TOPIC:

My great uncle, John Joseph GAMBLE 9032 joined 1st Brabants Horse in May 1900 from Australia & was wounded in action & taken POW at Englebrechts Drift in September 1900. I would like to get information on that particular action & how & when those POW's were released.
He was discharged in November 1900, returned to Australia aboard the "Ranee" & returned to South Africa - on the same vessel- with Imperial drafts & enlisted in the Bushveldt Carbineers (269/33764) at Green Point on 6th May 1901 & was discharged from that body in November 1901 & he returned to Leadville NSW.
John Joseph's brother, George Henry GAMBLE enlisted in the 3rd Regiment Mounted Rifles in Sydney in February 1901; I am still to do further research on him.
In addition William Charles GUMBLETON - who was subsequently to be my maternal grandfather - joined the same unit with George Gamble.
In regard to the famous Breaker Morant incident, "Joseph Gamble asserts (In an early newspaper report - Southern Star Bega (May02) that he was present at the shooting of the wounded Boer, who, he says could not stand & was carried out & seated on an anthill & shot. He further states that the German missionary thereupon loudly announced that he would let the world know of their brutality, when Morant said, 'you will, will you? and shot him dead".
I suspect that this may be a fanciful account as in Woolmores "The Bushveldt Carbineers And The Pietersburg Light Horse" the shooting of the missionary is detailed quite differently. Nevertheless, I "throw this into the ring" to see if there are other accounts of the events leading up to the execution of Morant & Handcock
John Joseph Gamble was one of 10 children of Joseph & Emily Gamble of Leadville NSW.
He subsequently served with the 17th Battalion AIF in WW1.

My GGF enlisted in the 1st BH. Another Colonial albeit from NZ not Oz.

All the best with your research on BH. Sorry I cannot add anything to POW's. I will watch your thread with interest.

Are you the custodian of your families medals and/or a keen family historian?

Cheers Stephen

Hello

Gamble was reported as released in The Times of 28 Sept 1900.

I can't help directly with the location of Englebrecht's Drift, there were just two casualties that day; Gamble and Dykes who was killed, Unfortunately Watt (In Memoriam) does not record a burial place for Dykes.

I see there was a Sgt JS Gamble in Brabant's Horse - a relation?

Regards
Meurig

Hi Stephen,
Thanks for your response. I have no medals but am tracking down the Gamble family - an interesting journey.
Anthony Berry

Thanks Meurig for your response.
I'm still trying to find details of the action in which Gamble & Dykes were captured including the date/s involved. Also looking for details of their release etc.
I will keep searching ( very persistent).

Can't connect J.S. Gamble - not a relative - to my John Joseph Gamble or get any details of him other than he is listed on the roll for 1st Brabant's Horse - bit of a mystery.

I am also trying to gather information on two other relatives who served in the Boer War:
George Henry Gamble (great uncle)
William Charles Gumbleton (grandfather).

Anthony Berry