TOPIC:

Hi

I'm interested in trying to find out a little more about the service of my great uncle, William Nicolson.

What I know is this:-

William Nicolson, born Nov 1876 in Caithness.
Died on 16 Feb 1901, on board the SS Manhattan, from Pleurisy and Acute Pneumonia. On the Deaths At Sea report, his last place of abode is recorded as Cairo. According to the report he died in the South Atlantic, (roughly somewhere off Angola, if my reading of the Lat and Long is correct)

He was a Private with the 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. Regimental Number 5731. According to Paul Nixon's excellent blog, that means he likely joined up between Jan 1896 and May 1897, based on his Regimental Number.

He is recorded on Ancestry's "Casualties of the Boer War" as being in the South Africa Field Force.
He is also recorded on the Seaforth Highlanders Boer War Memorial in Dingwall ( Died of Disease at sea)

I haven't been able to find any further records of him in the Seaforth's.
I am just wondering if there is any more information I am likely to find and where would be a good place to look.

gealachmor,

I have looked on the rolls but cannot find him. Do you know if he was going to or returning from South Africa?

There are no service papers for him as these would have been destroyed.

Regards
David

Sorry, I have absolutely no idea.
Thanks for looking.

Hello

It would appear he was going to SA from Egypt:

London Times 30/01/01 (Wednesday)

p4a Dateline Gibralter, Jan. 29. The Menes has arrived from Alexandria with 300 M.I.. They will be transhipped to the Manhattan, which will sail to-day for the Cape.

Nicolson was in the MI.

As he didn't land in SA he is not entitled to medal, so one wouldn't expect him to be included on the medal roll. Although some men who like Nicolson died before reaching SA are on a medal roll, they didn't get a medal though.

Regards
Meurig

Thanks for that information. Seems my family doesn't have much luck with illness and wars. I had another great uncle who survived 3 years in WW 1, only to die of the flu 6 months after getting home.


Should I know what "MI" stands for ?

Sorry - "MI" - mounted infantry