An Appeal to descendants of Boer War soldiers
Researcher Robin Droogleever is keen to contact descendants or interested parties from associations such as history societies, family history groups or genealogical societies, who might be able to provide him with primary source material from lads who fought with one of the five squadrons of the 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles in the Boer War.
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These were the men who sailed on the steamships Aberdeen and Southern Cross to the war in South Africa in 1899 and 1900.
These were the men who fought at Klip Drift, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Poplar Grove, Abrahams Kraal, Osfontein and later acted as the van of Lord Roberts Grand Army that marched from Bloemfontein to Pretoria from April to June 1900.
They were to fight at Diamond Hill and then chase the Boer General Christiaan De Wet where they had epic engagements at Palmietfontein, Bothaville and Rensburg Drift where they captured one of De Wet’s artillery pieces which can be seen today in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
They served a year but many chose to return to South Africa with successive contingents.
They certainly enhanced the reputation of the Australian Mounted Infantryman and their history needs to be written for there is much to be proud of.
Men from the district known to have served with the 1NSWMR:
Parkes: Edward Coyle (E Sq); Roland Douglas (D Sq); Hugo Ferris (C Sq).
Cowra: Peter McKellar (D Sq); David Moore (C Sq).
Grenfell: Archie Fraser (B Sq); Fred Lee (E Sq); Henry McGrath (B Sq); Charles Patemen (B Sq); George Anderson (C Sq).
Young: Sidney Bird (B Sq); William Cranfield (D Sq); Albert Creech (E Sq); Patrick Drum (D Sq); Edward Hoffman (E Sq); Sidney McCann (E Sq); William Pearce (E Sq); Edward Phillips (D Sq); Harry Potter (E Sq); George Andrew (B Sq).
Eugowra: George Chesher (A Sq); Charles Marks (A Sq); Alfred Allen (A Sq).
Robin also intends to provide a small biography on every man who served in the five squadrons, all 666 of them.
So even if there is no memorabilia of South African service, personal information on the lads will be as valuable if a comprehensive biography is to be provided.
Please contact Robin Droogleever on email at jerwfd@optusnet.com.au or write to P.O.Box 42, Bulleen, Victoria, 3105.
His considerable work on Victorian contingents that served in the Boer War is well documented.
Al fresco dining platform doesn’t suit surrounding area
Dear Editor
While I’m all for more Al fresco dining, the new platform [at] Bellas is just plain ugly.
Apart from being an obvious traffic hazard it has no sympathy with the surrounding landscaping or paving.
It looks like a putt putt green gone mad.
Surely anyone viewing the design at council could see it is so incongrious with the surrounding area.
Conrad Mill, Parkes
Thumbs up
A double thumbs up for a farm stay.
It was a wonderful weekend at ‘Galwary’, Eugowra - two cottages.
We stayed at ‘The Stables’ – beautifully clean, warm and comfortable, lovely rural area. We’ll be back and can thoroughly recommend ‘Galwary’.
