TOPIC:

Hi, The reason for my research is that I have 3 small photo' albums, with photographs taken in South Africa during the Boer war, I believe that a brother of my Grandfather was in this war, and
the photographer of these pictures. The photo's show a few Army mail posts, and this gentleman worked in the Post Office, before and after the war, one of the photos shows the grave of
Private Tuffin killed June 1900, A P O C, may a colleague ?

So my question is, how can I find out for sure, that my relation was in this war, I have tried Ancestry, but no luck, are the National Archives the place to search.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thank you
CKL

Good Afternoon CKL.....

The first thing that we have to start with is the gentleman's name......

Can you please provide us with that......

Mike

Hi Mike,
Thank you, yes, his name is Charles Arthur Briggs, born 21st. Nov. 1878, in Kent, England

CKL

From F.M.P.


First name(s) C A
Last name Briggs
Service number 379
Rank Private
Regiment Army Post Office Corps
Rolls WO100/230

At least you now have a regimental number and can go to National Archives.......

Mike

Thank you so much for your help, I can now assume he was the photographer / owner of
the albums I have inherited.

CKL

Sadly WO363 cannot be searched manually, with only the folio actually being available, Charles Arthur Briggs, a twenty one year old Post Office sorter from Strood and a member of the Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps, joined the Army Post Office Corps on the 10th of January 1900, he certainly appears to have spent two years in South Africa, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal on the 27th of July 1901 and again, with the rank of Sergeant on the 9th of June 1902.
He transferred to the reserve on the 18th of April 1903, before being discharged on the 9th of January 1906, he gave his father at number 82 Grange Road Rochester as his next of kin, he appears to have served again in the Great War as a member of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry and gave his address afterwards as number 78 High Street Borough London SE1.