Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: Ernest Edgar Smith

Ancestor's date of birth: 15/12/1871

Ancestor's date of death: 20/12/1908

Cause of Death: Accidential Poisoning

Service Number: 235 and 619

Colony or State of enlistment: QLD, Place of Enlistment: Brisbane

Unit: B Company, 1^st Queensland Mounted Infantry and 6^th Queensland Imperial Bushman

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: On enlistment

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No post war service

Murray Page: 455 and 518

Contingent: First and Sixth Queensland

Ship: Cornwall, Date of Sailing: 01/11/1899

Ship: Victoria Date of Sailing: 04/04/1901

Memorial details: Buried at Charters Towers in Queensland in an unmarked grave.

Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony clasp, King's South Africa Medal with 1901 and 1902 clasps.

Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided

Details of service in war: From December 1899 in northwest Cape Colony including victory over rebel band at Sunnyside (1 January 1900). Wounded 26 January 1900 at Belmont when a Martini Henry bullet passed through the outer side of the left arm. He was in Hospital at Orange River and Wynberg for two months.He arrived home in Brisbane on the Orient 16-1-1901 and was discharged. Re enlisted and served May 1901 - April 1902 in eastern Transvaal and Free State with the 6^th Queensland Imperial Bushmen.

Service and life after the Boer War: Returned to Australia 17 June 1902 on the Devon. Lived in Charters Towers until his death by accidental poisoning in 1908.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Don Neil, Upper Kedron QLD
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson

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