Australians in the Boer War
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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 ALEXANDER
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) John James
Regimental Number 614
RankTrooper
Unit Name 6th South Australian Imperial Bushmen
StateSA
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)

Murray: Corporal.
Roe: ?1SAMR.
Source:# 934 promoted L/Cpl. 27.4.1901 aboard 'Warrigal'.
Newbury1: 1SAMR.
URL1: Sergt. ALEXANDER JJ 'F'Sqn. 1st Troop SAIB arrived in Albany WA 22.4.1902 from Capetown via Durban per 'Manchester Merchant' for Adelaide.
URL2: A SOLDIERS' PRESENTATION. At Tattersalls Hotel on Wednesday evening [11.5.1904], a number of returned South African soldiers assembled to offer a welcome and presentation to Captain WATT DSO, late officer commanding the 5th South Australian Contingent. The evening opened up with a speech from the chairman (Trooper AM LEE), who welcomed the guest. Captain WATT responded, and after an interesting war lecture, proposed the toast of "The King." The chairman then presented Captain WATT with a silver-mounted cigar case, on which the following words were on graved - " Presented to Captain WATT DSO by Co-Contingents at Broken Hill, May 11 1904." In making the presentation the chairman said -"It is a pleasure for me to perform such a duty, but the token is very small, and you are worthy of a great deal more. I hope you will always look at it, and then remember the givers, not only those you commanded, but other members who found out what a good friend you were to them. I remember well a little speech you made at Adelaide before you left Adelaide, it was at the Officers' Club. Your remarks were - "My first duty will he to the welfare of my men in South Africa" and we all know how well you kept it. (Hear, hear.) Captain WATT's health was then honored, to the music of "For he's a Jolly Good Fellow". Captain WATT respondod. Trooper MARSHALL proposed. _ "To Those we Left in South Africa," which was honored in silence. Trooper LEWIS responded. Sergeant JJ ALEXANDER made a few remarks on behalf of the 6th Contingent, and remarked - "I had seen service with the 1st Contingent, and when we were under Captain WATT in the 5th we could put trust in him, the same as we could in our old commander, Captain HOWLAND. I must say that the fighting in the 5th and 6th was far harder than in the 1st Contingent." Trooper CANTWELL spoke; and, after a general chat, the "returns" had refreshments and songs.
Source References
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 374
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 934
Areas Express: Jamestown Areas Express newspaper date(s) circa 6.1901
Newbury1: South Australians and the South African War page(s) 3
Register: The Register newspaper South Australia 23.4.1902
Barrier Miner: Barrrier Miner newspaper date(s) 13.5.1904
External Link URL1nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55668198
External Link URL2nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44370318


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.
 
Colin Roe
Canberra

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