Boer War Diary

05-09-2010 11:31am #1

I thought some of you would be interested in this. An aunt of mine has been tracing back our family tree and during this search she has unearthed a diary from my great granduncle who fought during the Boer War. I will post some small transcripts here for ye to read, but I am contemplating trying to convince her to give the original manuscript to a museum. He fought for the 1st York & Lancaster Regiment. Anyone know which museum would be best for it?

As promised - here's some short transcripts:

January 17th 1900
As death is flying about we are all equal Officers and non officers are all and men are as one. Rank makes no difference when death is about. We had to wait until the Pontoon was finished. The Cavalry tried to swim across but the current was too strong one man drowned and one shot while constructing the Bridge

20th January 1900
One man I knew well W. Milan (a Dublin man) was standing up holding ammunition mules bridle when he got shot through the head, he dropped without a moan and only a second before he was full of life

brianthebard · 05-09-2010 12:36pm

I have a friend from Canada who's family also found a similar diary. Would make a very interesting project for someone if they could track down enough source material to piece together a narrative of the war based on the men's experiences.

johnny_doyle · 05-09-2010 12:52pm

Boer War casualties are now available on Ancestry. Any location for the above diary entries?

Couldn't find a W Milan on the list. Nearest was :

Pte W Mellan Number 3025
Killed 20 Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes
1st York and Lancaster Regiment

1st York and Lancs appear to have had 7 men killed 20th Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes. Another 4 listed as Died on the 24th Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes.

05-09-2010 1:12pm

johnny_doyle wrote: »

Boer War casualties are now available on Ancestry. Any location for the above diary entries?

Couldn't find a W Milan on the list. Nearest was :

Pte W Mellan Number 3025
Killed 20 Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes
1st York and Lancaster Regiment

1st York and Lancs appear to have had 7 men killed 20th Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes. Another 4 listed as Died on the 24th Jan 1900 at Acton Holmes.

Hey thanks for that! I'm reading transcripts my aunt had typed up and there may have been some spelling errors on her behalf.

I found this on the 17th of January 1900

We had been bivouaked [not entirely sure what this is] during the night behind a screen of hills facing the Tugela, our Artillery having taken up a position (at day break) shelling Tugela Farm and a small wood, which concealed a party of snipers

24th January 1900
Firing commenced again at the dawn of day with renewed energy. My company had been in the trenches all night and got relieved before day break. Then we had to start carrying rocks up to the crest of the hill to strengthen the position at night. One poor fellow (Jos Crossland [I've found 2 entries for a J. Crossland on Ancestry.co.uk but don't have an account]) started to grumble when he got shot clean through the head killing him instantly. The Boer gunners still keep on pegging away at us their shrapnel bursting nicely above us but a little too high, a good job too. One of our Copls (Ainsworth) gets his side blown out with a shell, you should hear him say, "Oh God help me bear it", and another man gets his fingers taken off by a shell (he had his hand behind his back). Several mules and hoses getting hit and killed today in the Gully with shells having to shoot several to put them out of their misery.

Water very scarce and as thick as pudding. Just before dusk the Boers shelled us vigorously. One of them dropped a few yards of the Border Regt knocking 5 or 6 over. The attack on Spion Kop was planned for the night and we had to look out for a star shell which was the signal for us to commence a heavy fire so as to throw the Boers off the scent but somehow the signal was not given, but Spion Kop was taken (but oh at a terrible cost

05-09-2010 2:40pm

Double posting but I am actually holding the diaries themselves right now - will provide scans soon.

Here we go - some photos I took using my phone:

(apologies for my fingers in the way)

JuliusCaesar · 05-09-2010 10:31pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Hey thanks for that! I'm reading transcripts my aunt had typed up and there may have been some spelling errors on her behalf.

I found this on the 17th of January 1900

On her part. Sorry!

Bivouaked = camped.

05-09-2010 11:20pm

Thanks for that - really wanted to know what it meant. I was actually reading through some of the pages themselves and some were water damaged, plus the scrawl was pretty small. She had to transcribe it using a magnifying glass.

johnny_doyle · 05-09-2010 11:33pm

these may be the Crossland and Ainsworth referred to :

A E Crossland No 2459 Private
Wounded :24 Jan 1900 Spion Kop
1st York and Lancaster Regiment

H Ainsworth No 4509 Corporal
Died :24 Jan 1900 Natal
1st York and Lancaster Regiment

R.Dub.Fusilier · 06-09-2010 10:25pm

this link might help. http://www.angloboerwar.com/Casualties/casualties.htm also on the same site http://www.angloboerwar.com/units%20imperial/yorks__lancs.htm

it seems the irish regiments were at the forefront of the fighting judging by the number of casualties listed here. http://www.angloboerwar.com/Casualties/natalff.htm

Boer War Diary

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