Blake's section distinguished itself at Pepworth, near Ladysmith, where it stood its ground under a hail of British shrapnel, dragging a great deal of ammunition up the hill. Driscoll's Scouts also took part in the final operations directed against Gen de la Rey in the Western Transvaal. Reference to the organisation occasionally appeared in the Argus Annual and South African Directory. Until the end of November the survivors served with New Zealand forces; after this date, they rejoined the decimated Brigade at Mersa Matruh. Ireland Ireland Emigration and Immigration Finding an Irish Ancestor Using South African Records. In 1939 the First South African Irish Regiment was reformed through the efforts of Maj Twomey, Capt Jeoffreys and Capt Cullinan (son of Sir Thomas Cullinan, of diamond fame). These Irishmen were to be found in at least six other Boer commandos. Before long Blake had left the Irish commando altogether to fight elsewhere and for the last two months of its existence, MacBride was in sole command. Food was short, as were horses and clothes. IRISH'. At the beginning of 1845 the detachment from the 27th rejoined the remainder of the regiment at Fort Peddie on the Eastern frontier of the Cape. Driscoll's Scouts was founded by Capt D.P. (5), Autonomous South African Units shaped by Irish Influences. The Irish were among the first to cross the Tugela River and capture Captain Long’s field-artillery pieces. South Africa is losing wealth. Farmers trusted them to such a degree that they would leave their houses and cattle in their charge whilst they set out with their produce for Cape Town. For reasons unclear, Griffith returned to Dublin in October 1898, but there were more new arrivals in the Transvaal from Ireland by the day. Free Ships' Passenger lists, orphan records, almshouse records, JJ Cooke Shipping Lists, Irish Famine immigrants, family surnames, church records, military muster rolls, census records, land records and more are free to help you find your brick-wall ancestor. Reports of a son born in the Transvaal to MacBride would emerge only eighty years later. At the end of World War 2, in view of the resurrection of Active Citizen Force units, Col Cullinan requested that the Regiment be reformed as an infantry unit. Driscoll, DSO, commander of Driscoll's Scouts during the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. MacBride was in overall command. Top tips for searching the Ellis Island immigration records database. South Africa, Free State Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1848-1956. On Saturday, 29 January 1921, at Milner Park, Johannesburg, the South African Irish Regiment was presented with the King's Colour by Prince Arthur of Connaught, the (then) Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, in recognition of its service in German South West Africa. Cmdt Twomey decided that, in remembrance of the time when the Regiment was an Artillery unit, the top left handcuff button on the khaki jacket should be a chrome South African Artillery button. This website is a free site that contains a large number of emigration records from various ports in Ireland and Canada. The unit was designated as the First South African Irish but, in fact, a Second Battalion was never formed, for men intended for this Second Battalion were drafted to the First. 1869-1889 nla.pic-an20886593-46 National Library of Australia. Relations between the Irish Brigade and the Boers were often strained (as were relations between other foreign volunteers and the Boers). Don't leave without searching for your ancestors on Olive Tree Genealogy! On 1 January 1960, the Regiment reverted to its original infantry role and regained its old title, 'The South African Irish Regiment.' However, with its reconversion to an infantry unit, it became entitled to Honours that had previously been earned by it and they are now incorporated in the colour of the Regiment presented to them by the State President in 1968. Maj C. McN. On 16 June the South African Irish was mobilized under the command of Lt Col D.I. We know the names of ninety-one casualties in the Irish commandos, thirty-one of whom were killed, twenty-three wounded and twenty-seven made prisoners-of-war. The South African Irish Regiment was allied in 1940 to the London Irish Rifles, and after the war, former prisoners-of-war met their comrades in London. If you have an ancestor who emigrated to another country youcould look for immigration records in the country of their arrival.These are usually held by the national archives or equivalentorganisation in that country. In February 1942 the South African Irish and 3 Transvaal Scottish ceased to exist as independent infantry units and the remnants were drafted either to the Regiment Botha or to the South African Artillery. This collection includes reformed church records from South Africa. When the rising finally came, though, MacBride stumbled on it by accident—but was soon once again number two in a fighting unit. In this form, it was involved in controlling the disturbances of 1960-1961 in South Africa. In the 1890's the railways and the diamond and gold mines absorbed numbers of Irishmen as well. The first South African unit with a truly Irish background was the Cape Town Irish Rifles, raised by Maj O'Reilly in 1885. The event was, however, ‘painfully dry’. Subsequently, after the Battle of Congella (1842), the regiment served in the relieving force in Durban, where a detachment of the regiment, under Capt Charlton Smith, had been under siege for a month under extremely adverse conditions. Accusations that they were more fond of the bottle than the battle are false: they were fond of both. Thus, the usual designation was simply 'South African Irish'. In many instances, it is possible to track your ancestor as they made their way from Ireland (or the UK) across the Atlantic to North America, Canada, South America or to other locations such as South Africa, Asia, Australia or New Zealand. Irish journalists worked on major newspapers and often edited them, the most important being Frederick St. Leger, founder and editor of the Cape Times. A campaign there against recruitment to the British army met with some success. 27 Little is known of the Irish National Foresters in South Africa. The visit to Ireland in April 1900 of Queen Victoria had for a while dampened the Irish pro-Boer cause, but by mid-summer, the Boer colours were to be seen all over Dublin. In one particular action at Wepener, in which Driscoll's Scouts assisted the Cape Mounted Riflemen, the Scouts had an adventurous and hazardous ride across open ground from their bivouac, being exposed to the concentrated fire of two Maxim machine guns, a pom-pom, small arms fire and, at the end, to a barrage of shells from a field gun, during their entire four kilometre ride. At a later date, a new badge minus the crown was produced in Pretoria, to be worn by all non-commissioned ranks, officers continuing to wear the original badge, minus the crown, which was of silver. Throughout the war, great animosity existed between the Irish who opposed each other from either side. Garrisoning four towns besieged by the Boers, the regiment also incurred many casualties in the course of the battle of Bronkhorstspruit. 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