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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 | | SECCOMBE |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | William Thomas Thorne |
| Regimental Number | | 98 |
| Rank | | Private |
| Unit Name | | 2nd Queensland Mounted Infantry |
| State | | Qld |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: slightly wounded at Swartz Kopjes 13.2.1901.
B5172: Mullinros via Narrabri NSW.
URL2: photo #98.
URL3: CCoy. QMI seconded to Transvaal Mounted & Foot Police 19.6.1900.
URL4: Pte. SECCOMBE 2QMI from Africa per Tongariro at Fremantle 19.4.1901.
URL5: LETTER FROM Q.M.S. BRUCE. BOERS "FIGHTING LIKE BLAZES." Lieutenant GL CHRYSTAL has received the following letter from Quarter Master-sergeant WC BRUCE, of the 2nd Queensland contingent which has been on active service in South Africa. The letter, which was written at Belfast, under date 15th February [1901], is as follows - We were suddenly ordered here last Sunday from Kaapsche Hoop to join a column under General KITCHENER (the Sirdar's brother), which was leaving Belfast on the 12th instant. We went out, and stirred up a hornet's nest. There must have been 5,000 Boers, and they chased the column back a good deal quicker than it went out. You see, they outflanked our fellows, and they had to retire or be surrounded. Our chaps were rearguard, and behaved very well, Captain HARRIS being complimented by the GOC.
The brunt of the attack naturally fell on the rearguard. Corporal BUCHANAN was shot through the head, and Private W SECCOMBE through this thigh. Captain HARRIS's horse was shot through the neck and CORCORAN's and LOCKER's horses (illegible). Privates WILSON, HOLMES and RAWSON were captured helping Corporal BUCHANAN into the ambulance, also the doctor, and we haven't heard of them since. So you see they got into a pretty warm corner. Private HAMER, of the 2nd QMI, behaved very gallantly, saving a Tommy's life under a tremendous fire. He has been recommended for it.
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| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 461
B5172: National Archives of Australia series B5172
Queenslander: The Queenslander newspaper date(s) 20.1.1900
Bne. Courier: Brisbane Courier newspaper date(s) 21.8.1900
Ad. Advertiser: Adelaide Advertiser newspaper date(s) 20.4.1901
W.Star&RA: Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Toowoomba Qld.) newspaper date(s) 1.5.1901
| | External Link URL1 | | www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/CollectionsDownloads/Documents/boer_war_index_id18351.pdf | | External Link URL2 | | newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/2518479 | | External Link URL3 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19036091 | | External Link URL4 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4833241 | | External Link URL5 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97388881 |
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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