TOPIC:

My great grandfather William Jeremiah (Bill) DOYLE, his brother Patrick DOYLE, and their brother-in-law Stephen FLYNN (married to Joanna (Hannah) DOYLE were all in Kimberley as the start of the Boer War.

I think it is almost definite they were all there during the siege. William Jeremiah and Patrick DOYLE may have served in the Diamond Fields Artillery, and Stephen FLYNN with either/and the Kimberley Town Guard, the Kimberley Horse, the Kimberley Light Horse.

Does anyone know where I can find any information more detailed than just the nominal rolls, (such as attestation/discharge papers) so that I work out whether these three are in fact the ones mentioned in the nominal rolls/medal rolls?

Many thanks in advance.

Alan Doyle

Hi Alan, welcome aboard. It might be worth having a look at series WO 126 in The National Archives (UK) which contains colonial attestation papers. It's not online so has to be accessed in person/by a researcher. You might be able to find something in there. There was an index to units in the WO 126 series on this forum but I can't seem to find it now. The Kimberley Horse attestation papers are on this forum but I didn't see a Doyle or Flynn amongst the names listed:
angloboerwar.com/unit-information/south-.../107-kimberley-horse

Cheers,

Mark

Many thanks, Mark - very interesting bunch of papers.

I also went through that box from the WO126 series, and as you say, there is nothing for the name Flynn in that collection of papers.

Series WO 127 index has the following:

FLYNN, Stephen
Rank: Trooper
Soldier number: 124
Unit: Kimberley Horse
Notes:
Age:
The National Archives WO127. Nominal rolls colonial units.

But that just has his name, rank and number as above.

Series WO 100 index has the following:

Name: FLYNN, S
Rank: Private
Soldier number:
Unit: Kimberley Town Guard
Notes:
Age:
Medal roll (from National Archives WO100 series)

Again, that is just a name and rank.

There is a sword bayonet which has been in one part of the family for goodness knows how long (picture attached), which they think might have belonged to Stephen Flynn, although I suppose it could just as easily have come from someone else in the Doyle/Flynn families.

We have been told it is a third version 1879 Pattern Artillery sawback sword bayonet, rather than a sword. A true combination tool, the saw function was used for clearing brush in the field and at gun positions and the first batch was a modification of an earlier, 1859 cutlass bayonet to convert it for use on a Martini Henry Artillery Carbine (i.e. a shortened rifle).

The interesting part are the markings on the frog - perhaps they indicate a regiment where it originally came from?

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan,
Are you sure about the unit William served under and do you have his role number ?
Regards
Helen

Hi Helen

I don't have a number for him.

It has been handed dow nthrough the family that Stephen FLYNN, and William j
Jeremiah DOYLE and his brother Patrick DOYLE were all in Kimberly during the siege, William and Patrick serving together in the same unit.

There is a reference to a J Doyle in the Diamond Fields Artillery, so perhaps William was also in that unit?

Or perhaps they were in the Kimberley Town Guard (as Stephen may have been before transferring, perhaps, to the Kimberley Horse.

So - to cut a long story short - not sure at all.

Regards

Alan

I found a W Doyle in Kitchener Horse regiment, might be worth looking at that. He is listed as fighting in Diamond Hill, Johannesburg, Cape Province and Wittenburg. Perhaps if you can find the attestation records it might well be your William Doyle. Suggest you e-mail the Curator of Firepower Royal Artillery Museum with the insignia on the sword. He may be able to help you identify the marking. [email protected], failing that National Archives in Kew have some very helpful historians. Suggest you go on a weekday.