TOPIC:

I am doing family history research and have found my uncle's grand-father Frederick Chainey - who was a Private in the 7th (Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guard during the Boer War. I know from the site that his number was 3991 but I have no idea where he served, what battles he may ahve been involved in or anything about the terrain etc. he was fighting on. Again from the site I learn that he received the QSA medal - I don't know if this is a general military award or one for specific heroism.

I know he was invalided back to England at some point with enteric fever and was referred to as the thinnest man in the British Army!

Now is there someone out there who can fiill in some blamks for me and my 84 year old uncle who would love to know the details of his ancestor

Thanks

Hi, welcome. The QSA was the campaign medal for the Boer War. The roster shows he received clasps for the Cape Colony and the Orange Free State so those are the areas he served in. There is a note in the margin showing he had returned to England. The roster is dated September 1901 so presumably it was sometime before this date that he was invalided back to England.

The roster doesn't list any clasps for the major battles but there was plenty skirmishing in the Cape Colony and Orange Free State. Much of the War was British forces chasing Boers around the countryside; and the 7th DG saw their fair share:
www.angloboerwar.com/imperial-units/522-...oyals-dragoon-guards

There is also a British Army Service Record (WO 97) for an F Chainey listed on Findmypast. I don't know if this is for the same man but it could be worth looking at. This man was born in 1873 at Maidstone, Kent.

Cheers,

Mark