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The following PDFs have been generated from Major W T Reay's 1900 'Australians in War: With the Australian Regiment from Melbourne to Bloemfontein'.

The 85 chapters that comprise the book have been divided into block of roughly five chapters each.

Individiual block sizes vary between 230K and 940K.  Note that a few pages were not scanned correctly and appear only as partial pages.

All the PDFs are searchable from the main site search function.

Introduction pdficon_large
Chapters 1 to 5. 

Chapter I. Organisation and Embarkation. Chapter II. L' Affaire Cameron—Showing the Need of Federal Law. Chapter III. Doings at Adelaide—The South Australian Company-Colonel Hoad Joins the Medic. Chapter IV. Westward Ho—Some of the Men on Board—The Western Australians Embark. Chapter V. Voyage of the Medic—All Hands Vaccinated—Work on Board Ship—Development of the Soldier

 

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Chapters 6 to 9. 

Chapter VI. The Farmer's Boy—How He Came to Volunteer. Chapter VII. “Long Ned"—He Fought When a Boy—The Spirit of Our Race Lives in Him. Chapter VIII. Kruger—Not the Transvaal President—A Prophetic Interview. Chapter IX. Arrival at Cape Town—Sir Alfred Milner Inspects—Australian Regiment Formed

 

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Chapters 10 to 15. 

Chapter X. Re-equipment of the Regiment—The Order to Move—To Join the Kimberley Relief Force. Chapter XI. At De Aar—The Ambulance Trains—Boer Prisoners. Chapter XII. At Orange River-Camp Life There—In the Presence of the Enemy. Chapter XIII. Still at Orange River—The Wounded and Their Wounds-Talk with the Boers—Work of New South Wales Lancers. Chapter XIV. March to Belmont—Some Trying Work—What the Boer Had Been Doing. Chapter XV. Belmont Battlefield—Grim Relics—At Thomas's Farm

 

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Chapters 16 to 20.  

Chapter XVI. Forward Again—March to Enslin—Roberts has an Adventure—Beginning of Magersfontein. Chapter XVII. The Battle of Magersfontein—Some of the Details—How the Highlanders Suffered. Chapter XVIII. The Aftermath of the Brattle—Treatment of the Wounded—The Highland Brigade Buries its Dead. Chapter XIX. A New South Wales Company—Highlanders at Enslin—Something about Rations—State of the Regiment. Chapter XX. Our First Shot—The Rimington Guides—Ethics of Commandeering

 

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Chapters 21 to 25. 

Chapter XXI. Trip to Orange River—A Sleeping Giant—Christmas Approaches—Letters from Home. Chapter XXII. Some Victorian Officers—They Visit Enslin Camp—"Little Bobs" Announced. Chapter XXIII. Christmas Day at Enslin—Message from the Queen-Australasians in Cape Town.   Chapter XXIV. New Year's Day Doings—A Hunt for the Rebels—The Queen's Chocolate—Lord Hopetoun Remembers Victorians. Chapter XXV. Queensland to the Fore—The Battle of Sunnysides

 

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Chapters 26 to 29.   

Chapter XXVI. First Invasion of the Free State—A Reconnaissance-Victorian Mounted Rifles Lead—The Camp Alarmed. Chapter XXVII. Suggestion of Mounted Work—An Imaginative Guide-Grim Discovery on the Veldt—Misused Horses-Ruined Homes. Chapter XXVIII. A Day at Modder River- Lord Methuen—The Correspondents' Island. Chapter XXIX. The 12th Lancers Reinforce—The Earl of Airlie-How Officers Dressed

 

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Chapters 30 to 34. 

Chapter XXX. Sentiments of the Enemy—A Dutch Lawyer—Religious, but "Slim".  Chapter XXXI. Frequent Alarms—Regiment to be Mounted—A Chat with Hector Macdonald—Shoddy Boots for the Army. Chapter XXXII. Demonstration in the Rebel Country—First Man Wounded—Work of the Mounted Rifles. Chapter XXXIII. Ordered to Naauwpoort—General Kelly-Kenny—Mounting the Infantry—M'Leish’s Company Rejoins. Chapter XXXIV. On to Rensburg—General French Inspects—The Regiment Divided—Outpost Positions

 

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Chapters 35 to 37. 

Chapter XXXV. Under Shell Fire—Westralians in Action—Heroic Acts-Maxim Gun Positions. Chapter XXXVI. Hot Day at Jasfontein—Tasmanians Get Their First Fight—Some Wonderful Escapes. Chapter XXXVII. Work of the Support—The General Retirement—A Post Cut Off—Two Men Killed.

 

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Chapters 38 to 40. 

Chapter XXXVIII. The Fall of Mr. Lambie—Visit to the Boer Laager-General De la Rey—Talks with the Boers—Last Honours to a Comrade. Chapter XXXIX. Westralians Again—A Fine Piece of Work—Kruger Distinguishes Himself—The Brave Conway Killed. Chapter XL. Hot Work on the Left—Outposts Rushed—The Victorians Engaged—Grant, Suttie, and Willson Killed

 

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Chapters 41 to 44. 

Chapter XLI. The Pink Hill Fight—Major Eddy Killed—Other Brave Men Fall—A Glorious but Terrible Day. Chapter XLII. After the Battle—Captain Hopkins's Narrative—Tremearne's Experiences—Sergeant Patterson. Chapter XLIII. The General’s Commendation—How Horseholders Suffered—Wounded Men's Experiences. Chapter XLIV. The Retreat from Rensburg—A Movement Just in Time-Fighting in the Morning—Two Companies Cut off

 

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Chapters 45 to 48. 

