TOPIC:

I am try to ascertain when John William Briggs of Darwen went out to south Africa with the St John Ambulance.

Two of his letters home were published in a local newspaper (see below) in which he mentions he sailed to South Africa in the same ship was the West Riding Regiment. From the Campaign Medal and Award Rolls I have found that he was at 3 Stay Hospl which I assume was 3rd Stationary Hospital at De Aar.

Would he have receive any medals for his time in South Africa.

I hope you can help

Regards, Tony

31 Mar 1900 Blackburn Weekly Telegraph

Hospital Life

Staff-Sergeant Briggs, of the St John Ambulance Brigade, writing from De Aar, says: -

“I am sorry to hear of so many Lancashire lads going down, especially those of my own town. In Hosptial we have about 500 sick and wounded, mostly from Modder and Orange rivers. We find it rather hard work. We have only 34 men to look after the whole lot, but I suppose they must be looked after as best we can. I have a staff of 15 St John’s men here, and the remainder are RAMC men, which I have nothing at all to do with. As far as I can learn the soldiers at the front are suffering very much from the changeable weather. During the day you get scorched, and at night it is enough to starve one. I am glad to say that I am doing well here. We have plenty of good food; the only thing we are short of rest.”

The following is another letter from Staff-Sergeant Briggs, addressed to his father in willow Street, Darwen :-

No doubt that by this you will have heard of the grand things that the English are doing out here. They have done splendidly, but I am sorry to say they have lost a lot of good lives. The West Riding Regiment, the same that came over on the ship we did, have been fighting and have lost heavily. A train load of wounded came through here on their way to Capetown [sic], and most of them belong to this regiment. They are bringing two train loads of prisoners every day, about 600 in each train. This has been going on for five days, and the guards on the train say they have 5,000 more to bring yet. It is Sunday afternoon when I am writing this letter, but Sunday and weekdays are all alike here, with one exception, and that is about tea time a few ladies and gentlemen come to hold a short service in the hospital yard. One gentleman came in the hospital this morning and gave all the NCOs and men five cigars each, and now you can smell them all over the show now.

Welcome to the forum......

My suggestion is that you go to the Main Menu on your left side of this page to Miscellaneous Information..... Click on Shipping Records and start in March 1900 and go backward..... It will take some work but you may be lucky.....

Mike

Mike

Thanks for your suggestion. I found:

The Orient sailed this afternoon (Dec 29) from Southampton, on her second trip as a troopship, for SA She sailed with 1,275 officers and men as follows: 21 officers and 776 men of the West Riding Regiment; 2 officers and 170 men of the 1/Essex Regiment; a draft of 110 men from the Dublin Fusiliers; 90 gunners; 50 men of the St John Ambulance Brigade, ? 6 Company RAMC; and a number of details.

This seem to match the information in the letter. The Orient arrived Cape town 20 Jan 1900

Regards Tony

Hello Tony,

Here is his entry onto the St John's QSA medal Roll WO100/225, which shows he served at No 3 Stationary Hospital as 136 S/Sgt and Supply Officer !! and received the QSA with the Cape Colony Clasp. He would also have received the St John Ambulance Brigade Medal for service in SA during the ABW I would have thought. The Roll also shows him as returning to Cape Town on the 18 May 1901.

Hope this helps a bit.





Regards
Adrian