| |
|
Australians
in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project |
|
Full Record
Hint: This site is intended as a search aid - not a definitive source. It is essentially an index to documents that seem to relate to this person plus a very brief precis of relevant elements. Sources often conflict and I also flag things with a ? when I am unsure. So if the information below is important to you, then please check the original sources to see what else they contain (and in case I have inadvertantly introduced transcription and/or precising errors). There can be additional information that was not included in the database for both space and copyright reasons.
| Surname | | BERRY |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | Robert Edwin |
| Regimental Number | | 452 |
| Rank | | Private |
| Unit Name | | 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen |
| State | | Qld |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: Sergeant, killed in action at Onverwacht 4.1.1902.
Source:# 22 War Memorial Brisbane.
B5172: next of kin in East Brisbane Qld.
URL2: died 4.1.1902 aged 23, memorial in Sherwood Anglican cemetery, photo.
URL4: Aust. Boer War Memorial database record.
URL6: 5QIB invitation to unveiling of memorial at Sherwood.
URL7: brother of Sgt. WH BERRY 2nd Contingent and another serving in S. Africa.
URL8: private letter dated Newcastle 10.1.1902 reports killed at Sprintskop near Walkerstroom, Qld. Government seeking details.
Bne. Courier: A pathetic ceremony took place in St. Matthew's Churchyard, Sherwood, on Saturday afternoon [21.6.1902], when the Premier unveiled a monument which had been erected by friends in memory of Sergeant BERRY and Acting Corporal MACFARLANE, who were killed in action, Onverwacht, Transvaal, South Africa.
Queenslander: Several dreary weeks of trekking on the Amersfont road followed before the column reached Onverwacht, where a big fight was made with 900 Boers. The casualties in PLUMER's column in this engagement were nineteen
killed, and thirty-seven wounded. Major VALENTINE, commanding the corps, was
among the slain, and Captain JOHNSON of the Scottish Imperial Yeomanry, while
several Queenslanders also fell, including Sergeants BERRY and POWER (the latter being mentioned in despatches for coolness and daring in action) and SHANNON, privates CHARDON, SALT, MACFARLANE and LILLEY, while Captain CARTER and Lieutenant HIGGINSON were severely wounded. It was in this engagement that Major TOLL displayed that special bravery that caused his name to be mentioned in the London "Gazette" for bravery and coolness in leadership. Company-Sergeant KNYVETT and Reg.-Sergeant Major PRICE being also mentioned for coolness. Major TOLL was himself too modest to tell our representative much of
his own doings, but the other officers speak in the highest terms of his leadership. "Don't forget," said one of them, "to say that we all call TOLL 'The Fighting Major.'"
|
| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 490 503 541
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 22
Fogg: 5th Contingent Qld. Imperial Bushmen in South Africa 1901-02 page(s) 14
B5172: National Archives of Australia series B5172
Bne. Courier: Brisbane Courier newspaper date(s) 17.2, 21 & 23.6.1902
Capric.: Capricornian newspaper Rockhampton Qld. date(s) 22.2.1902
Town&Country: Aust. Town and Country journal date(s) 15.3.1902
WChamp.: Western Champion & General Advertiser for Central West (Barcaldine) newspaper date(s) 10.3.1902
Queenslander: The Queenslander newspaper date(s) 10.5.1902
| | External Link URL1 | | www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/nmcdb/nmcdb-search.php | | External Link URL2 | | cemindex.arkangles.com/cemetery-inscriptions.php?id=177 | | External Link URL3 | | www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/CollectionsDownloads/Documents/boer_war_index_id18351.pdf | | External Link URL4 | | bwm.org.au/site/Robert_Berry.php | | External Link URL5 | | www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/photos/memq0001.php | | External Link URL6 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19196899 | | External Link URL7 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19142179 | | External Link URL8 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68275020 | | External Link URL9 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71521462 | | External Link URL10 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article76364146 |
Please email me if you can
contribute any other relevant information about this person (eg any
other military service, where in Australia they came from or when/where
they died). Also, if you find an external link broken.
Apology: For some time now it has been difficult to keep up with the newly available sources (especially the Trove newspaper site) plus the flow of contributions and queries. So I have been forced to prioritise maintenance and data entry over replying to correspondence. Nevertheless, your contributions are being added to the database and acknowledged on the contributions page and, although my replies are many months behind, I will attempt to get to them more often.
The
Oz-Boer Database
is copyright and may not be used for any commercial purpose.
|
|
|