Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: John James Copland

Ancestor's date of birth: 17/10/1880

Ancestor's date of death: 28/10/1975

Cause of Death: Age related

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Details not provided.

Service Number: 2356

Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia Place of Enlistment: Birkenhead NZ

Unit: 11^th Coy 5^th NZ Contingent

Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 01/04/1902

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No record of post Boer war service.

Murray Page: Not applicable did not serve in an Australian unit

Contingent: Fifth New Zealand

Ship: Maori, Date of Sailing: 31/03/1900

Ship: Drayton Grange, Date of Sailing: 14/04/1902

Other Boer War Service: B Squadron 10^th NZ Contingent

Memorial details: Ashes in Hamilton Park Cemetery, Hamilton, NZ

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902

Personal Characteristics: His name was incorrectly transcribed as Copeland in the 5th contingent but this was corrected for his service in the 10th Contingent.

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided.

Details of service in war: Also served as No8682 Sgt Copland 10th Contingent Originally the Fifth Contingent was raised in response to a British request for 500 mounted troops who would be able to serve with already established British units. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Newall, the contingent was divided into five companies. No. 11 and No. 14 Company embarked from Wellington aboard the SS Maori, with No. 12 and No. 13 Company on the SS Waitemata. No. 15 Company sailed with the Fourth Contingent from Lyttelton. The Tenth was formed as a response to the defeat suffered by British forces at Tweebosch on 7 March 1902. It was divided into two regiments: the North Island Regiment departed from Wellington aboard the SS Drayton, while the South Island Regiment departed from Lyttelton aboard the SS Norfolk. With both regiments of the Tenth Contingent arriving in South Africa in late May, they were moved to Newcastle before the end of the war on 31 May 1902.

Service and life after the Boer War: Details not provided.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Brian Chetwynd, Armidale NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Nephew

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