Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: Arthur Ellis Woods
Ancestor's date of birth: 13/10/1877
Ancestor's date of death: 11/09/1934
Cause of Death: As the result of a mugging
Service Number: 198
Colony or State of enlistment: WA, Place of Enlistment: Detail not provided
Unit: Western Australian Mounted Infantry
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: Detail not available
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): Detail not provided
Murray Page: 425
Contingent: Fifth Western Australian
Ship: Devon, Date of Sailing: 06/03/1901
Memorial details: Died in Pretoria (mugged) 11th Sept 1934
Decorations: King's South Africa Medal with 1901 and 1902 clasps.
Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided
Reasons to go and fight: Arthur Ellis Woods was born 13 October 1877, Staffordshire, England. He emmigrated to Australia with his father Randle Woods and family in 1879.
Details of service in war: Arthur Ellis Woods was a Private, Regiment No. 198 of the Fifth Western Australian Mounted Infantry Contingent that departed Fremantle on the troop transport "Devon" for the Boer War, 6 March, 1901 and arrived in Durban South Africa on 28th. The Fifth then comprised 14 Officers, 207 other ranks with 239 horses. In South Africa, both the Fifth and the Sixth Contingents were amalgamated to form one strong Battalion.They served with Major-General F.W. Kitchener's Column in the Eastern Transvaal, Natal and Orange Free State; and with Colonel Campbell's, Colonel Benson's, and Colonel Wing's Columns in Eastern Transvaal. For a great part of the year 1901, the Fifth and Sixth were in the Column of Major-General Kitchener, who long operated in the Lydenberg District, and generally over the Eastern Transvaal. In April, the Column, working from Lydenberg, took part in the operations of Sir Bindon Blood to the North of the Delagoa railway and in the Middelburg district. During April, the Western Australians were several times engaged, and made some captures of prisoners and stock. On 13th May, Kitchener's Column crossed to the South of the Railway and made for Ermelo district to take part in another sweeping movement towards Ermelo, under the direction of General Bindon Blood, and back towards the Ermelo-Bethel district. Captain Campbell was complimented by General Kitchener during operations at Frane House. On the 15th, there was severe fighting at Grobelaar Recht, near Carolina, in which the 5th had Lieutenant Forrest and Sergeant Edwards and Corporal Bollinger killed and four men wounded; and the 6th had four men killed, and five men wounded. Towards the close of 1901 and in early 1902, both Contingents were acting under General Bruce Hamilton in the Eastern Transvaal, and took part in many of his most successful enterprises. Of the Fifth Contingent; Eight Officers and 139 other ranks embarked in the transport "Columbian" which left Durban on 7th April, 1902, and arrived at Freemantle on the 29th. They were disbanded on 17 May, 1902. Information concerning the members and history of this unit is contained in Lieutenant-Colonel Murray's "Records of Australian Contingents to the War in South Africa 1899-1902".
During the Boer War, Arthur Ellis Woods became a prisoner of war and below is a copy of his release papers on the letter head of the South African Police, handwritten in pen and ink read: "Discharge and Liberation" the undersigned persons ...A.E. Woods, all from Vollksrust, being prisoners of war with General De Wets' Commando, are liberated. They are authorised to return to their farms with any conveyance which are at their disposal. Signed C.R. De Wet, Commandant General." It is known that Arthur Ellis Woods' elder brother; Samuel Woods, lived in Western Australia. He was a Station Master with the Railways and eventually held a high position in the Western Australian Railways. This may explain how Arthur Ellis Woods came to join the Fifth Western Australian Mounted Infantry.
Service and life after the Boer War: He was a scout in the intelligence forces during the Anglo Boer war and was in the British Forces during the 1st World War. He was site Superintendent at the building of the first dam on South Africa's largest river the Orange, and built canals that served to open up that part of South Africa for further development and habitation. He returned to Pretoria in approximately 1933 and worked on the construction of the first steel works to be developed in South Africa, which was situated in Pretoria.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Brian Marshall, Lalor Park NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: FamilyName of Descendant: Bethwyn Faith Bunn, Grenfell NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: NieceName of Descendant: Kevin Woods
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Nephew
