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John Rogers - What are your thoughts?

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  • John Rogers - What are your thoughts?

    Below are snapshots of a photo taken by FW Drieselmann in South Afrika during the Boer War. Can you age John Rogers? What do you know about the photographer? What can you reveal about this image?





  • #2
    After 32 views I'm yet to be any wiser about this picture. I have a few questions that i would love the answers to.

    1 - What can you tell me about the uniform John Rogers here is wearing.

    2 - What rank did John Rogers have going off this picture?

    3 - We know the photo was taken in South Africa I can only give the clue that it was between 1899 - 1902 due to the suspicion that he was in the Boer War.

    4 - We are to believe that John Rogers also became one of the private guards to Lawrence of Arabia, we are looking for some sort of proof of this. What we have at the moment is good but we would love your thoughts.

    5 - John Rogers was on a ship that was bombed and he was taken to shore with others to a make shift morgue. Later to be confirmed by the doctor to be alive. Could anyone suggest a way that I could confirm this.

    Thank you in advance and happy hunting

    Shaun Pearce

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    • #3
      well to start you off he had attained the rank of sergeant by the time that he posed for this photograph. He is also wearing spurs and carrying a driving whip which would then place him in something like a yoemanary regiment or army service corps. Then there is also the Royal Artillary and the Royal Engineers to consider as both of these regiments used horse transport. The medal ribbon may be either the Queens South Africa Medal given to those that served in SA between 1899 and 1902 or may even be the Kings South Africa Medal which was instigated in 1902 (It may even be an early medal as I can not make out the make up of the ribbon to be sure). Although the photograph was taken in SA the use of the soft slouch hat by the British army as a universal head gear was introduced after the SA conflict but only stayed as part of the uniform until 1903 when it was replaced by the Brodrick Cap. Saying that however some TA unit's/yeomanary units carried on wearing this style of head gear for a while after this date. Hope that this may be of some help.

      don

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      • #4
        he has a whip so a horse comes into it somewhere ,3 stripes is he a seargent?brenda

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        • #5
          Shaun, this link mentions that some members of the West and North Somerset Yeomanry were sent to South Africa in 1899 with the 2nd Battalion of the Somerset Regiment. The Somerset Regiment was a light infantry regiment, so from don.t's information, John Rogers might well have been a member of the Yeomanry unit rather than the regiment.

          Somerset Military Museum - Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) (Towards the bottom of the page)

          Roger

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          • #6
            I've just read an amazing article which explains the Boer War and how it came to pass. The article mentions a few things that would give more information on this

            If any of you are interested in the a short piece about the Boer War please click the link below

            The Boer War


            There is a part in this article which tells us about the medal don.t mentions. And more information in regards to the Somerset Light Infantry.

            This was an exciting thing to come across for me. For those of you wondering I'm just trying to find history about my GGG Grandfather I'm 21 and this has become a bit of a passion over the past few days after my father passed on the story to me.

            If your not too tired read on and find out why I am gripped with this bit of family history.

            John Rogers was one of four brothers. Son of Samuel & Jane Rogers. 2 of Johns brothers became policemen one reaching as high as sergeant of the MET. The other brother was a stone mason.

            John at a young age lied about his age to get in to the army in his teens. John had devoted his career to the army and evidence shows that he was part of the Somerset Light Infantry. This regiment was sent out to South Africa to aid troops in Transvaal who were governing the area during the period when the Boers found the diamond mine trade. When the Boers conflicted with the British army War was declared.

            In May 1902 peace terms were finally agreed and the British soldiers were congratulated in bringing the war to a successful end. The Somersets won two more battle honours, the Relief of Ladysmith and South Africa 1899-1902 along with the South Africa medal.

            this would explain the medal.

            When John was returning home he was involved in a massive explosion of a ship that killed a load soldiers. When they were taken back to shore to be confirmed dead by a certified doctor - John was declared alive even though he had been out cold for 3 days. After making a full recovery and returning back to his post he was selected by Lawrence of Arabia to be his personal guard.

            John Rogers went on to have children and his first son was called John Lawrence Rogers. where the name Lawrence has come down through the family ever since.

            Well.... there you have it. the reason why this has become a big interest in my life and why I want to get to know more about this amazing man.

            Thanks for reading. I hope you can help me reveal some information from this picture or about John Rogers.

            Shaun

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            • #7
              Thank you Roger, however I have come across this website and I came to see some vital information here. I did lose the page so thank you for restoring it for me.

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              • #8
                Hi Shaun
                I can see why you want to find the facts about what you have been told. I was always told my grandad was with Alan Whicker in the war. Eventually I went and brought his book and there staring back at me from the pages was a picture of my grandad with Alan. So have you read T E Lawarence's "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" clues may be found in the pages.
                Good luck.
                Nichola

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                • #9
                  Nichola,

                  I dont even know why i never thought of looking at the book. You're a saint.

                  Thank you.

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                  • #10
                    Shaun
                    You must let us know if you findout anything.Happy reading......

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