Saddler Daniel McCarron
Number: 11088
Company: 60th (North Irish Horse) Company (Belfast), 17th Battalion, First Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 2 April 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 21 years 2 months
Trade of calling: Saddler
Place of birth: In the Parish of __, in or near the Town of Londonderry, in the County of Londonderry.
Family: Father Daniel McCarron, cooper, mother Catherine McCarron (nee McNamara), of 49 Waterloo Street, Londonderry.
Previous military service: No
Description: Height 5' 6 1/4". Complexion pale, eyes brown, hair black and grey. Tattoo mark left forearm. Scar left hand and dot right hand. Scar right thigh. Scar right knee. Cataract of left eye.
Religion: Roman Catholic
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 5 April 1900
Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal. Rhodesia clasp.
DEATH
Date: 5 June 1900
Place: Umtali (Mutare)
Cause: Dysentery/ malaria
Buried/ commemorated: Umtali Cemetery
McCarron's death was referred to in a letter home from Private John Whiteside:
We have very bad drinking water. Most of the water is full of malaria germs. I am sorry to say we lost one man, our saddler, a very jolly chap, Dan McCannon. He died and was buried with full military honours, the last post being sounded and three volleys fired. The body was brought to the grave on a gun-carriage, covered with a Union Jack.
He was also mentioned in Sharrad H. Gilbert's, Rhodesia - And After: Being the Story of the 17th and 18th Battalions of the Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa, 1901:
The evils of Bamboo Creek did not spare the Irish Squadrons, and they had not been encamped at that place many days before half the men were in the fell grip of dysentery and fever, the fatal effects of which were shown a little later in the Umtali hospitals. Six young lives were claimed as the dread toll for their stay in the Portuguese swamps. - Trooper McCarron of the 60th and Troopers Franklin, Stone and McCann of the 61st died at Umtali; while Troopers Walters and McNally of the 60th were invalided, but died on their way home.
This page last updated 24 February 2025.