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5978 Sjt. Nichols, Essex Regiment 3rd (Militia) Battalion.
The involvement of the unit in The Boer War was as follows:
10 March 1902-06 October 1902 Gravesend. Party sent to South Africa:
27 March 1902 25 Officers and 550 men sailed from Southampton on the
"Orotava"
17 April 1902 Arrived Port Elizabeth
4 Companies garrisoned the Blockhouse Line on the Vryburg-Winterton Rd. Then parties to Barkeley West and Schmidt's Drift. The blockhouses were an attempt to deny the Boers mobility and to pen them in for mobile troops to catch them. Duty was hot and dull and the small garrisons looked forward to the arrival of mail and papers periodically to relieve the boredom, even resorting to betting on snake catching and cock-roach racing!
HQ and 4 Companies detrained at 14 Streams, one company to Brussels Siding for Blockhouse duty between there and Vryburg.
22 April 1902 HQ and 3 Companies to Christiana on Vaal River, 23 miles with large convoy. This was a severe trial after 4 weeks on ship and in railway trucks. Strengthened the defences of Christiana.
08 July 1902 Battalion concentrated at Modder River, then to Green Point Camp. Embarked at Cape Town.
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