TOPIC:

I recently came across this short biography of my great-great-grandfather, William Tasker Hallimond, in an obscure book on Pioneers of the Transvaal and was surprised to see that during the war he had been employed on "very confidential work by the Chief Officer for Field Intelligence in Cape Town and also up-country until his return to Johannesburg in April 1901."

I knew that he had acted as a correspondent for The Times newspaper, as the biography says, although I have never been able to find any of his articles. His QSA is inscribed 'The Times' and he appears on the roll of journalists awarded the medal: www.angloboerwar.com/other-information/1...1-war-correspondents

He also appears in a contemporary account of the Battle of Biddulphsberg in 'The Household Brigade Magazine' : www.angloboerwar.com/forum/16-on-this-da...-biddulphsberg#41290

Does anyone know of a relationship between journalists and Field Intelligence during the war? Was it used as some sort of cover story? I would like to find out more about this if possible but wouldn't really know where to start looking!

E.Stewart-Lockhart
There is an PDF of an article concerning the press and the FID which is on-line. Search "The Relationship between British War Correspondents in the field and British Military Intelligence during the Boer War" by Donal P. McCrachen. I have not read it through as my interests lie in the Intelligence Department and the FID. However, I did see you GGF mentioned in a tabulation of names where he was accredited with The Times.
Good luck with your search.
Regards
IL.

Many thanks for the reply. I did read that but it doesn't seem to cover what seems to be alluded to here which is a journalist working for Military Intelligence, and more focuses on issues of censorship and so on.

It may be that he simply ceased being a journalist and became some sort of local guide/agent as he was clearly quite well travelled in the country, but it is couched in quite dramatic terms for an Edwardian book, so I wondered if perhaps there was more to it.

I thought there might have been an obituary in The Times but all I could find was a note about his death from 12 December 1923.

His death notice gives his date of death as 7 December 1923 and usual residence as the Rand Club, Johannesburg. He was described as a mining engineer and aged 65.

This doesn't shed any light on your query I realise.

All good info though and much appreciated.