TOPIC:

I am interested in trying to find out if anyone can help me with tracing any information with regard to my husband’s grandfather who enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment 6th Battalion under the name C. Green (No, 9581). I have a copy of his death certificate stating he died at Bloemfontein on 13/10/1900. There is an entry in the Birmingham Daily Mail on 10th August 1901 which lists Birmingham men who died in the Boer War and Charles Green's name is included giving the address where his wife was living according to the 1901 census. However, I have been unable to trace his attestation papers which would possibly include some useful information. C. Green was not his real name and it is believed he may have joined up with a false name possibly because he may have previously deserted. However, I have searched military records for a Charles Lane (his actual name) and found nothing. Charles was in his 40s when he enlisted for the Boer War - he was on the census for 1881 and 1891 living with his wife and children in Aston, Birmingham and employed as a Pearl Button Worker. They do not appear to have married and consequently it is proving to be very difficult to trace who his parents were, since Lane is a common name in the Aston area.

I am a member of FMP and have searched their records for attestation papers for C. Green and have found nothing. I have, however, found the attestation papers for his son John Lane who, it is believed. also joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and went out to SA on the same ship as his father. I have also found the record of John’s SA medal with clasp for Cape Colony & Orange Free State but nothing for C. Green. Does the fact that C. Green died (of disease) mean that he would not have been awarded a medal?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Dot Lane

Hi Dot,
There is a C.Green 9581 6th Batt. Royal Warks Regt. listed on Ancestry's casualties of the Boer War on the date and place you state.
I like yourself cannot find anything in Find My Past.

Regards
Paul

Hi Dot,
Medal rolls show entitlement to QSA with Cape Colony and Orange Free State clasps the remarks colomn states "Died of Disease 13/10/00"

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul
Thanks very much for that. Unfortunately, I do not have a subscription to Ancestry, only FMP. I found the death record for him on that site but not the medal roll entry. Do you know if his attestation papers are on Ancestry?
Regards.
Dot

Hi Dot,
Had a look but no luck, sorry
Good luck with your further research.

Paul

Hi Paul

Thanks for your efforts - at least I now know that he was awarded the QSA. However, have no idea what happened to this medal. The fact that he joined up with a false name could mean that the family never claimed it. The fact that he changed his name and that there is no marriage record for him makes this man's ancestry very difficult to establish.
Regards.

Dot