Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: James Farrell Gallagher

Ancestor's date of birth: 07/04/1876

Ancestor's date of death: 03/07/1944

Cause of Death: Uknown

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born in North Melbourne Victoria. In 1901 was classified as a 'bushman' and single.

Service Number: 853

Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Melbourne

Unit: 5^th Victorian Mounted Rifles

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 14/01/1901

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): PTE, Date Effective: 26/07/1915

Murray Page: 284

Contingent: Fifth Victorian

Ship: Orient, Date of Sailing: 15/02/1901

Memorial details: Buried in the Boroondara Cemetery Kew Victoria, has an ANZAC headstone.

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps. British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Personal Characteristics: Height 171 cm, weight 70 kg (1915).

Reasons to go and fight: not known

Details of service in war: March 1901 - March 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: Returned to Australia: 25 April 1902 on St Andrew. Married Florence May, in 1915 was working as a labourer and living at South Yarra. Enlisted in the AIF on 26 July 1915 13^th reinforcements 6^th Battalion. Departed from Melbourne per HMAT A64 'Demosthenes' on 29 December 1915. Saw service in France, transferred to 1 Pioneer Battalion 17 March 1916 as a driver. Wounded in action 21 August 1916. Suffered from pneumonia. Returned to Australia 11 January 1918, discharged 24 May 1918. Was in the Anzac Hostel in Brighton at time of death. Had injuries as result of World War 1. I did not know grandfather, only scant information was passed on by my father (James Farrell Gallagher a corporal in the 2/23 Infantry Bn in World War 2).

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Susan Marie Venohr, Tatura VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandaughter

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