TOPIC:

Great thread and good to hear from one in SA close the actual battlefields.

As you have found out memorials and casualty rolls can be inaccurate. I have compiled the most accurate casualty roll for the ABW - correcting such confusions as "Elandslaagte" and "Yzer Spruit".

On the subject of casualty roll inaccuracies, I write in the introduction:

"The recording of casualty locations has been imprecise for many reasons; unfamiliarity with the Afrikaans language, use of names that have passed out of usage, the location the casualty roll was prepared is often used. Many of the casualties of the battle of Biddulsphberg are shown in the casualty roll as Senekal, this is the place where the troops retired to and the casualty roll prepared. For this reason the location given in the casualty roll is wrong or mis-leading. In the Natal Field Force roll very often ‘Natal’ is given as the location for the battles on the Tugela Heights and ‘Spion Kop’ is given incorrectly for casualties on the neighbouring Twin Peaks. "

Regards
Meurig

please can you send me your email address - mine is allan.m.gordon@gmail.com

I am wondering if there is a known grave in Klerksdorp for the following:
DVR W H MORGAN 4TH BTY RFA

I have just procured his QSA and information indicates he was killed /DOW near Klerksdorp on February 25, 1902.
If there is a known grave or memorial and someone living nearby, I would greatly appreciate a picture of the grave if it not too much trouble.

Thanks in advance.

Please can I ask for the photo's for the other faces.
Also, is this person called Bert?
Kind Regards
Mark E

Mark, welcome to the forum. Can you explain your quest a bit more? Other faces? Bert?
I am baffled. Rob

Hello Rob,
I wasn't quite sure how this forum worked but I will explain a bit more in regards to my post.
I was in Klerksdorp last Tuesday after flying over from the UK with a couple of colleagues and we area all Shropshire Yeoman after serving in C Sqn (SY) Queens Own Mercian Yeomanry in the past. We visited the British War graves site in Klerksdorp cemetery and our guide for the time we were there, was a Bert Gaffen who is the senior historian at the local museum, so this is the Bert I mentioned.
Attached is a post (and I know it's a long shot) from this site some 14 years ago and the faces I'm referring to are on the memorial in the war grave area.
Before we came over I looked at the various photo's of the area which depicted a cemetery cared for and looked after. these photo's were from between 10mand 15 years ago.
I very surprised how the cemetery had detreated from the images that are on line.
I spoke to Bert in regards to this and he asked if I could raise it with whoever I could, to see what could be done.
I need to understand the reason for the deterioration before I move forward, i.e funds that were in place for it's upkeep moved to other things and who is responsible for it's upkeep.
Not sure if it's something you might able to help me with, but I'm on a mission to see if anything can be done.
Kind Regards
Mark E



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