Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: killed in action at Wilmansrust on 12.6.1901.
Price1: War Memorials Ballarat Cheltenham Canberra.
West Australian: killed at Steelkoopspruit.
5VMR QSA Roll: Left Wing, Queen's South Africa medal and 3 clasps (CC OFS & Tvl) killed in action.
B5179: born 1879 a boundary rider c/- PO Magpie Ballarat next of kin in Mordialloc Vic.
URL2: war memorial Cheltenham Vic.
Melb. Leader: Ballarat Vic., photo #2.
URL3: photo.
URL5: The following letter has been received by Mrs. HAZEL, of Mordialloc, from her brother, Trooper J COLLINS, who left with the fifth contingent, and who was killed in action on 12.4.1901 at Wilmaransrust. The letter was written ten days before his death. Brugspruit 2.4.1901. Dear Sister, — Just a line to let you know I received your welcome letter and my photo. You will have to excuse this paper and envelope, as I got them from a Boer house. We burn all the houses we come to. I don't think much of the photo; but never mind. Keep those you have got, as you might never see the original again the way things are going. We have lost a lot of men already — Capt. KELLY, Lieut. JOHNSON, Private LAMBIE, Lieut. MURPHY, Corporal ROBERTSON, Private WHITE and two or three more. We have been from Middleburg to Brokenspruit, and around Rhenoster Kop, where we were engaged several times, then back to Balmoral and through the Bittenal district. We lost four men in an engagement here. There was a party of 43 of us out, and we rode right into them, or, rather, they waited for us. We had just dismounted, when they opened fire on us at 400 yards. We at once remounted, and started to retreat. They tried to surround us. They were firing from behind and on both sides of us. I never expected to get back alive. The air was full of bullets and they chased us for four miles. My horse fell and I had to run for cover. Four of the men were shot dead and some of the horses. We could not leave the kopje until the pom pom came up to relieve us; five of the relieving party were shot. The day before this I was in another lot, where some were killed, so I don't want any more for a while. The houses here are splendidly furnished — pianos, organs and lots of other things; you would wonder how they got them here. We have had our over coats on all day, and yet the sun is shining, so it will tell you what the cold is like; it is something awful. When you wake up of a morning your blankets are wringing wet; they are rolled up straight away, and put on the waggons, and they are just as wet at night when you take them off. I have been in five companies since I left Langwarrin; we are in two battalions now. We have captured an enormous lot of cattle, sheep and horses. It is a very sad life and I don't care how soon it ends. We have had one pay since we landed; I got £5, but you don't get much chance to spend it. I am writing this by moonlight while boiling some meat at the fire. I will now conclude hoping you are all well, as it leaves me at present. The envelope was a black bordered one, and the paper on which the letter was written were two leaves of a school copy book, both of which had been obtained from a Boer house. The headings on the paper were 'an honest man is the noblest work of God', 'A fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind', 'Cease to lament for that thou canst not help' and 'Behind the cloud is the sun, still shining'. This, no doubt, is only a coincidence but taken together with the sentiments in the letter, it seems to point to the fact that COLLINS had a presentiment that he would not come out of the war alive.
URL6: 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 GR 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.
URL7: The following is the official list of Victorians killed at Wilmansrust as received from London 19.6.1901 - Surgeon-Lieutenant HA PALMER, Ballarat. Private GW STRATTON, Mooroopna. Private FJ SMITH, Anakie. Private EH BLANDFORD, Huntly. Corporal H NEWLANDS, Chapel Street, Prahran. Private RM THORNTON, Kilmore. Farrier-Sergeant JV HOULIHAN, Collingwood. Lance-Corporal GR BUTTON, Anakie. Private L BOND, Longwood. Private SJ BARNARD, Brunswick. Private LJW GOUDIE, Marlton Crescent, St. Kilda. Private EJ ROWE, Charles Street, Elsternwick. Private HH HENDY, Lyndhurst. Corporal H HARRISON, Francis Street, Collingwood. Private WA SMITH, Sutton Grange. Private R TOPHAM, Danks Street, South Melbourne. Pivate J COLLINS, Magpie, near Ballarat. Private AE MACK, Jolimont. Private H SMITH.
URL8: Trooper James COLLINS was a single man, 22 years of age, also a boundary rider. His Victorian address was Magpie Post Office, Ballarat, and his next of kin was his brother, Henry COLLINS, residing at Mordialloc.
URL9: [Cheltenham Memorial to the Moorabbin volunteers unveiled ?21.5.1904]. On one side are inscribed the words - "Erected by the residents of Moorabbin to perpetuate the noble deeds of our Moorabbin boys whose names are inscribed hereon, who volunteered and fought for the Empire in the South African war, 1899-1902." On another side the record is made - "Unveiled by the Hon. T BENT, Premier, on May 7, 1901." High up on the colmunn are the words: "In Memoriain - Trooper W CHRISTIE, died at Rustenburg, 1900; Trooper F CLAY, killed in action at Elandshoek, 1901"; Trooper J COLLINS, killed in action at Wilmansrust, 1901; Trooper F FISHER, died." Lower down the names of those who returned are carved. hey are as follows - "Major William MCKNIGHT, Lieutenant W WEDD, Lieutenant TH GERMAINE, Sergeant A FISHER, Sergeant S FRASER, Farrier-Sergeant P OCKENDEN, Farrier-Sergeant M HAWKER, Lance-Sergeant HS NEWHAM, Corporal E ETHELL, Lance-Corporal JEC SLEDDEN, Troopers E BLACK, S BLACK, WE CARSON, LW COLLINS, S COWEN, R GREEN, H KENNETT, R KEYS, H LANG, T MATSON, FH MOLYNEUX, AJ MONK, E MCCAUGHEY, J MCCORMACK, WH NEWHAM, LW PENNY, CRH REDSTONE, SM REYNOLDS, WG RIGG, J SADLIER, W SILK, W SPEARS, GA STAYNER, L TUCK, R WESTWOOD, GM WILSON, F DAFF, J DAFF, W EDEN, G FISHER, J FISHER, WO GILES, WT GILLESPIE.
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