TOPIC:

I have been doing some family research and have learnt that the brother of my Great Grandmother served in the Boer War. His name was Arthur Rogers (Service No 4047). I have a copy of his service record from Findmypast and a medal roll showing that he was awarded a Defense of Ladysmith medal clasp. His regiment was the 5th Lancers.

The service record consists of 4 pages (see attached) which I haven’t been able to glean a great deal of information from. Would he have served on a horse or might there have been infantry units of the 5th Lancers? Can anyone gain any interesting facts from the record regarding his time in South Africa? Is it possible to find out the squadron he served under?

I would also be grateful for any pointers as to further research into his time during the war.

Thanking you in advance

Simon

Hello Simon......

Yes he would have served on horseback as the 5th Royal Irish Lancers were a cavalry unit...... True during the siege of Ladysmith horses were not of much use other than eating......

Take a look here: www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...-royal-irish-lancers

Mike

Simon
Your relative's single clasp on his QSA medal would make it quite unusual. As he went home in 7/00 and there is a notation "medically unfit" on 22/3/02, I would suggest that he contracted enteric or some other disease, was hospitalised and participated in the Ladysmith siege that way. 5L did work after the siege was raised and if he had been fit, I assume he would have been with them. Because trained mounted troops were at a premium.
Regarding Mike's valid point (re horses being more valuable for eating during the Ladysmith siege), after mid December 1899, forage for horses was virtually exhausted. However, the garrison still chose to keep some mounted offensive capacity until a month later - when an officer in the 5thL diarised "... so the horses must suffer to feed the men". The slaughter for food of the Regular Cavalry's horses then commenced. Only seventy-five from each besieged mounted Regiment were retained.
Unfortunately, the medal roll does not indicate in which Squadron your distant relative served.
Regards
IL.

Simon - The good news for you is that Arthur Rogers was invalided to pension and as such has a file in series PIN 71 at the National Archives. These files are typically very big, often running to more than 100 pages, and will give you much more information than the service papers you have. His file reference is 71/5050 Arthur Rogers 1892-1950. The first year is his year of enlistment and the second the year of his death. The PIN 71 series aren't yet available online but I can recommend a specialist researcher who's done a lot of work for me on this series which is a particular interest of mine. Drop me a PM if you'd like his contact details.

As LinneyI has mentioned, Arthur would have been invalided as a result of sickness which was very prevalent during the siege of Ladysmith.

Regards

David

Thank you very much for the information you have supplied. I am really excited about the existence of his pension file at the National Archives. I shall certainly be paying a visit.

This is, I believe, a picture of Arthur. He is the man standing on the left. It was taken in about 1908 and included my Grandfather aged 9, his three sisters, my Great Grandfather and Grandmother and my Great Great Grandparents (Parents of my Great Grandmother).

Thanks again

Simon