Chapter XLV. A Ride to Naauwpoort—Horse-thieves Score—Second Victorians at Hanover Road. Chapter XLVI. Back at Arundel—A Reconnaissance—A Quiet Sunday. Chapter XLVII. The Enemy Very Active—The Siege of Arundel—Hard Fighting All Around. Chapter XLVIII. Some Details of the Fighting—Work of the Respective Forces—Sensational Individual Experiences

 

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Chapters 49 to 52. 

Chapter XLIX. Much Desultory Fighting—A South Australian Killed— Visit from Lord Kitchener—A Wet Time. Chapter L. Fighting All Along the Front—The Boers Hold Their Own—An Intrepid Messenger—Cameron Taken Prisoner. Chapter LI. Work of Westralians—A Voice In the Night—New South Wales Company's Operations. Chapter LII. Hot Corner for the P.A.G.’s—The Brave Surgeon Hopkins- Ambulance Out All Night—The Art of Drawing Fire

 

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Chapters 53 to 55. 

Chapter LIII. The Boers Fall Back—Advance of Clements's Column- Relief of Colesberg—A Great Day for an Emancipated Town. Chapter LIV. Colesberg Under Boer Rule—How the British Fared— Mr. Robertson's “Show" Room—Partiality of British Bullets. Chapter LV. How the Troops were Distributed—A Story of Treachery- More About Colesberg

 

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Chapters 56 to 60. 

Chapter LVI. Our Dead on Pink Hill—They Had Not Been Buried—Funeral Sunday—Last Honours to Brave Comrades. Chapter LVII. Refugees Come Back—British Rule Again In Colesberg—Only the Rebels Downcast. Chapter LVIII. Adventures of Westralians—Movements of the Australians—A Sharp Engagement.  Chapter LIX. A General Advance—More Smart Work—On to Norval’s Pont—Lieutenant Holmes Holds the Front—First on to the Broken Bridge. Chapter LX. Value of Australian Work—The General's Idea of It-Disgraceful Looting

 

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Chapters 61 to 65. 

Chapter LXI. Sergeant Hennessy Scores Again—Royal Irish and South Australians—His Name is Norval. Chapter LXII. With Shot and Shell—Searching the Boer Positions—A Remarkable Day—A Brave Foeman—Squires Swims the Dark Stream. Chapter LXIII. Starving the Outposts—Individual Experiences—"Bravo, Victorians!". Chapter LXIV. The Second Victorians—Pests of Modern Armies—The "Boy" Makes an Arrest—When Sniper Meets Sniper. Chapter LXV. Into the Free State—River Crossed at Daylight—Building the Pontoon Bridge—Exciting but Bloodless Experiences

 

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Chapters 66 to 69. 

Chapter LXVI. Death of Captain Salmon—Sergeant Hensman Succumbs—Attitude of the Free Staters—Adventures of Westralians. Chapter LXVII. Forward Again—An Impression March—The Free State Farms—Arrival at Philippolis. Chapter LXVIII. At Philippolis—General Grobler Interviewed—Clements Makes Formal Entry—The Dutch who Submitted—Interesting Ceremonies—Some Wet Campaigning. Chapter LXIX. Our Troops March Through—Sunday in Philippolis—A Fight for the Flag.

 

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Chapters 70 to 74.   

Chapter LXX. Foraging for Extras—Pastor Fraser—Religious, but Business-like—Dr. Krause—They Wanted the General. Chapter LXXI. A Ride with the Parson—We Visit Several Farms—On to Fauresmith—We Occupy the Town. Chapter LXXII. At Jagersfontein—The British Entry—South Australian Work—Legislator Beddy—Philip Drunk and Philip Sober. Chapter LXXIII. Death of Captain Hopkins—More of Sergeant Grant. Chapter LXXIV. The Column Moves On—The March Northward—A Visit to Petrusburg

 

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Chapters 75 to 79.

Chapter LXXV. The March Completed—Arrival at Bloemfontein—Clements's Column Dispersed—Work of the Flying Column—Situation at Koffyfontein. Chapter LXXVI. A New Brigade Formed—General Hutton on the Scene- Australian Regiment Dissolved—Consequential Arrangements—Colonel Hoad's Farewell. Chapter LXXVII. The Organisation—How the Posts Went—Some of the Details—Colonial Officers' Treatment—A Question of Fairness. Chapter LXXVIII. Colonel Umphelby—How He Fought and Died—His Last Chance for Life—It was Cruelly Sacrificed. Chapter LXXIX. Major Cameron—How He was Captured—He Saved the Guns—"Abandoned" by the Enemy

 

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Chapters 80 to 85. 

Chapter LXXX. Our Naval Representative—Fine Work by Colquhoun—Some of His Doings—How He Repaired the Guns. Chapter LXXXI. Gunner Johnston—His Work with the Artillery—"Australia" Uses His Chance—His Account of Paardeberg—"Simply Hell on Earth". Chapter LXXXII. Arrival of Captain Bruche—The March from Norval’s Pont—They Remembered the Sabbath—Prices at Bloemfontein—Victims of Typhoid Fever. Chapter LXXXIII. Easter Day in Camp—The Drum Head Service—General Ian Hamilton's Inspection—" Where Do You Come From? Chapter LXXXIV. Second South Australians—Discomforts of the Australian Camp—Questions of Seniority—Military Police Force—A Kipling Poem. Chapter LXXXV. The Order to Advance—Captain Nethercote—Chat with General Hutton—Good-bye

 

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Appendices. 

Appendix I. First Federal Regiment Appendix II. Martial Law Appendix III. Australian Horse Appendix IV. The Army Ration Appendix V. Cape Dutch Appendix VI. The Victorian Losses

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Parent Category: Books
Category: Reay: Australians in War
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