Historic school documents show that former Hambleton School pupils fought in South Africa with the Yorkshire & Lancaster Regiment, namely: Private J. Barker; Private W. Dodsworth; Private W. Johnstone; Private G. Lightfoot; Privates A. & J. Milner. George Lightfoot joined the regiment in 1889 aged 19 years and his service number was 2528.
There were two Wars the Transvaal Rebellion in 1880-1881 and the second war between 1899 and 1902 is also known as the South African War. The republicans fighting the British became known as the Boers which was the Afrikaans and Dutch word for farmers. Whether the Hambleton soldiers where involved in one or both of the wars has yet to be discovered.