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Hulbert never stepped foot on South African soil earning his Queens Medal as a POW guard in St. Helena. What makes him interesting is that he went home to England before emigrating to America where he was registered for the draft in WWI. He was a recent CC auction purchase

Frederick Hulbert

Private, 3rd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa medal to 6258 Pte. F. Hulbert Wilts. Regt.

Frederick Hulbert was born in the Parish of Old Church near Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire on 21 July 1882 the son of William Hulbert, a General Labourer and his wife Maria. The family were probably typical of the working class in Victorian England in the latter part of the 19th Century.

According to the 1891 England census the Hulbert family was living at 17 Wine Street, Bradford. Aside from 11 year old Fred and his parents were siblings Henry (15), Bessie (14) and Florence (9)

October 1899 saw the outbreak of the long threatened war between the two Boer Republics in South Africa on the one hand and the might of the Empire on the other. After a number of initial reverses where it could be seen that the Boers were not going to be a push-over, a wave of patriotic fervour swept through the United Kingdom and able-bodied men volunteered for service in their droves.

Hulbert was no different – on 17 January 1900 he completed the Militia Attestation forms for service with the Wiltshire Regiment. He confirmed that he was a Plasterer’s Labourer apprenticed to a Mr C. Bricker of Bradford. He was 17 years and 8 months, 5 feet 3 ½ inches in height with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He had no distinctive marks about his person and, after a medical examination, was found fit for the army at Devizes.

One year later at the time of the 1901 census the family had moved to 45 Tory Street in Bradford. The older children had left home and only Fred, now 18 and still a Mason’s Labourer by occupation and sister Rose (9) were there to keep their parents company. Hulbert already a militia member with no. 6258 was sent with his Battalion to the island of St. Helena with effect from 20 June 1901. What was the purpose of their mission so far from the action?

Simply put they were to guard the Boer Prisoners of War who, once captured, were sent to either Ceylon or St. Helena where they could not hope to profit from escaping.

St. Helena was an isolated place far from any of the amenities to be found in a city and it must have taken plenty of perseverance to fulfill the role of prison guard in what were boring and very mundane circumstances.

It took months after the end of the Boer War on 31 May 1902 to repatriate the thousands of prisoners back to South Africa and it was only on 11 September 1902 that Hulbert and his comrades were returned to England. For his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal, a limited number of men received this medal having never seen or heard a shot being fired in anger.

Having returned to England he continued with the Militia taking his discharge as an absentee on 2 September 1904. Under normal circumstances men in Hulbert’s situation would have continued on in the same town they were raised pursuing their normal occupation but he was made of more adventurous stuff.

He next surfaced in Cheney Street, Orange Town, Massachusetts in the U.S.A. where, according to the 1910 U.S. census, he and his 60 year old mother Maria were living. They had emigrated there in 1903 which would explain why his discharge from the Militia had been in absentia. Aged 27 he was still single and employed in a factory as a Mechanic.

Hulbert’s world and that of all those around him was disturbed by the advent of the Great War in 1914. Initially the United States was not a participant in the war preferring to remain neutral but, after the sinking of the Lusitania and other acts of provocation the decision was taken to enter the war on the side of the Allies against the Germans. The Draft Registration card completed in his respect on 12 September 1918 provides quite a bit of detail pertaining to his life – he was 36 years old and lived at 32 King Street, Orange Town, Franklin, Massachusetts and was married to Mary Ann. He was employed as a Steel Straightener by L.S. Sterrett & Co. of Athol, Worcester, Massachusetts. Physically he was short with a medium build grey eyes and light brown hair.

There is no indication of him seeing any actual war service – some 25 million American men were required to register for the draft with only a fraction of that number, especially the younger men, being called up.

Three years later at the time of the 1920 U.S.A. Hulbert was still in Orange Town but had moved to West River Street. He was still employed in a Machine Factory.

The 1930 U.S.A. census has a 47 year old Hulbert still resident in West River Street and a Machinist at a Woollen Factory. He had been married for 20 years at this time. After this nothing further was heard from him.

Good Morning Rory......

Another great piece of research...... Thanks........

Mike