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Hello Philip,
Welcome here, super photographs, to answer your question on SAMIF commissions, you were appointed, sometimes "headhunted" or you merely applied to the Commander in Chief via AHQ Pretoria or the War Office here, depending on the particular date in question and of course the particular corps too.
Again welcome here,
Regards Frank


One wonders how the officers were appointed to the Colonial regiments. My great grandfather was with the Royal West Kent Regiment before the Boer War and he fought with that regiment in WW1. Attached is a another photo of him. I have to get a new one made because his left hand is distorted in this picture.

The I.L.I also performed well at Spionkop. I'm attaching a letter sent by my great grandfather to his mum which contains a fascinating first-hand account of the battle. (The original is hand written.) His mum must have been truly distressed after having read it.

I have checked all the names mentioned in the letter and they can all be found on David's website. the "boy" Jackson was, in fact, Lt. GHN Jackson of the First Border Regiment. Stanley, my great grandfather's younger brother commanded the SA Native Labour Corps as a Lt. Col in WW1. I strongly believe that he is the colonel in the attached photo of George V inspecting the SANLC.

There were 11 children born in Madras, India(that is of the second marriage)and their father Thomas was the veterinary surgeon to the body guard of the Governor. The oldest son, Walter, later changed his name to Zarh and is a well known artist in the USA where he pioneered underwater painting. His works sell for anything up to $3 million these days.

Em (also referred to in the letter) was Emily my great grandfather's younger sister. When one gets to know about them, they all seem to come alive.

How do we get the photos onto the website under the I.L.I.?

Kind regards
Philip




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Hi All

Attached is the letter referred to in my previous message.

Also attached are photos of a bridge near Colenso which was destroyed by the Boers and a Boer foot bridge.

Patrick, I'll have to do some research regarding the uniform and insignia (something I know very little about).

Kind regards
Philip

The letter is attached in Word format.

Philip

A very interesting account. Thanks. If that' s him sparing his mother the 'unpleasant details' I dread to think what he might have included, if he'd been less thoughtful.

Patrick

Patrick

Indeed. His poor mum subsequently lost three or four sons in WW1 in consequence of which she was furnished with a home by the state/king. I'm still trying to find out which of the boys were killed. Colin was injured early in WW1 and survived. He died in 1927, aged 56.His son Aubrey (my grandfather) went to school in England and then came back to Africa, hence the family being here now. Attached is a photo of Colin's chocolate box. It still has a piece of the original chocolate and wrapping paper in it. There is a pristine chocolate box with all its chocolates in our local war museum, here in Johannesburg.


Philip

Hello Philip

Great thread - thanks for posting the pictures and letters. The ILI seem to be a favoured regiment of many, and as the most complete unit on Spion Kop well worth collecting.

From the quick research I've done; CCH Pritchard was in the Artillery militia (Argyll & Bute) before being commissioned into the Buffs in 1893. So that lovely portrait photo is pre-Boer War.

I can't see him in the 1903 Army List (the only one to hand) implying he had left the Army, but I don't know when.

Regards
Meurig