The Australian Boer War Memorial
Anzac Parade Canberra

 
 
Private John Ellis

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: John Lewis Spencer Ellis

Ancestor's date of birth: 09/06/1877

Ancestor's date of death: 23/04/1923

Cause of Death: Fell between a train carriage and the platform at Granville NSW railway station. Sustained injuries which caused death.

Service Number: New Zealand 331

Colony or State of enlistment: New Zealand, Place of Enlistment: Waverley Wanganui NZ

Unit: New Zealand Mounted Rifles

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 10/01/1900

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): TPR, Date Effective: 09/1914

Murray Page: Not Applicable

Contingent: 2nd New Zealand Contingent

Ship: Waiwera, Date of Sailing: 20/01/1900

Memorial details: Not Known

Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with 4 clasps

Personal Characteristics: Provided the material things for his wife and daughter, but did not display affection and was often morose and introspective.

Reasons to go and fight: Perhaps being of Welsh extraction, he felt the need to support the Mother country. John Lewis Spencer Ellis was born 9 June 1877 at Carmarthen Wales. It is believed he arrived in Wellinton NZ as a young man in 1899 with his family, and for a while was a Kiwi. He enlisted as a in the New Zealand Mounted Rifles 19/1/1900, and subsequently served 1 year and 356 days in South Africa.

Details of service in war: Johannesburg 31/5/1900, Diamond Hill 12/6/1900, Cape Colony 1/10/1902 to 31/5/1902 and Orange Free State 28/2/1900 to 31/5/1902.

Service and life after the Boer War: He was a farmer and a mechanic. On 10/6/1908 he married my aunt at Huntly NZ, and they moved to Sydney to be with her family. At the outbreak of WW1 he enlisted in the Australian army, and On 10/6/1908 he married an aunt of my wife at Huntly NZ, and they moved to Sydney to be with her family. At the outbreak of WW1 he enlisted in the Australian army, and because of his Boer War and later farming experiences with horses, was accepted into the 1st Light Horse Regiment of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, with the astonishingly low service number of 19. He subsequently served in Gallipoli from 12/5/1915 until December 1915. His regiment was then deployed in the Sinai desert where he was one of the attacking force in the battle of Romani 4/8/1916. During this battle he was wounded, assessed unfit for further military service, and repatriated back to Australia.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Nancy Shirley (Known as Shirley) (Mrs) Stevens, Berowra Heights NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Niece

 


© New South Wales Lancers Memorial Museum Incorporated ABN 94 630 140 881
Site Sponsored by Cibaweb, PO Box 7287, PENRITH SOUTH NSW 2750, AUSTRALIA
Click to contact
website designed and maintained by cibaweb Site Disclaimer

go to top of page
RUSI of NSW Boer War Battlefields