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Australians
in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project |
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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 | | OVEREND |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | Thomas Edward |
| Regimental Number | | 804 |
| Rank | | Trooper |
| Unit Name | | 1st Australian Horse |
| State | | NSW |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: OVEREND.
Bail: ?OVERIND.
B5207: 5ACH(NSW).
Cope1: born 1878 in Murrumburrah NSW a labourer and miner from Bungendore, Queen's South Africa medal and 4 clasps, reenlisted in 5ACH(NSW) plus in 56Bn. AIF in WW1.
URL1: WW1 AIF 2456 Pte. 56Bn.
URL2: WW1 AIF 2456 Pte. 5th Reinforcements 56Bn., a miner aged 39 from Bungendore NSW next of kin in Goulburn.
URL3: War Memorial Bungendore NSW.
URL4: Bungendore NSW, received medal from Duke of York.
NSW BDMs: Thomas E OVEREND 1879 birth registered in Murrumburrah NSW and Thomas Edward OVEREND 1961 death registered in Lithgow.
Bomb.Hd.: Letters from the Front, Mr. T OVEREND,
writing to his father at Cathcart from Bloemfontein, under date 11.4.1900, says: I now take the pleasure of writing you these few lines hoping to find you and all at home enjoying the best of health, as it leaves me quite well at present, although I have had a few narrow escapes. We have had shot and shell
fired at us, and had one man shot dead and two more wounded, and an awful lot
down with enteric fever. We had fighting all the way up from Modder River to Bloemfontein and took this town very easy; the Boers had a few big guns but they did no damage, most of their shell would not burst, and as far as their rifle shooting is concerned they must shut their eyes and fire at us, as only stray bullets hit anywhere near you; the Boers are always on the top of hills like the Big Jack and we have to march up the hills to get at them; we were on one side and the infantry on the other and they charged and the Boers mowed down 240 of them; it was a terrible sight to see them throw up their arms and fell back down the hill; we have lost nearly all our horses; and are waiting here for new mounts to proceed to Pretoria. I believe there will be heavy fighting there. Old Kruger sent us word to clear out of Bloemfontein in 5 hours or he would send an army and blow us up. It would be the best thing ever
happened as if we could get the Boers on a plain, we would blow them up in a few hours. I have been out on outpost duty and it is very dangerous work. I was posted out on a plain and the Boers were firing at us at about 10 mile range from a hill. Jack HAYDEN was on a hill about 2 o'clock in the morning, and fired on a horse, I heard him say "halt who comes there", and then a shot and a mob of horses started up all over the place. I thought they were the Boers, the old horse could not give the countersign. We only get 2 biscuits a day and a piece of meat which we carry in our match box. I have not time to give much news, but will send you more next time, I must now conclude, hoping to see
you soon. Remember me to all at Cathcart.
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| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 47
Bail: Diaries of Cpl. Herbert Bail, 2SAMR page(s)
B5207: National Archives of Australia series B5207
Cope1: Boer War Men of Queanbeyan-Braidwood page(s) 21 151
B4418: National Archives of Australia series B4418
Qbyn.Age: Queanbeyan Age newspaper date(s) 5.6.1901
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 1286
Bomb.Hd.: Bombala Herald newspaper date(s) 1.6.1900
NSW BDMs: NSW Births Deaths & Marriages Index number(s) 26834/1879 & 30039/1961
| | External Link URL1 | | www.awm.gov.au/database/133/page.asp?Folder=40&Page=133&Surname=overend | | External Link URL2 | | www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/awm8/23_73_3/pdf/0491.pdf | | External Link URL3 | | www.skp.com.au/memorials/pages/20678.htm | | External Link URL4 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31088537 |
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.
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