Description
Queen’s South Africa Medal, 5 bars, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, SA 1901, SA 1902, 31114 Pte Frank Warder, Metropolitan Mounted Rifles, 97th Company Imperial Yeomanry.
Officially impressed: “31114 Pte F. Warder. 97th Coy Imp: Yeo.”
Frank Warder was a local volunteer, a 21 year old from Bayswater, London. He worked as a Fruiterer with his father.
During the Boer War he attested for service from the 4th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers for Active Service in South Africa with the Metropolitan Mounted Rifles, Imperial Yeomanry on 26th February 1901 at Penton Street, Islington.
He saw service in South Africa between 12th April 1901 and 31st August 1902.
Discharged after returning home on 7th September 1902.
After the war he married Flora (born 1872) and moved to New Zealand to continue his work as a Grocer, it appears she was from New Zealand.
Shown in 1917 as living in Brougham Avenue, Wellington, New Zealand and a member of the New Zealand Army Reserve, but was likely not brought up for active service.
When he came to New Zealand he continued his profession as a Grocer, he was a regular advertiser in the local papers, an advert appears in the Dominion Newspaper, 30th September 1918:
“Dear Madam – Never lose an opportunity of expressing your appreciation of Mr F. Warder, Grocer, Courtenay Place, for his enthusiasm, tact, and ability in selling Golden Rule Soap, Golden Rule Candles, Keep Smiling Sandsoap and the famous No Rubbing Laundry Help.”
Evening post 29th July 1937, shows him as present at the South African Veterans Conference in Wellington New Zealand.
He died on 10th September 1955 and is now buried in Old Levin Cemetery, Horonwhenua District, Manawatu-Whanganui, New Zealand.
His gravestone reads: “31114 Lieut F. Warder, Imperial Yeomanry, Died 10-9-1955 Aged 76 years.”
He was clearly very proud of his service in the Boer War as he had his number rank and unit placed on his gravestone over 50 years later, however we could not trace him as a Lieutenant, possibly he held this rank in New Zealand.
In his retirement he did a lot of travelling back and forth, and went on a long motor tour of England and Scotland during 1948, writing home to Lower Hutt, New Zealand about the detrimental effects of the war on Britain.
Hutt News, 14th January 1948:
“CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND, PEOPLE REALLY HUNGRY
A HUTT RESIDENT’S EXPERIENCE
Writing from Childwall, Liverpool, England, under date December 12, Mr and Mrs Frank Warder, of Lower Hutt, say:
“"We have travelled a great deal in Scotland and England. We Enjoyed a motor tour of England and were thrilled with the autumn countryside. The trees were beautiful, the colours ranging from a bright scarlet to golden-brown of the beech leaves, mingled with holly berries. We liked the quaint old John Knox architecture of the houses and villages, particularly Eton. We think it was marvellous. Likewise old world Chester. We wandered through the old cathedral and the Roman Wall that goes right through the city, the River Dee running past.
"Conditions are terrible here and are likely to get worse instead of better. The people are really hungry. We have never seen so many under nourished children and older people. Their growth seems stunted for the want of food. There is plenty of a kind, but all on points and it takes so many points for one tin of meat' that people just have to leave it in the shops. The meat question is drastic. We have a taste of meat, and only a taste, once a week. Liver pool is worse for meat than London was. We seemed to get more there.
Britain in Grave Plight
"The sales tax put on to all the goods has made it very difficult for the people, and most of the shops are empty. People do not seem to have the money to buy or the coupons. Britain is in a very grave plight and we are afraid it will take a long time to straighten everything out. It is a very different country now from what we left. Apart from all that, we have enjoyed the tour and seeing all the places of interest. We hope to be home about Easter, coming home by Canada.
"It probably would be news to the Hutt Valley High School old pupils to know that Joyce
