– Documents

Newsclipping: The article lists the members of various regiments in Ontario who had volunteered and enlisted to go to South Africa. The war in South Africa, 1899 – 1902,  was the first time Canada had participated in a war off the North American continent. The First and Second World wars would be the others to this day. Because sending troops to South Africa was highly contentious with Canadians across the country the government decided that the first contingent would be comprised totally of volunteers, in eight companies, raised in provinces across Canada. In total, over the period,  at least 116 Highlanders volunteered of which 67 served in South Africa, others in support in Halifax. Twenty six went over with the 1st contingent, 2 RCRI. Recruiting vacancies had been so limited that only 20 members of the 48th Highlanders were accepted in the Toronto Company. Six others, under Lt. R.G.H. Temple, determined to go with their fellow Highlanders, had rushed to London, Ontario, to enlist with the Western Ontario Company. Other Highlanders followed, serving in a variety of units, including the Royal Canadian Field Artillery, the Royal Canadian Dragoons and the Canadian Mounted Rifles. Three Highlanders were mentioned in dispatches and Ernest Beattie, a sergeant in the Pipe Band who had joined the 48th in 1892, was killed.

Those from the 48th Highlanders who volunteered and are listed in the newspaper article are:

Lieutenant Temple, 48th.

Highlanders

Sergt. F.D. Lorach                                        23

Sergt. A.R. McGregor                                  28

Sergt. W.H. Grant                                       28

Pte. J. Baldwin                                            22

Pte. J.A. Mitchell                                       26

Pte. J.A. Smith                                            23

Pte. E.F. Weller                                          27

Pte. J.D. Spence                                        23

Corp. T.H. Banton                                    22