THIS PAGE IS PART OF THE DEFENDING VICTORIA WEBSITE 
BOER WAR
Enrolled at Cape Town: 26 November
1899
Commanding Officer: Colonel J. C. Hoad, Victoria (27 Nov. 1899 -- 7 April
1900)
2 IC: Major
G. A. Eddy, Victoria (Killed in Action, 12 February 1900,
Rensburg)
1 Company Mounted Rifles,
Victoria
1 Company Infantry,
Victoria
1 Company Infantry, South
Australia
1 Company Infantry, Western
Australia
1 Company Infantry,
Tasmania
1 Company Infantry,
NSW
Strength of Regiment: 716, and 3 Maxim
guns
This was the first time a Regiment was
formed for active service
comprising troops representing most of
the Colonies of Australia.
Colonel John Hoad,
CO 1st Australian Regt.
Victorian Mounted Rifles entraining for the front at Cape Town under
Table
Mountain. This unit formed the core of the pre-Federation 1st
Australian
Regiment which included nearly all the Australian Colonial forces then
in
South Africa.
Victorians killed in action
At Jasfontein, 9 February
1900
William J.
Lambie, Senior Military Correspondent
Melbourne Age, attached to the
Regiment
At Rensburg, 10 February
1900
No. 2 Sgt. N
Grant
No. 74 Pte A. H.
Willson
|
Sergeant Neil Grant died from bullet wounds in the chest.
Trooper A.H. Willson, quick to go to his aid, was killed
instantly as he bent over the wounded man.
Grant was shot by a young boy using a sporting rifle, the
weight of the Mauser being too much for him. The second
shot came from the boy's father who shot Willson in the
head. Within full view of the parent a Dragoon then shot
the son dead. The immediate reaction of grief and dismay
of the father caused him to bound from cover to his feet
completely oblivious to his danger. In a matter of seconds
he fell riddled with bullets from every Lee Metford levelled
at him.
SOURCE: Wallace R.L.: The Australians at the Boer War: AWM
& AGPS: Canberra: 1976: p.111. |
At Rensburg, 12 February
1900
Major G. A.
Eddy
No 4 Cpl. A.
Ross
No. 55 Pte C. E.
Williams
No. 89 Pte T.
Stock
Major Eddy, while retiring
with his men at Rensburg, brought them forward again to
cover the retreat of the 2nd Bn. Wiltshire Regiment and
was killed. He was born at Castlemaine, Victoria, in 1860.
Photo kindly provided by Rob
Drooglever.
READ a full account
of this battle by a Boer prisoner.
Victorians -- Died of Wounds
Wounded at Bastard's Nek, 10 February
1900
No. 88 Pte F. Suttie (Taken prisoner:
d. 12 February 1900, Boer Hospital, Rensburg)
Wounded at Rensburg, 12 February
1900
Lieut. J. C. Roberts (d. 13 February
1900, Rensburg)
Victorians -- Other Deaths
No. 43 Pte A. E. Coulson (Enteric
fever, De Aar, 26 February 1900)
Capt. R. W. Salmon (Enteric fever, 16
March 1900, Naauwpoort)
Medical Staff W. F. Hopkins (Enteric
fever, 27 March 1900, Naauwpoort)
(Enteric fever =
typhoid)
Victorians -- Wounded in
Action
No. 33 Pte. W. J. Burrows (Taken
prisoner: Rensburg, 10 February 1900)
No. 70 Pte Gifford (Taken prisoner:
Rensburg 10 February 1900)
Capt. T. N. McInerney (Taken prisoner:
Rensburg, 12 February 1900)
Lieut. A. J. N. Tremearne (Taken
prisoner then released, Rensburg, 12 February 1900)
No. 98 Sgt. R. J. Byers (Taken
prisoner, Rensburg, 12 February, 1900)
No. 57 Cpl. D. H. McCauley (Rensburg,
12 February 1900)
No. 37 Pte F. Michel (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 35 Pte W. Gamble (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 43 Pte M. W. Hagon (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 51 Pte J. T. Elmes (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 49 Pte L. M. Inglis (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 56 Pte F. W. Wallace (Rensburg (12
February 1900)
No. 61 Pte W. G. Williamson (Rensburg,
12 February 1900)
No. 64 Pte A. Lawdorn (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 78 Pte J. McCance (Taken prisoner,
Rensburg, 12 Februry 1900)
No. 80 Pte F. M. Meagher (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 85 Pte T. J. Maxwell (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 87 Pte W. Standford (Taken
prisoner, Rensburg, 12 February 1900)
No. 90 Pte H. Bush (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 97 Pte H. J. Colley (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
No. 100 Pte R. Roberts (Taken prisoner,
Rensburg, 12 February 1900)
No. 108 Pte P. Falla (Rooipan, 22
January 1900)
No. 112 Pte S. W. Edwards* (Rensburg,
12 February 1900)
No. 114 Pte S. G. Hamilton (Rensburg,
12 February 1900)
No. 117 Pte E. Peters (Rensburg, 12
February 1900)
________
|
* Sam Edwards returned to
South Africa and eventually,
after a failed gold/diamond mining venture
joined the
Police Force in Cape Town. A professional
attachment
which ultimately led to his membership of the
Provosts
Corps following a stint on Gallipoli with the
Sixth Batt-
alion, AIF. Information supplied by his proud
grandson
Alan Savage.
|
_________
Victorians -- Other
Casualties
No. 69 L/Cpl E. Mawley (Taken prisoner,
Rensburg, 12 February 1900)
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