TOPIC:

Very interesting indeed, thanks to Mary.

Walter Ward is not in the Official Casualty Roll, and on the roll simply marked as 'Killed'.

Kuruman was on the earliest siges of the War and, for the Boers a rare success:

"[2722: 2728-2325] a mission station in the Cape Colony (Kuruman district; Northern Cape), 140 km south-west of Vryburg. On the outbreak of war, the garrison at Kuruman was unable to retire on Kimberley* as ordered; it consisted of 35 Cape Police under the command of Capt A. Bates. Preparing the station's defences, Bates recruited 33 civilians as special police and some 60 locals for military and other duties. On 12 November 1899, Field Cornet J.H. Visser with a force of some 200 comprising burghers from the South African Republic and rebels from Vryburg* district arrived unsuccessfully to demand the garrison's surrender; after a week of investment, the Boers retired to Phokwane. Returning on 5 December with some 500 burghers, the siege restarted and Visser was joined by Field Cornet Wessels with some 130 rebels from Griqualand; the latter left on 26 December. Eventually, shelling from a 7 pdr cannon, which had arrived on 30 December, destroyed the garrison's defences and it was forced to surrender on 1 January 1900. Cape rebels then held the station, but it was reoccupied on 24 June 1900. HMG I p.382 (map no.17), II pp.3-4 and 25; Times II p.297, III pp.112-114, IV p.235; Breytenbach I pp.403-407 (map facing p.466); Dennison pp.23-37."

From: Gazetteer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, HM Jones & MGM Jones 1999

In the official book of surrenders it notes that just 4 men surrendered and no casualties. Not an accurate record.

Will have to check the cemetery records at Kuruman for any more killed, the names of the wounded are perhaps lost.

Regards
Meurig

Hello David,

I am just about to walk out of the Archives after a long dusty day. I have photographed the 3 pages that are in Walter Ward's file. There is only three pages as he didnt survive long sadly.

Just to confirm a few personal details of his:

Attested: 25th March 1899
Age on Attestation: 24 years
Trade: Engineer
Place of Birth: Derby, England
Previous service CMR, resigned by purchase

David, where must I send the pages to or should I post them here?

I will also check the CMR registers for any further info.

Regards
Adrian

Intersting Find in the CMR Register.

Note the name change at the top of the page!!!

Sorry about the quality of the image, the pages are large, about A2 size each.

Adrian

Hello Adrian

What was his real name? I can't read it and the image pixelates.

Regards
Meurig

PS
Lovely shoes

Arthur Harris attested 11th Jan 1897 aged 21 years

Here are his Cape Police pages








The last pic is the reverse of his medical sheet.

Regards
Adrian