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Malcolm John Carey from the A.S.C. to the S.A. Scottish 6 years 4 months ago #56827

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Malcolm John Carey

Private, Queen’s Rifle Volunteer Brigade
Private, Army Service Corps - Anglo Boer War
Southern Rhodesia Volunteers
and Lance Sergeant, 4th South African Infantry (South African Scottish) - WWI

- Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony and SA 1902 to 438 Pte. M.J. Carey, A.S.C.
- British War Medal to Cpl. M.J. Carey, 4th S.A.I.
- Allied Victory Medal to L/Cpl. M.J. Carey, 4th S.A.I.

Carey was born in Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian, Scotland in 1883 the son of Malcolm and Mary Ann Carey, born Buchanan. Malcolm Carey, the head of the household, had been born in Ireland and was the Army Scripture Reader and Precenter of the Edinburgh Garrison. The family were of the Presbyterian persuasion.

At the time of the 1891 Scotland census Malcolm, aged 7, was resident at 4 Lillyhill Terrace in the Canongate district of Edinburgh together with his parents and six siblings – Robert (18), Walter (15); Susan (13), William (10), Stanley (6) and Harriet (3).

Ten years later at the time of the 1901 Scotland census the family had moved to 12 Comely Bank Place in the St. George district of Edinburgh. Malcolm, now aged 18, was described as a Civil Servant and a boy Copyist with the Estate Duty Department.

As was almost commonplace in Victorian times young men joined local militia regiments and Carey was no exception serving for three years in the Queen’s Rifle Volunteer Brigade (Royal Scots Volunteers), Edinburgh from 1899 till early 1902. 1899 was of course a watershed year in that it saw the outbreak of the Anglo Boer war between Great Britain and the two Dutch Republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal in October of that year.

Carey didn’t catch the initial wave of patriotic fervour that swept the United Kingdom in the early part of the war – instead he bided his time until, on 15 April 1902, he attested for service in Manchester for one year or for the duration of the war in South Africa. Having been examined by Captain A. Phillips, R.A.M.C., at the Station Hospital, Hulme, he was found fit for the Army and was taken on strength as a Private, no. 438 with the Army Service Corps, Aldershot, embarking for South Africa the same month.

Having disembarked at Cape Town on 3 May 1902 Carey commenced operations in South Africa serving as a Special Service Clerk with the A.S.C. He wasn’t to know that his arrival was a mere three weeks before the war came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902. On 31 July he received a War Gratuity of £5 with a further Gratuity of £5 paid to him on his discharge from the Army, termination of his period of engagement, on 14 July 1903. He was awarded the Queens medal with clasps Cape Colony (he didn’t have the time to venture outside of the Cape) and South Africa 1902.

Now a free man Carey seems to have returned to South Africa to settle down. At some point he headed north into Rhodesia where he served for five years in the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers. On 21 may 1908 he was admitted into the Manica Masonic lodge in Umtali, Rhodesia where his occupation was given as a Clerk. He was, however, back in South Africa by the time the Great War erupted onto the world stage on 4 August 1914.

By December of 1916 Carey was married to Margaret Ann Carey, and was the father of one child under the age of sixteen. He was employed as a Railway clerk and was living at 60 Noord Street, Johannesburg. Attesting in Johannesburg on 15 December 1916 for service with the South African Infantry Brigade overseas he proceeded to Potchefstroom where he was examined by Major W.S. Byrne, S.A.M.C., at the 1st Field Ambulance, and found fit for the Army.

On 19 December 1916 Carey was taken on strength as Private, no. 10735, 4th South African Infantry (South African Scottish) he was 32 years of age. On 7 February 1917, whilst at the Depot, he was appointed acting Corporal (unpaid) and posted to the 2nd S.A. Reserve Battalion on 22 February 1917 from where he left to embark at Cape Town aboard the troopship SS “Walmer Castle” for England on 23 February 1917. Whilst at sea he was appointed acting Corporal (paid) for the duration of the voyage; relinquishing this acting rank on disembarkation on 27 March 1917

Carey was to wait almost two months before the call came for his draft to head to the front, embarking at Southampton for France on 21 May 1917 whereupon, on arrival at No. 2 Infantry Base Depot, Rouen, he was posted to “D” Company and taken on strength of the 4th South African Infantry regiment on 13 June 1917. His turn came on 28 July 1917 when he was sent up to the front.

