TOPIC:

Hi Rory and others

Thanks for the "digging" and other input!

I wonder whether Mr Howe had the finances to bring out the "Staff Workers" from the UK to South Africa. I suspect he recruited them locally from various religion-affiliated instances.
Teenagers could very well have been used to help in distributing comforts to soldiers : it looks like a young boy holding on to the tent-pole. The 4 ladies receiving a QSA were all "Miss".
I have another QSA to the unit : Mr H J Blevin. I found a reference that Mr H J Blevin from Witbank was appointed Asst District Commissioner , Middelburg , by the Transvaal Scout Council in 1923. Blevin is an unusual surname : it could imply another "local" helping Mr Howe.

Henk

Hi Henk

Your man is almost certainly Harold James Blevin born in Lancashire in 1876

He purchased the farm "Knoppieskraal" in the Waterberg in 1930 buyt this deal fell through the same year. He died in the TRansvaal in 1948 and his file is in the TVL Archives.

The scout issue you have already picked up on.

When I've the time I'll track down and send you some England census stuff.

Regards

Rory

Henk

Please PM me your e-mail address.

I have for you:

- Blevin's baptismal record
- His probate notification confirming that he lived in Heidelberg when he passed away
- the 1891 England census wherein he appears.

Regards

Rory

Hi Rory and others




I bought the QSA to K Taylor, Servant from Norman Collett in 1982 and for some 20 years I was under the impression that "he" was an officer's servant.
However, when I got a copy of Sheila Gray's publication "The South African War 1899 - 1902 : Service Records of British and Colonial Women" it transpired that Kate Taylor was a Servant to Nursing Sisters!!




However, with a name like that I wonder whether even Rory's formidable digging capabilities will unearth any further info on the lady!! The QSA roll page was signed at Bloemfontein, and that may perhaps indicate that she was a local Free State resident.

Henk

Hmmm - you are upping the stakes here Henk

Kate Taylor could be a tough one to crack and there are as many as 10 different permutations of the name that immediately present themselves.

I'll have a bash at this but it could take a bit of time.

Any more jewels that you would care to cast before the proverbial .....? - you are exhibiting an extraordinary range of mouth watering QSA's here.

Regards

Rory

Henk

Thanks for showing some of these unusual medals, its good to see the wide variety of naming and it certainly adds to ones knowledge to know these little units exist.

Jon