TOPIC:

The day before he died, my grandfather, William Robert Hay, told my mother from his hospital bed that he had a terrible secret and that he was 10 years older than she thought he was. Mother shrugged the comment off so Grandfather didn't explain himself. After he died mother found a Boer War medal. She had no idea he had been in the Boer War and assumed that this was the terrible secret. Also his birth certificate showed he was 10 years older than she thought he was. We went to the National Archives at Kew but is seems that during World War 2 the Germans bombed the records and all record of my grandfather was lost.

But his medal has given some clue as his part in the Boer War. He was given a QSA (type 3) with 3 bars - Rhodesia, Transvaal and Orange Free State (in that order).
The rim is impressed with: 238 CORP. W. R. HAY RHODn PROCt REGt

I have been reading various sources trying to track his Regiment's movements through the war and trying to avoid jumping to conclusions.

It seems to me , though, that he must have travelled to Cape Town independently and then enlisted there.
I can't help thinking that if he enlisted in Britain he would not have been in the Rhodesian Regiment.

Good morning and welcome to this forum,
You will find the attestation papers for the Rhodesia Regt in WO126/115 at the TNA Kew.
You are quite right, your grandfather would not have joined them here and that is a very nice QSA you now have too!
Now I think this might be an interesting story, can you tell us any more?
Regards Frank

hillhere,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for an very interesting opening post.\

As Frank says, there are attestation papers at the NA and, if present, may provide you with some more biographical information.

I did check the Protectorate Regiment nominal roll to see where he enlisted but he is sadly not present on this particular roll.

I look forward to hearing more of your grandfather.

David

Thanks for the quick reply, Frank.
I wish I could tell you more. But most of what I know is from the history books.

But perhaps there is one story you might be interested in.
Grandfather was a sailor and was known as Willie.
He arrived in Liverpool on the Ross-shire on 28th December 1899 and the following is an extract from a book that was written about the voyage:

There was a small pilot cutter bobbing about to leeward and soon after they got going she sent a boat alongside with a pilot. The men from the cutter were interrogated by the crew and asked eagerly for papers. “Who won the America Cup?” was the first question asked as there had been a good deal of betting on board between the Americans and Britishers. Columbia was the answer and the Britishers knew they had lost their money. “Any news?” asked someone casually.
“Two thousand more men captured by the Boers.”
“Captured by the Boers! What the blazes do you mean?”
“What I say” grumbled the man.
“Why, are we at war?”
“Been at war since October!”
The two papers they got from the boatmen were almost torn to bits in the competition for them, each man reading aloud the news of the war to an audience almost wild with excitement.
“Hurrah! But I’m off to fight!” screeched Willie throwing his arms about above his head and dancing the wildest of wild Highland flings.