Many thanks for the suggestions in finding my ancestors who went off to South Africa. I found one ancestor - Nigel Elford Prout (born 1881 South Petherwin/Launceston) on a shipping list on Findmypast which first started my search in the S.A. I only wish the S.A records were organised along the same lines as our National Archives. Anything of interest in our N.Archives you can send for and pay with a credit card. Receipt of the records follow very shortly after. Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, not so with the S.A. records. With Nigel Elford Prout, I was lucky in finding a very kind person who looked up some details for me. I didn't like to push my luck so looked around for anyone who could get a copy of his Will. One person said they wanted £25 to get the Will, another, £10 (cash) - I chose the latter. A risky thing to do, but It was worth it in the long run as it gave me his wife's name and also named a son. With the free search recently of the WW1 records on Ancestry, I found (quite by accident) Nigel's brother - Frederick Prout - also in South Africa through his war pension details. Had no idea that he also went to S.A. and I can now stop searching for him in the British census/FreeBMDs records. He is nowhere to be found on the Passenger Lists, but from ANCESTRY24 (a free search) there is mention of a collection online called - Transvaal Deceased Estates Index - which might help anyone searching for their S.A ancestors. There is mention of a Frederick Prout with his date of death, passport number and which archive I can find him in. Have no idea if he is mine, but will try to find out. Just hope some of this might help others with ancestors lost in South Africa. Isabel.