TOPIC:

David
Interesting to see what I am pretty certain is one of the chaps' medals in my collection under Essex Regt; "3444 L/Cpl T. Hammond 1st Essex Regt". SAFF shows "L/Cpl, POW Sanna's Post, Released 31031900 2 Essex Regt. MI". The medal roll shows only one T.Hammond for the Essex Regt with the number 3244 wheras the medal is impressed 3444. There is nothing on his service papers re his being a POW.
Regards
IL.

David,

This really is wonderful work on your part, finding all of these articles. Are you planning to include the nine hundred men released from Nooitgedacht on the 30th of August 1900 by the force commanded by the Earl of Dundonald and the twenty-three officers and fifty-nine other ranks released from Barberton even later (September I think).

Ian

Ian,

The Nooitgedacht prisoners were listed in The Times on 6 Jul 1900. I will add them this weekend in addition to a couple of articles relating to the treatment of the men at Waterval.

Kind regards
David

IL,

That does sound like your man.

You comment started me thinking. Was the status of prisoner ever recorded on service papers? I am presuming not?

Best wishes
David

IL,

I can confirm that "Prisoner" does not appear on my GGF's record. Neither does it appear on the other Wiltshire Regiment records I have seen. Admittedly, I haven't seen all of them, but I'm quite certain it was a general rule that this information was not recorded on service documents. I only confirmed that my GGF had been a prisoner from other Regimental records, the Official Casualty List and newspaper articles such as these that David has kindly sought out and posted here.

David,

My GGF told my father that conditions in Watervaal were awful; the men were half starved and covered in lice. Apparently the men even ate those lice and other bugs.

Ian

David and Ian
The only time I have ever seen a recorded mention of being taken prisoner (apart from the official listings) was on the discharge parchment from an item in my old collection (here we go again); to one 9030 Pte. H.Berwick, 2nd Royal Fus. who was POW nr. Maritzani, 15th April 1901 and released. Vol. Coy. His parchment showed that he was "specially recommended by his CO, Capt. Bringham Tupper for his good behaviour during the action when he was captured".
Certinly, the papers to one 323 Sgt W.Walters in 4th Derbys POW at Roodevaal on 070600 do not mention his incarceration. I have current custody of his IGS/QSA by way of explanation.
David, thanks for your confirmatory comments re 3444/3244 T. Hammond. I have long suspected that was the case - however, the press clipping pretty well confirmed it.
Regards to all
IL.