TOPIC:

Hello, my name is Alison, I live in the States, and I'm doing research on my great great uncle, Herbert Young, who died in the Boer War. He was from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, but was in the Essex Regiment stationed at Warley Barracks, Brentwood, Essex, as of the 1891 census. That's about all I know so far. If you know how to find the date and circumstances of death of soldiers in the Essex Regiment, I'd be grateful for any help.
Thanks!
Alison

Alison
Welcome to the Forum. Regarding your GGU who served in the Essex Regiment, the only person I could locate in the Palmer casualty roll who served the 1st Essex is one "4900 Pte. T.Young" who is shown as "Died of Wounds" at the Field Hospital at Paardeburg on 26/2/1900. I am aware that the fore-initial does not tally with your query. Could this be your distant relative?
Regards
IL.

Welcome Alison,

The service papers for those who died were often destroyed and a quick check for the person identified by IL confirms no papers are available.

Dear Dr. Biggins,

Thank you for your reply. May I know what "IL" stands for? I read in Wikipedia that there is a current British Army unit that carries on the history and legacy of the Essex Regiment. Would you think it worth my while to contact them about Herbert Young's death in the ABW? Or are there other paths you'd recommend? Also, I was wondering if you knew how families were informed back then of a loved one's death in combat - was a letter sent from the Ministry of War?

Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Alison

Dear LinneyL,

Thank you for your reply. It's possible that he had a middle name, and went by it, but I don't know that. In both censuses in which I've found him, he's listed as Herbert Young simply. I am wondering if it were possible that he got assigned to a different regiment, could such a thing have happened in the "fog of war"? In any case, could you tell me how to access the Palmer casualty roll?

Sincerely,

Alison

Alison,

Apologies, IL was the name of the person who first responded to your query yesterday.

The current regiments will not hold any personnel records going back that far. I think if you contact them they will direct you to the National Archives which is the repository of that information today. I do not know if the Essex Regiment has this but some regiments have an online forum for ex-members and those with links to the unit. It may be worth seeing if there is an association like that.

Do you think you GGF's initial could be T?

There were quite a few H Youngs in the Imperial forces in the Boer War:

H A Young 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
H A Young 26th Company Imperial Yeomanry
H A Young 33rd Company Imperial Yeomanry East Kent
H B Young Royal Engineers 2nd Action Service Section 1st London Royal Engineers Vols
H F W Young 48th Company Imperial Yeomanry
H G Young 21st Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
H G Young 43rd Battery Royal Field Artillery
H G Young 61st Battery Royal Field Army
H G Young 66th Battery Royal Field Artillery
H G Young 93rd Company 23rd Battalion Imperial
H G Young 93rd Company 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry Sharpshooters (D Squadron)
H G Young 9th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
H J H Young 50th Company Imperial Yeomanry
H J Young Royal Army Medical Corps
H M Young 9th Company 3rd Regiment Imperial Yeomanry
H M Young Imperial Yeomanry Hospital Staff Pretoria
H N Young 1st Battalion Royal lmperial Inniskilling Fusiliers
H S Young Royal Army Medical Corps
H T Young 2nd Battalion Derbyshire Regiment
H W F Young 48th Company Imperial Yeomanry
H W Young 1st Battalion East Lancashire
H W Young 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
H Young 'G' Battalion R H A
H Young 16 Company South Div RGA
H Young 16th Companry Imperial Yeomanry
H Young 16th Companty South Division Royal Garrison Artillery
H Young 16th Squadron 5th
H Young 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
H Young 1st Battalion R Munster Fusrs
H Young 1st Battalion Scots Guards
H Young 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (18th M I)
H Young 1st Battalion The Royal Scots
H Young 1st Battalion Worcestershire
H Young 1st Battalion York & Lancaster
H Young 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers
H Young 1st Volunteer Company The Queen's
H Young 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire
H Young 2nd Battalion Derbyshire Regiment
H Young 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
H Young 2nd Battalion East Surrey
H Young 2nd Battalion Hampshire
H Young 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
H Young 2nd Battalion Manchester
H Young 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment
H Young 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire
H Young 2nd Battalion P A Somersetshire Light Infantry
H Young 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
H Young 2nd Battalion Scottish Rifles
H Young 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
H Young 2nd Battalion The P A Somersetshire Light Infantry
H Young 2nd Battalion Wiltshire
H Young 2nd Volunteer Active Service Company 1st East Lancaster
H Young 2nd Volunteer Service Company West Yorkshire
H Young 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards
H Young 3rd Battalion Kings Royal Rifles
H Young 43rd Battery Royal Field Artillery
H Young 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade
H Young 4th Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment
H Young 4th Battalion The King's Own (Royal Lancaster)
H Young 5th Battalion Royal Fusiliers
H Young 6th Worcestshire
H Young 74th Dublin Imperial Yeomanry
H Young 74th Imperial Yeomanry
H Young 7th Dragoon Guards
H Young 81st Battery Royal Field Artillery
H Young 99th Irish Imperial Yeomanry
H Young City of London Imperial Volunteers
H Young G Battery Royal Horse Artillery
H Young Royal Scots Greys
H H Young 3rd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle
H H Young Volunteer Service Company The Queen's (R W S)

Is there any way you can find out any more about him to help narrow the search?

Best wishes
David