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Hello everyone

My Great Grandfather was killed in action whilst serving as a dispatch rider on the 19th of December 1900.
I have been doing research into my family but I'm always drawn back to Hugh's story.
I have so many questions I'm hoping you kind people can help me put together a full picture of what became of poor Hugh.
He left behind a wife and 5 children under the age of 10 years.
There is mixed emotions in the family about why he enlisted.
In my opinion times were hard and he had to put food on the table.
I hope you can be patient with me as I'm asking a lot but will have little or no information to give others.
Well that is me and why I have joined you Forum.
Thanks
Brendan

Hi, Hugh, welcome to the forum.

I assume that the H. Quinn named on the ABW memorial in Newcastle is Hugh.

Hi Berenice.
Yes that is my great grandfather. He is also named on the Boer War memorial at City Hall in Belfast because he initially enlisted in the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers but was transferred to the Northumberland to reinforce them after they "had received a terrible pounding and needed to replace the missing men".
It means a lot to see his name on these memorials.

Brendan
I did a bit of digging and I could not find "Dwashoek" either! Pte. H.Quinn was the only casualty for the NF on that day at that place (according to the Casualty roll). The SAFF Casualty roll shows his forename as "F"; such typos did happen. You probably know this - his QSA would have had the clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal.
You are quite right about times being hard around the turn of the Century. Enlisting, a man was assured of at least some regular income and some small allowances. Nevertheless, it was a hard life.
Regards
IL.

Hi Linneyl

I think I'm on to something from the information Rory gave me in my post in "Places". The spelling I should be looking for is Dwarshoek. it is showing up in my searches now.
I have found some documents online that has Hugh's middle initial as "F". I have not yet discovered yet what this stands for.
His QSA is something I was going to ask about in later posts but seeing you mentioned it I hope it will be ok to ask at this time.
I have commissioned a researcher with access to Kew records to try and find out what he can about Hugh. He has informed me that no medal was awarded to Hugh because did not survive the war. Is this how it would have been done.
It's great to know that he would have had 3 clasps on his QSA. (I'm getting prouder of this man all the time).
I think I know why he was the only NF killed at Dwarshoek on that date. Hugh was acting as a dispatch rider when he came across a group of Boers. It is said that he was hit 7 times and died from his injuries in hospital.
Was there such a thing back then as a widows pension?

Hi Bren.....

He should have rec'd a medal even if he was KIA/DOW...... I have a number of medals to people who were KIA/DPW/DOD.......

I am not sure about the British Widows Pension but here in Canada there was a fund subscribed for casualties of the war and one company offered Life Insurance in the amount of $2,500.00 for the sum of $1.00 for all the troops......

Mike