192 TROOPER JOHN McEVOY
William John McEvoy, to give our trooper his full name, embarked upon his military career during the Anglo Boer War by attesting to Orpen's Light Horse at Upington on 13th February 1900. This corps was raised in order to deter any disaffected folk of Dutch descent from joining the Boer War effort by their presence, and to take on the invading commandos which would make incursions into the lower Orange River and the extreme west of the Cape Colony.
The majority of recruits signed on for six months, but many cheerfully served with the corps for a full twelve months.
The attestation document that John McEvoy signed gave his age as 32, religious denomination as Roman Catholic. He was an Irishman who entered nothing in the trade section of the form. His next of kin was his mother who resided in County Carlow, back in Ireland.
Though I can find nothing to substantiate this, I believe that he may have been one of the men to have 'cheerfully' served in Orpen's Horse for a full twelve months with the regimental number 192, as his next attestation came to Nesbitt's Horse on 1st March 1901 as Trooper 1304, so the dates would certainly fit.
As with many men who either thrived when within the thrill of active service, defence of new homeland or taking the attestation money by necessity, John then attested to Dennison's Scouts on 19th November 1901, serving until disbandment of the unit on 24th March 1902. Fortunately, his attestation document to Dennison's Scouts remains extant and tells us that 39625 Trooper John McEvoy was a policeman by profession, aged 35, 5'8" in height, 150lbs in weight, chest 37", of fresh complexion, blue eyed and light haired. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs. B. McEvoy of Bagnalstown, County Carlow, Ireland.
His discharge date is given as 24the March 1902 on the disbandment of the unit.
Once discharged from Dennison's Scouts, he attested to the Kimberley Light Horse on the 31st March 1902.
The form records his service number as 234 and 41932, and that he served with the Griqualand West Light Horse as a sergeant as part of KLH. Nothing much to add to his personal details other than that he was single and confirmation of his service with the police force, Orpen's Horse, Nesbitt's Horse and Dennison's Scouts.
Queen's South Africa medal awarded to 192 Trooper William John McEvoy.
Impressed naming to the rim.
William John McEvoy saw service with multiple units and certainly would have seen plenty of action chasing the Boer commando around that region of the theatre of war. He appears to have escaped any harm as I find no casualty record for him.