TOPIC:

Greetings to all.
My name is Pete Beach and I am contacting you from a small town in Michigan, U.S.A. I am hoping that you good folks will be able to help me sort out some questions I have about my grandfather's service in the British Army. His name is Albert Edward Butler 1875-1941.. In 1893 he enlisted in the Scots Rifles, 2nd Rifle battalion, #4555. He was a Private. He will serve in the Sudan 1898, received the Queen's Sudan Medal and the Khedive's Medal with the "Khartoum" Clasp. He will then be sent to Crete and from there South Africa to participate in the 2nd Boer War,1899-1902 Here he will receive the Queen's South Africa Medal with the "Defense of Ladysmith" Clasp.. It is his service in the Boer War that I have questions .
My grandfather, according to my mother , was wounded during the Siege of Ladysmith. His military sheet does not mention any wounds or where he served in South Africa. I cannot find out any info regarding wounds received, or battles participated in. I have found an A. Butler, Private, #4555 being wounded at the Battle of Colenso, Dec. 15th, 1900. Not sure if it his he or someone else. I am hoping that with your kind help someone out there can clear up this question.
From South Africa he will be sent back to England, then to a military hospital on the Isle of Wight. He will leave the service in 1902. On his Service Sheet it is written, "Depot Discharged. In consequence of his having been found medically unfit for further service." 13-5-02.
Does anyone know where I can access medical records for the soldiers who were wounded in the Boer War??? Also, having been wounded, would he have been awarded a special medal??
Hoping someone can help. Looking forward to a good chat.
Pete

Hi Peter.....

Welcome to this forum, I will repeat the entry that I put in for you in BMF.....

Also

I checked Palmers Boer War Casualty Roll Page 97 it has the following listing......

4555 Private A. Butter, Rifle Brigade, Wounded Colenso......

Again note the spelling, Butter not Butler......

Mike

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Hello Pete......

From Find My Past.......

Note spelling of the name......


First name(s) A
Last name Butter
Service number(s) 4555
Rank Private
Regiment The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
Units The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), Rank: Private, Number: 4555
Casualty units The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
Casualty details Wounded on 15 February 1900 at Colenso (Official casualty roll location: Colenso)
Casualty notes -
Casualty source
Natal Field Force. JB Hayward & Sons

Gazzetteer

[2828:2844-2950] a village in Natal Colony (Estcourt district; KwaZulu-Natal), 21 km south of Ladysmith. The town commanded a strategically important crossing by road and rail between northern Natal and the Natal Midlands. After the British retreat to Ladysmith*, the town was garrisoned by the 2nd The Royal Dublin Fusiliers and several locally recruited units as well as the Natal Naval Volunteers with two 9-pounder guns. The arrival of Boer artillery on the heights to the north of the river which command the town caused the evacuation of the garrison to Estcourt on 2/3 November 1899. Boer commandos crossed the river on to the plain surrounding the town on 14 November. On 15 December the Natal Army under Gen Sir R.H. Buller mounted an assault on the crossing, Maj-Gen A.F. Hart's 5th infantry brigade ordered to cross the river at Bridle Drift (1)* and then move eastwards towards the town whilst Maj-Gen H.J.T. Hildyard's 2nd infantry brigade was to make a frontal assualt after a preliminary artillery bombardment. Hart's brigade failed to find the crossing and was withdrawn under heavy Boer fire; Col C.J. Long, RHA, positioned his guns too close to the well hidden Boer front lines, was severely shelled and shot at and forced to abandon them; Hildyard's brigade was used to cover the retreat of these units. Five companies of the 2nd The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) regiment occupied Colenso before being ordered to withdraw. For gallantry in treating the wounded under heavy fire during this operation, Maj W. Babtie, RAMC, was awarded the Victoria Cross. For attempting to retrieve the abandoned guns of the 14th and 66th batteries Royal Field Artillery under heavy fire, Capt H.N. Schofield, Royal Field Artillery, Capt W.N. Congreve, Rifle Brigade, Lt the Hon F.H.S. Roberts, King's Royal Rifle Corps, Capt H.L. Reed, Royal Field Artillery, Cpl G.E. Nurse, Royal Field Artillery, and Pte C. Ravenhill, Royal Scots Fusiliers, were each awarded the Victoria Cross. After a sequence of reverses upstream, Buller attempted to force the Thukela crossing downstream with a deserted Colenso village on his left flank. Preparatory to the main attack on 21 February 1900 against Boer positions based on Hlangwane*, the 2nd The Royal Dublin Fusiliers entered the village on 20 February followed by Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry; the latter unit crossed the river soon after daybreak on the following day when a pont was brought to the village. By 22 February Hart's brigade was positioned in Colenso ready to advance and the village was once again in British control. It was the location of a white concentration refugee camp. HMG I pp.262, 264, 267 and 345-375 (map nos. 15 and 15(a)), II pp.460-461, 468-469 and 533 (map nos.30(a) and 30(b)), IV pp.669 and 700; Times II pp.427-459 (map facing p.456), III pp.507 and 513-542 (map facing p.542); Breytenbach III pp.448-449 (map facing p.558); Wilson I pp.87-109 (map on p.95), II pp.458-462 (photographs and map on p.473); Trichardt pp.128-133 (map facing p. 119); Duxbury; Cd.819; Barnard cap.3 (map on pp.44-45); Griffith pp.177-209 (map on p.179).

Country Great Britain
Record set Anglo-Boer War records 1899-1902
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory Boer Wars

Mike

Dear Mike,
Thank you for the info. The Butter, A. Private, turned out not to be my grandfather. I have found info on when he was wounded from an article in THE TIMES Feb 20th 1900. I would like to ask you this question. In the U.S Services, if a military person is wounded by enemy fire or such he is entitle to receive the Purple Heart Medal. Were any medals granted to the British wounded and their allies during the 2nd Boer War???
Pete

Hi Peter.....

No I am afraid there is no medal for being wounded during that period.....

We in WW1 and 2 have a wound stripe for the uniform but only in 2008 did the Canadians Government issue a medal for being wounded or killed in action.....

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrifice_Medal

Mike

Dear Mike,

Thank you once again. I now have one less medal to look for.
have a good day.
Pete