TOPIC:

Hi,

I am researching my family's history since 1996 and have created the website www.lotter.co.za .

My great grandfather's brother was Commandant Hans Lotter, Cape Rebel and executed by firing squad.

My other great grand father Willem Johannes Nortje was in the Waterberg Commando and was POW on Bermuda.

I have ancestors that fought on both sides of the war as my great grand father HE (Henry Edward) Barker was a British settlar and from Kimberley. I think he was in the Kimberley Guard. if possible could you look up more details on the record you have

"
Barker H E Private QSA (1)
Source: List of QSAs with the clasp Defence of Kimberley
"

He was born in 1882 and would have been 18 years old at the time.

Any information will be helpful.

Regards
Ivan Lotter

Good morning Ivan,
Welcome to this forum, Barker is shown in WO100/282 page 15 as being a Private in the Kimberley Town Guard, along with his entitlement to the QSA and Clasp for the Defence of Kimberley, nothing is written in the remarks column.
Sadly there are no attestation or discharge papers for members of this unit in WO126 here, so unless he served elsewhere in the SAMIF etc, you are often left with very little to go on.
However, if he was employed by De Beers, you can consult a very interesting archive, which is held at the public library in Kimberley, it was on Chapel Street and they also have the towns voters lists and copies of the Diamond Fields Advertiser etc, so a possible way for you to go at some stage in the future perhaps.
Again welcome on here and good luck with your research.
Kind regards Frank Kelley.

Ivan

With the passing of time yours must be a common story these days in SA, much like American history going back to their Civil War. Time heals wounds and I too have possible family connections who fought on "both sides" during the AngloBoer War?

Just wish I could find a Boer in the family with confirmed service, sadly our large family did not however keep close ties with each other and largely drifted apart. I have been trying to gather together family information for a few years now. It is rewarding but at the same time frustrating.

Good luck

Brian