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Private Thomas Watters

 

 

Number: 11064

Company: 60th (Belfast) Company, 17th Battalion, First Contingent

ENLISTMENT

Date: 13 February 1900

Place: Belfast

Age: 25 years

Trade of calling: Labourer

Place of birth: In the Parish of __, in or near the Town of Belfast, in County Antrim.

Address: Silvio Street, Belfast

Family: Next of kin sister Sophie Smith, 20 Silvio Street, Belfast. Father John Watters, chandler, mother Sarah Watters (nee Whitley) both deceased.

Previous military service: No

Description: Height 5' 7 3/4". Complexion fresh, eyes brown, hair black. Scar right ring finger; scar forehead.

Religion: Presbyterian

ACTIVE SERVICE

Date to South Africa: 6 April 1900

Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal. Rhodesia clasp.

DEATH

Date: 29 June 1900

Place: At sea on board the s.s. Greek sailing from Beira

Cause: Dysentery

Buried/ commemorated: At sea

 

The evils of Bamboo Creek did not spare the Irish Squadrons, and they had not been encamped at that place many days before half the men were in the fell grip of dysentery and fever, the fatal effects of which were shown a little later in the Umtali hospitals. Six young lives were claimed as the dread toll for their stay in the Portuguese swamps. - Trooper McCarron of the 60th and Troopers Franklin, Stone and McCann of the 61st died at Umtali; while Troopers Walters [sic] and McNally of the 60th were invalided, but died on their way home. (Sharrad H. Gilbert, Rhodesia - And After: Being the Story of the 17th and 18th Battalions of the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, 1901.)

 

Image from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, 9 August 1900.

This page last updated 26 March 2025.