TOPIC:

Grateful for any help in researching this man.

Entitled to Queen’s South Africa Medal clasp South Africa 1902 as 1489 Trooper, Western Province Mounted Rifles (WO100/278). The number seems quite high among those on the roll, suggesting he joined later in the war - as evidenced also by his single SA1902 clasp.
I am trying to prove that he is the same man as Constantine Papayanni who is noted as sailing on the SS Persic which left Liverpool for Cape Town on 20 March 1902. I guess the ship would have arrived at the end of March or early April, just in time for him to have enlisted and seen active service before the end of May.
He stayed in South Africa, served in WW1 (I have his pair of medals) and died in Cape Town in 1930.
If there is an WPMR expert who can comment on whether the service number 1489 can identify the approximate date of enlistment, or if there are any service papers in SA archives that survive and show his first name, I would be most grateful.
Ian
PS as you might guess, he was of Greek descent, his father having been born in what is now Turkey. Constantine himself was born in Lancashire.

Exyeoman
WPMR is not anything like my speciality - however, the medal roll WO100/278 pages 235 and 250 confirm your man as entitled to both the Cape Colony clasp and the South Africa 1902 clasp. There are no marginal comments regarding 1489 Tpr. Constantine Papayanni of WPMR. I would say that you are correct in saying he was a late arrival as on the page 235, many of the men's numbers start with 4.
Regards
IL.

Ian,

This will help.

Best wishes
David

Thanks, IL and David, for your swift responses.
if I had known it would be that easy, I would have asked sooner! That's fantastic confirmation that Constantine did reach SA in time to earn the QSA - although now means that I have a split group!
BTW I've checked the roll again and he is noted only for SA1902 clasp.

C'est la vie!

Ian

Ian,

He is also on s separate page (WO100/278p235) for the Cape Colony clasp.

Best wishes
David

Thanks again, David
That'll teach me to trust ancestry indexing! Listed as Pafeyanni. If I'd searched for him by number and unit, I would have answered my own question. Thanks for the correction.
Is the attestation paper a single sheet document or does more survive in the SA archives?
Ian