TOPIC:

I would like to request some information please, I have searched but I cannot find relevant snippets I need to offer a true event.
Frederick William Allen signed up for one years service 22/01/1900 with the colors, Leicestershire Regt - Listing number 6728.
Can you tell me what ship he would have travelled on and at which port of South Africa he would have arrived at - 17/02/1900 , his record shows that he had two clasps Transvaal and Laing's Nek so I am very interested on the route he would have taken.
I have a copy of his signing up documents and I have gone as far to buy old newspapers 1900/01 London illustrated news to obtain a detailed account of the times but I have not found anything relating to the Leicestershire volunteers as yet and would appreciated any help and guidance.
Kind regards

Sutherland,

He served in the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Leicester Regt. The supplementary rolls (WO100/177p205) shows the clasps OFS and SA01. The QSA roll (WO100/177p198) lists the Transvaal and Laing's Nek clasps.

The 1st Volunteer Company left on board the SS Guelph in March 1900. www.green-tiger.co.uk/id15.html This link has a picture of men aboard the Guelph.

However, that source is inaccurate. The Guelph left Southampton at 10.30 on 17 Feb 1900 with 21 Officers and 791 men ( angloboerwar.com/other-information/86-sh...ecords-february-1900 ). There were 7 volunteer service companies on board:

The Guelph sailed today with some Volunteer Service Companies of 3 officers and 113 men each. They are:
Leicestershire Regiment - Captain W A Harrison & Lieutenants H N Rowlatt & C H Jones.

From the shipping records ( angloboerwar.com/other-information/86-sh...g-records-march-1900 ), the Guelph arrived in Cape Town on 14 Mar 1900 (via St Helena on 7 Mar 1900 where she stayed for less than a day). She later went to Natal so the men may have been dropped there.

Best wishes
David