A Bergendal (or Belfast if you prefer) Mystery
I recently acquired the Queen’s South Africa Medal awarded to Private 1908 P. Duffy, 1st Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
The medal bears the clasps for NATAL and BELFAST.
Private Duffy is shown on the casualty rolls as having DIED at Bergendal on the 27th of August 1900, the day of the battle itself.
Indeed in the casualty roll published by John Hayward in the olden days, he is shown as having DIED OF WOUNDS.
All good so far.
But.
The medal roll (WO 100/183) whilst confirming the award of the two above clasps, in the remarks column, states : ‘ENGLAND – TIME EX’
Furthermore there is a supplementary roll (under the same WO reference) which indicates that Private Duffy was also entitled to the clasp for SOUTH AFRICA 1901. In the remarks column on this roll, it states : 5th BATTALION.
Now, if Private Duffy had died in August 1900, this seems unlikely.
So, that got me looking further.
Three other men of the same battalion are shown on the same casualty rolls as fatal casualties. These are :
Private 5708 (or 5709) J. McGilton
Private 6040 Alexander McCartney
Private/Corporal 2847 Thomas Mahon.
I first checked the medal rolls to see what, if anything, was said in the respective remarks columns.
For Private McGilton, on the QSA roll there was no comment made. However he was also shown as being entitled to the clasps for SOUTH AFRICA 1901/1902 and in the remarks column thereon it stated : ARMY RESERVE.
Private McCartney : ENGLAND – INVALID
Private/Corporal Mahon – DISCHARGED.
Indeed there are service papers for Mahon which show he was discharged in 1901.
None of these men are shown on the Enniskillen War Memorial for the Boer War.
These revelations created further conundrums.
I then checked the newspaper archives for the period and found several reports, all broadly similar, indicating that all the above men had been : SEVERELY WOUNDED at BERGENDAL.
Now I can appreciate that the powers that be could easily get the details wrong in respect of one man – but four?
A further search discovered service papers for a PATRICK DUFFY.
On the 26th of June 1903 he attested for the Militia Reserve and served as Private 2704.
Born 1874 at Templemore, Derry.
Previous service – Militia, 5th Bn. Rl Inniskilling Fusiliers – discharged – time expired.
His history sheet shows : South Africa 17.3.1900. until 16.4.1901.
Entitled to a Queen’s South Africa medal – unusually and frustratingly, no clasp entitlement is shown.
At the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted again and served as Private 25304 in the 7th Inniskillings.
Previously served with the 1st Bn Inniskilling Fusiliers.
In the physical description on both sets, no mention is made of any scars etc which might indicate a previous ‘severe wound’.
This last might suggest this is not the same man. But, I have checked and re-checked the medal rolls for the Boer War (and had my findings checked by a friend) and it seems certain that there was only ONE Private P. Duffy who served with the regiment in the Boer War and it is the man who’s medal I have.
Sorry for being long-winded but it has been a journey to get to this point and I would welcome any observations – or further information which might shed some light.
Chris
