TOPIC:

Hi Other Members
I am currently researching Lieutenant James George KIRKWOOD Reg No:302 who served in the 2nd Brabant's Horse and 2nd Kitchener's Fighting Scouts African Units. I note that he received the QSA Medal along with four clasps for his services during the Boer War.

He also fought in the 1906 Natal Rebellion and was awarded the Natal 1906 Medal (and clasp?) for his services. There is a reference that he served in the Royston's Horse as JG Kirkwood, Trooper. Can anyone please help me in locating any information about his Medal award and whether there would be any attestation papers concerning his time in the Natal Rebellion.

I have found that so far this site has helped immensely with locating records about Lieutenant James George Kirkwood.

Phil Bennett
Eltham, New Zealand

Hello Philip,
As Kirkwood had served in the ranks of Brabant's Horse, the best place to start is a careful look through WO126/6-14 at Kew, however, you should note that there are no SAMIF officers papers at Kew, only his entries in WO100 and WO127, notwithstanding, a commission in the KFS was superb, a very good anti commando unit, they saw the war out to the end, which in the Northern Transvaal, proved to be very bitter indeed.
As a man with the same surname and initials appears serving with Royston's Horse in 1906, it would suggest to me that he may well have been resident actually in Natal prior to that date, a look at the archives in Pietermaritzburg might solve this issue quite quickly.
Welcome here, regards,
Frank Kelley

philrobenn wrote: Hi Other Members
I am currently researching Lieutenant James George KIRKWOOD Reg No:302 who served in the 2nd Brabant's Horse and 2nd Kitchener's Fighting Scouts African Units. I note that he received the QSA Medal along with four clasps for his services during the Boer War.

He also fought in the 1906 Natal Rebellion and was awarded the Natal 1906 Medal (and clasp?) for his services. There is a reference that he served in the Royston's Horse as JG Kirkwood, Trooper. Can anyone please help me in locating any information about his Medal award and whether there would be any attestation papers concerning his time in the Natal Rebellion.

I have found that so far this site has helped immensely with locating records about Lieutenant James George Kirkwood.

Phil Bennett
Eltham, New Zealand

Hello Phil,

Unable to add to Frank's concise answer other than to say welcome to the forum.
Good luck with your further research.

Paul

Hi Frank
Thanks so much for your answer and welcome message. I have been to the archives at Kew (online) and was able to download the complete listing of all soldiers in the Brabant's Horse and Kitchener's Fighting Scouts and their medal awards - original copies. I also have ordered James Kirkwood's attestation papers which they also hold, but these probably are only going to cover his time within the Boer War itself and not the Natal Rebellion.

Just to update you a little more on James, he somehow seemed to like being involved with wars as he enlisted also for the 1st World War under Kitchener, fighting in France. James quickly came through the ranks as a Major/Temp Major and finally finished up as Lieutenant Colonel of the 10th Gloucestorshire Regiment. He was awarded a D.S.O. and was mentioned in Dispatches twice. After the war he married in England, a son was born in France and then he moved to Kenya, Kitale, where he built and owned the Kilate Hotel. But although out of the war he was still known as Lt. Colonel James George Kirkwood and was a Kenyan Legislative Councillor for many years, unfortunately dieing as the result of a car accident in 1955 which I think was around the time there was unrest within Kenya. To top all of this off, I have discovered his QSA Medal including clasps in two online auctions in England, the first one (in London) included a photo and was in December last year and the current one is in Essex.

Just a quick note on his son, who actually didn't know anything about his father and the only information he had was from his mother. The son did go looking for his father several times and on the last occasion in 1956 committed suicide in a hotel in Nairobi after being in Kenya for just one day. Sad, but I still have that to try and research in Kenya. He is buried in Kenya. Newspapers will tell me more just a matter of locating a repository for them.

So as you can see it has been quite an informative journey, James did marry again this time to a very wealthy woman, but it is indicated that she possibly didn't live in Kenya with him.
Next stop will be the archives in Pietermaritzburg! Will let you know of what I find.
Thanks again

Best Wishes
Phil Bennett

Hi Paul

Thanks for your reply and have sent Frank an answer, which you should be able to see.

Regards
Phil Bennett

Hi Frank

I have had a look in the Pietermaritzburg archives online but there is no reference to James Kirkwood. I have also had an answer back from the National Archives at Kew, concerning his attestation papers and they arenot prepared to look for them. Do you know anyone who might be able to help here as the papers are in the WO 126/10 series. I also suspect the same answer from them concerning the WO 127/3 and WO 127/12 which concern both the Brabant's Horse and Kitchener's Fighting Scouts. It is more difficult for me as I don't live in England. Would suit if someone was visiting the Archives at Kew for their own research and can add this onto it. Any help would be most appreciated.
Regards
Phil B.