Captain Casimir Sellheim

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Casimir Vaux Sellheim
Ancestor's date of birth: 05/02/1871
Ancestor's date of death: 30/06/1949
Cause of Death: Detail not provided.
Service Number: Officer - no number
Colony or State of enlistment: QLD, Place of Enlistment: Queensland
Unit: 4 Qld Imperial Bushmen, 5 Qld Imperial Bushmen
Rank attained in Boer War: CAPT, Date Effective: 1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): LTCOL, Date Effective: 1918
Murray Page: 479/493
Contingent: 4^th and 5^th Queensland
Ship: Manchester Merchant, Date of Sailing: 18/05/1900
Ship: Templemore or Chicago, Date of Sailing: 06 or 10/03/1901
Memorial details: Detail not provided
Decorations: Queens Medal with 3 clasps, Kings Medal with 2 clasps
Personal Characteristics: Born at the Valley of Lagoons Station in Queensland. It is believed that Casimir changed his name to his mother's maiden name of Morisset during the period of WW1. Possibly due to pressure from family because he had a german name although this did not bother his brother, Victor Conradsdorf Morisset Sellheim.
Reasons to go and fight: Possibly due to family tradition. Following his brother and grandfather.
Details of service in war: June 1900 - March 1902 in Free State, Transvaal, and battle of Rhenoster Kop (29 November 1900), great De Wet hunt and advance on Pietersburg and into east Transvaal under Plumer. Then under Plumer in east Transvaal, Free State including defeat at Mokari Drift (27 September 1901), and Natal border campaign including stand at Onverwacht (4 January 1902).
Service and life after the Boer War: Appointed as a Major for Special Service in WW1. He was in charge of escorting Italian reservists from Australia to England prior to their return to Italy. The ship R.M.S. "Osterley" departed Sydney on 8 May 1918. Appointment in WW1 terminated in October 1918 and he retired as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel. In later years until his death he lived with his daughter at Dimby Plains, Quirindi and is buried in the Quirindi cemetery.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Ronald Eric Thompson, Albany Creek QLD
Relationship to Ancestor: cousin

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