Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: James Rogers
Ancestor's date of birth: 04/07/1873
Ancestor's date of death: 28/10/1961
Cause of Death: Age related
Service and Life Before the Boer War: James Rogers (1873-1961), soldier and farmer, was born on 4 July 1873, at Woodside Farm, Moama, New South Wales, son of Welsh-born John Rogers, farmer, and his wife Sarah Louisa, née Johnstone, from Sydney. Rogers was educated locally at public schools. In 1886 his family moved to Heywood, Victoria, where he later worked on his father's farm and joined the local company of the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1898.
Service Number: 81
Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Victoria
Unit: 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles then 3 Troop, D Squadron (Coolac VIC) 6 Bn Australian Commonwealth Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: LT, Date Effective: 01/05/1902
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): LT, Date Effective: 07/11/1914
Murray Page: 224 and 334
Contingent: First Victorian and Third Australian Commonwealth.
Ship: Medic, Date of Sailing: 28/10/1899
Ship: Manchester Merchant, Date of Sailing: 16/05/1902
Other Boer War Service: A sergeant in the South African Constabulary.
Memorial details: His name is commemorated on a memorial cairn at Heywood, Victoria. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Victoria Cross (VC), Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony and Orange Free State clasps, Kings South Africa Medal with South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps. 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal. Coronation Medal George VI. Coronation Medal Elizabeth II.
Personal Characteristics: Height 186 cm, weight 79 kg.
Reasons to go and fight: No details available.
Details of service in war: November 1899 - October 1900 with 1VMR in northern Cape Colony including defence of Pink Hill where five killed (12 February 1900), in Free State, and in east Transvaal. Awarded the Victoria Cross 15 June 1901 while serving with the South African Constabulary. The 6 ACH landed in Durban on 13 June 1092. They made it as far as Newcastle Natal when orders were received to return to Australia.
The citation for his VC ststes: "On 15 June 1901, at Thaba 'Nchu, South Africa, during a skirmish, a party of the rearguard, consisting of a lieutenant, Sergeant Rogers and six men, was attacked by about 60 Boers. When the lieutenant's horse was shot, Sergeant Rogers rode back, took the lieutenant up behind and carried him for half a mile on his own horse. The sergeant then returned to within 400 metres of the enemy and rescued two other men who had lost their horses. Afterwards, he caught two horses and helped their owners to remount. This was done under heavy fire. The Boers were near enough to Sergeant Rogers to call upon him to surrender; his only answer was to continue firing."
Service and life after the Boer War: Returned to Australia 5 July 1902 on the Britannic; the unit was disbanded on 8 August 1902. After buying and then selling a farm at Yea, Victoria, he returned to South Africa where he served as a special detective with the Cape Police until February 1904. On 25 April 1907, describing himself as a mounted trooper, he married Ethel Maud Seldon at Portland, Victoria; they had two sons James and Gordon, was living at Williamstown. By 1912 he was a marker at Williamstown rifle range and by the outbreak of World War I was an assistant ranger there. Commissioned into the Australian Army Service Corps 7 November 1914 3LH Baggage Train. On Gallipoli 9 July 1915, wounded 4 August 1915. Posted to ANZAC Provost Corps on 13 April 1916. Invalided to Australia "Shell Shock" October 1916. Taken on strength of the Dock Guard 3MD Intelligence, 3 March 1919. Afterwards he resumed work at Williamstown as a range assistant, then in 1921 became an assistant storeman, Ordnance Branch, AMF, Victoria. He resigned in 1922 and resumed farming. He lived at Kew, Melbourne, for over thirty years; then, after his wife died, with his one surviving son at Roseville, Sydney. He died in Concord Repatriation Hospital on 28 October 1961, and was cremated with military honours in Melbourne. His name is commemorated on a memorial cairn at Heywood. His Victoria Cross is on display in the Hall of Valour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: James Edward Penna, Niddrie VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: great nephew
