The South African
R Barnsley
“Dear Sir,
“I have just received a copy of the first issue of your excellent Journal from my old friend and war-time colleague Major-General Orenstein and I feel I must send you a few lines of congratulations. I have many memories of my happy relationship with the SAMC and, if memory serves, I was able to send your Museum a small contribution some years ago.
“The article on the Medical Services on page 24 had a very special interest. Some ten years ago a Hampshire farmer told us of an old vehicle which he had purchased at a sale of old army stores soon after the first world war and which he had been using for general farmyard purposes. As this had the appearance of an ambulance wagon he was good enough to present it to our museum.
“After we had had it cleaned up and renovated it appeared to be a wagon of a type I had not come across during the first world war and we began to wonder whether it might have been an old relic of the South African War which had been pressed into service.
“The picture which appears on page 24, Vol. 1, No. 1, certainly appears to confirm this.
“I enclose a photograph of our vehicle and we should all be very interested to have your opinion as to whether the ambulance is, indeed, a relic of the South African War.
Looking forward to seeing further issues of your Journal.”
On the left is the ambulance wagon which is the subject of Maj.-Gen. R. E. Barnsley’s letter.
The wagon on the right is a German Dispensary Wagon bearing the date 1863 and used in the 1914-18 war.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Any information from readers which might lead to positive identification of this wagon would be welcomed.
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