More great websites
Findmypast has British Army service records from 1760 to 1939, plus a dedicated Anglo-Boer War Records database at bit. ly/fmp-boer-1899-1902. This contains more than 293,000 names, drawn from casualty lists and other transcribed sources. Findmypast also has soldiers’ service papers held at The National Archives in series WO97, plus militia attestation papers from series WO96.
You can find indexes and photographs of war memorials commemorating those who died in the conflict at thegenealogist. co.uk, plus Army Lists from the era. Army Lists are also found on archive.org, where you can also download the War Office’s History of the War in South Africa, 1899–1902 for free ( bit.ly/arch-warsouth-africa). You could also try forces-war-records.co.uk, which has Boer casualties, while you can search a Boer Roll of Honour at bit.ly/roll-honour-boer.
The index Soldiers of the Queen in the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899–1902 lists soldiers, sailors and nurses who served: bit.ly/ soldiers-queen. And the pay-per-view Register of the Boer War at casus-belli.co.uk contains more than 296,950 names, including those on a 60,500-strong casualty list.
Regional newspapers might record casualties or men singled out for bravery. Your local library or archive may have online finding aids, and try britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. You can also search The Gazette for records of bravery awards – you’ll find a list of dispatches and Victoria Cross citations for both Boer Wars at bit.ly/gazetteawards. Medal collectors’ forums (such as britishmedalforum. com) can help identify any medals or insignia, while Wikipedia (eg bit.ly/wiki-queen-sam) is useful for background information.
The Sandhurst Collection Archive website ( archive.sandhurst collection.co.uk) allows you to search registers of cadets who attended the academy between 1800 and 1946, and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich between 1790 and 1939; downloading an image costs £2.99. And you can visit a ‘virtual museum’ of British military photos from the Victorian era, with biographies, at soldiersofthequeen.com.
The South African Constabulary was created in 1900 to police captured Boer areas. If your ancestor was one of over 10,000 men who served on the force, you can search the database on ancestors.co.za.
We also recommend the Anglo-Boer War Museum ( wmbr. org.za); the Army Museums Ogilby Trust ( armymuseums.org. uk); Asplin Military History Resources ( britishmedals.us/kevin/ intro.html), with Boer War shipping lists; the South African Military History Society ( rapidttp.co.za/milhist); victoriacross.org.uk; and the Victorian Military Society’s new website victorianmilitary.org.