Sergeant Hugh Shaw

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Hugh Thomas Shaw
Ancestor's date of birth: 26/06/1873
Ancestor's date of death: 01/01/1963
Cause of Death: old age
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born in Mornington, Victoria. Came to Western Australia in 1897 worked as a sleeper stacker in a saw mill in Yarloop.
Service Number: 117/231
Colony or State of enlistment: WA, Place of Enlistment: Bunbury
Unit: 1^st then 5^th Western Australian Mounted Infantry
Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 09/01/1902
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): SGT, Date Effective: 01/09/1914
Murray Page: 425
Contingent: First and Fifth Western Australian
Ship: Medic, Date of Sailing: 07/11/1899
Ship: Devon, Date of Sailing: 06/03/1901
Note: The service attributed to Hugh Shaw in the 1 WAMI is in Murray attributed to David John Shaw. Service in 1 WAMI confirmed in WW1 service record.
Memorial details: Detail not provided
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Transvaal and Diamond Hill clasps, King's South Africa Medal with South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps. 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Personal Characteristics: 187 cm tall, weight 71 kg, of fair complexion with blue/grey eyes and light brown hair (1914).
Reasons to go and fight: No work in the southwest of Western Australia.
Details of service in the Boer war: November 1899 - October 1900 with the 1^st Western Australian Mounted Infantry in northern Cape Colony including defence of Australian Hill (9 February 1900), Free State, and Transvaal including battle of Diamond Hill (11-12 June 1900) and reverse at Palmietfontein (19 July 1900). Returned to Australia then enlisted in the 5^th Western Australian Mounted Infantry with appointment of lance corporal. Served with this unit from May 1901 'till April 1902 in east Transvaal including defeat at Brakpan where five dead (16 May 1901); on the 9 January 1902 was promoted to Sergeant on recommendation from Kitchener.
Service and life after the Boer War: Discharged 1 October 1902 Perth. Married Mary. Worked as a labourer and served with the militia. Joined the AIF on 9 September 1914 initially as a private then served as a sergeant cook in the 11 Bn. Served at Gallipoli where he lost his rank due to an incident involving delivery of rations to the front line. By the time he left the peninsula, he had regained the rank of Corporal. Suffered from Typhoid in Egypt and did not go on to France with his battalion. Was invalided to Australia 10 April 1916; discharged 25 July 1916.

Descendant Details

Descendant DetailsName of Descendant: Jeffrey Lloyd Thomas, Bunbury WA
Relationship to Ancestor: grandson

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