Lost his legs, but where

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Hello every one,

My Grand Father William Smith Ross, jioned the Blackwatch in Scotland. Now after looking him up in my family tree, and getting info from his marraige certs, he must have left the army after 1901 because on one cert. there he is a private. On his next marraige in 1908 he is no longer in the army.

Rumour has it that he lost both legs in a train accident in the Boer War.

I have been to the National Archive and tried to find both his and his father attestation papers but to no avail.

Does any one know where it would be likely to get any info on him and how he lost his legs.

Many thanks in advance.

Anner.

[Tom A McCluskey]

Anner,

Thanks for the help with Patrick Crossan, 4th Black Watch, from Dundee.

Here is a link to a non-official muster roll for Angus:

http://www.monikie.org.uk/ah-musterroll.htm

Please read the caveat at the top of the page, it also lead to a link of soldiers injured in 1899 that are recorded in the Dundee Peoples Journal (local weekly paper). You may need to trawl through the casualty figures in this paper.

Also there is a comprehensive medal roll book of the Black Watch that will indicate whether William Smith Ross was issued medals for the Boer War which is a brilliant indication of service. His service records may still be intact a the National Archives. Here is the Medal Roll book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Highland-Reg...TF8&s=books

Also, here is a link to all of the William Ross's that served in the Black Watch, during the First World War and have Medal Index Cards at Kew:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...Spec=score+desc

Yours Aye

Tom McC

[SteveE]

Rumour has it that he lost both legs in a train accident in the Boer War.

Anner

There are no W(illiam) Ross' listed in the Black Watch in the South African War Casualty Roll 1899-1902.

Regards

Steve

[sotonmate]

Anner

Did they have WO364 records for the Boer War? They had them for WW1 when disability pensions were applied for by injured soldiers. These records are in a better condition than the WO363 records depleted by fire and water in 1940. It may be that you can find the records you want in WO364.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[SteveE]

Did they have WO364 records for the Boer War? They had them for WW1 when disability pensions were applied for by injured soldiers. These records are in a better condition than the WO363 records depleted by fire and water in 1940. It may be that you can find the records you want in WO364.

I believe I'm right in saying that the WO364 series only relates to pension claims resulting from WW1, not from previous service.

My Grand Father William Smith Ross, jioned the Blackwatch in Scotland. Now after looking him up in my family tree, and getting info from his marraige certs, he must have left the army after 1901 because on one cert. there he is a private. On his next marraige in 1908 he is no longer in the army.

Rumour has it that he lost both legs in a train accident in the Boer War.

I have been to the National Archive and tried to find both his and his father attestation papers but to no avail.

Does any one know where it would be likely to get any info on him and how he lost his legs.

Anner

When you say you looked for his attestation papers did you look on the WO97 series? These are not the microfilmed service papers but are boxes of original documents. This series covers those soldiers fully discharged from the army prior to 1913 (which would account for William Smith Ross?). The reference covering William Smith Ross for the period 1900-1913 is WO97/5815 (Ross, John A. to Ross, W. T.)

Hope this helps.

Steve

[Michael Johnson]

If he lost his legs during the Boer War, I would expect that there would be a notation on the QSA medal roll that he had been invalided.

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Hi all and thank you so much for your help.

Tom, that book is now on my christmas list, I have looked at the muster roll and I cant find him. Unfortunatly He doesnt appear to have served in WW1 as he is definatly out of the army before 1908.

Glad to have helped with Patrick Crossan as it always gets repaid when I have needed help.

Steve, I have looked at the boxes of papers in the WO/97 series and I couldnt find him. I was also looking for his Father Robert and have his army number but no sign of either. I found Williams Grandfather on the micro fiche and he turned out to be a Chelsea Pensioner after serving 24 years in the 92 foot regiment. I would have loved to find my grandfathers though as he died in the 1940s and I didnt know him.

Sotonmate, I did wonder if the papers had been destroyed, but unless I can find them its something I will have to consider.

