Following family footsteps all the way from England to Ladysmith
His name can be found on a memorial stone in the Burgershoop Cemetery in Krugersdorp
Christine Morgan and Dave Astbury travelled all the way from England to Ladysmith for a sentimental reason.
Christine contacted local historian / tour guide Liz Spiret in January regarding a battlefield tour to learn more about her great uncle’s involvement in the Anglo-Boer War.
Christine’s great uncle was William Peel, a private in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Second Battalion.
Ironically, he was not Irish; in fact, he was born in Greenwich, London, England, in around September 1880. Christine says this is a rough estimate.
“I couldn’t find a birth certificate, so I deduced this time-line from his army records.”
His mother, Isabella, died from smallpox when he was one year old and he and his elder brother Henry (aged three) were placed in the Greenwich workhouse / orphanage.
He later joined the DF as a drummer boy when he was 15 in 1895.
From his army records, he was awarded the South African medal and clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Talana, Tugela Heights and the Relief of Ladysmith.
He died on August 14, 1901, at Krugersdorp from enteric (typhoid) at the age of 20.
His name can be found on a memorial stone in the Burgershoop Cemetery in Krugersdorp and also on St Stephen’s Arch in Dublin.
Christine goes on to say, “Sadly, I have no photographs of William, but I know one thing: he was a very brave young man and I’m very proud of him.
“His name lived on, as my father (his nephew) bore the same name as him, William.”
The Royal Dublin Fusiliers came out by sea from India, arriving in Durban in September 1899. They then proceeded by train to Ladysmith and fought at the Battle of Talana (Dundee) on October 20, 1899.
After the battle, they walked back to Ladysmith (four days and nights) and later left by train for Colenso (before the railway lines were blown up by the Boers).
In Colenso, they were to join General Buller’s forces for the relief of Ladysmith and were engaged at the Battle of Tugela Heights and final breakthrough at Pieters Hill.
After much action, he died in 1901 and is buried near Krugersdorp.
Christine followed his footsteps around the country to his final resting place.
“His life was short, but he was very brave,” Liz Spiret commented while pointing out various parts of town from the Ladysmith lookout point.
There are many stories such as this one, so it is always a good idea to brush up on your family history, as you never know what interesting details you may find out about your ancestors.
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