Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Arthur Denis Daley
Ancestor's date of birth: 02/10/1874
Ancestor's date of death: 07/12/1951
Cause of Death: Age related
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Trooper Daley was a serving member of the New South Wales Lancers' Lismore half squadron, having joined the Alstonville detachment in 1893 and established himself as a first class horseman, swordsman and marksman. He was one of 75 members of the Regiment who put up £20 (approx. $20,000 in 2012 terms) of his own money to travel to Aldershot in the UK for training. This 'Aldershot' squadron of the NSW Lancers left the UK for Australia the day war was declared. Their commander Captain (later Major General) Cox had asked for permission to fight when they reached South Africa.
Service Number: 763
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Alstonville
Unit: NSW Lancers
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 1893
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No subsequent promotions recorded.
Murray Page: 11
Contingent: First New South Wales (Lancer draft from the UK)
Ship: SS Nineveh, Date of Sailing: 10/10/1899 (from the UK)
Memorial details: A scroll in Lismore Town Hall and the NSW Lancers Memorial Museum, Parramatta NSW.
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's south Africa Medal with clasps.
Personal Characteristics: Accomplished soldier and bushman.
Reasons to go and fight: Serving soldier who was given the opportunity to use the skills he had honed.
Details of service in war: The New South Wales Government cabled their approval, and when Trooper Daley and his comrades landed in Cape Town, they were allowed to stay and fight. By 19 November 1899, the squadron less 29 who were soon to be in action at Belmont, had arrived by train at Naauwport. There was much patrolling and skirmishing as the Boers gradually withdrew north toward Colesberg. At 03:00 on 17 January 1900, Trooper Daley set out on patrol with a mixed party of twenty Lancers and Australian Horse. At around mid-day, they were engaged by a larger party of Boers. It appears all the Australian's horses were shot or captured in the first few minutes, then each man built a stone krantz around him, and fought until every cartridge was expended. The Boers then rushed them and as the cavalry carried no bayonets, little resistance was possible. TSM Griffin and CPL Kilpatrick died. Lieutenant Dowling lost an eye and was captured. Arthur Daley was one of ten Lancers who were taken prisoner. He journeyed by train and on foot to a camp at Waterval near Pretoria where he was to stay until liberated on 5 June 1900. Thin and weak, he happily re-joined Lancer Squadron. The sub-unit then took part in skirmishes in the eastern Transvaal until 26 October 1900.
On 16 January 1900, a day before his capture, Arthur Daley wrote this letter to his family:
Well now we have taken up another position at the back of Colesberg and I think we may have the Boers pretty well surrounded but my word they have been giving us a lively time these last few days. I had the narrowest escape ever I want to have. We were halted on a plain and I was on patrol 500 metres in front of the mail body. We had all dismounted and were watching the movements of the enemy, when all at once a shell came whistling past. The shells make a terrible noise going through the air and as this came over my head my horse made one bound and got away from me. No sooner had they opened fire with the big gun than a volley came into us from behind a hill about 500 metres away. Everyone mounted and retired at the gallop, with the exception of one chap who was beside me when my horse got away. The Boers fired away at the main body until they got out of range and were then fully 800 metres ahead of me. I ran along carrying my lance, thinking someone would bring my horse back; but they could not catch him. The Boers seeing me dismounted, thought I was certainly for them and galloped out from behind a hill and tried to cut me off from the others. As soon as I saw them coming I jumped on behind the other chap, who had stayed beside me all the time, and then off we went for our lives. Without a word of a lie I'll swear a thousand bullets were fired at us, some just grazed past, others tearing the ground around the horse's hooves. You may not believe it but I was almost in a fit - laughing all the way. I was sitting on the great-coat behind the saddle, with one hand each on Whittington's shoulders and he with his had whacking the horse along for all his worth. Old Charlie Hopf turned to come to my rescue once but saw I was coming alright. I think he is the bravest fellow I ever came across. Service and life after the Boer War: He returned to Australia, arriving 6 December 1900 on the Harlech Castle, just in time to take part in the Fereration celebrations on 1 January 1901. Some time after the war, he received a valuable gold watch from the Chilean Government in recognition of assistance he had given to Chilean nationals whilst he and they were prisoners of the Boers. He married Laura Ada Ziehlke at Annandale on 20 September 1905. Their children were Grace, Gladys, Larry, Elsie, Maureen and Thomas. He was a well respected farmer and grazier at in the Ballina district until his death in 1951. [MJ Buckley, 'Sword and Lance' 1988]
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Catherine Brauns, Edmonton QLD
Relationship to Ancestor: 1st cousin twice removed
