TOPIC:

I wonder if anyone could enlighten me or guide me please with the following problem.
I trying to establish what actually happened to Moses Everitt Ward.
He enrolled in the 31st East Yorkshire Regiment Private No 3341 on the 26th July 1901 according to his Militia Attestation Papers.
Period of service 26th July 1901 to 6th April 1903.
Disembodied 10th October 1902
£5.00 S.A. War Gratuity Issued
Died 6th April 1903


He received the Queens South African Medal this was sent to a member of the family in 1912.


Receiving the S A War Gratuity I imagine then he had served in South Africa?
Does any one know where he served and with what regiment?
When he was was disembodied would this have occurred in S A Africa or in the UK?
I assume the soldiers were returned home to the UK. He died on the 6th April 1903 but there are no records for his death that I have been able to trace that record his death in the UK.

Sorry about the questions I am a novice at military things.
Any help or guidance would be most gratefully received
Many thanks.

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Mark
If Moses Ward died in South Africa, there should be a record of his death in the SA National Archives. Below is a link to the repositories that list their holdings. If you have not already used them, you should start with clicking on RSA. If you do find a file, you will need a local researcher to copy it. I have heard of Archives' staff making copies for members of the public, but I have not experienced this miracle myself.

www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300dl

Regards
Brett

Hello Brett,
Thank you for the information. The South African Archives look a bit of a nightmare but will certainly give it a go.
Many Thanks.
Mark

Mark wrote: Receiving the S A War Gratuity I imagine then he had served in South Africa?

Yes, he did, as very clearly shown in WO96 and WO100/176.

Does any one know where he served and with what regiment?

Ward served in the 3rd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment in the Cape Colony during it's period of embodiment in 1902 actually during the war itself.

When he was was disembodied would this have occurred in S A Africa or in the UK?

Militia were embodied and disembodied for both Home Service and Foreign Service in Great Britain.

I assume the soldiers were returned home to the UK. He died on the 6th April 1903 but there are no records for his death that I have been able to trace that record his death in the UK.

When you say there are no records, are you clearly stating that the General Register Office do not have a Death Certificate?
If so, it is very interesting, in particular, that WO96 notes his father and brother and states Ward was brought up with an aunt giving only her address and no other, it is also interesting that his medal was sent out to a cousin after a considerable passage of time.

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