TOPIC:

Hello, my name is Glenda and I joined this site today - I am new at this so I hope I am posting my introduction and message in the correct section.

I am researching the military career of my paternal grandfather who was a member of the Cape Mounted Rifles for many years and who saw service with them during the Anglo Boer War.

His name was PETER JOHN LINDEBAUM. I have found one mention of him on your site, although under a different spelling LINDERBAUM which he seems to have used earlier on in his life. Your site mentions him as 1849, Private QSA4 - provisional list of Wepener recipients. Photographs I have of him in uniform with his medals attached, (the actual medals are in my possession) show CAPE COLONY, WEPENER, TRANSVAAL, WITTEBERGEN under Queen Victoria and SOUTH AFRICA 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA 1902 under King Edward XII.

My grandfather lived most of his life in the Eastern Cape, but retired to the Transvaal where he died in 1942 when he was about 80 years old.

Is there any more information you could give me about his military career during the Anglo Boer War? Maybe you would also be able to suggest where I might find additional information about his service in the Cape Mounted Rifles?

Thank you, I would be so grateful for any help.

Glenda

Welcome to this forum. As you probably know there are records of P J Lindebaum, his wife and other members of the Lindebaum family in the Cape and Transvaal Repositories of the SA National Archives. If you do not have the file details, please send me a 'private message' with your e-mail address and I will send them to you.

Regards
Brett

Glenda,

From the CMR Defaulters Book.

1849 Pte Peter John Lindebaum enlisted into the CMR in Cape Town on the 18th June 1889 at the age of 18 years(Ref DD7/61 in the Cape Archives)

He was discharged to pension on the 31st August 1907 after 18 years service as medically unfit for further duties.His page shows that he was charged with being drunk on duty and causing a disturbance in camp on the 4th Oct 1889 which was the only highligted default which I am sure would have effected his possible award of a LSGC medal. There are a few other minor offences such as absent from morning rollcall and stables etc.

He was 5 foot 8 inches tall with dark hair and a dark complexion. His efficiency was rated as efficient.

QSA with clasps CC, Wepener, Tvl and Wittebergen and KSA medal with both date clasps confirmed on page.

Just a little but I hope it helps.

Regards
Adrian

Thank you very much both Brett and Adrian for your prompt and helpful replies - every bit of information helps to paint a picture of my grandfather and make him more real to me.

One of the most important facts I learned from you was his age, is there any place I can find his actual birth date (i.e. day and month) - surely they needed it when he joined in 1889?

I am not versed in matters military - so can you tell me if there are records somewhere which could tell me:

* His birth date (as mentioned above)

* Where he was posted when he joined up plus information on any subsequent postings

* Which towns he lived in

* Why he was awarded the medals he had - would there be citations?

* I read the reason given in the archives for his discharge, which I suppose was voluntary? it was due to bad eyesight. His discharge also, however, ties up with the death of his first wife, he was left with 5 children to care for and I would imagine that caused him personal problems, e.g. he would have had to choose fatherhood above soldiering? After his discharge he moved to the Transvaal where he took up the position on one of the Gold Mines as Mine Detective. I know he remained in touch with the CMR as I have a picture of him at a CMR Reunion in Johannesburg. Would anybody be interested in this picture

* Were Privates in his position constantly away from home on patrol?

Any more pointers you can give me will be much appreciated.
Your site really is very interesting and this forum is so helpful. Thank you

Hi Glenda,

I have the following to add to his story.

He is to be found in DD7/61 folio 279 in the Cape Archives. This is in the Defence Document References. There are no actual Attestation papers to the CMR as there are to the Cape Police for example so therefore his exact birth date is not recorded only his years.

According to his page one can get an idea of his travels, postings and locations from where he was when he committed his offences.

He was in King Williams Town on the 4th Oct 1899 as this is where he was charged for being drunk on duty and causing a disturbance in camp.

His next offence was committed in Mount Frere on the 17th May 1890 which was absent from morning parade.

This was followed on the 27th Jan 1891 by a similar offence now in Mount Ayliff and again in the same location on the 15th April 1891.

He then seems to have moved back to the Mount Frere area where he committed a further 6 offences in the time frame 28th Aug 1891 to the 4th April 1893. These ranged from absent from parade to disobaying a command.

These were followed by an offence in Dewetsdorp, on the 25th May 1901 ?? Irregularity when on horse guard and finally on the 22nd Jan 1902 at Nooitgedacht. I cannot make out the comment however, it would seem to read asleep at his post whilst acting as a scout.He was nailed for this one with what seem 68 days in the cooler with Hard Labour.

The QSA and KSA medal which you have are campaign medals and as he has both medals it shows us that he served through out the entire period of the war. The QSA medal has two State clasps and two Battle clasps attached to it showing that he was present at the seige of Wepener and at the Wittebergen (both during 1900) action as well as operations in the Cape and the Transvaal. He was also on active service through out 1901 and until the end of the war on the 31st May 1902 and as such qualified for the KSA. There are no citations for these medals but there are medal rolls. I can send you copies of these rolls if you supply me with an email address.

Further details are available on the SA Archives website however, you would require some one to copy these files for you. He passed away in 1942 and his Death Notice /Estae File which is in the Pretoria Archives should fill in the missing details. His surviving Spouse was Dorethea Maria Lindebaum.

Again, I hope this helps a bit.

Regards
Adrian

Hello Adrian,
Temperance medals for the CMR needed perhaps?
Kind regards Frank