TOPIC:

Dear Forum
A recent purchase, QSA single clasp Natal.
4560 Pte C Boston 19th Hussars
Dangerously wounded at Rietfontein 24th October 1899.
Having a few problems with this chaps details.
Any information would be very much appreciated. I have a feeling his first name maybe Charles?



Medal roll and SAFF record only.

19th Hussars information reference Reitfontein

It was reported from a number of sources that the artillery barrage by the British guns firing on Intintanyoni had caused the dry grass of the veld to catch fire, a condition that continued throughout the afternoon, thereby creating Rietfontein's own 'fog of war'. Sadly, very little is known about how events unfolded on the right, where the 5th Lancers and the 19th Hussars engaged the Bethlehem, Vrede and Heilbron commandos. In the centre of the line, up on the ridge, the British infantry blazed away at the Kroonstad and Winburg commandos, while an abandoned and wrecked Boer supply wagon sat in the valley below. Smoke from the burning veld impaired vision. George Lynch, a photo-journalist for the Illustrated London News, spent much of his time on the firing line, taking photographs. He did manage to get a picture of the 5th Lancers apparently under fire, but it seems that 'shell bursting among the Lancers' was airbrushed in for a dramatic effect, as, during the whole of the nine hours' engagement, only four Lancers were wounded.

The 19th Hussars similarly suffered only one fatality and two wounded, suggesting that both regiments had a 'quiet day' (Farrier-Sergeant W Mee killed, Privates C Boston and H Churchill wounded). Most of the British infantry remained out of sight, hidden below Rietfontein Ridge, quietly resting while approximately one or two companies from each regiment went up on the ridge to make up the firing line, only to be rotated once the ammunition ran out or the troops became fatigued.



Kind regards
Dave........

Dave,

A very nice medal to a casualty. I have looked without success so far but will keep looking...

Hi Dave,

I have looked too, but can't find anything, only this probable confirmation of his first name. Apologies if you have done this already.

I searched births for C Boston between 1870 and 1881, thinking that these were the most likely parameters. The results gave ten Charles and one Cecil.

Charles Tray Boston born Holborn SEP QTR 1871 ref 1b 629.
Charles Boston born Congleton SEP QTR 1872 ref 8a 300.
Charles Boston born Macclesfield MAR QTR 1874 ref 8a 111.
Charles William Boston born Wandsworth DEC QTR 1875 ref 1d 566.
Charles George Boston born Stepney MAR QTR 1876 ref 1c 474.
Charles Joseph Boston born Leeds MAR QTR 1878 ref 9b 571.
Cecil Henry Boston born Hitchin JUN QTR 1878 ref 3a 370.
Charles Henry Boston born Shoreditch MAR QTR 1880 ref 1c 110.
Charles Frederick Boston born Birmingham SEP QTR 1880 ref 6d 35.
Charles Ernest Boston born SEP QTR 1881 ref 3a 249.
Charles Thomas Boston born SEP QTR 1881 ref 3b 236.

I don't know if there was a usual recruitment area for this Regiment, possibly not given the probable surge in recruitment as war broke out, but it might be worth looking at and if he was born in England I suspect that your man is amongst those listed above.

I hope this helps. Let us know if you find your C Boston.

Kind regards

Ian

Hi Ian
Many thanks for looking, much appreciated.
I will keep you posted if I have any success.


Kind regards

Dave......

djb wrote: Dave,

A very nice medal to a casualty. I have looked without success so far but will keep looking...

Many thanks David.
I will keep you posted if I find any relevant information on Pte Boston.

Dave.....

Dave – worth looking at the Illustrated London News in 1899. A number of G Lynch photos regarding the Battle of Rietfontein including these two, one of which could be your man:



Also had a look at nearby service numbers from medal roll:

4557 J Payne – could not find any paperwork on FMP

4561 M Tattersall – could not find any paperwork on FMP

4563 J Powers – see below

4564 C E Tolfrey – could not find any paperwork on FMP

4563 J Powers also served in WW1 and the paperwork I found was about that but it did show he originally enlisted on 01/06/1896 and joined the regiment at Dublin on 05/06/1896. Several addresses for next of kin mother & siblings – Brixton & Millwall in London & Belvedere in Kent.
So I think that gives you a pretty good quide to when your man first joined up.