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 HENSMAN
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) Geoffrey Gordon William
Regimental Number
RankLieutenant
Unit Name 1st West Australia Mounted Infantry
StateWA
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)

Murray: from Sergeant 1.1.1900, died of wounds received at Slingersfontein on 9.2.1900 at Rondebosch Cape Town on 12.3.1900, Mentioned in Despatches 25.2.1900.
Source:# 139 Troopers CONWAY & KRYGGER attempted to save him.
West Australian: War Memorial Perth Cathedral.
B5165: formerly Royal Horse Guards 1895-97.
Roe: died at Maitland, commemorated in Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, memorial photo.
URL5: 1WAMI 100 a miner aged 24 from Bermuda W. Indies, Royal Horse Guards 10.1895 to 3.1897 purchased discharge.
URL6: In Memoriam notice from Pte. COBB Ambulance Corps for Sergt. HENSMAN, Sergt. BISHOP and Pte. CONWAY 1st WA Contingent killed in action at Slingersfontein 9.2.1900, Three heroes - they did their duty.
URL7: Corporal Geoffrey HENSMAN, of the Western Australian Contingent, who was dangerously wounded in a skirmish near Slingersfontein, has died of his wounds.
URL8: 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.
URL9: At a recent [c5.1902] smoke social of the First West Australian Contingent, a collection was made for the purpose of decorating the grave of Lieut. HENSMAN, one of the members of the First Contingent, who died from wounds received at Slingersfontein during the early part of 1900. Lieut. HENSMAN died at Wynberg, near Capetown, and was buried there. The amount subscribed was placed in the, hands of Sergeant BARRY, a late member of the First Contingent, who recently proceeded to South Africa again with the Second Commonwealth Contingent, and he will apply the money to the purpose for which it was subscribed. The members of the First Contingent, would have been pleased to pay a similar tribute to the memory of the other members of the corps who fell in South Africa; but their graves are all situated in districts where the war is still in active progress, and most of them are remote from the railway line and from centres of population.
Source References
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 216 217 219 396 397 399 440
Wallace1: The Australians at the Boer War page(s) 110-111
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 139
West Australian: West Australian newspaper date(s) 15.3.1900, 9.2 & 25.7.1901 & 10.5 & 8.9.1902
Source:# Oz-Boer contributed source number 445
Syd. Herald : Sydney Morning Herald newspaper date(s) 15.3.1900
B5165: National Archives of Australia series B5165
W. Mail: Western Mail newspaper date(s) 11.11.1899
Sydney Mail: Sydney Mail newspaper date(s) 24.3.1900
External Link URL1www.hagsoc.org.au/sagraves/nmcdb/nmcdb-search.php
External Link URL2www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/1266/historical-Boerwaratrensburg7.htm
External Link URL3www.ausvets.powerup.com.au/boerwar.htm
External Link URL4nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23831237
External Link URL5nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33178426
External Link URL6nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23853744
External Link URL7nla.gov.au/nla.news-article165302420
External Link URL8nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24843002
External Link URL9nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24744960


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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