Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: killed in action on 29.5.1901 at Middle Kraal.
Price1: War Memorials Ballarat St Kilda S. Yarra Canberra.
5VMR QSA Roll: Left Wing, Queen's South Africa medal and 3 clasps (CC OFS & Tvl) killed in action.
HAGSOC: Memorial Middleburg.
B5179: born 1872 an overseer c/- Portsea Vic.
Source:# 982 St. Kilda memorial, killed in action at Middle Kraal 29.5.1901 aged 29.
Melb. Leader: ROBERTSON Naughton photo #530.
URL3: death notice in SMH says aged 29 late manager of Lucknow and also of Oondooroo Qld., eldest son of Robert Robertson JP MRCS Eng. of Portsea Vic.
URL4: photo.
URL7: shot at Driefontein 29.5.1901 then broke his wrist falling from horse but died despite efforts of Trooper Harold FISHER and Pte. Edward JOHNSON to save him.
Source:# 1351 photos in uniform and of a memorial in a Melbourne Church.
URL8: death mentioned in letter from Staff Sergeant AL ROBINSON (Melbourne), of the Fifth Victorian Contingent, dated Klipfontein 3.6.1901.
URL9: Private FISHER, of the same [5VMR] contingent (son of Mr AE FISHER, of Flinders lane), writing of the same occurrence, states that Corporal ROBERTSON, who was of Lieutenant MURPHY's party, died in his arms as he was trying to lift him on his (FISHER's) horse. The letter proceeds - "He was shot through the heart while making a dash for cover. But, all the same, he twice made an effort to get upon my horse in front of me. I got off, and tried to get him on, but he was too heavy and limp. I put him down, and tried to stop the flow of blood. Just then two Boers gave us their undivided attention. The bullets were very close, twice they went between my arm and body. A mate of mine rode up and killed one, and we made a prisoner of the other. He was wounded in the thigh. I then tried to get poor ROBERTSON on the other chap's horse, but he fell back dead, and I laid him down, and had to cut for it as the Boers charged us again. We afterwards recovered his body."
URL9: Fifth VMR Memorial to Fallen Comrades opposite to St. Kilda Barracks ... The following is the list of names appearing on the tablets, together with the addresses, which we have obtained from official sources - Captain J KELLY, Melbourne. Lieutenant SR COULTER, Ballarat. Lieutenant JG CHRISP, Frankston. Lieutenant AG JOHNSTON, Hawthorn. Lieutenant AE MURPHY, Colac. Medical Officer HA PALMER, Ballarat. Sergeant AGK BUCKINGHAM, Yea. Farrier-Sergeant JF HOULIHAN, Collingwood. Corporal RPN ROBERTSON, Portsea. Corporal H HARRISON, Collingwood. Corporal H NEWLANDS, Prahran. Lance-Corporal AE BURLEY, Ballarat. Lance-Corporal HJ BOXALL, Melbourne. Lance-Corporal GH BUTTON, Anakie. Lance-Corporal HC HADLEY, Fitzroy. Lance-Corporal TS ROSS, Williamstown. Shoeing-Smith A HOUGHTON, Inverleigh. Shoeing-Smith AE SPOWART, Dean's Marsh. Shoeing-Smith RM THORNTON, Kilmore. Shoeing-Smith F RANKIN, Police Barracks, Melbourne. Privates SJ BARNARD, North Brunswick; EH BLANDFORD, Bendigo; L BOND, Longwood; FH CAUGHEY, Bairnsdale; J CHARLTON, Euroa; J COLLINS, Mumbannar; J COSTELLO, Dunolly; AB DAVIDSON, Moe; FG DOW, Balaclava; G GLENN, South Melbourne; LJW GOUDIE, St. Kilda; RG HARRISON, Mathoura NSW; WJ HEALEY, Melbourne; HH HENTY, Lyndhurst; HV HEWINS, Brighton; WW JAMES, Nagambie; HS LAMB, Sale; HJ LAWRENCE, North Carlton; AE MACK, Jolimont; TH MAHONEY, Darraweit Guim; J MCCANN, St. Kilda Road; J MCCORKELL, Queensclilf; MT MCDONALD, Yinnar; J MCNALLY, Carapooee; E REISENAUER, Armadale; EJ ROWE, Elsternwick; W SAULTRY, Port Melbourne; WA SMITH, Sutton Grange; GW STRATTON, Mooroopna; R TOPHAM, Yapeen; E VALPIED, Toora; NA WATSON, Pomborneit; J WHELAN, Glenhuntly; JE WHITE, South Melbourne.
