Joseph
Heywood
aged 23 Pte St John Ambulance Brigade, died at Estcourt 25th
August 1900
born in Carlisle 1877 to Thomas & Margaret Heywood, in 1891 the family were living at Brewery Lane, Keswick Joe was an apprentice printer.
St John Ambulance aimed to provide trained reserves for army hospitals. Its first official role was in the South African (or Boer) war, 1899-1902, when nearly a quarter of the Army Medical Service in South Africa were St John Reserves, acting as medical orderlies.
Book of
Remembrance, St George's Cathedral, Cape Town
This
illuminated work contains the names of 27,000 officers and men
who died during the South African War (1899-1902). Eighty-two
names are shown under the heading 'Volunteer Ambulances' and the
remark, 'St John Ambulance Brigade', is appended to 63 of the
names. Rank is indicated, but apart from the initials, no other
details are provided.