The Western Front was the scene of great carnage and almost indiscriminate loss of life on both sides. German and Brit alike were thrown into the field and asked to achieve the almost unattainable – a few feet of ground – for which they paid with their lives in the thousands only to be pushed back by a concerted drive by one or the other side. The war had reached a stalemate and the great offensives that would determine the final outcome were yet to be planned and executed.

For now it was all one could do to stay alive in the squalor of the trenches where rats the size of rabbits were ones constant companions, along with sleep deprivation, trench feet and the very real possibility of having your head blown off if you peered over the lip of the trench.

Carey was no exception receiving treatment at the South African Field Ambulance on 3 September 1917 for a condition not yet diagnosed. He was admitted to No. 6 General Hospital, Rouen on 9 September 1917. On 1 October 1917 he was transferred to 2 Convalescent Depot, suffering from piles before being transferred to 11 Convalescent Depot, Buchy, on 4 October 1917 for further treatment.

on 19 January 1918 he was discharged by a Medical Board, Rouen Depot, suffering from debility and posted back to England on 29 January 1918. On his return on 3 February 1918 he was taken on strength of the Dispersal Depot.

On 21 February 1918 a confidential Report by a Medical Board was completed in respect of Carey, at Bordon, for General Debility. The origin and date of the complaint was given as Belgium in September 1917. The doctors’ reported as follows ‘Complained of loss of weight and cough. To England 29.1.18. General debility, loss of weight, cough, suspicious sounds at left apex, but repeated exam. of sputum is negative to T.B.’

A Morning Sick Report was completed at Bordon in respect of Carey where he was treated for Phthisis and where a Specialist’s Report was asked for. (Phthisis is a condition from which many miners suffer). Another Morning Sick Report completed at Bordon in respect of Carey on 28 February 1918 requested a Specialist’s Report on Sputum.

Whilst whiling his time away in England Carey blotted his copybook and was deprived of 7 days’ pay for failing to return to Depot when instructed to do so on 23 May 1918. On 12 July 1918 he was transferred to the South African Labour Unit at and posted to the S.A. Infantry Works Company.

He repeated the offence being posted as “absent without leave” between 1 and 10 October 1918 and was sentenced to forfeit 9 days’ pay whereafter he was ordered to proceed to the Pay Office, London on 1 November 1918. Whilst employed in the Pay Office he was appointed acting Lance-Sergeant (unpaid), on 31 January 1919.

The war had ended on 11 November 1918 but, for thousands of men it was far from over in that they had to wait for transportation home. Carey was ordered to proceed aboard HM Transport “Oreta” to return to the Union for release as a result of debility on 16 March 1919, disembarking at Cape Town on 5 April 1919.

A confidential Medical Report on an Invalid was completed in respect of Carey at Johannesburg shortly after his return. The facts of the Board exam conducted on 21 February 1918 were repeated with the added comments,

‘This merely recites his complaint of loss of weight and of cough. He states that he reached South Africa upon the 5th April 1919. He was well during the voyage. Since landing he has felt pretty well, his chief complaint being of shortness of breath and palpitations upon slight exertion. He has returned to the work he was doing before attestation, viz- Railway Clerk with the S. African Railways. Board by order of M.P.O. of date 1st May 1919. No. 27088.’

His weekly pay with the S.A. Railways was quoted as 7 Pounds 10 shillings. It was further recommended that Carey receive dental treatment and an extraction of a decayed tooth and upper denture was affected. On 5 May 1919 Carey was granted an initial Pension award of 30%. Wife and 2 children, for the period 7 May – 31 October 1919.

Discharged from the Army at the Demobilisation Depot in Maitland with a military character of Very Good on 6 May 1919 he returned to civilian life to live at 22 Morice Street, Denver in Johannesburg. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory medals – posted to him on 21 March 1922.

Nothing is known of Carey’s movements post war. He reappears on our radar on the occasion of his death at the Sea Point Nursing Home in Cape Town on 17 August 1948. He was a 66 year old widower and a retired Accountant with the South African Railways and Harbours. The cause of death was Carcinoma of the oesophagus with which he had suffered for 2 years. He was buried in Maitland cemetery and his normal address had been 22 Victoria Road, Bakoven.