Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: John Frederick Moore Wilkinson

Ancestor's date of birth: 21/05/1871

Ancestor's date of death: 27/01/1958

Cause of Death: Uraemia; Chronic Prostatitis

Service and Life Before the Boer War: No details provided

Service Number: Officer - no number

Colony or State of enlistment: NSW Place of Enlistment:

Unit: 1^st Australian Horse

Rank attained in Boer War: CAPT, Date Effective: 1900

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

Murray Page: 42, 43, 45

Contingent: First New South Wales

Ship: Surrey, Date of Sailing: 17/01/1900

Memorial details: Detail not provided

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Orange Free State, Transvaal, Dreifontein and Belfast clasps.

Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided

Reasons to go and fight: Was a soldier in the Australian Horse.

Details of service in war: Was part of the service squadron, arrived at the Modder River on 3 March 1900. First action was at the battle of Poplar Grove on 7 March. Then was at Dreifontein, and occupation of Bloemfontein 13 March. Was present at Karee Siding , Sannas Post and Evans Farm. In the advance from Bloemfontein to Pretoria, Lieutenant Wilkinson was captured with two others and taken to the prison camp at Waterval near Pretoria. Soon after his liberation, he assumed command of the squadron on 2 July. The actions at Zilicats Nek, 11 July and Camel Drift, 16 July soon followed. On 10 August, Wilkinson found himself not only the commander, but the only officer in the squadron. He was present at Belfast on 27 August when his squadron's scouting was key to the turning of the right flank of the Boer position. For the next two months the squadron was in action on an almost every day at Barbeton, Ermelo and Bethel. The squadron returned to Pretoria on 29 October. For the remainder of the tour the squadron patrolled the railway line from Pretoria to Lorenco Marques. The final action was a sharp one near Belfast on 14 February 1901; it earned a complement from Gereral Kitchener. The by now Captain Wilkinson entrained at Middelberg on 25 February en route for Australia via Cape Town.

Service and life after the Boer War: Lived in England with his wife, Madeleine.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Bruce Tyrrell, Pokolbin NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: He is my 2^nd cousin twice removed

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