TOPIC:

My great grandfather William Chapman left a diary of his time in the Rimington Guides in the South African War. I believe he was born in Hampshire UK but was in South Africa, possibly working when war broke out. He says he enrolled in the Guides August 15 1899 and was wounded at Sannas Post. Taken to Wyneburg Hospital - sent home on the "Gaika" arr. England 2 June 1900. I have newspaper clipping announcing his engagement and it refers to William as late Quarter Master Rimmingtons Guides Johannesburg, but I can not find any record of his military service in any archive source! Also have entertainment progamme from "Gaika". Can anyone assist me with where I should look? Thank you.

margietg,

Rimington's Guides were a very well known unit in the Boer War and your diary will be a valuable item.

Rimington's Guides were later called Damant's Horse so you sometimes have to search for both names when looking for the men who served within it.

Here is the page on the Guides: www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/so...ts/463-damants-horse

I cannot locate him on the medal rolls, nominal roll or list of Sanna's Post casualties. Do you know his regimental number?

Regards
David

Hi David
Thank you for answering my query. I don't know his service number sadly. In fact for ages, I thought he might have made it all up.The diary is written in pencil and is historically correct. I believe he was in South Africa when war broke out - I have a shipping record of him going there and I do believe he returned on the "Gaika" as I have 2 entertainment programmes from the voyage.
When I ordered the pax list from National Archives for the voyage, they sent me an incomplete copy of the names and he was not there. The engagement notice was in the local paper at Margate, where he married,and says that he was in the Guides and had just returned! No-one in my family knows anything about him - my grandmother told my mum that he was a diffcult man, quite abrupt and strict.So it seems its up to me to dig some more. William and his new wife came out to Australia within a month of their marriage. Any guidance, would be greatly apprectiated. Regards, Margaret Brown

Hello there !

Does he mention the Gordon Highlanders or the 19th Brigade at all in his diary ? Especially at Sannah's Post ?

Tanks

Andre

Hi Andre,
He mentions some units at Sannas Post - Royal Horse Guards, 10th Hussars, Royal Horse Artillery, Tasmanian Co (attached), Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Essex Regiment, Royal West Kent Regt, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Mounted Infantry, Army Service corps, Roberts Horse, Rimington Guides. These may be the ones he personally observed. Hope this helps. I still have to find proof that he was there! regards, Margaret Brown

Thanks for getting back so quickly Margaret, really appreciate it !

Curses - No Gorodns (or Canadians or KSLI or DCLI - ie 19th Brigade)

Andre