TOPIC:

Morant horse 1
There is a further aspect of Tpr. W. Mitchell of KH to consider. On the KH nominal roll pages on this site may be seen hios enlistment date of 10/8/1900 at "P.E." (which I assume means Port Elizabeth. Not much time for very much training between enlistment and the fatal date of 24/9/1900.
I have run across a few other references to KH at about that time in a couple of Regimental Histories and can summarise them if needed.
Regards
IL.

IL, if William Mitchell was a colonial born man or had lived in-country for a decent length of time, we could assume that he could shoot, ride and knew the country when he enlisted. But would be woefully deficient in military tactics for a mounted infantryman and paid the ultimate price for being rushed to the frontline.

I should be most grateful if you could please post a summary of the actions of KH at that time from your regimental histories. It would all add to our knowledge on this thread

Cheers Steve

From the August 2024 Kaplan auction.

QSA (6) Rel of Kimberley, Paardeberg; Driefontein, Joh, DH, Wittebergen (3033 Tpr H. Dilly Kitchener’s Horse);
War and Bilingual Victory Medal (2LT H.H. Dilly)

QSA (6) listed on WO100/256p29. Surname Dilley on the QSA roll. Discharged 9 January 1901. Also served Cape Town Highlanders (816). Listed for CC on the CTH QSA roll, WO100/241p138. Surname Dilley on the CTH roll.

Henry Hector Dilley also served in the Pietersburg LH (WO100/263p158). SA01 and SA02 from PLH, WO100/263p226.

Morant Horse 1 and others interested.
Trawling through Droogleever's "Five Good Squadrons" (1NSWMR) and Chamberlain and Droogleever"s "The War with Johnny Boer", it appears that the original contingent of KH were well regarded; having served as they did with 1NSWMR in Hannay's 1st M.I. Bde; on the Paardeberg cordon, then with Le Gallais and at Dreifontein.
Once the original contingent of KH became time expired and its ranks were filled with new recruits, the published remarks concerning KH by Lt. Livingston-Learmonth of B sqn., 1NSWMR are of interest. "Three new Sqns of KH joined us here (Koppies Station), made up of new recruits from the Cape Colony. Absolutely raw they were, too, mostly boys of sixteen and upwards, who talked Dutch among themselves, and altogether did not impress us as being very valuable allies". Those remarks were published in the SMH of 20th November 1900 and obviously refer to the situation of several weeks earlier.
Not much more about the short period your man Mitchell served with KH, I fear.
Regards
IL.

Steve - British Newspapers of the day (not necessarily accurate) have the following to say about the September 1900 death of Private W Mitchell, Kitchener's Horse:

Morning Leader, 27 September 1900:



(Berrow's) Worcester Journal 29th September 1900:



I make "yesterday" in the Worcester Journal to be 23rd September 1900 - so, I don't think I have been very helpful!

David.

23394 TROOPER JAMES BAILEY: KITCHENER'S HORSE.
A MERTHYR TYDFIL MAN.

James Bailey was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales in 1879.

He attested to Kitchener's Horse, being numbered 23394, at Port Elizabeth on 29th August 1900. He gave his occupation as that of Grocer. Presumably running a store supplying the needs of the Uitlanders in his locale.
His next of kin was given as his father, James Bailey senior, who resided at The Market Tavern in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (this public house survived until 1960 when it was demolished to make way for a W.H.Smith store).

James Bailey enlisted into KH at a very active time for the regiment. A portion of the strength were involved in the hunt for the elusive Boer General De Wet on the southern side of the Vaal and also at Rensburg where two Boer guns were captured. The successful action at Bothaville involved KH men.
Another section rode with French in the Eastern Transvaal.
Unfortunately, I have no record of exactly where James Bailey served and fought. His clasp entitlement reveals that he served widely throughout the country. Maybe a "Letter From the Front" may avail itself from the newspaper archives in the near future?

James took his discharge from KH on 13th June 1901. The period from this date is described as being a testing time for the regiment. This is due to men like James taking their discharge after completing their term of enlistment. The unit would be undermanned until the subsequent recruitment drive which unfortunately produced a cohort of many recruits of lower quality, which were poorly trained and ordered off to fight mere weeks following enlistment often with tragic consequences!

I can find no reference to James Bailey in the casualty lists.


Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 23394 Trooper James Bailey bearing clasps Cape Colony/Orange Free State/Transvaal/South Africa 1901.


Number, rank and naming to the rim of the medal.


Regimental naming to the rim.

Following the Anglo Boer War, James returned to South Wales, where the Census of 1911 finds him living at Scranton Villa, Castle Street, Abertillery, Monmouthshire (which was classified as being part of England at the time of the census, but returned to Wales in the boundary reforms of 1974).

The census revealed that he now 32 years old,was married to Olive (27 and born in Newport, Monmouthshire). They were wed some time in 1906, and were blessed with a daughter named Freda, born in Abertillery, who was now a three year old.
The income of James, now a Grocer's Manager, must have provided reasonable remuneration as the family enjoyed the services of a 16 year old General Servant by the name of Rose Williams.

SOURCES
Findmypast
Ancestry
Unit Information section of the ABW Forum
Previous posts to this thread (linneyl).
General Google searches....