TOPIC:

WO127 suggests James Hirst was discharged on the 16th November 1900, not easy if he was killed on the Kop!

Good Afternoon Gentlemen.....

After much thought I have decided to purchase it..... It is cheaper than any others that I have seen up for sale lately and the seller has stated and will confirm in writing that if it is a dud he will take it back.....

Will post pictures and information as I find it....

Mike

Frank Kelley wrote: WO127 suggests James Hirst was discharged on the 16th November 1900, not easy if he was killed on the Kop!

Good one! The Register record comes from Natal Field Force Cas Roll and I've not used any other sources (yet).

WO127 - has KIA Spion Kop 24-1-00 crossed out but also says "? Prisoner of war".

WO100 - joined Provisional Transvaal Constabulary 14-6-1900, later Commander-in-Chiefs Bodyguard and FID.

Clasp entitlement from the ILI roll is T,RoL. This with the date he joined PTC suggests he was indeed a PoW - the PoWs at Waterval were released early June.

But was he POW at Spion Kop or elsewhere? Again the NFF entry and WO127 indicate he was at Spion Kop.

I will update The Register tonight.

Regards
Meurig

Hi everybody

As I said it was a "tongue-in-cheek" question to Meurig. In addition to the 2 sources named, he is also commemorated as KiA on the ILI memorial at Spion Kop and he is also listed as KiA SpionKop on the handwritten burial register that I let Meurig have a copy of!
I have his QSA with the KSA as Agent in the FID.
All that can be said is that somebody, whose identity was firmly believed to be James Hirst, was buried as being KiA at Spion Kop and that somewhere could be a QSA to an ILI (or other unit) man who was not recorded as KiA.
Footnote on p91 of "Buller's Campaign" by E Blake Knox:



The point I want to make is that there is a minute chance that somewhere in all the contemporary sources that we as medal collectors accept as gospel could be an unintentional mistake!

Henk

Hi
To add to the above : I bought the Hirst pair, Lot 495, at the Spink Boer War Sale (Oct 1999). The anomaly was pointed out in the lot description.
An unscrupulous vendor could have removed the KSA and offered it as a genuine KiA!
Henk

I would think that he was indeed on Spion Kop and was taken POW there with other members of the Imperial Light Infantry, unless evidence to the contrary can be found somewhere else.

SWB wrote:

Frank Kelley wrote: WO127 suggests James Hirst was discharged on the 16th November 1900, not easy if he was killed on the Kop!

Good one! The Register record comes from Natal Field Force Cas Roll and I've not used any other sources (yet).

WO127 - has KIA Spion Kop 24-1-00 crossed out but also says "? Prisoner of war".

WO100 - joined Provisional Transvaal Constabulary 14-6-1900, later Commander-in-Chiefs Bodyguard and FID.

Clasp entitlement from the ILI roll is T,RoL. This with the date he joined PTC suggests he was indeed a PoW - the PoWs at Waterval were released early June.

But was he POW at Spion Kop or elsewhere? Again the NFF entry and WO127 indicate he was at Spion Kop.

I will update The Register tonight.

Regards
Meurig