TOPIC:

Hi,

Thank you for your assistance. The documents came from Ancestry. This is actually the first FGCM record that I have seen. I did naively expect to be able to clearly see what this man did, but I'm having trouble reading it and you have helped a lot.

Yes, I agree that these are serious matters ; my own 2x Great Grandfather was subject to one as a seventeen year old in 1860 (He had lied about his age to secure man's pay on enlistment). He received fifty lashes, was branded with a D for Deserter and spent a couple of months in a military goal. His FGCM is mentioned in his discharge papers and even records 'bread and water' whilst in goal. He served for twenty-two years and received a LS&GC medal, but he spent all that time as a servant and was never promoted.

Would there be any other records somewhere for FM Backshall? If not I fear that the full story might never be revealed.

Ian

Good Morning Everyone.......

I have a medal and hand written transcript of a man who underwent a GCM......

Here is a type written transcribed copy of the trial.....

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/13-miscellany...tredwick-s-a-c#12104

226 STREDWICK, A. (Arthur)

REG. NO.: 1787
RANK: 3rd CLASS TROOPER
REGT: SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTABULARY, A SQUADRON, TROOP 17
BARS: CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL

REMARKS / HISTORY:
1. DOB - AUGUST 29th, 1875, LONDON ENGLAND
2. OCCUPATION - COWBOY
3. RELIGION - CHURCH OF ENGLAND
4. MARITAL STATUS - SINGLE
5. CANADIAN ENLISTMENT DATE - MARCH 2nd, 1901, CRANBROOK, B.C.
6. S.A.C. REPORTING DATE - APRIL 26th, 1901
7. S.A.C. DISCHARGE DATE - AUGUST 12th, 1902, NO LONGER REQUIRED
8. ASSESSMENT - INDIFFERENT
9. S.A.C. SERVICE - 1 YEAR 49 DAYS
10. S.A.C. FILE LOCATION - PRETORIA - NASA, TAB, SAC, VOL.228
11. REMARKS ON FILE - REFUSED TO STAND GUARD, AWARDED 10 POUND FINE & IMPRISONMENT WITH HARD LABOUR - 60 DAYS

Mike

Well, I have done some research into FM Backshall's service with the Imperial Yeomanry and wanted to share a discovery I have made.

In conducting research I have scrutinised his service record, trawled through the Times Shipping Records and read a lot of things regarding how ill-prepared the 2nd Contingent were when they joined the war in South Africa. Primarily recruited from men from a working-class background with little or no experience of horses or firearms, some of the recruits spent just a few days training in Aldershot before leaving for South Africa to learn these skills in theatre. In most cases, the men trained without knowing who their officers were, as they were recruited and assigned just before departure. In fact, some men had no training at all and left England straight away. The second contingent were ill-equipped to enter the theatre of war and had to learn to shoot onboard ship on the way to South Africa and learn to ride efficiently as quickly as possible once they had arrived.

Incredibly FM Backshall left Southampton, England just three days after enlistment on Saturday the 23rd of February 1901 onboard RMS Dunottar Castle, a Union-Castle Royal Mail ship hastily acquired as a troopship at the start of the war. He arrived in Cape Town, South Africa eighteen days later on Tuesday the 12th of March 1901, meaning that he was approved for service after he had left England, so rushed were the arrangements and so needed were more mounted troops.

I found this amazing and can only picture the men riding out of Cape Town frantically trying to take command of their horses!

FM was a Fitter employed at a local engineering works, so I can't imagine that he had ever ridden a horse before he arrived in South Africa.

Ian

Here are photographs of RMS Dunottar Castle and the RMS Aurania on which he returned.

Ok, I can't resize the Aurania photo, but here is an amusing thing I found regarding the Imperial Yeomanry Riding Test