The Boer War Tablet

The memorial (“erected by the inhabitants of Shipley”) records the names of 3 Shipley soldiers killed in the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902):

Herbert O’Donnell lived at 2 Albert Terrace. In 1901, O’Donnell was aged 21 when killed, his death is recorded as at Nonskraal, where on Christmas Day 1901 a baggage train was attacked and captured by the Boers. Four, including the Officer and O’Donnell were killed, 5 wounded and 57 taken prisoner. He is buried nearby to the battle.

Higson Lister joined the Shipley Division of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade, and was posted to South Africa. He died of ‘Enteric’ or typhoid fever. (This was a problem in hot climates. In the Boer Wars more soldiers died of typhus than in battle). Pte Lister is buried in the Churchyard in St John the Baptist Church, Pinetown, a town in KwaZulu-Natal near to Durban.

Albert Jowett was born in 1875 and lived at 152 George Street, with his parents and three siblings. He joined the 2nd Battalion KOYLI as a private. Arthur too died of enteric and is buried at Elandsfontein where there was a hospital and where the Battalion may have been based for a while.

(Enteric is now known as typhoid).