Harold (James) Kemp - WW1 Veteran

Armistice day 2018 - 100 years since the end of WW1

My father was 68 when I was born, he was Harold James Kemp born in 1896 in England (I think), he moved to South Africa between 1911 and 1914 as he fought in the 1st World War on the South African Infantry side, I guess because South Africa was a British Colony after the Anglo Boer war, it would have been very easy for British people to emigrate to South Africa in those days.

According to the Military records that I acquired from the South African Military record department in Pretoria, he first signed up for the Military in 1914 (24.10.1914), his military record says, he was enrolled as a Trooper in Regiment No4 Troop - and then on the 16.11.1914 was transferred to the Machine Gun Section.

Date Month Year Date Comments: 24 10 1914 16.11.1914 Pte #159 1st Military Rifles Enrolment 17 11 1914 23.6.1915 Pte #131  1st Military Machine Guns 23 6 1915 4 7 1917 Left Zomba for Union  16 7 1917 Arrived at Potchefstroom Military Hospital  18 7 1917 Pochefstroom Military Hospital - Malaria 19 7 1917 Pochefstroom Military Hospital - Malaria 27 7 1917 Robert Heights Nr 4 Gen Hospital - Malaria 8 9 1917 Robert Heights Nr 4 Gen Hospital - Malaria 10 09 1917 9.10.1917 Granted leave  26 09 1917 Taken on Strength 9 10 1917 Discharged at Roberts Heights -Permanently unfit for service in G.E.A. Address c/o  Mrs Hall 135a Jules Street, Johannesburg 17 10 1917 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen 25 10 1917 Reported in from Hospital 26 10 1917 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen - Discharged to duty.  17 11 1917 Acting Corporal 02 12 1917 Left Roberts Heights (Voortrekker Hoogte) for Beira (Mozambique)  on route to Nyasaland (Malawi) 14 12 1917 Ceased to hold acting rank 16 1 1918 Left Zomba for Union  16 2 1918 Left Zomba(Malawi) and was admitted to Hospital 17 02 1918 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen 07 03 1918 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen 13 03 1918 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen 16 03 1918 15.04.1918 Granted leave E. London 04 04 1918 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen - Eyesight 15 04 1918 Failed to report at Robert Heights after expiration of leave 17 04 1918 Returned to Duty 17 04 1918 Reported in from Hospital  24 4 1918 Left Roberts Heights (Voortrekker Hoogte) for Beira (Mozambique)  on route to Nyasaland (Malawi) by sail 21 05 1918 Left for Fort Johnstone  24 05 1918 Reported into camp (Zomba) from Fort Johnstone (Malawi)  26 05 1918 Left for Fort Johnstone  27 05 1918 Left for Fort Johnstone  30 05 1918 Reported into camp (Zomba) from Fort Johnstone (Malawi)  31 05 1918 Left for Fort Johnstone  15 07 1918 Arrived at Zombafrom Fort Johnston 15 07 1918 Reported into camp (Zomba) from Fort Johnstone (Malawi)  17 07 1918 Left for Duty Fort Johnstone 09 08 1918 Appointed Mechanic - Zomba 28 09 1918 Reported into camp (Zomba) from Fort Johnstone (Malawi)  30 09 1918 Arrived in Zombafrom Fort Johnstone 14 10 1918 Reported into camp (Zomba) from Fort Johnstone (Malawi)  03 12 1918 Left Zomba (Malawi) for Salsbury (Rhodesia) on Special Duty 08 12 1918 Arrived in Zomba ex Limbe 10 01 1919 Left Limbe (Malawi) 18 01 1919 Arrived Roberts Heights 22 01 1919 Declared an Absentee 28 01 1919 Returned 29 01 1919 Disability / Casualty - Roberts Heights Nr. 4 Gen - Malaria 30 01 1919 Declared an Absentee - Address Hamma House Buenos Aires 02 02 1919 Declared an Absentee - Address Hamma House Buenos Aires 15 02 1919 Robert Heights - Nr 4 Gen Hospital Discharged 30 days under "C" 15 2 1919 Arrived at Phe and Eaton 17 02 1919 Decared an absentee - Discharged 17 2 1919 16.04.1919 Dischared on demobilization and granted leave - Destination Cape Town 16 04 1919 Discharged at Roberts Heights on Demob - Address Poste Restante Cape Town 20 2 1922 Poste Restante Durban

This photo was taken in Zomba, Nyasaland (current day Malawi) in 1917 - He is the man in the middle.

After the WW1 he married his 1st wife in 1919 and they had a daughter in May, 1920, sometime in the 1920's he moved to Australia, I am not sure how long he was in Australia for but then moved back to South Africa at some stage. Him and his wife Grace Caroline Kemp (nee Metcalfe) divorce in 1947. He then remarried to an ELUNED KEMP (BORN RAYNER), and they divorced in 1956 when he married my mother Ann Kemp (Born Anna Johanna Marais), they married in December, 1956 in Mbabane Swaziland, and were together up until his death in 1991.

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