Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Alexander Patrick Murtagh

Ancestor's date of birth: 1868

Ancestor's date of death: 27/11/1951

Cause of Death: Heart Failure, Age Related

Service and Life Before the Boer War: He was born in Salford, England in 1868. After migrating to Australia he was a bushman in the Armidale district of NSW.

Service Number: 1677 and 316

Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Armidale NSW

Unit: D Squadron 3^rd NSW Mounted Rifles

Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 01/02/1901

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War service.

Murray Page: 134 and 192

Contingent: Fifth New South Wales and Third Australian Commonwealth

Ship: SS Maplemore, Date of Sailing: 17/03/1901

Ship: SS Manchester Merchant, Date of Sailing: 19/05/1902

Other Boer War Service: Re enlisted in the C Squadron 5^th Australian Commonwealth Horse as no 316 on 19 April 1902 in Armidale, NSW

Memorial details: Buried Rookwood, NSW, War Memorial Armidale NSW.

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps.

Personal Characteristics: 171 cm tall, blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was nicknamed Sandy.

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided.

Details of service in war: He enlisted in 3NSWMR in February 1901 serving April 1901 - July 1901 in Free State and East Transvaal. Invalided with enteric fever (typhoid) arriving 2 August 1901. Re enlisted with the 5^th Australian Commonwealth Horse arrived after the end of the war and saw no further service.

Service and life after the Boer War: Returned to the Armidale District as a horsetrainer and shearer. Later he moved to Sydney.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: M. John Murtagh, Epping NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Great Grand Son

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