Hi All Have been asked to help a fellow WHITE re his ancestors. I have been given the name May WHITE born Belfast?? Ireland. Her father was a magistrate in Johannesburg during the Boer war. The family was interned by the Boers during the war. She married a George BONSAR who served in the Royal Navy and fought in the Boer War. Decorated for bravery for saving Kitchener from capture by the Boers. They think it was a Military Cross. The pair had 20 children - 4 sons 16 girls. Olive his mother being the youngest child. He lives in Durban now. Can any one help with this query? Please contact me if you have anything, thanks Colleen nee WHITE

Hi Colleen, I hate to rain on your parade but I'm afraid that none of the military aspects of your family story ring true. I've checked through the Naval medal rolls for the Boer War but couldn't find any Bonser or Bonsar. These are arranged by ship and and take a bit of wading through so I concentrated only on those officers and men who received clasps their Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps. This was on the basis that your man had to have served ashore if he saw any action while those who didn't serve ashore (the majority) received the medal without any clasps. I've also checked through the list of honours and awards for the Navy and again there is no Bonser or Bonsar. He could not have been awarded the Military Cross as that wasn't instituted until 1914 and until recently was awarded to officers only. Although primarily an Army decoration in WW1 it was also awarded to officers of the Royal Flying Corps and some Naval and Royal Marine officers who served on land. In addition, I've never heard of Kitchener being saved from capture by the Boers and I'm sure that such an event would be widely mentioned in histories of the war. Being the Commander-in-Chief during the lattter half of the war he wasn't a front line soldier and would have been well protected by his own bodyguards anyway. Regards, David Colleen Thorne <ct005664@bigpond.net.au> wrote: Hi All Have been asked to help a fellow WHITE re his ancestors. I have been given the name May WHITE born Belfast?? Ireland. Her father was a magistrate in Johannesburg during the Boer war. The family was interned by the Boers during the war. She married a George BONSAR who served in the Royal Navy and fought in the Boer War. Decorated for bravery for saving Kitchener from capture by the Boers. They think it was a Military Cross. The pair had 20 children - 4 sons 16 girls. Olive his mother being the youngest child. He lives in Durban now. Can any one help with this query? Please contact me if you have anything, thanks Colleen nee WHITE --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail

Hi David, I was told by a cousin of mine that her father Herbert SEGROTT was a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy and served with the Naval Attachment in the Boer War at the siege of Ladysmith, in South Africa.. He trained at HMS Impregnable. Served on HMS Powerful, Sans Pareil, Marmola, Revenge and Alexandra then transferred to Victory at the Naval Depot. If it is not too inconvenient for you, I wonder if you would please mind looking in the Naval medal rolls for the Boer War, which you mention in your posting, to see if he is listed there. Regards. Patrick. Perth, Western Australia. At 11:30 PM 8/9/05, you wrote: >Hi Colleen, > > > >I've checked through the Naval medal rolls for the Boer War but couldn't >find any Bonser or Bonsar. These are arranged by ship and and take a bit >of wading through so I concentrated only on those officers and men who >received clasps their Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps. This was on >the basis that your man had to have served ashore if he saw any action >while those who didn't serve ashore (the majority) received the medal >without any clasps. > >I've also checked through the list of honours and awards for the Navy and >again there is no Bonser or Bonsar. He could not have been awarded the >Military Cross as that wasn't instituted until 1914 and until recently was >awarded to officers only. Although primarily an Army decoration in WW1 it >was also awarded to officers of the Royal Flying Corps and some Naval and >Royal Marine officers who served on land. > >In addition, I've never heard of Kitchener being saved from capture by the >Boers and I'm sure that such an event would be widely mentioned in >histories of the war. Being the Commander-in-Chief during the lattter half >of the war he wasn't a front line soldier and would have been well >protected by his own bodyguards anyway. > >Regards, David > > >Colleen Thorne <ct005664@bigpond.net.au> wrote: >Hi All >Have been asked to help a fellow WHITE re his ancestors. > >I have been given the name May WHITE born Belfast?? Ireland. Her father was >a magistrate in Johannesburg during the Boer war. The family was interned by >the Boers during the war. > >She married a George BONSAR who served in the Royal Navy and fought in the >Boer War. Decorated for bravery for saving Kitchener from capture by the >Boers. They think it was a Military Cross. > >The pair had 20 children - 4 sons 16 girls. Olive his mother being the >youngest child. He lives in Durban now. > >Can any one help with this query? Please contact me if you have anything, >thanks >Colleen nee WHITE > > >--------------------------------- >Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with >voicemail > > >==== BOER-WAR Mailing List ==== >List Admin Message >http://freespace.virgin.net/genealogical.collections/AdminMessage.htm > >============================== >View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find >marriage announcements and more. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx