Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: James John Walker

Ancestor's date of birth: 1865

Ancestor's date of death: 1956

Cause of Death: Heart Failure

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Served in the Queensland Military Forces. He was company accountant in HQ QDF when news of the formation of the unit was announced, he immediately said put my name down.

Service Number: 3

Colony or State of enlistment: QLD, Place of Enlistment: Ennogra

Unit: 1^st Queensland Mounted Infantry

Rank attained in Boer War: SMAJ, Date Effective: Pre November 1899

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War promotion.

Murray Page: 451

Contingent: First Queensland

Ship: Cornwall, Date of Sailing: 01/11/1899

Other Boer War Service: After being awarded the DCM he transferred to Lord Roberts' Staff.

Memorial details: Detail not provided.

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Relief of Kimberly, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg and Diamond Hill clasps. Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), Mentioned in Despatches (18 and 27 September 1901).

Personal Characteristics: Tall and straight up to his death, of Scottish decent all his life a Sergeant Major.

Reasons to go and fight: Serving soldier

Details of service in war: December Served as SSM A Coy, then RSM. 1899 - December 1900 in northwest Cape Colony including victory over rebel band at Sunnyside (1 January 1900), Free State, and east Transvaal. After being awarded the DCM he was transferred to Lord Roberts' Staff for a time. Spent a week in hospital in Pretoria with dysentry in October 1900.

Service and life after the Boer War: Returned per 'Orient' 16 January 1901 discharged Victoria Barracks Brisbane 23 January 1901. No further detail not provided

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: James Alford Walker, Sofala NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Paternal grandfather

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