War historian seeks help
A MELBOURNE historian is trying to find the descendants of Geelong and district soldiers who fought in the Boer War.
Robin Droogleever said the Geelong district was a valuable area for the recruitment of bushmen for the 3rd and 4th Victorian Contingents serving in the the Boer War in 1899-1902.He said 46 families from Geelong and district had someone serving.
``It was hoped to recruit men who did not necessarily have any militia experience but who could ride well, shoot reasonably well and live off the land,'' Droogleever, who is preparing a regimental history of the bushmen who served Victoria during the war, said.
``It was certainly a departure from the guidelines used to recruit the 1st and 2nd Contingents, and many believed that such a group of individuals could not be welded into a unified fighting unit.
``How wrong they were. When the British Generals in South Africa heard that they would be coming, they practically fell over themselves trying to get the bushmen attached to their column.
``When they arrived they were sent north to the Portuguese colony of Mozambique where they disembarked at Beira.
``Their horses died by the score to diseases, like blue-tongue, and many of the men too were ravaged by fever.
``They worked their way across to Rhodesia which became the launching pad for their invasion of the Boer state of the Transvaal.
``Later they operated in the Cape Colony and in the Orange Free State, returning home after a year's service.''
Families from the districts in and around Geelong who contributed to the bushmen's contingent were: Baird, Buckham, Buckland, Calder, Carstairs, Caple, Chadwick, Clinnick, Craig, Dalton, Downes, Farrell, Gardiner, Gullan, Haigh, Harvey, Hutchings, James, Kelly, Kidgell, Lancashire, Lang, Lee, Leitch, Lidgerwood, Lowe, Lugg, Madden, McSweeney, Moffat, Morris, Morrison, Mulcahy, Nicholls, O'Neill, Parkin, Pounds, Quiney, Rankin, Stone, Threlfall, Tweedie, Walkden, Wall, Whiting and Yelland.
Relatives who have photos or documents they are prepared to allow access to are asked to contact Robin
Droogleever, PO Box 42, Bulleen, 3105, Australia or phone 9891 6032 or e-mail
jerwfd@optusnet.com.au.
Robin Droogleever said the Geelong district was a valuable area for the recruitment of bushmen for the 3rd and 4th Victorian Contingents serving in the the Boer War in 1899-1902.He said 46 families from Geelong and district had someone serving.
``It was hoped to recruit men who did not necessarily have any militia experience but who could ride well, shoot reasonably well and live off the land,'' Droogleever, who is preparing a regimental history of the bushmen who served Victoria during the war, said.
``It was certainly a departure from the guidelines used to recruit the 1st and 2nd Contingents, and many believed that such a group of individuals could not be welded into a unified fighting unit.
``How wrong they were. When the British Generals in South Africa heard that they would be coming, they practically fell over themselves trying to get the bushmen attached to their column.
``When they arrived they were sent north to the Portuguese colony of Mozambique where they disembarked at Beira.
``Their horses died by the score to diseases, like blue-tongue, and many of the men too were ravaged by fever.
``They worked their way across to Rhodesia which became the launching pad for their invasion of the Boer state of the Transvaal.
``Later they operated in the Cape Colony and in the Orange Free State, returning home after a year's service.''
Families from the districts in and around Geelong who contributed to the bushmen's contingent were: Baird, Buckham, Buckland, Calder, Carstairs, Caple, Chadwick, Clinnick, Craig, Dalton, Downes, Farrell, Gardiner, Gullan, Haigh, Harvey, Hutchings, James, Kelly, Kidgell, Lancashire, Lang, Lee, Leitch, Lidgerwood, Lowe, Lugg, Madden, McSweeney, Moffat, Morris, Morrison, Mulcahy, Nicholls, O'Neill, Parkin, Pounds, Quiney, Rankin, Stone, Threlfall, Tweedie, Walkden, Wall, Whiting and Yelland.
Relatives who have photos or documents they are prepared to allow access to are asked to contact Robin
Droogleever, PO Box 42, Bulleen, 3105, Australia or phone 9891 6032 or e-mail
jerwfd@optusnet.com.au.
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07 Novembre 2007 à 09:07 dans
- Général
