TOPIC:

One of the problems with transcribing articles in ABW-period newspapers is the small size of the newsprint, and it's sometimes difficult to make out a word, letter, or number. Is the surname of these two brothers Gindre, Giodre, or Giudre? I think it's probably Gindre, but it's not a surname I've ever come across before.
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LETTER FROM A LOCAL SOLDIER AT THE FRONT.— It will be remembered that when Private Gus Gi.dre, one of our local postmen, was called up as a Reservist he had a brother in the army. The parents of the two young men live in Victoria-street [Lees, near Oldham], both are getting on in years, and the father is an old soldier, who has completed his 21 years service for the Queen and country. The committee of the local fund look after the old folks. The following letter is one they have received from their son James. He is a private in the E Company, 2nd Battalion, Black Watch, and under Lord Methuen. Gi.dre, whose regimental number is 4,124, writing from Modder River under date December 13th, states:— "We fought a big battle on the 11th, and it lasted eighteen hours. We charged the Boers twice, but could not get at them because of the barbed wire round their trenches. We were lying in the sun for eighteen hours without food or water. It was terrible to hear the wounded crying for water and not have any to give them. We lost 370 men killed and wounded, and 19 officers in our regiment. We were the first regiment to charge the Boer trenches, and if we had got to them we would have made short work of the Boers. Our big guns are still sheling them out. They won't make a stand if they have no cover to fire from. There are a lot of Boers giving themselves up, as they are getting tired of fighting. We attack them again on the 19th, and we will shift them out this time.Then we will go right to the relief of Kimberley, for this is their last stand in this part of the country. If I get wounded any time you will see it in the papers three days after the fight. If you don't see my name in the papers when the Black Watch has been fighting you will know I am safe. We are getting more troops in every day, and some of the Navy came in to-day with siege guns. Our balloon section is up spying on the Boers. Every move they make is watched and sent down. We have ten regiments here and six batteries of artillery and four naval guns. The 17th Lancers are also here.
The Mossley and Saddleworth Reporter, 13.1.1900

This one's a bit of a mystery. I've checked out the QSA rolls and the WO97 papers but nothing comes up anything like Gindre, Giodre, Giudre or any other vaguely similar variation. Nothing even comes up for number 4124 in the Black Watch.

David

Of French origin.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gindre

A mystery indeed Berenice

A possible contender.
James William Ginder

Unfortunately, I can not find a QSA medal roll linked to James Ginder ref The Black Watch.