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Hello Meurig.
I think I have two members of this Battalion in the dark depths of my collection who had the misfortune to be with Carleton on that wretched Nek on the day in question and certainly from memory, at least one of them was also only realised in September, I think on the 5th, according to the Times, I will have a look over the weekend, to establish who he was and importantly, just where he ended up afterwards.
Regards Frank

SWB wrote: Interesting that he was sent to St Helena. The 1st bn left SA in August 1900 with Boer POWs for Ceylon.

Barrett was released from POW camp in September, so he literally missed the boat. Interesting that he did not get sent on to Ceylon or transferred to the 2nd bn in SA at that time.

Hello Frank

In my database I have recorded 272 men of the 1st bn Gloucesters released on Sept 5 and a further two whose release date is not known. This is the vast majority of those men captured, just 45 were released earlier on June 6. Wonder if the Boers kept these men for a particular reason?

I have the QSA to Pte 4609 H Prince - POW 30 Oct, he was released on Sept 5, spent some time in Green Point recovering from a gunshot wound (not otherwise recorded - from 30 Oct?). In December he was sent to Ceylon.

Regards
Meurig

Just out of curiosity, what was the battalion strength of a line regiment in 1900- AIF battalions in WW1 were about a 1000. 272 men out of action plus wounded and killed must have really knocked the effectiveness of the regiment around. However from examining the lists of British pow's on this forum, some units must have had even higher percentage off men captured.

Georgegt351
According to Appendix 1 of Vol.1 of the History of the War in South Africa, the 1st Bn., Gloucestershire Regt's strength was 29 officers and 846 other ranks when it embarked from Calcutta during 9/99. The other Battalions departing from India at that time had generally similar numbers. A glance at other, later appendices shows the strength of some Battalions embarking for SA from the UK could go at over a thousand.
Regards
IL.

Generally speaking, a regular Battalion was indeed around the one thousand mark, for active foreign service, actually on campaign, they would simply recall their own reservists and in the case of this particular war, they often had individual members of their associated Militia and Volunteer Battalions attached too.
Very much the golden age, the red little army, which would continue up and till 1914.

Georgegt351 wrote: Just out of curiosity, what was the battalion strength of a line regiment in 1900- AIF battalions in WW1 were about a 1000. 272 men out of action plus wounded and killed must have really knocked the effectiveness of the regiment around. However from examining the lists of British pow's on this forum, some units must have had even higher percentage off men captured.

Hello Meurig,
Very many thanks, it is a most interesting question to ponder, I have also wondered just why they chose to hold onto them, anyway, I had a quick look and found one, although, I am fairly sure I have at least one other, somewhere, it really is about time I got the ABO bit of my collection into some sort of order, I only seldom bother to look at it these days.
Attached is 4779 Private Frederick Joy, a former labourer and Bristolian who joined the Gloucestershire Regiment in the new year of 1896, he went off to Ceylon on the 17th of December 1900.
Regards and thank you again, Frank

SWB wrote: Hello Frank

In my database I have recorded 272 men of the 1st bn Gloucesters released on Sept 5 and a further two whose release date is not known. This is the vast majority of those men captured, just 45 were released earlier on June 6. Wonder if the Boers kept these men for a particular reason?

I have the QSA to Pte 4609 H Prince - POW 30 Oct, he was released on Sept 5, spent some time in Green Point recovering from a gunshot wound (not otherwise recorded - from 30 Oct?). In December he was sent to Ceylon.

Regards
Meurig