TOPIC:

Wipmat wrote: "Edit: This is indeed confirmed in the Talana book by our own David Biggins. "A Company. Taken prisoner at Nicholson's Nek, 30 Oct 99"."

Do you mean to confirm the topic of the award of the clasps, or you can confirm that he was taken as POW? Many thanks.

I was referring specifically to him being taken POW but David's book also confirms the clasps as per the medal rolls.

Wipmat wrote: Thank you for that additional observation. This is new to me so I am unaware of such subtleties regarding these clasps. Is there anyway to verify this? What would being a POW of the Boers be like since they were essentially an irregular army?

An interesting point is that he might have come into contact with Capt. Jack White in South Africa, son of General Sir George White, as they both reconnected in later life in the Irish Citizen Army. These new pieces are starting to fill the puzzle gradually.

At that early stage of the war the Boer republics and their governments were intact and functioning normally. They had a number of organised POW camps. It was only after Pretoria and Bloemfontein were captured that their governmental infrastructure effectively ceased to exist and the guerilla stage of the war began with highly mobile Boer commandos roaming the country. In this stage of the war British prisoners were often stripped of their horses, arms and even clothing and left to find their own way back to base because the Boers had no facilities to hold them.

David

Thank you again David for all this extra information - it has been extremely helpful. NextI will have tyo immerse myself in the Battle of Talala Hill.

I note there is a "Medals Wanted" section on this website. It is a very long shot, but I will give it a try.

Some more detail on his time as POW - he was recorded as being released September 5th, 1900. The majority of British POWs were released June 6th, 1900 when the British captured Pretoria. The Boers held onto a smaller number and marched them east, not sure exactly why as they didn't have the men to guard them or the food to feed them.

Details from my website:

Thank you very much for this additional informational information that is filling in many gaps on my ancestors service. I am curious as to why the Boers released some men and kept others. Perhaps as a bargaining chip for future prisoner exchanges, that they could provision while maintaining their mobility?

When released from captivity, would troops gradually be put back into service? As I notice that he is listed as returning home in September 1902. Many thanks again.

Would it be possible to check if a Christopher Poole served in the same regiment at the same time as McCormick? And if this man was also taken prisoner during the conflict? He certainly served in South Africa during this conflict. I am curious, as the paths of these two men link later in their lives.