TOPIC:

New South Wales provided two contingents of Bushmen, totalling some 333 men.


Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

Described as:

FAMILY GROUP:

Father.

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901. Capt. H.Le Mesurier, N.S.W. Bushmen. Impressed. Type 2 reverse with faint trace of ghost dates.

Son.

[ QSA ]
Colonial Meritorious Service Medal (Natal) (EVIIR (unnamed));
Natal Medal 1907, - clasp - 1906, with unofficial MID emblem. (Tpr: H.G.Le Mesurier, Natal "Mtd". Rifles)

Together with NMR (Natal Mounted Rifles) metal title.

Captain Haviland Le Mesurier Royal Aust Arty was adjutant for the Imperial Bushmen; contingent comprised 40 officers and 722 other ranks; Emb.23Apr1900; to Lieutenant Colonel and commanded regiment 12Nov1900 to July 1901; RTA 23Jun1901; Disemb.17Jul1901 at Sydney, NSW; Lieutenant Colonel Le Mesurier commanding officer 8th Bn Aust Commonwealth Horse; contingent comprised 13 officers and 232 other ranks; Emb.26May1902; RTA 01Jul1902; Disemb.24Jul1902 at South Australia; Disbanded 09Aug1902.

In 1903 Lieutenant Colonel took up duties as Assistant Adjutant General for artillery at Melbourne temporarily. He also served as State Commandant of Western Australian forces. In 1910 Lieutenant Colonel H. Le Mesurier (A. and I. Staff) was selected as one of the officers to attend a course of instruction at Sydney University. Also in 1910 he was appointed commandant of the South Australian military forces and not long after appointed Colonel. He died at the age of 57 after a protracted illness and was laid to rest in a massive ceremony at the West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia on 26 November 1913. The size the ceremony demonstrated the high regard in which the late Commandant was held by all ranks.

During the visit to Western Australia in November 1908 of His Excellency the Governor-General, the opportunity was taken to present several decorations and medals to various members of the Commonwealth military forces. The occasion was held at Government House. One recipient was Sergeant H. Le Mesurier (late Natal Mounted Rifles) who received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Natal Medal and clasp 1906 (Zulu Rebellion, 1906).

Sergeant H. Le Mesurier, son of the W.A. Commandant (Lieut-Colonel Le Mesurier), served in the South African campaign with the Natal Police (Queen's South Africa Medal and clasps). During the Zululand Rebellion of 1906 he served as a trooper in the Natal Mounted Rifles. Whilst with them he volunteered to ride, and subsequently rode, up the face of Knobkerrie Hill, in order to draw the fire of the rebels, locate their position, and indicate to the column a path by which to scale the kopje. On completing his duty he rejoined his column under a heavy fusillade of assegais (spear) and bullets. For this "plucky and meritorious act", as it was described in General Orders, Private Le Mesurier was, the same day, promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and recommended for the Meritorious Service Medal. This medal the Governor-General pinned on Sergeant Le Mesurier's tunic in the name of H.M. the King, wishing him at the same time a long life to wear it. His Excellency also presented him with the Natal Medal and clasp, 1906.

With research including a full account of Colonel H. Le Meseurier's funeral.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal (444. Cpl. MC William C.B.C.);
KSA (2) (440 Serjt. T.M.McWilliam N.S.W.I.B.)

Both medals engraved with the lettering black filled on second medal and this medal renamed.

444 Trooper Thomas Morris McWilliams, NSW Citizen's Bushmen confirmed on nominal roll.

440 Sgt Thomas Morris McWilliams, 3rd Contingent NSW Imperial Bushmen confirmed on nominal roll.
Note: Both surnames have an S erroneously added at the end.

Thomas Morris McWilliam died at Melbourne, Victoria on 15 April 1933 at the age of 79. An obituary published in the Dungong Chronicle on Tuesday 15 August 1933, page 1, reads as follows.

'An old identity of Dungog passed away recently in the person of Thomas Morris McWilliam, who died on 15th April, and was interred privately at Fawkner cemetery, Melbourne. Deceased spent his boyhood and early youth, and intermittent years afterwards, at Dungog, where his father Thomas McWilliam (a Glasgow University man) and his uncle Peter McWilliam were engaged in business. Born at Balmain in 1854, the gold fever seems to have entered his blood, and never left it, so that we find him working in the mines and prospecting for gold in all the States of the Commonwealth, including West Australia from which territory he returned sure of its mineral richness years before the discovery of Coolgardie. True to his colours he spent his latest years in an almost inaccessible part of Gippsland, in the neighbourhood of old Victorian mining districts.

