TOPIC:

Hi Steve,
Thanks for responding to this post and I'm looking forward to any stories that you can share with other members of this forum. I thought that it would be really interesting as well to start keeping track of some of the more interesting (if I can say that) ways that soldiers have died during the Boer War period.

I really enjoy reading the letters that I find on line, that family members and friends have allowed their local papers to print. Unfortunately these letters can often tell fascinating stories similar to what you have discussed, about lightening strikes, lions etc., but rarely do they include names of the poor individuals affected. I'm glad that you have started to find these soldiers names, so the challenge now is to find further personal accounts to build upon.
Trev.

Good Morning Trev and Steve.......

Posted this 7 years ago from an article I wrote for OMRS Journal......

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/13-miscellany...can-casualties#21184

Mike

Hi Mike,
I am sure that I echo the sentiments of Trev when I offer many thanks for making us aware of your thread. I almost duplicated your work!
Having gone through the same process as yourself in poring the pages of the casualty rolls it really gives you a feel for the hazards faced by combatants aside from the Mauser bullet.
Also, as a collector I must comment on the rarity of finding a QSA on the market to men who were drowned, killed by lightning or killed by an animal!
Death by plague was also a disturbing casualty.
I look forward to any back stories that may appear on this fascinating topic.

Hi Mike,
Fantastic work and thanks for the link.....even if I'm 7 years late to the party. With this particular information you have provided with the causes of deaths that have occurred during service of these soldiers, you have afforded me (and no doubt Steve as well) a helping hand in topics that I can commence to search with.
Trev

A very interesting post Gentlemen
I think the cold dark nights may well get a little more bearable researching that excellent list Mike.
The 2 chaps who had an altercation with a lion and a lioness would make an intriguing project.
1043 Trooper Samuel Smart Steinackers Horse
915 Trooper T C Fenton BSAP
I look forward to Trev and Steve's future posts on the subject.

As a collector of QSA medal casualties, this forum thread had my full attention. Mike's excellent list he shared with us is invaluable. So I am going to try and provide details where possible of the one off occurrences of the most unusual casualties. Hopefully Trev & Steve maybe able to add to the list when time permits?
Anyway, here goes,  my 1st post pertaining to :-

Corporal Thomas Wilkinson Illingworth.
523 / 3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry/ 9th Company Yorkshire (Doncaster) Death - Accidental Poisoning by Morphine.

Thomas Wilkinson Illingworth was born circca 1865/6 Kensington Middlesex. In 1871 he was living with his family in Leek Staffordshire.
His father Eli was a Methodist minister in the parish of St Luke's. He had 2 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters.

1891 Thomas was a boarder with  James and Mary Robb and lived and studied in Great Marsden Lancashire.
It seems that Thomas later married a 21 year old lady called Elinora Wood on September 22nd 1894. However,  his service record states he was unmarried, possible divorce or bereavement may have occurred.  Sometime before he joined the I Y he was in Zanzibar West Africa,( time frame to be confirmed).

Thomas attested in Sheffield in 1900. He joined the Imperial Yeomanry aged 34 years and 8 months. He had a fair complexion, he was 5ft 9 inches tall with brown eyes and dark brown hair, he weighed  11 stone 6 pounds and was C of E. Thomas was posted on the 8th of January 1900 and served only 120 days in South Africa (28th Jan to 7th May 1900)

His medal roll states in the remarks column that he died of enteric fever. Now, here comes my humble assumption,  You may be wondering why I never mentioned his profession at the beginning?
Thomas Wilkinson Illingworth M.D. Yep, Thomas was a Doctor. My hunch is that he probably knew his enteric was bad and quite possibly he self administered his fatal dose of Morphine to end his misery. He would have certainly known what was the correct dose and what was too much. I know it's only my opinion, but it may have been the case.
Tragically his younger brother Private C Illingworth 522 who served in the same regiment as Thomas would have to deal with the loss of his elder brother. Clapton Illingworth survived his time in South Africa and became a Schoolmaster.

Thomas left his estate £180 pounds to his younger sister Emily Florence Illingworth who lived at Trafalgar Square Scarborough.





Medal roll



Find a Grave info.