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Were there to be 100 different QSA's laid out on a table to a 100 different units and people were asked to help themselves I have no doubt that one of the last to be "taken" would be to the I.M.R. - these were not the glory boys dashing into the front line under volleys of accurate Boer rifle fire - rather these were chaps who ferried the troops and supplies up and down the South African hinterland sometimes at great danger to themselves. James Mangan was one of them:

James Mangan

Driver, Imperial Military Railways – Anglo Boer War

- Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony & Orange Free State

James Mangan was born in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa on 3 July 1863 the son of John Mangan, of Irish descent and his wife Winifred born Clancy.

Quite when James decided on a career with the Railways is unknown but we know that he was resident in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State on 25 January 1898 which is the day he and his wife, Annie Mary born Carroll, signed their joint Last Will and Testament.

James was already at this point in time an Engine Driver with the Central South African Railways (C.S.A.R.) With the outbreak of the Boer War in October of the following year (1899) Mangan would have found himself in compromising situation. The Orange Free State where he had made his home was at war with the United Kingdom and he, with his Irish background, would probably have been viewed as an Uitlander (Foreigner). Whatever the case may be the C.S.A.R. with whom he was employed took on the mantle of the Imperial Military Railways and Mangan, as a Locomotive Driver was put to work on the British side ferrying troops and supplies along the railway network from the Cape into the Free State and beyond.

Whether or not Mangan was called upon to drive Armoured Trains which came into use during the war is unknown but, for his efforts he was awarded the Queens Medal with clasps Cape Colony and Orange Free State – proof positive that he saw active service in these two territories whilst with the I.M.R.

With the onset of peace in May 1902 Mangan reverted to his previous position as Engine Driver with the C.S.A.R. On the family front he was to know tragedy with no fewer than four of his six children dying at an early age. Those whom he buried were Marguerite Winifred Mangan, James Joseph Mangan, Kathleen Grace Mangan and John Edward Mangan.

Mangan himself was to die young, at the age of 43 years and seven months leaving behind his wife and two surviving children, Richard Augustine Mangan and Vincent Thomas Mangan. He passed away at the National Hospital in Bloemfontein on 19 February 1906. The primary cause of death was Hernia Luquirel and the secondary, Pneumonia. He lived at 31 Railway Cottage, Long Street, Bloemfontein at the time.

His wife, in all likelihood, battling to make ends meet without her husband’s income, remarried in 1911 and the family moved back to the Port Elizabeth area.

Great post Rory - in todays world of cars, trucks, areoplanes, motorways, highways, etc etc we forgot the absolutely pivotal role the railways had. Virtually all the QSA battle bars were earned very close to a railway line.

Rgds,
Jon

Sorry Rory

But I have to disagree with you.... I would take him quite early in the sort.....

Please see: angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-awar...limitstart=0&start=6

Mike

Rory wrote: Were there to be 100 different QSA's laid out on a table to a 100 different units and people were asked to help themselves I have no doubt that one of the last to be "taken" would be to the I.M.R. - these were not the glory boys dashing into the front line under volleys of accurate Boer rifle fire - rather these were chaps who ferried the troops and supplies up and down the South African hinterland sometimes at great danger to themselves.

The following report from the Provost Marshal's Office in Pretoria illustrates the risks they faced.

Justin

For some reason it keeps saying that there's an internal server error on the site. I'll try again later.

Hi Justin

As I remember, it was you who alerted me to the fact that Ingoldsby died of wounds after your dad had successfully bid for me on a number of QSA's at a London Auction House, way back in March 1986.
It is still the only IMR casualty in my collection

Henk

Hi Henk,

I had forgotten about Ingoldsby - here's a cutting from the 'Dundee Courier' that mentions him.

All the best,

Justin