How did relatives in England, or elsewhere, find out about casualties in the Boer war- killed and injured? Would I be correct in assuming that many attestations then did not include next of kin or address for either the professional army or volunteers? My wife's great uncle was killed at Helvetia when his remaining relative, a sister and then married, would have been at least three addresses removed from when he enlisted ten years before. The regimental HQ was about 150 miles away. How did she find out to pass it on as family history? Newspaper? Bryan Slim
Hi Bryan, Casualty lists were published in national and local newspapers although most next of kin would have been individually advised by the War Office provided they were traceable. The average age of a recruit was 18-19 so the name and address of his next of kin entered on his attestation papers would normally have been his father. If he served for a number of years these details might well have changed and I have copies of papers where the details of the father or mother were subsequently amended to a wife or a brother or sister. It was the responsibility of the soldier to advise the authorities of any change in these details (although the next of kin might advise a change of address if the man was on overseas service) but no doubt some men neglected to do so. Sometimes different details are on a man's discharge papers 12 or more years after enlistment without any interim amendments noted on his service papers. Regards, David ----- Original Message ----- From: Bryan SLIM <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 11:48 PM Subject: [BOER-WAR] Casualties notification > How did relatives in England, or elsewhere, find out about casualties > in the Boer war- killed and injured? > > Would I be correct in assuming that many attestations then did not > include next of kin or address for either the professional army or > volunteers? > > My wife's great uncle was killed at Helvetia when his remaining > relative, a sister and then married, would have been at least three > addresses removed from when he enlisted ten years before. The > regimental HQ was about 150 miles away. How did she find out to pass > it on as family history? Newspaper? > > > > Bryan Slim