Captain Harold Carstairs

Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: Harold Grafton Carstairs
Ancestor's date of birth: 01/02/1875
Ancestor's date of death: 30/07/1943
Cause of Death: Natural Causes
Service Number: Officer - no number
Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Melbourne
Unit: 3rd Victorian Bushmen and 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
Rank attained in Boer War: CAPT, Date Effective: Detail not provided
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): MAJ, Date Effective: Detail not provided
Murray Page: 245, 281
Contingent: Third and fifth Victorian
Ship: Euryalus, Date of Sailing: 10/03/1900
Memorial details: VMR Memorial Melbourne
Awards/Decorations: QSA and 5 clasps with 3VBC, KSA and 2 clasps with 5VMR. 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Mention in Despatches (MID).

Personal Characteristics: Height 1.76m, chest 96 cm

Profession: Solicitor
Schooling: Geelong College
University: University of Melbourne
Prior to Boer war served with the Victorian Garrison Artillery, Western Brigade, Geelong Artillery

Reasons to go and fight: Family History of Military service when needed
Details of service in war: April 1900 - April 1901 with the 3VB in Rhodesia, west Transvaal including skirmish at Koster River where six killed (22 July 1900), and in northern Transvaal including battle of Rhenoster Kop (29 November 1900), great De Wet hunt including charge at Wolwekuil (14 February 1901) and advance on Pietersburg. Served with 5th Contingent from about 22 March 1901 to 05 May 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: Discharged in South Africa 5/5/1902 Stayed in SA as a Solicitor of the Transvaal Civil service 02-08 in Johannesburg and Pretoria Served as a public prosecutor and magistrate in SA Captain in the Eastern Rifles (Transvaal Militia) Returned to Australia in 1908 and married Emily Mabel Lee daughter of Charles Alfred Lee, Minister of Public Works in NSW at the time. Solicitor in Ararat and Natimuk (western Victoria) Joined AIF in 1916 as Captain in 25th Company 3rd Division Train (ASC) Mentioned in Despatches 7/4/18 by Sir Douglas Haig (signed by Sir John Monash) H. G. Carstairs Boer war rifle (with carved butt) currently on permanent show in the Boer war exhibition at the AWM (Canberra) Captain 2/21st Infantry regiment and 19th Light Horse regiment and later promoted to Major. 3 children (Joan, Ronald and Nancy) Died at Natimuk 30/7/1943 Ronald served in the 2nd AIF in 9 Div Cav (attaining Lt rank) and won a Military Medal.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Susan Norman (nee Carstairs), Ascot Vale VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: grand daughter

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