TOPIC:

I've come across a brief report of this man's death, according to the War Office, but can't find him in the records. Any suggestions?

"Mrs McDonald, of Lower Lemon-street, Tyldesley, received information from the War Office on Sunday morning that her son, John McDonald, a private in the 5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, who had been missing from his regiment in South Africa for some time, had been killed in action. He was only 23 years of age and the only support of his mother before he listed about six years ago in the militia. It was when the war broke out that he joined the regular army, and was sent out to the war."
The Leigh Chronicle, Friday 17th May, 1901

There was a J. McDonald, Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles, who went missing on the 2nd of May, 1901, and later rejoined. Could that be him?

Berenice,

I am having trouble locating him on the rolls. The 5th Lancashire Fusiliers were a large body of men and, while there is a P and T McDonald, there is no J McDonald. There is a 9778 Pte J McDonald in the 6th Lancashire Fusiliers but no mention in either of his two entries of being a casualty.

The nearest match I can find is 2451 Private J McDonald of the South Lancashire Regiment who died of disease, tuberculosis, at sea, 17 May 1900 but that seems too far separated from the article in May 1901. This was the only J Macdonald/McDonald from a Lancashire-based regiment who was a casualty during the war.

Berenice
Not sure if this is relevant? Found a J McDonald 2924 4th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
Unfortunately, couldn't find anything pertaining to him being a casualty. But this chap did go missing.



Dave.

Thank you, David and Dave. I've been through the Leigh Chronicle from 5th April to 7th June 1901, and that was the only mention of John McDonald I could see. Possibly his name might be mentioned in a later issue. The Wigan Chronicle occasionally covered Tyldesley in the ABW, so I'll try that one too.