of Yeomanry for service in the Boer War was made by Lord Chesham and other Yeomanry officers in Oct 1899. On 13 Dec 1899, the War Office decided it would allow a contingent of volunteer forces based on the standing yeomanry regiments to serve overseas.

Under a Special Army Order of 4 Jan 1900, a committee of Yeomanry officers was constituted to administer the force. The committee was dissolved in May 1900, the administration being taken over by the War Office.

The standing Yeomanry regiments were asked to provide service companies of around 121 men each. The new Imperial Yeomanry (IY) were to be raised on a county basis with the core being the men of the existing volunteer units. The remaining numbers were to be recruited from individuals that met the necessary service criteria.

Simultaneously with the establishment of the IY, Volunteer Service Companies, each of which contained 116 men, territorially affiliated the Infantry, were also established. 66 Volunteer Service Companies (7,427 men) served during the Boer War.

There were 3 contingents:
First Contingent 10,242 men Early 1900
Second Contingent 16,597 Spring 1901
Third Contingent 7,239 Dec 1901

The medal entitlement can be found in the book "The Roll of the Imperial Yeomanry, Scottish Horse and Lovat's Scouts. 2nd Boer War. Being an alphabetical list of the 39,800 men of these volunteer forces who enlisted for the 2nd Boer War. Listing regimental details, clasps to Queen's South Africa Medal and casualty status". Compiled by Kevin J Asplin. Second edition available from DP&G Publishing, PO Box 186, Doncaster, S Yorkshire, DN4 0HN.

The awards received by the IY were: 1 VC, 10 CB, 1 CMG, 96 DSO, 113 DCM.

I have no basis to question the IY figures but in my opinion the figure given for the Volunteer Service Companies (VSC) looks suspiciously low. Most, if not all, all infantry regiments had VSC attached who served in the war. Like the IY they went out in three contingents/waves and for the South Staffs Regiment you had a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Service Company. I suspect the 66 & 7427 figures are based on only the first wave and they possibly need tripling. Also from the information given drafts do not seem to have been considered which I suspect would add something like 10%.

Whether you consider the members of the Militia Battalions who served in SA as volunteers or not is debatable in my opinion. Then you have the Reservists who were recalled to service (it was the first time it had happened) – they cannot be considered volunteers but they evoked a lot of public sympathy having already done their bit and being ordered to leave their newly created civilian life, and often a wife of a few years and young children.

I think the commencement of the conflict probably did raise the recruitment rate to the regular army slightly but not markedly partly because of the above other ways to serve which did not result in a 7 year commitment.

Regards, David - other Forum members may have other info and opinions.

Thank you very much for replying! I'll look into the information.

MountedRifleman