Corporal 9838 Bertram Smith Donald of the 12th Regiment, South African Infantry was born on the 11th of January 1881, at Plomesgate, Suffolk, the son of Joseph Hayes Donald and Mary Donald.

The 1881 census records him living with his family at Home Farm, Church Road, Benhall, Plomsgate, Suffolk. Joseph, aged 37, was a land agent, born in Cheshire. Mary, aged 41, was a land agent’s wife, born at Carlton Colville, Suffolk.

Children recorded were Mary, aged 6, and Joseph, aged 5, both born at Penrith, Cumberland, Emma, aged 3, born at Thursby in Cumberland, Stuart aged 1, and Bertram aged “0” were both born at Benhall.

The family had two servants, Honor Ellis aged 17 born at Beccles, and Elizabeth Self, aged 15 born at Benhall, both in the county of Suffolk.

By 1891, the family had moved to The Street, Huntingfield, Blythling, Suffolk.

Joseph is now recorded as being born at Arley in Cheshire. Kenneth, aged 8, born at Hutton, Cumberland has been added to the family. Servants recorded are Kathleen Ransby, aged 14 born at Huntingfield and Alice Gissing, aged 14 born at Leiston, both in the county of Suffolk.

Following his education at Merchant Taylor’s School in the City of London, Bertram joined the army. He attested at Reading on the 19th of October 1899 as a Private in the 12th Lancers, and joined his regiment at Aldershot on the 23rd of that month, and was given the service number 4773.

He was transferred on the 1st of May 1900 (to the RRC? – indistinct on record), but was re-transferred back on the 23rd of February 1901.

He served at home until the 13th of March 1901 when he went to South Africa, serving through the remainder of the war there, before returning to the UK, to serve in Ireland, on the 27th of December of that year.

On the 17th of May, 1902 he was discharged as being medically unfit for further service.

His record gives his family address as Payne House, Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire and states that on leaving the service he was due £38 11/- and 3d plus a war gratuity of £5 and deferred pay of £3 but following deductions he was paid £19 15/- and 3d.

On the 11th of March, 1903, he was initiated into the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons with the Henley On Thames Branch.

According to lodge records, he had no profession but states that his home address was Turville. Bertram returned to South Africa on the 5th of October 1904, he sailed from Southampton to Cape Town on the Annadale Castle, a trip due to take forty nine days.

The shipping manifest records him as a farmer accompanied by a family member for whom no name or initial is given but he is noted as a Sergeant in the South African Infantry.

He arrived back in Britain on the Carisbrooke Castle on the 17th of May 1912, arriving at Southampton from Durban. His occupation is given as a mining engineer.

At a later date, he returned to South Africa and, following the outbreak of war, enlisted into the 12th Regiment, South African Infantry to fight in the seldom mentioned war against German forces in East Africa.

He fought in the Battle of Kondoa Irangi, 7th to the 10th of May 1916. By Western Front standards, the battle was on a small scale as South African Forces under Jan Smuts advanced into German East Africa.

At Kondoa, 3,000 allied troops were faced by 4,000 German and allied troops, and ended in a victory for the allies, although casualties were minimal, six allied and eighty five Germans being killed.

One of those who became a casualty was Bertram who succumbed to wounds on the 12th of May and is buried at Dar Es Salaam Cemetery, Tanzania, formerly Tanganyika), Bertram is remembered on his parental graves in Battle Cemetery. Joseph of Pembury House, Battle 23rd of January 1844 to the 20th of April 1924 and Mary 3rd of April 1841 to the 25th of September 1922.