Donald Niven 2nd Rhodesia Regiment Casualty

[ZimRich]

Hi I was looking for any help in researching 1004 PTE Donald Mclean NIVEN 2nd Rhodesia Regiment who died on the 29th April 1917 and is commemorated on the Dar Es Salaam memorial.

I know that the regiment was decimated during the East African campaign and and what was left of them marched back to Dar Es Salaam in April 1917 to be repatriated so presumably NIVEN succumbed to disease during these latter stages.

Do any service records exist for the Rhodesia Regiment as I've now reached an impasse in my research

Thanks for any help

Richard

[Theletterwriter]

Richard

I do not know if you want any other information such as birthplace etc. but Pte. Niven was born on 29 July 1890 in the Kelvin area of Glasgow (from the Scottish Statutory Records). Interestingly, i could not find him on the Scottish National War Memorial site.

Douglas

[NRP.HKP]

Capell's " The 2nd Rhodesia Regt in East Africa " gives only -

1004 Pte Donald McLean NIVEN attested 2.1.1915 Died

[bushfighter]

Richard

Greetings

You are probably correct in your assessment of death from disease.

However many 2RR men stayed on in Intelligence and other posts, but that probably does not affect the assessment.

Harry

[SteveE]

It may be purely coincidental, all the details appearing to match the man in question, but a Mr Donald M Niven, a 25 year old Farmer from Rhodesia, arrived in Plymouth aboard the "Saxon" on 16th February 1916 from Cape Town and departed the UK (Mr D M Niven a 25 year old Farmer) on 22nd July 1916 bound for Cape Town aboard the "Walmer Castle".

Having attested on 2nd January 1915, presumably for the duration of the war, I was just wondering what situation would have apparently allowed him to travel to the UK a year or so later, seemingly as a civilian, and then return to South and East Africa later in the campaign.

Steve

[ZimRich]

Thanks very much to everyone who has replied, its given me some more to work off!

Thanks again

Richard

[kenmorrison]

The National Archives index shows that there is a Medal Card for him.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4264831

There just might be an indication of cause of death on it.

Ken

[corisande]

There are 2 family trees that include him on Ancestry

[corisande]

His Victory Medal sold on eBay last week for £80