New Boer War Records

250,000 new Boer War records have been added to the Forces War Records database. These records contain data about members of the British and Commonwealth Forces who were issued campaign or gallantry medals during the second Anglo Boer War 1899-1902.

The Boer Wars in South Africa resulted from over a century of conflict between the British Empire and the Boers or farmers. Large numbers of British armed forces were engaged first in open warfare, and subsequently in a long and bitter guerrilla campaign which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902.

British military service records show high losses, with more than half caused by illness, especially typhoid fever, rather than enemy action. 22,000 British soldiers were killed, of which 35% died in battle, and the remaining 65% from disease. 78 Victoria Cross war medals were awarded to British and colonial soldiers for action during the Second Boer War.

Forces War Records is the definitive location for military genealogy records online. The database includes records from WW2, WW1, the Boer War, the Crimean War and beyond. It is the only online database with over 2.7 million military records of British Armed Forces personnel exclusively cross matched with over 4000 Regiments, Bases and Ships of the British Armed Forces going back to before 1350.