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 MCPHEE
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) William John
Regimental Number 67
RankPrivate
Unit Name 3rd West Australia Bushmen
StateWA
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)

Murray: died under anaesthetic at Buluwayo 2.7.1900.
Price1: War Memorials Ballarat Perth Canberra.
West Australian: War Memorial Perth Cathedral.
HAGSOC: Memorial Bulawayo.
B5165: MCPHEE WT specially enrolled.
B4418: 1958 correspondence from Public Trustee in Sydney NSW, born 1873 at Lansborough Vic.
URL4: wood-cutter aged 27 from Vic., no previous experience.
URL5: memorial tablet unveiled 12.1.1902 in St. George's Cathedral Perth WA inscribed "Erected by C Squadron, 3rd Regiment Australian Bushmen (1st WA Bushmen). To the memory of their comrades, Troopers WJ McPhee, EA Hambly, J Roscoe, T Angel, J Hume, who fell in South Africa, 1900 - 1901."
URL6: FALLEN SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL. THE UNVEILING CEREMONY. SPEECH BY THE ADMINISTRATOR. The memorial erected in honour of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Western Australian contingents who were killed in action or died from wounds or disease during the war in South Africa was unveiled on Saturday afternoon [6.9.1902] by His Excellency the Administrator (Sir Edward STONE). The memorial is erected in King's Park, a short distance from the main entrance, and on the left side of the drive. ... Sir James then read a tabulated statement giving the details of the casualties to Western Australian soldiers which were to be inscribed on the memorial. The chief particulars are as follow - Major HG MOOR, First Contingent, killed in action at Palmietfontein, 19.7.1900; Lieut. GGW HENSMAN, First Contingent, died of wounds at Slingersfontein, 12.3.1900; Lieut. AA FORREST, Fifth Contingent, killed in action near Carolina, 16.5.1901; Lieut. SS REID, Sixth Contingent, died of wounds at Middlekraal, 29.6.1901; Lieut. GA MORRIS, Sixth Contingent, killed in action at Rolspruit. 3.2.1902; Sergeant FF EDWARDS, Fifth Contingent, killed in action near Carolina, 16.5.1901; Farrier-Sergeant RH MCGREGOR, Fifth Contingent, died of pneumonia at Middleburg, 22.5.1901; Corporal GN BISHOP, First Contingent, died of pneumonia at De Aar, 14.2.1900; Corporal WF BOLLINGER, Fifth Contingent, died of wounds near Carolina, 16.5.1901; Corporal FURLONG, Fifth Contingent, killed near Carolina, 16.5.1901; Lance-Corporal W FRASER, Fourth Contingent, killed in action near Pietersburg, 8.4.1901; Lance Corporal JG DALLISTON, Fifth Contingent, killed in action at Watervaal River, 1.2.1902; Private MW COLLETT, First Contingent, killed in action at Palmietfontein. 19.7.1900; Private H FORCE, First Contingent, died of wounds at Watervaal Onder, 15.9.1900; Private M CONWAY, First Contingent, killed in action at Slingersfontein, 9.2.1900; Private WJ MCPHEE, Third Contingent, died of wounds at Buluwayo, 2.7.1900; Private TH ANGEL, Third Contingent, died of wounds at De Berg's Pass, 23.4.1901; Private EA HAMBLY, Third Contingent; died of malarial fever at Buluwayo, 26.6.1900; Private J ROSCOE, Third Contingent, died of wounds at Elands River, 3.11.1900; Private EG ILES, Fourth Contingent, killed in action at Jagersfontein, 25.8.1900; Private J KAY, Fourth Contingent, killed in action at Palmeitfontein, 19.7.1900; Private H WHITE, Third Contingent, died in Melbourne, prior to discharge, 4.6.1901; Privates B FISHER, F PAGE, FT ADAMS and J SEMPLE, Sixth Contingent, killed in action at Carolina, 16.5.1901; Private A BLANCH, Sixth Contingent, died of wounds at Carolina, 18.5.1901; Private J HUME, Third Contingent, died of pneumonia at Fremantle. 1.6.1901; Private H SOLOMON, Fifth Contingent, treacherously shot at Kankanistche Farm, 16.4.1901; Private R SPENCER, Sixth Contingent, died of enteric fever at Middleburg, 14.5.1901; Private G WESTCOTT, Sixth Contingent, killed in action, Renshoogte, 23.6.1901; Private CC CLIFFORD, Sixth Contingent, killed in action, Renshoogte, 23.6.1901; Private J DELAHUNTLY, Sixth Contingent, killed in action, Pladplaats, 16.8.1901; Private R ALDAY, Fifth Contingent, killed in action, Watervaal River, 1.2.1902: Private WJ DUNSTAN, Fifth Contingent, died of enteric fever, Pretoria, 15.2.1902; Private A HAMMOND, Fifth Contingent, killed in action at Roode Bank, 1.2.1902; Private W PARKER, Fifth Contingent, died of enteric fever at Standerton, 22.1.1902; Private OE FRY, Sixth Contingent, died of enteric fever at Standerton, 22.12.1901; Private JBM THURSTON, Sixth Contingent, died of pneumonia, at Standerton, 30.12.1901; Private TH WILSON, Sixth Contingent, died of enteric fever at Standerton, 12.12.1901. Continuing, Sir James pointed out, that the above list comprised 40 officers and men, 30 of whom had been killed or had died of wounds received in action and 10 of whom had died of disease.
Source References
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 412 440
Price1: They Proved to all the Earth page(s) 73
West Australian: West Australian newspaper date(s) 25.7.1901 & 13.1 & 8.9.1902
HAGSOC: HAGSOC's South African Graves website
B5165: National Archives of Australia series B5165
B4418: National Archives of Australia series B4418
W. Mail: Western Mail newspaper date(s) 24.2.1900
External Link URL1www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/nmcdb/nmcdb-search.php
External Link URL2awm.gov.au/database/roh.asp
External Link URL3www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/photos/za00100.php
External Link URL4nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33180217
External Link URL5nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24736017
External Link URL6nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24843002


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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