Michael, Where would I find the QSA medal roll and being a bit ignorant about these things can I ask what they are.

Again thanks to you all for your help, and if I can repay your kindness please dont hesitate to ask.

Anne.

[Michael Johnson]

Michael, Where would I find the QSA medal roll and being a bit ignorant about these things can I ask what they are.

These are available at the National Archives in Record Group W.O. 100. More information can be found here: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu...n_war_1899_1902. Like the Great War MICs they were a list of the medals to be issued to a unit. It will give the regimental number, which clasps each man was entitled to, and there was a column for Remarks. This is where you will look to see if there is an "Invalided to England" and date.

There were also supplementary rolls, since the South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps were authorized later. There was a separate roll for the King's South Africa Medal, many soldiers received the two date bars on their Queen's Medal as they did not have the required time for the King's Medal.

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Good Morning Michael

Once again thank you for your reply. I will have to go to the NA and have a look at them and see if he is on them. That is my quest for now. As I said I would love to find him somewhere.

Regards

Anne.

[Guest FMB]

Hello every one,

My Grand Father William Smith Ross, jioned the Blackwatch in Scotland. Now after looking him up in my family tree, and getting info from his marraige certs, he must have left the army after 1901 because on one cert. there he is a private. On his next marraige in 1908 he is no longer in the army.

Rumour has it that he lost both legs in a train accident in the Boer War.

I have been to the National Archive and tried to find both his and his father attestation papers but to no avail.

Does any one know where it would be likely to get any info on him and how he lost his legs.

Many thanks in advance.

Anner.

Anner, 4 small photgraphs recently came into my possession. They were sent from a Great-uncle who fought in the Boer War and show a terrible train accident. He has written on the back of them but, unfortunately they have been cropped to fit in an album. From what I can read, he says that 11 were killed and 90 injured. He and 5 others were sent as witnesses to a court in Worcester as a case had been brought against the driver and guard of the train. There is no date. My Great-uncle died of natural causes in Blomfontein in May 1900 and I don't think he had been in South Africa for more than 2 years. There were probably many other train accidents, but losing both legs implies a big one and you might find something. There was a hospital at Worcester and there might be records. Or there might be court records. It's a long shot, but they sometimes pay off. Please post if you find anything.

[anner]

Anner, 4 small photgraphs recently came into my possession. They were sent from a Great-uncle who fought in the Boer War and show a terrible train accident. He has written on the back of them but, unfortunately they have been cropped to fit in an album. From what I can read, he says that 11 were killed and 90 injured. He and 5 others were sent as witnesses to a court in Worcester as a case had been brought against the driver and guard of the train. There is no date. My Great-uncle died of natural causes in Blomfontein in May 1900 and I don't think he had been in South Africa for more than 2 years. There were probably many other train accidents, but losing both legs implies a big one and you might find something. There was a hospital at Worcester and there might be records. Or there might be court records. It's a long shot, but they sometimes pay off. Please post if you find anything.

[anner]

Hi FMB,

Thanks for your reply. This looks most interesting. I have looked at an online paper in case anything was in there in Scotland, but it seems that there were quite a lot of accidents on the trains. From what older rellies have told me he was caught on the track, losing both legs as a train went over him. Ooh gruesome. I am going to follow your idea and do some more checking.

Regards

Anne.

[Guest FMB]

Hi FMB,

Thanks for your reply. This looks most interesting. I have looked at an online paper in case anything was in there in Scotland, but it seems that there were quite a lot of accidents on the trains. From what older rellies have told me he was caught on the track, losing both legs as a train went over him. Ooh gruesome. I am going to follow your idea and do some more checking.

Regards

Anne.

Anner,

If you find anything please post. I'm chasing up that train wreck too! There seem to have been quite a few derailments. I thought that, since this one ended with a court case, it might have been easier to spot, but I'm still looking.

Good luck!