In his early years Mr. McWilliam had a taste for military life; he served in the New South Wales Permanent Artillery, and in a semi-military body of Mounted Police in New Zealand at a time of Maori unrest. He was also a trooper in the New South Wales Mounted Police, and during the Boer War of 1899-1902 he had to his credit a long period of active service in South Africa, attaining the rank of sergeant. When the Commonwealth Government adopted compulsory military training in 1910, McWilliam brought before the authorities certain recommendations based on his own experiences. In 1914 he visited Great Britain, and whilst there submitted to the War Office original ideas concerned with long range gunnery. He had the exciting experience when war was declared of being at sea en route for Australia in the German liner Roon, which ran for Batavia and was interned there by the Dutch. Eventually reaching Australia, McWilliam being rejected for active service on account of age, was active in offering to the Defence Department suggestions for combating the submarine menace, and other matters, which received the acknowledgment of the authorities.

The deceased gentleman was very proud of his descent on his mother's side from the Lockyers of Devonshire; his grandfather being Major Edmund Lockyer who was sent by Governor Darling from Sydney with a detachment of soldiers and some convicts to form a settlement at King George's Sound, West Australia, where he landed 21st January 1827, on the site of the present town of Albany, thereby becoming the instrument by which Great Britain made her first official claim to the possession of the whole of Australia.'

Sold for a hammer price of Au$800. Totals: £555. R10,800. Au$980. Can$920. US$730.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (0) (1345 Sgt. A. C. M. Gould. N.S.W. Bushmen.)

Albert Clarence Montrose Gould served with the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen during the Boer War.

Entitled to CC OFS, Tr, Rhod and SA01.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Liet (sic) H.C.Coggins. N.S.W. 3rd : I.B.);
KSA (2) (Lieut: H.C.Coggins. N.S.W.I.B.)

QSA (4) listed on WO100/289p133. KSA (2) listed on WO100/370p96

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal (269 Cpl R.Payne , N.S.W.Bushmen);
KSA (2) much of naming on second medal erased, details noted 4??5 Pte J.???p. Gordo? Hi?hrs;
Coronation Medal 1902

Together with British Transvaal War, Success to Australian Imperl. Bushmen medalet, 1899-1900, in bronze (23mm) (C.1899-1900/15); book titled Steinaecker's Horsemen, South Africa 1899 - 1903, by William (Bill) Woolmore, published by South African Country Life, Barberton, South Africa, 2006, hardcover with dust jacket, 352pp with b&w photos and maps.

Robert Payne, horse driver and bushman, born 02Nov1868 at Liverpool, UK (Australia stated on 1901 attestation form); Embarked London for Qld and arrived Brisbane 02May1889; Enlisted for service in South Africa and Emb.23Apr1900 from Sydney, NSW with A Coy NSW Imperial Bushmen; served in ops in Rhodesia, Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Cape Colony; RTA and Disemb.17Jul1901 at Sydney, NSW and later discharged; Enl.26Nov1901 in Durban, Sth Africa in Steinaecker's Horse; Trooper No.1573 (Australian) Robert Payne was one of the 12 man contingent of Steinaecker's Horse to attend and ride in the 1902 Coronation parade; trf to South African Constabulary at Komati Port 03Jan1903; his QSA was issued from the NSW Imperial Bushmen's roll and his KSA was issued from the Steinaecker's Horsemen roll.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (868 Tpr: S. J. Forsyth, N.S.W. Bushmen);
British War Medal (2795 Spr. S. J. Forsyth. Rly. Unit. A.I.F.)

Described as:

Ex Sid Thurgar Collection and previously ex Noble Numismatics Sale 87 (lot 5064).

British War Medal 1914-18 is full WWI entitlement.

Sydney Joseph Forsyth, Boer War: confirmed service as a Private with NSW Imperial Bushmen; WWI: at the time of enlistment employed as a labourer, age 38, born at Cootamundra, NSW; Enl.16May1918 at, Cootamundra, NSW, in Railway Unit with previous service in Boer War; Emb.05Oct1918; to Sapper 03Apr1919; RTA 01Jul1919; Disch.02Sep1919.

With copy of Boer War medal roll showing entitlement to clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and Rhodesia.