TOPIC:

267 TROOPER N. HOGG: BORDER MOUNTED RIFLES

Most likely a Natalia uitlander, Hogg enlisted in preparation for the imminent outbreak of war with the two Boer Republics on 29th September 1899.

Initially commanded by Major R. J. Rethman, the Border Mounted Rifles were to live up to their regimental motto "Rough but Ready" seeing a great deal of action along with fellow Natal units Natal Carbineers and Natal Mounted Rifles in the build-up to 260 of their number being present at Ladysmith when the town was invested by the Boers.
267 Trooper Hogg was one of those men.
(Please see the unit information on this forum for a detailed account of the service of the regiment).

Some months after the siege, Trooper Hogg became an unfortunate statistic of the growing casualty list of the conflict.
On 15th December 1900 ("In Memoriam":Watt 2000), he was killed by lightning at Harding (Findmypast). Watt (2000) gives the location as Kokstad, near Besterkraal.
There is no record of the location of his interment.
He was one of only 54 men to be killed by lightning during the Anglo Boer War (I picked this figure up from paperwork of another lightning fatality in my collection, that of Private J. Langford of the Worcestershire Regiment).


Queen's South Africa medal awarded posthumously to 267 Trooper N. Hogg., which bears the single clasp Defence of Ladysmith.


Officially impressed naming to the rim.


Regimental naming to the rim.


Medal Roll WO100/260 for the Border Mounted Rifles.
Note 371 Trooper J. Hogg and 269 Trooper W. Hogg (later Mount Currie Reserves). Possibly related?


Entry 98693 in the Record of Deceased Soldier's Effects shows Hogg's account of the £5 War Gratuity. There is no record of who would be the recipient of this balance.

The poor bloke came through all of the deprivations and violent confrontations of the Siege of Ladysmith only to be whacked by lightning!

There's something a bit odd here. If he was in the Defence of Ladysmith it would mean that he was "staying put" and unable to get out from 3 November 1899 until 1 March 1900.

How, I wonder, was he then struck by lightening 6 weeks into the siege in a place (which I know well) which is way down south in Natal and very far from Ladysmith.

Regards

Rory

Hi Rory,
I've just double checked the record in Watt and the date that I have recorded in my previous thread
It all checks out as he was killed by lightning on 15/12/1900.
Cheers,
Steve

My bad - he died in 1900 Not 1899,,,,,,

Rory