Message Board

Hi Everyone,
I have been looking at some old documents regarding the Boer War and i saw the following list of Soldiers and one of them just stuck out......It was Daniel Gemmell the elder brother of my Grandfather.....As i said before Daniel was born in Irvine in 1882 and i have been trying to trace his movements from there...He first enlisted in the 2nd Battalion...That was the same Battalion as my Grandfather so it looks that the family just wanted to be together......

This photo was taken round about the time Qeen Victoria died as some of the photos show soldiers wearing black arm bands.....This was his Battalion and who knows he may be in this photo......

Hi Raymond - This is another good find for you, I bet you were pleased when you came across it. I was reading some wee while ago about the Pals Regiment that was encouraged where brothers and friends were encouraged to join up and serve together. Many of them did so, as I'm sure you know, but when it came to casualties etc it was often the case that brothers, neighbours and friends were all lost in the one action. JG

Hi JG,
You are correct i felt very happy when i saw his name etc...You are also correct about the Pals Regiments because the more i dig i find that more of our family and their freinds enlisted together and most of them fell on the fist day of the Somme.....I can remember Gran Gemmell when i was a lad all those years ago and the photo above the fire place of a young Soldier in uniform and that Soldier was my Grandfather James,
However i have found some more info on Daniel......

I dont have a photo of Daniel.....All i have is this taken from the enlistment reg......