Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Joseph Baines [Barnes] Ashburner
Ancestor's date of birth: 08/07/1881
Ancestor's date of death: 23/11/1901
Cause of Death: Shot in action near de Villiersdorp Orange Free State. [Certificate of Discharge 25/11/01]
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Worked as a junior clerk at Buckley and Nunn Department Store, Melbourne
Service Number: Not noted on nominal roll (see below)
Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia, Place of Enlistment: Durban, South Africa
Unit: Damant's Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 27/05/1901 (date of enlistment)
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): Did not survive the Boer War
Murray Page: Not applicable, did not serve in an Australian unit.
Contingent: Not applicable
Ship: Not Known, Date of Sailing: 01/03/1901
Memorial details: Frankfort Cemetery - "In proud remembrance of British soldiers originally buried at Tafel Kop and Frankfort Town Cemetery and who now lie buried here at Frankfort."
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Orange Free State clasp.
Personal Characteristics: Character: Very Good [Certificate of Discharge]. "He was the most popular fellow of his troop - a fine soldier; feared nought." [Letter from Father of a friend in South Africa]
Reasons to go and fight: Adventure
Details of service in war: Attending horses being shipped to South Africa - arrived Durban about 23 May 1901. Fought in mainly counter guerrilla actions around de Wetsdorp, Springfield, Edenberg Jagersfontein Road,and Springfontein against the Boer guerrillas. Block house protection and guerrilla action around Heilbron and Frankfort. (Photos and Letters have previously been sent to 'Australians at War', the Department of Veterans Affairs.)
Service and life after the Boer War: Did not survive the Boer War.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Leonard D Ashburner, Blackburn North VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Nephew
