TOPIC:

Hi

My name is Wendel James HOUGH and I am the great grand son of Louis Wentzell who was member #2397 of the South African Constabulary. He is mentioned in the website on the medal role QSA and KSA, and although my uncle did have all his Boer War and WW1 medals he has misplaced them.
I am in possession of his Leather bound SAC note book holder.

I am firstly interested to find out exactly which medals he did receive.
Secondly I find information on the SAC very scanty and as I am research the family history I am trying to find more information on the SAC as well as information on Lois Wentzell during the Anglo Boer War.
Thirdly I want more information on when Louis Wentzell arrived in South Africa, what date, what ship, etc.

I do know L.Wentzell is on the UK roll in 1899 it is some time between 1900 and 1901 when he left Hounslow Middelsex and came to South Africa.
We have no information on what Louis Wentzell did during the Anglo Boer War, I do know he was attested in Potchefstroom and operated in the Groot Marico area of the Western Transvaal.
After the war he married my great grandmother Maria Magdalene POTGIETER, who was interned in the Mafeking Concentration Camp.
L.Wentzell became a member of the South African Police, he and his wife lived in Groot Marico on the farm Engselsberg the Potgieter family farm after the war.

Can anybody help me to find more information on Louis Wentzell during the Anglo Boer War.
He now has four generations of descendants now living in South Africa and still has direct family living in Hounslow, England today.

Kind Regards
Wendel Hough
Thaba Tsweni Lodge

Hello Wendel,
The only man who I can see here is 2431 Trooper L Wentzell of A Division South African Constabulary, he is shown on the supplementary roll WO100/271 page 274 with the QSA and clasps Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1902.
SAC papers are at the SADF documentation centre in Pretoria.
A very brief look at RG13 shows that he was a factory worker here in 1901, so that, combined with only the South Africa 1902 on his QSA would mean his actual wartime service in the SAC was towards the end of the war, moreover, those last few months were the worst and most cruel.
I looked at BT26 and BT27 but cannot see a likely match, he might have worked his passage, will have another look later.

Welcome to to forum and good luck with your research.

Kind regards Frank

Hi Frank
Thank you for your quick response, all information is valuable at this stage and I appreciate any further.
Wendel

WO100/271 page 274





RG13/1184, shows him as a 21 year old factory worker, with his mother and siblings, so he did not leave for South Africa in 1900.

Incidentally Wendel,
There are a few people on here who are interested in the South African Constabulary and I am sure that they will add their thoughts on Louis Wentzell and his time in the SAC in due course.
Regards again Frank

Good Morning Wendel......

There has only been one book written of the South African Constabulary...... True it is about the Canadian members but it gives an example of what the SAC did.....

The book is:

"NO COLOURS, NO DRUMS" by Jim Wallace, 2003, ISBN 1-894255-27-5

mIKE