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Hi,
My name is Peter Rollin - I live in Tamworth Staffordshire I would just like to say thank you for posting the Mooi River No 4 General Hospital Cemetery photo of what I believe is my Great Grandfathers grave.

William Anthony Fothergill was born and brought up in and around Birmingham in England - but somehow ended up in the Scottish Rifles, I know that he died at Chieveley, as a result of wounds received in the Battle of Spion Kop, but he does not appear on the memorial there. I was advised that he was probably taken back too Mooi River - this is the first evidence I have seen to support this!

Mohindas Gandhi's Natal Volunteer Indian Ambulance Corps would have carried your GGF from Treves' No 4 Stationary Hospital at Spearman's Farm to Chieveley, about 30 km, and he'd have travelledfrom there by hospital train to Mooi River.

Peter

Your Great Grandfather's name appears also on a plaque for the Scottish Rifles in Glasgow Cathedral Scotland.

Thanks for the picture of the plaque. I had found this online, but a much inferior quality image, poorly lit and difficult to read.
Reports I have found of William's death, although consistent in his date of death, show varying dates for when he was wounded. What appears the most reliable record gives this as 24th January at Hussar Hill - can anyone tell me where this was?

I had originally thought he was wounded at Spion Kop, but the 1st Scottish Rifles are recordedas being in action there. William was in the 2nd Scottish Rifles were the fighting together, or separately?

Hi Peter

Your query throws up a few anomalies. 3244 Pte. William Fothergill, 2nd Battalion Scottish Rifles, is shown in the published casualty roll as died of wounds at Chieveley 4/2/1900. His QSA medal roll entry shows him as deceased 23/1/1900. His ABW Records entry shows him as wounded at Hussar Hill 23/1/1900 but this can't be correct. Hussar Hill is situated by the Tugela Heights and well away from where the British force was at that time. The only action at Hussar Hill that I'm aware of was on 12/2/1900 just two days before the official start of the Tugela Heights campaign which eventually - and finally - relieved Ladysmith.

Steve Watt's book 'In Memoriam' shows him as died of wounds at Mooi River 4/2/1900 but significantly also shows him as wounded at Spion Kop 24/1/1900 which makes much more sense. (It was the 2nd battalion that was at Spion Kop). It also shows him as aged 33, religion C of E and buried at Mooi River although noting that he was also at Chieveley Hospital prior to that. Chieveley had (and still has) its own cemetery so he must have been transferred to Mooi River for further treatment where he subsequently died and was buried. His grave is marked by a named metal cross and he's commemorated on the cemetery memorial and the panels in All Saints Church, Ladysmith. It's not unusual for a man who died of wounds elsewhere not to be shown on a battlefield memorial.

I have attached photos of the panel of the Mooi River Cemetery memorial (which shows him as a lance corporal) and the Scottish Rifles' panel in All Saints Church that I took on visits some years ago.

I hope this helps

Regards

David

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