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Australians
in the Boer War
Oz-Boer Database Project |
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Full Record
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 | | GREEN |
| Given Name(s) or Initial(s) | | Ernest William |
| Regimental Number | | 396 |
| Rank | | Trooper |
| Unit Name | | 2nd New South Wales Mounted Rifles |
| State | | NSW |
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
Murray: wounded 10.5.1901 died 11.5.1901.
B5204: gardner born Sheffield Eng., Queen's South Africa Medal (SA01) died of wounds ?5.1901.
HAGSOC: Memorial Ottosdal.
URL2: 'B'Sqn. 1&2Tps. photo #23.
URL3: Experiences in South Africa. Trooper Finlay MCRAE, writing from Klerksdorp, South Africa, on 16.5.1901, to his mother in East Maitland NSW, says 'I am just scribbling these few lines, to let you know I am still alive and kicking. We have been out, trekking about the veldt, during the last twelve days, and have just returned to Klerksdorp for provisions. We left on the 5.5.1901, and have only just got back again. We have been commandeering stock and poultry, burning all the houses, taking the inhabitants along with us - Kaffirs, Dutch, and goodness knows what else. We burnt a place called Hartebeesfontein, and had any amount of poultry and oranges. There were about 50 women taken at this place, and a lot of children and Kaffirs. They were all sent to Klerksdorp under a strong escort. We were sniped at by the Boers there; but no damage was done. We left there and carried on the same routine - commandeering, burning, etc. On Friday 10.5.1901, when our first fight occurred, we had been following the Boers all the morning. Captain MACLEAN and his squadron (B), seeing four Boers ahead, galloped after them, not noticing that he was going straight into a trap they had set for him. The place was simply lined with Boers. The captain was wounded in the leg and BARKER (C), HARKER (B), MCKAY (D), and Lieut. LAMB were all shot dead. GREEN (B) died from his wounds next day. He and Lieut. LAMB were buried side by side. The other poor fellows were buried where they fell. Seven men were wounded and about thirty captured. They were stripped all of their clothing, with the exception of their trousers, and then let go. We have not had a 'go' at the enemy since then. The first seven days after leaving Klerksdorp, I was laid up with a bad shoulder, caused by my horse falling on me; he gave me a terrible crushing, but I am nearly right again now. I have had splendid health since I have been over here. We have to rough it; four biscuits a day, and roused out at two and three in the morning. But I like the life. We will be off again in a few days. We are having, some lovely frosts here now and it is very cold, as we sleep on the ground, with no tent over us and only two blankets.
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| Source References | |
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 115 204
B5204: National Archives of Australia series B5204
West Australian: West Australian newspaper date(s) 18.5.1901
HAGSOC: HAGSOC's South African Graves website
Town&Country: Aust. Town and Country journal date(s) 2.3.1901
MaitlandDM.: Maitland Daily Mercury newspaper date(s) 18.7.1901
| | External Link URL1 | | www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/nmcdb/nmcdb-search.php | | External Link URL2 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-page5336645 | | External Link URL3 | | nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124109073 |
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.
The
Oz-Boer Database
is copyright and may not be used for any commercial purpose.
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