BOER-WAR-L Archives
Archiver > BOER-WAR > 2001-07 > 0995258105
From: Iain Kerr <>
Subject: Re: [BOER-WAR] Summer Holiday for One Year
Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 05:35:05 +0100
In-Reply-To: <117.1ac7cf4.28835838@aol.com>
At 16:34 15/07/01 -0400, wrote:
>Hello List,
>
>My gt grandfather John PERKINS a coalminer in Northumberland was given the
>opportunity to join the Northumberland Fusiliers for one year to go and fight
>in the Boer War. This was common practice in the great northern coal fields,
>and recruiting personnel made it sound like they were going to have a 'year
>away on holiday' a welcome break from mining and family cares.
>
>John did his year, but I have no knowledge of when he went, only a picture of
>him in his Northumberland Fusiliers uniform.
>
>Are there any records in existence naming these volunteers ?
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Ann
Ann,
I suspect that he had prior connections with one of the Volunteer
Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers, which were partly a social club
in addition to providing volunteer military units for home defence.
The Volunteer Battalions played a particular part in the South Africa War
(Second Boer War) of 1899 - 1902, often forming Imperial Volunteer service
companies (composite units of men who additionally volunteered to serve
overseas) that were used to reinforce the units and formations of the
regular army already deployed in South Africa.
In 1899, the Northumberland Fusiliers had three volunteer battalions, all
of which contributed men to the service companies who reinforced regular
units serving in the South African War. These were:
The 1st Volunteer Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers with its
headquarters at Hexham and companies in Hexham, Bellingham, Haydon Bridge,
Prudhoe, Corbridge, Haltwhistle and Newburn.
The 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers with its
headquarters at Walker and eight companies based at Walker,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Wallsend and Gosforth. The battalion contributed a
quarter of its establishment as volunteers for overseas service with the
Imperial Volunteers in the South African War (1899 - 1902).
The 3rd Volunteer Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers with its
headquarters and all eight companies based in Newcastle-on-Tyne.
British Army pre-1914 Soldiers Records - War Office Archives in the PRO
The Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU,
United Kingdom; (Telephone: General Enquiries, ++44 (020) 8876 3444;
Records Information, ++44 (020) 8392 5200; Fax: ++44 (020) 8878 8905) hold
the War Office archives which include many of the British Army's personnel
records before 1914. The PRO is gradually taking on the records for those
who served in World War I. Details of the PRO can be found at their web
site URL: http://www.pro.gov.uk/ The PRO do not have an on-line searchable
archive. Nor do they usually undertake any research for personal or postal
enquirers. However they have a list of independent researchers, with a
useful search facility. The URL is:
http://www.pro.gov.uk/readers/irlist/default.htm
WO 97 Soldiers' Documents (Attestation and Discharge Papers) is the main
series of personnel records for long service soldiers. These survive for
most men who served between 1750 and 1882 and who did not die in service
and were discharged to pension (that is to say either those who completed
full service, say 20+ years, or were discharged medically). However, for
those discharged between the years 1882-1913, the documents were listed
alphabetically for all soldiers who had survived an Army career, and not
just those discharged to pension, including the short service records of
Imperial volunteers. These documents are a wonderful supply of information
about the soldier and contain a mass of detail on his career.
Yours aye,
Iain Kerr in Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Web Page at: http://home.clara.net/iainkerr/index.htm
RootsWeb Sponsor and Listowner for the WORLDWAR2 Mailing List.
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