Lot Essay
33rd Company (Royal East Kent), 11th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry.
2nd Class Warrant Officer Fred Bates was a farmer and a member of the 1st East Kent Volunteers when he enlisted in the Imperial Yeomanry at Canterbury on 22.1.1900. Arriving in South Africa on 28.2.1900 with the original Contingent, 131 strong, he served in the Wittebergen Campaign, and was present at Prinsloo's surrender, Biddulphsberg and Senekal. He was invalided home suffering from enteric fever in May 1901. Enteric was particularly virulent and often a lethal disease, but Bates was fortunate, his Doctor's notes stating: 'Disability not permanent. Duration probably six months. Treatment - Liberal diet and a mixture containing arsenic and iron.' He took his discharge in England in 1901 but obviously returned to South Africa as he served in the Middelberg Commando (one that had seen extensive service in the Boer War) in the German South-West Africa Campaign from January 1915 until the Commando was disbanded in June that year.
2nd Class Warrant Officer Fred Bates was a farmer and a member of the 1st East Kent Volunteers when he enlisted in the Imperial Yeomanry at Canterbury on 22.1.1900. Arriving in South Africa on 28.2.1900 with the original Contingent, 131 strong, he served in the Wittebergen Campaign, and was present at Prinsloo's surrender, Biddulphsberg and Senekal. He was invalided home suffering from enteric fever in May 1901. Enteric was particularly virulent and often a lethal disease, but Bates was fortunate, his Doctor's notes stating: 'Disability not permanent. Duration probably six months. Treatment - Liberal diet and a mixture containing arsenic and iron.' He took his discharge in England in 1901 but obviously returned to South Africa as he served in the Middelberg Commando (one that had seen extensive service in the Boer War) in the German South-West Africa Campaign from January 1915 until the Commando was disbanded in June that year.