Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Harold Augustus Arnold

Ancestor's date of birth: 01/01/1882

Ancestor's date of death: 01/01/1935

Cause of Death: Detail not provided

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Harold was born at Bega NSW in 1882. He was a skin classer by trade but by 1899 the family was living in Paddington , NSW although it still had strong links with Bega. Harold had been a member of the Bega troop of the Mounted Rifles and had tried to enlist in 1899 and was given a send off fromm Bega at this time but for whatever reason was unsuccessful. His brother Herman had gone away with the MG section of 3NSWMR in 1901.

Service Number: 1708

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

Unit: 3^rd Australian Commonwealth Horse

Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 01/03/1902

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

Murray Page: 178

Contingent: Second Australian Commonwealth

Ship: SS Manhattan or Englishman, Date of Sailing: 01/04/1902

Memorial details: Detail not provided

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

Personal Characteristics: Height 170 cm, of dark complexion with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided.

Details of service in war: The unit saw no combat but was involved in supervising the surrender and disarmament of the Boer forces as well maintaining local security,

Service and life after the Boer War: He returned to Australia on the SS Drayton Grange but fortunately survived this experience. He died at Redfern in 1935.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Helen Thomson, Erina Fair NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Niece

Name of Descendant: Megan Murray, West Pennant Hills NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Niece

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