Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: Thomas Goucher
Ancestor's date of birth: 12/03/1857
Ancestor's date of death: 10/06/1925
Cause of Death: Renal failure
Service Number: Warrant Officer - no number
Colony or State of enlistment: TAS Place of Enlistment: Hobart (and Adelaide SA)
Unit: Second Tasmanian Citizens' Bushmen and 8 Bn Australian Commonwealth Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: WO2, Date Effective: 01/01/19
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): LT, Date Effective: 01/02/1911
Murray Page: 552, 386
Contingent: Second Tasmanian, Third Australian
Ship: Antillian, Date of Sailing: 05/03/1900
Ship: St Andrew Date of Sailing: 26/05/1902
Other Boer War Service: Second embarkation was with the 8th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse (joined at Adelaide 4 May 1902).
Memorial details: Detail not provided.
Decorations: Queen and King's South Africa Medals with clasps. Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct.
Personal Characteristics: In the book "Tasmanians in the Transvaal" Sergeant Major Thomas Goucher is described as "being especially liked by the men for his sympathy and forethought in looking after their needs and comfort". He is also described in this publication as having a "sonorous voice". After immigrating he enlisted in the Tasmanian Permanent Artillery in 1886 and was the permanent staff Warrant Officer from 1898. Thomas Goucher was born in Nottinghamshire and before immigrating to Tasmania with his wife Emma Luckman in 1883 he served in the British Army. He enlisted as a Private with the 58th Foot in 1876 and by April 1878 had been promoted to Sergeant. He saw active overseas service from 1879 in Zululand.
Reasons to go and fight: On 17 June 1901, the Tasmanian newspaper The Mercury described SM Goucher's return to his home town in Ulverstone: "A large crowd assembled at the railway station, though it was raining heavily, and heartily cheered him, and shouldered him down Victoria-street as far as Reiby-street, where he thanked the people for their kind reception."
Details of service in war: April 1900 - April 1901 in Rhodesia under Carington and west Transvaal under Methuen; part of Composite Bushmen Regt August 1900-April 1901. While with the Second Tasmanian Bushmen Contingent Sergeant Major was involved in the siege at Eland's River. The 8th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse arrived in South Africa after hostilities ceased.
Service and life after the Boer War: After the Boer war Thomas Goucher, a carpenter by trade, remained involved in the Tasmanian army and was actively involved in training troops at Hobart Barracks. Around the start of WWI he and his wife migrated to Melbourne and at the age of 57 he enlisted as Provost Staff in the 3rd Military District in Victoria. He saw no overseas action in WWI. Thomas Goucher was also a competitive rifle shooter and patented a device, a disappearing target used in rifle practice.
His son, Frederick Thomas Goucher was also a soldier, serving first as a Bugler in the Boer War, then as Captain in WWI and ended his career in WWII as a Major.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Stephanie Bailey, Cronulla NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: I'm his great x2 granddaughterName of Descendant: Greg Goucher, Blackburn South VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Great GrandsonName of Descendant: Leigh Goucher, Mont Albert VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Grandson