URL10: St. Kilda Soldiers' Memorial THE UNVEILING CEREMONY. The memorial which has been erected in Alfred Square, St. Kilda, in memory of the local citizen soldiers who took part in the South African war, was unveiled on Sunday afternoon last [19.3.1905] by His Excellency the State Governor Sir Reginald TALBOT. ... The names of the soldiers inscribed on the memorial are as follows - THE FALLEN. Corporal RPN ROBERTSON, Troopers Laurence GOUDY, Edwin KNOX, MA LANGLEY, WA ROLLS, Leslie STEWART and John WHELAN. THOSE WHO RETURNED. Lieutenant-Colonel CLARK, Major MCINERNEY, Captain HOWE, Lieutenants ALLEN, APPLEBY, CAMPBELL, EMBLING, O'LOUGHLIN, POWER, PRITCHETT. Sergeant-Major BOYES. Sergeants DARE, KREROUSE, NEWELL, PAIRD, SHAW, WAUGH. Corporals HUTCHISON, JESSE. Lance-Corporals STEWART, BRADLEY, HOLT. Troopers ALLAN, D ANDERSON, W ANDERSON, ASHLEY, BRIDGELAND, BARKE, BURNS, COWDEN, DEEGAN, DELANEY, EDINGTON, GARDNER, HADDEN, HENDERSON, HUTCHINSON, LEISHMAN, MAYS, MORRIS, LL MULLEN, CA MULLEN, J MULLEN, NEWELL, PARROTT, PAMMEROY, PUTT, RALEIGH, ROSS, SINCLAIR, G SMITH, S SMITH, STEWART, THOMAS, TOMPSITT, WELLS, WELLS and WILLAN.
A&YStd.: The home-comning of the Fifth Contingent has brought to light numbers of incidents in the service in South Africa of that body, which have hitherto escaped notice in the greater prominence received by matters that were less worthy of record. An act of gallantry on May 29 [1902] last, when the contingent was operating against Commandant TRICKARD's large commando at Driefontein, has to be added to the list of deeds of valour which were performed from time to time by members of the contingent. Lieutenant MURPHY's party, while in pursuit of the Boers was caught by an ambushed party about 100 strong, and in the fighting which
followed Corporal ROBERTSON was shot, and in falling from his horse broke his wrist. Trooper Harold FISHER, who was in charge of a stretcher, and unarmed, heard him call "I'm hit, catch my horse" and dashed to his assistance. FISHER tried to help the wounded man on to his own horse, but failed, and then, though all the time under close fire from four Boers, dismounted with the object of trying to stop the bleeding front ROBERTSON's wounds. Meanwhile, Private Edward JOHNSON, who was escaping, had seen the situation, and turned back to aid his companions. He killed one of the Boers, wounded a second, and then the others fell back. Corporal ROBERTSON had however, died during the shooting, and, the
Boors returning, FISHER and JOHNSON galloped off, and reached the house on
TRICKARD's farm, where Captain RIGHETTI and party were surrounded. This position
was held successfully until reinforcements with guns arrived, the messenger who was sent through the Boer lines being chased to within half a mile of the camp at Middelkraal, about 10 miles away.
Source:# 1578 The windows which have been placed in the chapel of the Melbourne Grammar School in memory of the late Professor EF MORRIS, head master from 1875 to 1882, and of the old Melburnians who fell in the Boer War were dedicated yesterday by Archbishop CLARKE … the following old boys of the Melbourne Grammar School were either killed in action or died in South Africa during the Boer War - Messrs GW GRICE, CW ROGERS, HJ GOODMAN, JW CHRISTIE, CH WALTER, GEW WILMOT, RPN ROBERTSON and BC MERRILEES.
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