Private William Holt
Number: 9564
Company: 54th (Ulster) Company, 13th Battalion, First Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 1 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 22 years (born as Albert William Holt, on 2 September 1877 at Newtownbutler)
Trade or calling: Grocer's assistant
Place of birth: In the Parish of Newtownbutler, in or near the Town of Newtownbutler, in the County of Fermanagh
Address: 48 Canal Street, Newry
Family: Single. Mother Susan Reid (formerly Holt, nee Thompson), of Canal Street, Newry. Father Samuel Holt (dec.), railway inspector.
Previous military service: No
Description: Height 5' 9 3/4". Complexion fresh, eyes blue, hair fair. Scar left arm; (?) snake(?) left forearm; four moles left forearm; scar right shin.
Religion: Church of England
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 3 March 1900
Date home: 9 July 1901
Actions: Bethulie, Dewetsdorp, Lindley
Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 1901 clasps.
DISCHARGE
Date: 8 August 1901
Place: United Kingdom
Reason for discharge: At his own request
Holt was among the 400 men captured by Boer forces at Lindley on 31 May 1900. Five days later he was one of 24 men too sick or injured to travel any further who were left in a temporary hospital at Reitz - he was suffering from dysentery. He was mentioned in a letter written home by fellow Yeoman William Cleland on 12 June from Vrede:
Dear Mother,-- I hope you are quite well. I am well at present. I suppose you have heard ere this of the 13th Battalion being captured at Lindley. McConnell is here; he is well. Holt is at Reitz. All the Newry men are safe, excepting poor Tom Walker, who was shot. We are well treated by the Dutch. -- Your loving son, Wm J. Cleland.
All the men at Reitz, including Holt, were released on 7 July when the town was captured by the British.
On 30 August 1900 the Northern Whig publish a letter written by Holt to his mother:
Krugersdorp, near Johannesburg, 31st July, 1900.
My Dear Mother,-- I'm sure you will be surprised to get this letter from me. You see I am still in the land of the living, and am thankful to say free once more. Of course you know all about our being taken prisoners at Lindley on the 31st May, but we had a stiff fight before we gave in. We fought for four days on hardly any food. I had only one biscuit all the time. Poor Tom Walker, of Newry, got shot in the head with an explosive bullet, and one of our fellows had seven shots in the stomach. I had my horse shot the first day, but I did not get a scratch myself. The Boers took us up country, but I had to be left at Reitz, as I had contracted enteric fever very badly. I was in their hospital for six weeks, but, thanks to my strong constitution, I am now all right. When I was convalescent we had a visit from President Steyn, who shook hands with us, and inquired if we were comfortable. Since being released I have been attached to the 19th (Edinburgh Company) Imperial Yeomen, until I can rejoin my own company. The details of several other regiments are also in this company. The 9th and 17th Lancers, Australian Horse, &c., are here, so we are well mixed up. The C.I.V. are also encamped with us. Fever is still raging here; as many as thirty are dying in one day. I saw eleven poor fellows buried within a few hours. We are encamped on the sport where Dr. Jameson and his men fought the Boers a few years ago. There is a large monument erected in this town to commemorate Majuba Hill, but it is to be blown up soon by our troops. They have not captured De Wet yet; he is as slippery as an eel. I have not seen Jim Cleland or any of the Newry fellows since we were taken prisoners, but hope to see them all released very soon. I have not got a single letter since I left Capetown, and am longing to hear from home. However, I hope to get some soon, as they must be lying somewhere for me. Write soon to same address. - Hoping yourself and all are well, your loving son, WILLIE.
He later returned to South Africa, serving as a Private in the Cape Police (No.1108). The caption to the image above reads:
William Holt, late Irish Yeomanry, and now on the Cape Mounted Police, was the recipient of a handsome present from a few friends prior to his leaving Newry for South Africa last month.
First Image from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, 13 September 1901. Second image from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, 7 June 1900.
This page last updated 7 August 2026.