TOPIC:

About 15 years ago I bought a British soldier’s account book pertaining to the ABW that belonged to 8715 Pte E.T. Dickinson of the King’s Royal Rifles. The booklet has some interesting content which I intend to share later in this thread. Before doing so I would like to identify the man as couldn’t locate him in lists available on this forum. There is a Smethwick connection (refer second photograph) and perhaps Shaun or other forum member can help fill in the blanks.
Everhard

Google AI picked up the following:

Description
‡Boer War Pair awarded to Rifleman E. Dickenson, 4th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps and Mounted Infantry, Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paarderberg, Kings South Africa, 2 clasps (8715 Pte. E. Dickenson. K.R.R.C.), about very fine, a scarce combination of clasps to the battalion, with copied research (2)

Hope this helps.

Possibly E T Dickenson / Dickinson

Ernest Thomas Dickenson / Dickinson
Started his military career with the 4th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Number 4155. Attestation 1894.
Later 8175 KRRC. Mounted Infantry
16 years with the colours. ( 2 years + 353 days in South Africa)
Father, Alfred Dickenson. / Dickinson
1st Wife, Mary Ann Downes
2nd Wife. Winifred Amelia Barnes.
Professions. Brass moulder/ fitter, Baker & Licensed Victualler

A interesting research project.

Dave....

RobCT, Dave, many thanks. This seems to be my man. Below depicted photographs give insight into his extensive movements over the entire duration of the war in South Africa as well as the months thereafter. In another section in the booklet, Dickinson mentions that he received his last “Good Conduct” pay on 10.10.1902. With the first entry dating back 3 years prior to the day and deducting the duration of the voyages, this would indeed add up to around “2 years and 353 days in South Africa”. More on Ernest Thomas Dickinson to follow...





(Postscript: I have corrected the name in the thread header from E.J. to E.T. Dickinson to facilitate future reference)

Everhard - I have been away from my PC for a couple of days but what a glorious return! - an addition to my "Smethwickians Who Served in the South African War 1899-1902" database. I already had his elder brother Alfred Edward 8275 2nd KRRC on my database but not Ernest Thomas. Alfred was born in Smethwick but Ernest, a year later, was born in Birmingham and the family were still in Birmingham when Alfred attested in 1893. It would appear from what you have shown the family were back in Smethwick when Ernest attested in 1894. Raglan Road, half way down Cape Hill, was definitely within my stamping ground in my youth.

Alfred was back living in Smethwick at the time of the 1911 & 1921 Censuses - I need to do more research on Ernest.

Rob’s AI info arises from the Morton & Eden catalogue for their sale of 30 November 2010. It can still be found on-line in pdf format.

Here are his two appearances on medal rolls from which one can see why his medals were incorrectly engraved:





There is absolutely no doubt his surname was spelt Dickinson, amongst the evidence for this are census entries, his account book and his signature on his attestation 1894 papers:



His 1894 attestation papers actually give his father’s address as a Birmingham one but by 10 October 1899 the family had obviously moved to Smethwick – working class families at this time do seem to have been very mobile (possibly trying to escape the tallyman?). One wonders why he gave his mother in the account book as his father was still alive as evidenced by the 1901 census when both his parents and two younger brothers were living at 66 Reynolds Street, Smethwick.

This site tells us that “the 4th Battalion sailed from England on 9 December 1901”. We are rescued from this potential problem by the Aldershot Military Gazette 6 October 1899:



Returning to his QSA medal roll (which agrees with M&R description clasp wise) and reading through the locations & dates in his account book one wonders why he did not receive two other clasps as his his account book says he was at Poplar Grove on 10 March 1900 and subsequently at Driefontein, and on 16 November 1900 he was apparently at Pretoria.

The KSA medal roll on analysis is interesting:
Doyle, Davies, Fletcher, Gibson, Grace & Gillett all received 5 clasps for their QSA – OFS, Tr, TH, RoL, LN
Dillon & Fell both received 4 clasps – OFS, Tr, DoL & LN
Freeman also received 4 clasps – CC, Dri, Joh & DH