Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: George Thomas Fenwick
Ancestor's date of birth: 20/11/1873
Ancestor's date of death: 24/06/1950
Cause of Death: Unknown
Service Number: 317
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Lismore
Unit: NSW Lancers
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 1899
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War service
Murray Page: 11
Contingent: First New South Wales - First Lancer deployment from UK
Ship: SS Nineveh, Date of Sailing: 10/10/1899 (from UK)
Memorial details: Buried Cooroy Cemetery, Name and record noted at NSW Lancers Memorial Museum, Parramatta NSW.
Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Belmont, Modder River, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Orange Free State, Transvaal, Johannesberg, Diamond Hill clasps.
Personal Characteristics: George Fenwick was one of those from Lismore who put up £20 ($20,000 in 2011 terms) to go to the UK in April 1899 and train with British cavalry.
Reasons to go and fight: Was a serving Lancer.
Details of service in war: One of the Lancers' "Fighting 29", he was one of those who at Belmont on 23 November 1899 were the first Australian soldiers to take part in a combat engagement. He served with the squadron until it reached Pretoria. Major Lee, commanding Lancer squadron wrote of George Fenwick when he was to be invalided to Australia: "I think Fenwick goes home at once; he is a good young fellow and any man may be proud of such a lad as a son." [The Northern Star 5 September 1900.] He was invalided back to Australia arriving 13 November 1900.
Service and life after the Boer War: Sawmiller then Dairy Farmer, Cooroy, Queensland. (buried Cooroy Cemetery)
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Cyril Edwin Fenwick, Ulladulla NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson
