TOPIC:

More useful information for the growing file! Thank you, Justin.
Regards
Brett

Thanks Brett and Frank for your comments.

I'll see what I've got on Major Wright. It's very telling that six of the ten regular officers commanding components of the NVAC were mentioned in despatches by Buller. It reinforces the fact that the NVAC were in the thick of the battles leading up to the relief of Ladysmith.

Best wishes,

Justin

Frank Kelley wrote: Hello Justin,
I think that this has turned into one of the best threads this forum has ever had, is there anything else you can tell us about Major Wright, I'm assuming that he was in charge of a detachment of three hundred or so NVAC on the day in question?
Regards Frank

JustinLDavies wrote: Brett,

I join the others in thanking you for a very informative and interesting post.

Somewhere (either in the I.L.N. or Black and White Budget) there is a very good drawing of Major Wright, Gordon Highlanders, facing off the Boers on the top of Spion Kop while trying to collect the wounded. Wright had fought on Majuba in the First Boer War (twice mentioned in despatches). He had been wounded at Elandslaagte.

As a small footnote to your article, the following were mentioned in Sir Redvers Buller's despatches:

Volunteer Ambulance Corps: Major H. Wright, Gordon Highlanders; Capt. Lord R. Manners, K.R.R.C.; Lieut. E. Baker, Manchester Regiment; Lieut. C. Findlay, 2nd Lieuts J. Stansfield and P. Stewart, Gordon Highlanders.

Indian Ambulance Corps: Mr Clarence, Superintendent; Mr Ghandi, Asst. Superintendent.

Best wishes,

Justin

Hello Justin,
Okay, many thanks for that, so ultimately, they were SAMIF, with the War Office standing the bill, yes, the Imperial Bearer Corps was extant until the 30th of June 1902, it was disbanded in Pietermaritzburg, having been raised there, on the 20th of March 1900.
Different sources give differing strengths for these corps, it would be interesting to actually do a head count, clearly, their members were very brave indeed, it has certainly made me think about the battlefields again and just how bloody things so often were.





If you look at any map of the south of Ladysmith, you immediately realise how difficult the countryside could be and I'm still moved by those famous Edwardian images of the summit of the Kop itself, very sad indeed, a pointless slaughter.
Kind regards Frank

JustinLDavies wrote: Frank,

From Colonel Gallwey's evidence to the Royal Commission on the Care and Treatment of the Sick and Wounded during the South African Campaign on 16 September 1900, it appears that the NVAC, IBC and IHC were paid for by the Natal Army.

In a separate written submission, Gallwey gave the strength of the NVAC (raised 9th December 1899, disbanded 12th March 1900) as 10 officers and 1,415 men and the Imperial Bearer Corps (raised March 1900 and still in existence in September 1900) as 6 officers and 600 men.

All best wishes,

Justin

Sorry to resurrect this old post, but I have a question relating to the NVAC
I have a great grandmother and great grandfather with the same forename initial of "A".
I have discovered that ***one of them*** served in the NVAC, sand subsequently received the double Tugela/Ladysmith clasps. Just wondering - can I definitely exclude my great grandmother? Judging by these posts it looks as though it was men only who served in the NVAC.
Cheers

RKF

It was indeed only men who served in the NVAC.

It is always good to read of such medals being extant. Why not post your ggf's story here? It would be a welcome addition to the thread.

Regards
Brett

Thanks Brett,

That clears things up for me. Sadly, my evidence for the recognition is by way of a document rather than the medals themselves - perhaps I need to have another look in my box of curios.
Based on your reply, he served in both the NVAC **AND** at Standerton (as a conductor). He received recognition for both. The complexity is how he could have done both - but with the relatively short operating period for the NVAC, I'm assuming he served here first then moved to Standerton.
Both roles appear to be non-military, and so with my limited knowledge of both, it seems that perhaps he was simply answering the call for help.

Just to save me starting a new thread, may I ask what the role of a conductor might have been at Standerton? Would you suggest I move this particular question to the appropriate forum?