| As identified of the reverse, this photograph shows No 1015 Sergeant J. Alexander of the Edinburgh Company, Royal Horse Artillery, Natal Field Force. The photograph appears to be inscribed to a J. F. Hodge. Tracking down this sergeant has been difficult probably because his unit (actually Royal Garrison Artillery and not Horse Artillery as inscribed on the photo's reverse) was a militia company and as such his service records do not seem have to be included with those of the regulars. Alexander's militia attestation papers state that he was born at Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland in 1868. No information regarding his family has come to light. He was a resident of Edinburgh, Scotland at the time of his enlistment and was described as 5 feet, seven and a half inches tall with a fresh complexion and brown eyes and black hair. The Statement of Services page of his militia papers is fragmentary but the following can be made out: Attested Gunner: 6 March, 1888 Promoted Corporal: 21 May, 1888 Tried and Reduced to Gunner: 23 April, 1890 Re-engaged: 1 July, 1893 Promoted Corporal: 27 May, 1895 Attested with Militia Reserve: 11 July, 1896 Promoted Sergeant: 30 May, 1898 Joined Service Section for Service Abroad: 8 July, 1899 Embodied Sergeant: 2 December, 1901 Re-engaged Militia: 18 February, 1902 Re-engaged Sergeant: 3 March, 1906 Absent: 3 June, 1907 Struck off Strength: 24 June, 1907 As stated above No. 1015 Sergeant John Alexander was a member of the Service Company of the Edinburgh Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia). According to the Queen's South Africa Medal Roll dated 3 September, 1903 Alexander was originally entitled to the Queen's South Africa Medal with the clasp "South Africa 1901". A second roll dated 15 July, 1907 shows his entitlement to the clasps for "Transvaal" and "Natal". That roll lists Alexander's medal as "not receivable". A third roll dated 21 September, 1908 shows Alexander also being credited with the clasp "Orange Free State". This second roll was amended with the "Orange Free State" being struck through and a note added stating "No clasp"that Alexander had deserted on 4 June, 1907. Alexander was not quite alone in disappearing since of the twenty men of the Service Coy, Edinburgh Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) listed on that page of the Medal Roll over half had in one way or another fallen by the wayside in the few short years between the compiling of the first roll in 1903 and the issuance of the second in 1908 - No. 2268 Gunner William Clark was also listed as a deserter and had his entitlement struck through. Another man, No.2613 Gunner John Cavanagh was simply listed as "Not heard of for over two years." Eight men are listed as either "No reply" or "No known address". No. 2704 Gunner Peter Mann had his entitlement struck through with the notation that he had been convicted of a felony. While the Queen's South Africa Medal Rolls list Alexander as having deserted his militia service papers simply show him as absent in early June, 1907 and then being struck from strength later that month. It does not appear that he was ever heard from again by his militia unit nor does there appear to have been any attempt to find him. For all appearances it looks as if John Alexander simply quit the militia after almost 20 years of service including overseas during the Anglo-Boer War. No further record has been found of him after the 24 June, 1907 date. Cabinet Photograph R. Murton - Photographer Durban, Natal, South Africa c. 1900 |