Private William Montgomery
Number: 9503
Company: 54th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion, First Contingent
ENLISTMENT
Date: 22 January 1900
Place: Belfast
Age: 20 years 3 months stated on first enlistment.
Trade or calling: Labourer
Place of birth: In the Parish of Luton, in or near the Town of Luton, in the County of Bedfordshire
Address: 24 Hopeton Street, Belfast
Family: Single. Father Robert Montgomery, mother Sarah Montgomery, of 24 Hopeton Street, Belfast.
Previous military service: Royal Irish Rifles (3/6 months)
Description: Height 5' 5". Complexion fresh, eyes brown, hair brown. Tattoo W Heart right forearm/ Tattoo Heart W Bird right forearm, Figure left forearm.
Religion: Wesleyan recorded on first enlistment. 'Other Protestant' on enlistment in the Sharpshooters.
ACTIVE SERVICE
Date to South Africa: 3 March 1900
Date home: 8 June 1901
Service medal, clasps and other awards: Queen's South Africa Medal; King's South Africa Medal. Cape Colony, Orange Free State, 1901, 1902 clasps.
DISCHARGE
Date: 15 June 1901
Place: Belfast
Reason for discharge: The termination of his engagement
Intended place of residence: 22 Clements Street, Belfast
Conduct: Very good
Special qualifications: Very good horseman and horsemaster
Montgomery was among the 400 men of the 13th Battalion captured by Boer forces at Lindley on 31 May 1900. He was released on 30 August with most of the other members of the battalion when the British captured Nooitgedacht.
On 16 September 1901, three months after his return home, he married English-born Ellen Jane Beattie in the Wesley Centenary Church, Bangor, Co Down. He recorded his occupation as a grocer, and his address as Castle Street, Bangor.
Just two days later he enlisted at Belfast in the 15th (Sharpshooters) Company, 25th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry (No.9503), embarking for South Africa on 19 October. On 16 August 1902 he was awarded 14 days' hard labour - the offence was not recorded on his service file. He returned home on 31 August and was discharged at Belfast on 7 September.
At the time of the 1911 Census he and his wife were living at 42 Penrith Street, Belfast, with their 5 children (another had died), and was working as a carter.
He served in World War 1 as a Rifleman in the Royal Irish Rifles.
This page last updated 12 August 2026.