TOPIC:

I don't see a Sanderson in the nominal roll of the Cape Medical Staff Corps.

....Mrs. Foulds, of 89, Pendle-street, Blackburn, has received an interesting letter dated April 15th, from her brother, Sergeant A. Sanderson, of the C Company Cape Medical Staff Corps stationed at the time of writing at Rosandal, Orange Free State. Sergeant Sanderson is a reservist of the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles. The greatest part of his 7½ years with the colours was spent in India where he took part in the Chitral and another campaign, for which he received two medals. The remainder of his time he spent in South Africa, and on taking his discharge from the army he became an attendant at the prison asylum on Robben Island. He was called up with the reserve but was sent back as the authorities of the prison said they could not spare him. He, however, was determined to see something of the war and so he volunteered for the Cape Medical Staff and was accepted. In his letter he says:—"I received your letter on April 15th, so you see I haven't lost much time in answering it. I see by the post mark that you posted the letter on the 24th of October and it reached Robben Island on the 26th of March. I can't understand why it has taken so long to come out from home. I think there must have been some mistake in England. I suppose you will have heard about me being on active service before you receive this letter. I thought the war couldn't have gone on without me so I volunteered as they would not take me with the reserve for I was in Government employ and I must say that I am not sorry because my pay runs 9s. per day so I can't grumble. I am sergeant here now, and I would only have been private if I had gone with the reserve and would only have got 1s. 5d. per day, so I have been exceedingly lucky. I suppose you haven't forgotten Dick Wilson. He is with us here in the Berkshire Regiment. I saw Private Tomlinson's photo in the "Times" and also Private Tillitson's. I see that they have both been wounded. I may drop across them before this affair is over, when I expect to see them well and knocking about again. I don't know the persons who send me the 'Blackburn Times,' but I thank them very much indeed. I shall have to be quick and finish this, because the mail is going away very shortly. We have just been washed out of our tents, the rain is simply pouring down. We were in a very tight corner on the 3rd and 4th of April. We were going round disarming the rebels with three companies of the Royal Irish Regiment, when all at once we found one of the Boer commandoes close on our heels, so we had to clear out as hard as we could go. But they were quicker than us, and they cut off our retreat at Reddersburg. We took up a position on the kopjes, and then the fight began about 10 30 a.m. It was all rifle fire until about 2 45 p.m., when the Boers brought their big guns into action, and shells fell all over the kopjes until darkness set in. The next morning a fierce fight took place. The enemy had been reinforced, and I should say they were about 3,000 strong and had four guns. Our force numbered 500 all told. We were expecting relief, but it never came. Shells burst into the hospital the same as any other place, and bullets came through the hospital tents until the enemy's fire became so hot that we had to surrender. I don't know how any of us escaped being shot. I, along with the others of the Medical Staff Corps, were released, so that we could attend the wounded. We are now close to the place where we were fighting, but we have got some guns with us and about 6,000 men, and are expecting more."
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 16th June 1900

Sgt Sanderson' medal roll.

Hello Berenice
Have we got a first name for Sergeant Sanderson?
I believe he may have served in the 1st and 4th Battalion KRRC . The 2 medals mentioned in the above post :- I G S with Relief of Chitral clasp and the other medal IGS with Lushai 1889-92. A rare clasp awarded for 5 small expeditions into the Lushai hills. ( possible error on regimental number? 1st battalion 6198 / 4th Battalion 8198)
I also have a hunch that Sgt Sanderson returned to England and then went back to South Africa and possibly worked in the hotel business.
Dave....

Sorry, Dave, no first name yet, this is the only letter of his that I've found so far. If I had to guess I'd say Albert, but only because that's the commonest male Christian name beginning with A that I come across in Victorian times.

FWIW, the National Archives in Pretoria has a file for 'Estate of the late Alfred Sanderson' dated 1952.

From the next London Coins auction.

Described as:

World War I pair British War medal and 1914-15 Star, awarded to Lt.R.F.Symonds 5th Infantry, Near EF, He also served in the Boer War, then as Lieutenant in the Kaffrarian Rifles during World War I, later Captain and Town Clerk of Cathcart. Comes with copy of portrait photo, and biography in South Africa's Who's Who 1940, plus details of the Kaffrarian Rifles in World War I, World War I British War Medal awarded to W.G.Symond R.A. EF toned, comes with copy of service record, details of AWOL, copy of discharge papers, and copy of entitlement list for the Victory Medal and/or British War Medal and War Badge, also copies of entries on the Birth register, Electoral Register and Death Register, World war I Victory Medal awarded to 204277 Pte. G. Symonds. Rif. Brig GVF

There is a man of this name in A Co, CMSC on WO100/240p73