TOPIC:

Frank

The man who shared an Estcourt Sanatorium ward with me in the early 1950's was revealed to be a Boer veteran of the ABW through a discussion with my father. Not surprisingly, my father probably found the veteran more interesting company than me. By contrast, surprisingly, since I don't remember much that happened before yesterday, I have a memory of the man, and of the ward sister. They were both thin and unsmiling. She wore spectacles and he was big and very tanned. I don't remember talking to the Boer, probably because I was young and foolish, so I know nothing of his adventures. Youth really is wasted on the young.

Veterans of the Boer War were dying off in the 1950's, just as my interest in local military history was awakening, and many opportunities for enlightenment were lost.



For example, I recently showed on this forum the above medals that belonged to Charles Gordon Fisher. After acquiring the medals in 2005, I discovered that Fisher had served in the Estcourt District Police during the Boer War and, after he retired from his subsequent career as a farmer, he had settled in Estcourt. He died in 1953 and was buried in the churchyard of St Matthew's Church, where I was confirmed a year later. I have since visited his grave and I often wonder if our paths had crossed in the church, or elsewhere in the town.

Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Yes, it is a real shame to think what might have been, it is something that I have thought a great deal about over the last decade or so, a fair number of missed chances, but, you must not blame yourself, I know that when one is very young you have no real understanding of time, or indeed, the passage of time.
So I never got to talk to any Great War airmen, but, I made amends as far as WW2 goes.

Tell me Brett, how well did you know Estcourt, is there anything left of Estcourt Laager and Fort Durnford, it was built as a defensive position for the settlers in Weenen County I think, but, I seem to remember a small museum as a boy?

Kind regards Frank

Frank

Fort Durnford has indeed been turned into a museum. It is a fine building with an impressive view across the Bushman's River towards the town. I have visited it several times since returning to live in Natal in the late-1980's. The stone-built fort and adjacent courtyard have stood the test of time, but the museum exhibits have become increasingly seedy.

Small town museums in Natal were developed by enthusiastic and dedicated local volunteers. These people were later supplemented by employees of the Provincial Museum Service and the museums flourished. Times have, however, changed.

Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Well, I'm just glad it is still there!
Regards Frank

Two single clasp QSAs from the July Spink auction.

The first is to 282698 Stoker Harry William George Gardner. He was born Rotherhithe, Surrey, 1877, joined the Royal Navy as Stoker 2nd Class, 1896 and served in HMS Powerful, 8 Jun 1897 until 1 Mar 1900 when he died of enteric Fever, at Ladysmith.



The second is to 10527 Pte. E. Birch, RAMC. I had trouble verifying the QSA but found he is listed in the Ancestry index as Brich. His single clasp QSA is on WO100/222p185 with a note saying he served in the Stationery Hospital in Ladysmith. He is additionally entitled to the KSA (2) so I am guessing he didn't move far from Ladysmith/Natal throughout the war.


pictures courtesy of Spink.

Is it possible to get replicas of these medals, or real ones reasonably cheaply, or not, because it is so long ago. Ive been doing my family tree and my great great grandfather John Patrick Farrell's military records show he recieved

Queens SA - Belfast & Defence of Ladysmith
Kings SA - 1901 and 1902

Thanks