Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: John Bates Milne Thurston
Ancestor's date of birth: 11/02/1877
Ancestor's date of death: 30/12/1901
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
Service Number: 92 (2WAMI), 420 (6WAMI)
Colony or State of enlistment: WA, Place of Enlistment: Perth
Unit: 2 Western Australian Mounted Infantry then 6 Western Australian Mounted Infantry
Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 04/1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): Did not survive the Boer War
Murray Page: 407, 430, 440
Contingent: Second then Sixth Western Australian
Ship: Maplemore, Date of Sailing: 14/03/1900
Memorial details: Standerton War Memorial, South Africa
Awards/Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps
Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided
Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided
Details of service in war: April 1900 - April 1901 in Rhodesia, west Transvaal including skirmish at Koster River (22 July 1900), and in northern Transvaal including battle of Rhenoster Kop (29 November 1900), great De Wet hunt, including charge at Wolwekuil (14 February 1901), and advance on Pietersburg as a private with the Second Western Australian Mounted Infantry. He did not return with his unit, but remained in South Africa. Promoted Sergeant, he served from May 1901 in east Transvaal including defeat at Brakpan (16 May 1901) with the Sixth Western Australian Mounted Infantry. He died of pneumonia at Standerton South Africa on 30 December 1901.
Service and life after the Boer War: Sadly he did not survive the Boer War.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Mary Catherine Carswell, Port Macquarie NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: 2nd cousin
