Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Thomas Joseph McLernon
Ancestor's date of birth: 28/02/1876
Ancestor's date of death: 05/03/1954
Cause of Death: tetanus
Service Number: 30600
Colony or State of enlistment: Not Applicable, Place of Enlistment: Maitland near Capetown, South Africa
Unit: Kimberley Light Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: 18/02/1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evidence of post Boer War Military Service
Murray Page: Not Applicable did not serve in an Australian unit
Contingent: Not Applicable
Ship: Travelled privately to South Africa
Memorial details: Not provided
Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps including SA 1901.
Personal Characteristics: Was a great horseman in his day.
Reasons to go and fight: Was a goldfields policeman in Victoria who moved to Westarn Australia in about 1896. He left for South Africa about 1900 probably for the adventure.
Details of service in war: The Kimberly Light Horse was one of a number of units that saw genesis in Kimberly when the town was under seige in 1900. Initially fostered by Cecil Rhodes, by the time Thomas McLeron joined it in early 1901, it was regarded as a well-led and accomplished light horse (mounted infantry with some light cavalry roles) unit. At this point it appears to have been based in the Northern Cape Colony, and Orange Free State. The unit was disbanded in 1902, Thomas had already taken his discharge after six months active service.
Service and life after the Boer War: returned to Australia about 1908 - worked as a miner in Nullagine an oasis on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert, 200 km north of Newman Western Australia then as a bullock driver Collie 1910 to 1914-ish before starting a farm in Pinjarra (80 km south of Perth).
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Beverley McLernon, Yangebup WA
Relationship to Ancestor: grand daughterName of Descendant: Maureen Theresa McDermott, Atwell WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Daughter (via daughter of Thomas McLernon)
