TOPIC:

Hi all,

I recently purchased (my first) QSA Medal, awarded to a Trooper Sydney Walker, Nesbitt's Horse, with clasps for Cape Colony and 1901.

On the records I got with the medal roll, there is a column entitled 'If application for the QSA already made, on what roll name was submitted'. Walker's name is against one of the ditto marks under the sub heading which I can't make out. It looks like 'B. N. L [or I] n. T656' . I've attached a picture. I thought this might stand for Burmese Mounted Infantry, but I have no evidence for that, it's just all I can think of.

I'm asking this as I haven't been able to find out any more information about him. In the roll, supplied, he isn't given a service number (it just has a tick on that section, as it does for most of the people in that roll). His name doesn't come under the list for Nesbitt's Horse on this website. I have found references to two Sidney Walkers in the Boer War, both of whom were from, or later emigrated to, Australia. However, one of them died in 1900 of disease, which presumably wouldn't chime with the 1901 clasp, there is no mention of Nesbitt's Horse, and both of them spell Sidney with a I, not with a y.

Any help on this would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Bethune's Mounted Infantry perhaps?

I would be going with Bethune's MI.

Burma Mounted Infantry I would regard as problematic as it was a formation drawn from the 2nd Battalion of the 3 Foot Regiments garrisoned in Burma during the time and as such were regular British Soldiers.

Teegar
There is no "S. Walker" listed in the Smith booklet listing those who served in "Bethune's Mounted Infantry, SA 1899-1902".
Regards
IL.

Teegar,

Congratulations on your first QSA!

I think that may be a mis-reading of the roll. This is the supplementary page from WO100/262p302.



When the roll was written, Nesbitt's Horse was written at the top of the list as the roll for QSA clasps. This was then ditto'd for all the names. At a later date, the service of S J Wilkinson in Bethune's Mounted Infantry was added. S J Wilkinson is listed on the Bethune's MI roll (WO100/235p133).

Sydney also served in the East London Town Guard but there is no roll for this unit. There is an excellent picture of East London TH here: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/6-places/29543-east-london#93376

He is not listed on the nominal roll but this is not surprising as the Nesbitt's roll is only a subset of those who did serve in this unit. www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/so...s/440-nesbitts-horse

Best wishes
David

Here is his attestation paper for NeH.