Sergeant Walter Harkness

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Walter Scott Harkness

Ancestor's date of birth: 05/1882

Ancestor's date of death: 1933+

Cause of Death: Not Stated

Service Number: 1145

Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Melbourne

Unit: 5^th Victorian Mounted Rifles

Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 1902

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): SGT, Date Effective: 21/01/1919

Murray Page: 290

Contingent: Fifth Victorian

Ship: Orient, Argus, or City of Lincoln, Date of Sailing: 15/02/1901

Memorial details: VMR Memorial Melbourne

Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps. British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Personal Characteristics: A farmer from Drouin, Victoria. Height 187 cm, weight 76 kg (1916), fair comlexion, dark grey eyes, brown hair.

Reasons to go and fight: Not stated

Details of service in war: March 1901 - March 1902 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier, including defeat at Wilmansrust where 18 killed and 42 wounded (12 June 1901), and successful intervention at Onverwacht (4 January 1902); heaviest casualties of any Australian contingent, at Wilmansrust suffered the costliest defeat. Served as pay sergeant.

Service and life after the Boer War: Returned to Australia 26 April 1902 on the Custodian. Enlisted in the AIF as private No 5841 30 March 1916. Served in France with 24 Bn, the 5^th Australian Vetenary hospital and the 5 Divisional Ammunition Column.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Bob Gooch, Singapore
Relationship to Ancestor: Great nephew

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