TOPIC:

Hello,
I have been researching my great great grandfather John Bezer, who served in the Royal Engineers from 1903-1916, but then I saw that this was at the end of his files on ancestry, and was curious if this had anything to do with the Anglo Boer War. I know nothing about the war or how militias work and the like, so happy to hear any new information.

Source: ancestry

Thanks
James

Hi James,

From your snip of ancestry I can't give you an answer; theres not enough info to go on.

However, I saw these creative ways of spelling your family name; co-incidentally they also had the regimental number 561 and rank of Corporal.

Did he ever serve with the 3rd Battalion The Queens R W Surrey?

If so then he was entitled to the Queens South Africa Medal with clasps for "Cape Colony" & "South Africa 1901" and was invalid home at some point.

Hello James

Welcome to the forum.

Your Great Great Grandfather's 1903 attestation papers record he was a serving member of the 3rd Milita Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment before his enrollment into the Royal Engineers. There is no previous record pertaining to John having served in Africa with the West Surrey regiment on his WW1 papers. However , The 3rd (Militia) Battalion was formed from the former 2nd Royal Surrey Militia, with headquarters at Guildford. The Battalion was embodied in December 1899 to provide troops for the Second Boer War, 550 men embarked for South Africa in February 1900 and returned to the United Kingdom in May 1902, when it received a public welcome and reception at Guildford. The question now is , was your G G Grandfather one of the 550 men?

I have had a brief look at the medal rolls for the West Surrey regiment 3rd battalion. No John Bezer recorded, but there was a Corporal 561 J Biezer who served and was awarded a Queens South Africa medal with a Cape Colony clasp and a 1901 date clasp who was later invalided home. This is the closest I could find, and of course it maybe a different soldier altogether. Is there any recollection in your family of John serving as soldier in the Anglo Boer War? He certainly did his bit in the 1st World War having been awarded his trio of medals and a distinction with his 1914 star. Sorry I couldn't be more specific on John's militia history and his potential service in South Africa. I wish you well in your future research.

Dave....

Welcome James,

Building on Sturgy's and Dave F's information, the papers for 561 J Bezer, RWSR, say he was born in Rotherhithe, London and resided at 1 Alton Street. He attested aged 17 yrs and 10 months on 23 February 1899. Receipt of the QSA confirmed. He joined the RE 23 February 1903.

Hello Sturgy, Dave, djb,
Thank you for the quick responses.
djb, he was born in Rotherhithe 16th April 1880 so I don't know why he would say he was a year younger than he was(if it is him). I know he was the one who served in the First World War because he has his wife and 2 kids written in his records.
Dave, I completely forgot to check his Attestation of Service, thank you for noticing that. On the first document I provided it says he embarked 4th December 1899 and returned 25th May 1901.
My great grandfather Richard Bezer, son of John, left his daughter (my grandmother) when she was very young, and then he died in a house fire when she was 17. She never met her father past 2 years old, and on the Bezer side only met her uncles wife, so everything I am learning about the Bezers is all new information to us.
Sturgy, I wouldn't be surprised that they spelt his name wrong, according to my grandmother it is very common. The reason I assumed the initial document was about him was because it is in the same Soldiers Record on ancestry as with the WW1 records.
Sorry if I missed a question.

Thanks
James

I found some records of him here; www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM/WO96/12/1139504 where it says he(561 Cpl John Bezer) joined the Royal Engineers in 1903. It says the photos are too large to upload here, so if anyone has a subscription and can double check that I read them right, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
James