Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Francis Hiller Ward

Ancestor's date of birth: 01/01/1878

Ancestor's date of death: 01/05/1928

Cause of Death: Detail not provided

Service and Life Before the Boer War: He was born in 1878 in Sydney. By trade he was a clerk. He was also heavily involved in amateur swimming competition with the Waverley swimming club. Along with a number of swimmers from different clubs he joined the NSW Imperial Bushmen. He was living in Penkervil street Bondi at the time of enlistment

Service Number: 102 (NSWIB) and 297 (1 ACH)

Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Sydney

Unit: D Sqn NSWIB and later A Sqn 1 ACH

Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 01/04/1900

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

Murray Page: 101 and 168

Contingent: Fourth New South Wales and First Commonwealth

Ship: SS Armenian, Date of Sailing: 23/04/1900

Ship: SS Manchester Merchant or Custodian, Date of Sailing: 18/02/1902

Other Boer War Service: He re enlisted and served in A Sqn 1 ACH in 1902 along with other amateur swimmers who had joined with him in NSWIB

Memorial details: Waverley Cemetery, Sydney

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Rhodesia, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps.

Personal Characteristics: 171 cm tall, a fair complexion, Hazel eyes and light brown hair

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided

Details of service in war: Service with NSWIB May 1900 - May 1901 in Rhodesia under Carington and west Transvaal including capture of de la Rey's convoy and guns at Wildfontein (24 March 1901) Then with 1st ACH March - May 1902 on Natal border and west Transvaal

Service and life after the Boer War: At the time of his death he was an inquiry officer for the legal aid department. He seems to have played an active part in the life of his church. His funeral was conducted at St Johns Darlinghurst and he was buried at Waverley cemetery. Senior representatives of the Public Service attended the funeral.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Pamela Jehan, Oatley NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Daughter

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