Battle of Witu 1890

[Ion]

I have a medal previously believed to belong to my grandfather however research to date seems to have floundered as I can't identify him as the recipient exactly from records.

The inscription around the rim of the medal reads: T. Williams PTE. RM HMS Boadicea

My Grandfather was borne in Abergavenny circa 1869. His full name was Thomas Arnold Francis Williams

My dilemma is connecting the two. He came to the Pacific circa 1898 and has made reference to being in command of a boat party engaged in antislavery in Zanzibar. He also speaks of being a heavy machine gun instructor.

I have correspondence received by him from the RN Arch Deacon of the time (1904). The letters appear to be mentoring from the Arch Deacon and reference a time in the Royal Marines though there is no actual evidence such as crew lists etc which I can 100% identify him and the medal.

I would love to hear from any one who has information on how to cross reference and establish a link.

Ion

[peter monahan]

Ion

You can start here, at the British National Archives: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmysoldierupto1913.htm

You'll see that many of the records are now the property of the genealogical companies, but a basic membership is not very dear and usually worth the money. Just make sure you remember to cancel the automatic renewal!

There should be medal rolls as well as service papers available. Good luck!

Peter

[Chris Boonzaier]

Battle of Witu?

Youwant to look here ;-)

http://www.kaiserscross.com/188001/218001.html

[Ion]

Thanks Peter and Chris,,

Your assistance has been of great help. I actually think I may have located him through your link Peter; I've downloaded the RM of one marine who appears to meet the criteria.

I also saw an article regarding a elf tenant who captured a dhow at Pemba. Many shots were fired on both sides. I would love to get the officers report of this engagement and the list of crew on e boat. My Grandfather became a missionary in the Solomon Islands and later far nor Queensland. I have a typed up story he gave to Sunday school in far North Queensland and it provides a slightly more descriptive account of that encounter, claiming it amongst other encounters in the Solomon Islands to be the defining reason for him changing from a marine to missionary work.

Thank you both for your assistance.

Ion

[peter monahan]

Glad we could help. BTW, I'm sure many of us would love to read the story. have you a link to it - posted on-line somewhere?

Peter

[Ion]

Me too. I was browsing links about slavery, Zanzibar and Witu when there was the comment about Capture of a slave dhow at Pemba, I've been trying to retrace my steps to read more on the story and get the officers name to further research but it escapes me. When I read it I couldn't help referencing it to his Sunday school speech.

I'll keep searching and put up the link when I find it.

Cheers

Ion

[Ion]

Oops, the Sunday school story. As far as I know it's not online anywhere, I only have a photostat copy of it given to me by my uncle amongst other letters and papers of my grandfathers. Happy to type it up and upload/past it into this post. What would be the best? I'm not sure how to upload documents to this site though.

Cheers

Ion

[jeffskea]

Good day, this may be helpful as I had researched an East & West Africa Medal with Witu 1890 Clasp to an AB aboard HMS Cossack and found the complete Despatches for the Witu operation, dated Tuesday 6th January, 1891 - over 30 pages downloaded free on the London Gazette website detailing the entire Witu Operation, pretty fascinating and describes in detail specific skirmishes and operations vessels/boat crews/shore parties were involved in, wounded, etc., even mentions things like the zareba - thornbush perimeter around camps to protect from lions - a pretty vivid and first hand account.

The despatches are written by the Commander-in-Chief of East Indies Squadron, Edmund Robert Fremantle, CB, CMG, and his flag ship was the Boadicea it appears.

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk
(issue# 26122 pg 71 or type in "Vitu" in the search and will bring it up)

I also accessed the entire Medal roll (through Ancestry) for the Witu 1890 clasp and it is a very complete list of all individuals who participated in the operation including which vessel they served on. There is also a special note regarding who was actually entitled to receive the medal - only those involved in boat operations or who went ashore, so interesting that not everyone who served aboard the ships would have been eligible. Sorry I do not have the medal roll list with me to look up the RM concerned here.

Jeff

Edited February 21, 2013 by jeffskea

[peter monahan]

On 14/11/2012 at 00:16, Ion said:

Oops, the Sunday school story. As far as I know it's not online anywhere, I only have a photostat copy of it given to me by my uncle amongst other letters and papers of my grandfathers. Happy to type it up and upload/past it into this post. What would be the best? I'm not sure how to upload documents to this site though.

 

Cheers

Ion

Ion

 

If you can copy the photostat - maybe on your printer? - and save it as a PDF or similar file, you can attach it by hitting 'reply' to this thread and, at the bottom click on 'Drag files here to attach or choose files...'

 

We'd love to read it!  

 

Peter