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Hello Everyone
Prior to immigrating to Adelaide, Australia in 2015, I spent many years exploring many sites of the 2nd Anglo Boer War - through books and media, and on foot. It's only since being in Australia that the fading memories of my Great Grand Father who served "for Australia" as my mother used to put it - where I have come to appreciate the connection.
The first five years of immigration were stressful - for me, not that easy to get up and running in a new country. And then of course, once you think you're up and running - the dreaded COVID experience. Well thankfully, the dreams and whispers of Anglo Boer War history are starting to come into my Dream Time again.

Although the attached photo is of my Aussie Great Grand Father, I have other ancestral links "on the other side". My maternal lineage is French Huguenot. With Samuel Bates McKee falling in love with one of those ancestors - probably during his time with the 4th Victorian Imperial Contingent around Graaff-Reinet. And then staying on in South Africa after the war - which is obviously where my mother and I come in.
What a love story that must have been. On that side of the family there is some sort of link to the attorney who was involved with the Gideon Scheepers Trial, and apparently some link by marriage to Ben Viljoen.
Yes, I have quite a lot of unraveling to do.

Not sure why I never found this site prior to 2015, but I look forward to researching and contributing where I can.

Hats off to all the people who have got this site up and running, and keep it running

Andrew Rose
Adelaide, South Australia

Welcome to the forum Andrew. I look forward to reading your future threads and posts. It sounds like you will have many tales to tell.
Cheers Steve

Andrew Rose
Yes, welcome to the Forum. I looked up your GGF on the OZ Boer database and it agrees with him serving in the 4th VIB. Your GGF was born 1868 and he gave his occupation as Licenced Victualer (Hotel proprietor). He hailed from Redcastle, Victoria.
The medal rolls (WO100/291 page 79) show your GGF earned the clasps CC and TV and a marginal note says "5th VMR". so there is something there for you to research.
There is a publication titled "That Ragged Mob" by Droogleever - which details the activities of 3rd and 4th VIB. I regret that I do not have a copy (hard to get and then expensive). Quite a number of men who served with the various Colonial Australian contingents took their discharge in SA.
Regards
IL.