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 BAXTER
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) Walter
Regimental Number
RankCaptain
Unit Name Imperial Staff
State
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)
Source:# 1353 there are 2 Walter BAXTERs, this one Captain 2nd Regiment (Militia) NSW, Staff Captain Imperial Force South Africa 1899-1902, 4th and 41st Bns Senior Cadets prewar as Major, enlisted AIF WW1 6.5.1915 24th Bn. Medically unfit on recovery transferred Sea Transport Service appointed 1.4.1917 terminated 2.3.1920, Queen's South Africa Medal plus 3 clasps and KSA plus 2.
URL1: WW1 AIF Major Special Service & 24Bn. Walter BAXTER aged 55 in 1917 born in Kiandra NSW next of kin wife in Kensington NSW, Captain 2nd Regiment (Militia) NSW, Staff Capt. Imperial Force South Africa 1900-1902, Major 4th and 41st Bns. Senior Cadets & Major AIF 6.5.1915, Volunteer Decoration 3.12.1919, appointment terminated 2.3.1920, 1921 correspondence with Repatriation Commission Melbourne, died 18.1.1928.
URL3: Capt. W BAXTER showed souvenirs and spoke of his travels in Africa at St. Saviour's Goulburn NSW 27.7.1903.
URL4: died suddenly at Kensington NSW 18.1.1928.
URL5: buried in CofE Cemetery Coogee NSW.
URL7: Captain Walter BAXTER recently returned from South Africa bringing with him some captured Boer weapons. These were tried at the local [Goulburn NSW] rifle range on 15.8.1903and proved must effective. One weapon in particular - a Mauser "pistol" - excited great admiration. Though very light, it is sighted up to and is effective at 1O0O yards. It fires 10 shots in 5 seconds. Several bull's-eyes were scored with it at 5OO yards.
URL8: Captain W BAXTER. Record of services and impressions of South Africa. Captain Walter BAXTER who is a native of Goulburn NSW and was formerly captain of G Company here, returned to Goulburn from South Africa on Saturday week 8.7.1903, after an absence of some years. Captain BAXTER, immediately on his arrival at Capetown, was employed on the railway transport staff. As an officer his service extended over two and a half years, and as the work increased he was selected to take over the control of the railway transit office. In 1902 Captain JONES DAAG, said he could not too highly commend the manner in which Captain BAXTER had discharged his duties. He had necessarily been brought into contact with every class and rank, and had, through trying circumstances, carried affairs through with the utmost tact and discretion, His office hours had been long, and the work most complicated, but he had come through with flying colours, and it was with great regret that Captain JONES wished him good-bye. Major SUTTON of the Coldstream Guards, Captain NORTHEY AQMG, Captain LORIMER, and J SOMERVILLE, secretary of the Refugees Aid Department, Johannesburg, also spoke very highly of Captain BAXTER's many good qualities. The following is a record of services in South Africa - Position of Staff Captain, Imperial Staff Railway Transport Officer and Controller of Civil Supplies, Capetown. Length of service, two years and nine months. Medals - Queen's South Africa Medal and one clasp, King's South Africa Medal and two clasps. Was mentioned in despatches by General Sir Henry Settle, 10.1902. To earn the King's medal it was necessary to have continuous service dated from the 1.1.1901 to 30.5.1902. Very few Australians received the King's medal. On relinquishing the position of Controller of Civil Supplies in 10.1902 Captain BAXTER was presented with a purse containing £200. On terminating his service as railway translort officer he was presented with a handsome trophy by the leading railway officials in Capetown. Captain BAXTER travelled over the whole of South Africa south of the Zambesi. When he left Johannesburg in 2.1903 the labour for the mines was the great problem. The mine-owners were sitting tight while the Kaffir was basketing in his kraal. The Kaffir does not work when at home, his wives tilling the ground and grinding the Kaffir corn, which is the chief substance of existence. He considers that the Transvaal will be good for artisans, but would not advise clerks or labourers to go there unless they have a guarantee of work. So far as labour is concerned it is a black man's country. Since the war the Imperial government had treated the Boers magnanimously and General Botha's meeting at Heidelberg recently was a dying kick. General Emmet (Botha's brother in-law) is a very much superior and more broad-minded man than his brother-in-law. In Captain BAXTER's opinion war will never occur again in South Africa, either with the Dutch or the Kaffir. As far as the Dutch are concerned England will hold the reins once and for all. With the exception of the Basutos all other black tribes had been disarmed. Besides having no organisation they distrust one another. The Right Hon. J. Chamberlain's visit to South Africa was a brilliant idea not that Viscount Milner was ever doubted, but so many conflicting reports were circulated that neither loyalist nor burgher actually know his position. However, Mr. Chamberlain soon settled that question when he met Botha and Company at Pretoria and afterwards at Bloemfontein (Captain BAXTER was present in the Volksraad at Pretoria when the Boer generals were present). Captain BAXTER travelled from Capetown to Southampton on the Union Castle Company's RMS 'Norman' with Mr. Chamberlain and considered him the greatest statesman for the colonies which England ever had, and by virtue of his position as railway transport officer he met all ranks from the greatest general to the most junior subaltern. He never wished to meet a finer, more gentlemanly and smarter man, either military or commercial. Of course in any large body of men could always be found the proverbial rotter, but Captain BAXTER does not refer to them, and he would always look back with pleasure to his three years' service with the Imperial Staff. A great diversity of opinion appeared to exist as to the capabilities of the imperial officer but his three years' experience on the imperial staff is that he never met a finer lot of experts. The more senior the officer the greater the gentleman.
URL9: the 'London Gazette' of 4.9.1900 contains in the War Office confirmations of appointments to the Staff in the Lines of Communication in South Africa the news that Captain BAXTER, of the New South Wales Reserve of Officers, has been appointed as Railway Transport Officer graded as a staff captain, and Captain COPELAND of the New South Wales Engineers to be [illegible] .ation officer, graded also a staff captain.
Source References
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 1353
B2455: National Archives of Australia series B2455
Albany Adv.: Albany Advertiser newspaper date(s) 30.7.1901
Goulburn EPP: Goulburn Evening Penny Post newspaper date(s) 28.7.1903
Syd. Herald : Sydney Morning Herald newspaper date(s) 18.8.1903, 19 & 21.1.1928
Goulburn Hd.: Goulburn Herald newspaper date(s) 13.7.1903
Wagga Exp.: Wagga Express newspaper date(s) 16.10.1900
External Link URL1recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3059086
External Link URL2aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=16888
External Link URL3nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98759604
External Link URL4nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16434966
External Link URL5nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16435511
External Link URL6nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145305650
External Link URL7nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14551058
External Link URL8nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110079759
External Link URL9nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145305650


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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