Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Daniel Espie

Ancestor's date of birth: 02/12/1875

Ancestor's date of death: 14/11/1909

Cause of Death: Unknown, but as he died at Sale in Victoria, only aged 33, i suspect he may have died in hospital as a result of after effects of his service in South Africa. No newspaper reports of his funeral, death, or causes have been found.

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Farmer. His younger brothers, Beecher (3 NSWIB) and Wesley enlisted later. Wesley reportedly enlisted at Moe on 12 May, 1902, but his battalion of the Australian Commonwealth Horse would have assembled too late to be despatched to South Africa. No reference to Wesley's enlistment can be found in Murray or other official records.

Service Number: 1185

Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Moe

Unit: 5^th Victorian Mounted Rifles.

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 1901

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

Murray Page: 291

Contingent: Fifth Victorian

Ship: Orient, Date of Sailing: 15/02/1901

Memorial details: VMR Memorial Melbourne

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

Personal Characteristics: Unknown

Reasons to go and fight: Unknown

Details of service in war: March 1901 - March 1902 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier, including defeat at Wilmansrust where 18 killed and 42 wounded (12 June 1901), and successful intervention at Onverwacht (4 January 1902); heaviest casualties of any Australian contingent, at Wilmansrust suffered the costliest defeat.

Service and life after the Boer War: unknown. Survived only seven years after boer war ended.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Wynnette Marjorie Ford, Merrimac QLD 4226
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Niece

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