Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Arthur William Jacobsen
Ancestor's date of birth: 07/12/1883
Ancestor's date of death: 01/01/1904
Cause of Death: Not Stated
Service Number: 1489
Colony or State of enlistment: Not applicable, Place of Enlistment: South Africa
Unit: Bethunes Mounted Infantry
Rank attained in Boer War: CPL, Date Effective: Detail not available
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War promotions
Murray Page: Not applicable, did not serve in an Australian unit
Contingent: Not applicable
Ship: Travelled privately to South Africa
Other Boer War Service: Enlisted in Bethunes Mounted Infantry 28 September 1901, discharged 10 April 1902. Then enlisted on the 22 April 1902 and served as #641 Civilian Farrier Bushveldt Carbineers/Pietersburg Light Horse, he was discharged on the 3 July 1902.
Memorial details: Detail not provided
Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Orange Free State,Transvaal, SA 1901 and SA 1902 clasps.
Personal Characteristics: Fair haired, height 176 cm. A blacksmith by trade. He was born in Maryborough, Victoria Australia.
Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided
Details of service in war: Bethune's Mounted Infantry (BMI) conducted operations against the Boers in Orange River Colony protecting and scouting for the right flank of General Buller's Army and actions near Vryheid, Scheeper's Nek and Utrecht. The Bushveldt Carbineers' (BVC) mission was to fight the mounted guerilla warfare style favoured by the Boers. Breaker Morant was an officer with the BVC, but had been executed before Arthur Jacobsen joined the unit; as he only served a month with the BVC before the peace was declared; he would have seen little action with this unit.
Service and life after the Boer War: Did not survive the war by much.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Jacqualine Jacobsen, Ashwood VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: My husband's [NR Jacobsen] Uncle
