Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: James Robert Murray
Ancestor's date of birth: 19/07/1878
Ancestor's date of death: 29/04/1949
Cause of Death: Heart failure.
Service Number: 1417
Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Melbourne
Unit: 5th Victorian (Mounted Rifles) Contingent
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: On Enlistment
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): A/CPL, Date Effective: 22/12/1918
Murray Page: 296
Contingent: Fifth Victorian
Ship: Orinet, Date of Sailing: 15/02/1901
Memorial details: VMR Memorial Melbourne.
Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps, 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Personal Characteristics: Miner by trade, height:166 cm, weight: 53 kg, flush complexion, dark brown hair, blue eyes.
Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided
Details of service in war: March 1901 - March 1902 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier under Beatson then Pulteney, 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: Married Ruby Elizabeth. Tramway employee. Enlisted WW1, 25 November 1915, Melbourne. No 2776, Pte. 19th Reinforcement, 8th Light Horse Regt. Served in Middle East, 3 LH & HQ, Anzac Training Centre, Moascar. Act Corp, discharged 17 April 1919. Enlisted WW2 Frankston, Victoria, Pte No V11799.
Note: Raised by his grandparents as James Robert Murray, real name on birth certificate James Robert Hyde.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Leonard Paul Burgess, Beaumaris, VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson
