The Australian Boer War Memorial
Anzac Parade Canberra

 
 
Private Pierce Smith

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Pierce Eaglesfield Smith

Ancestor's date of birth: 14/05/1853

Ancestor's date of death: 14/07/1911

Cause of Death: In Sept 1907 Pierce had a horrific horse riding accident near Liverpool Plains in the Northern Territory. He broke a leg, an arm and some ribs and injured his spine. It took a fortnight to get him to a doctor in Darwin. He lost a leg and returned to Sydney to have a cork leg fitted. He died of Bright's Disease and Heart Failure less than four years after this accident.

Service Number: 612

Colony or State of enlistment: NSW Place of Enlistment: Sydney

Unit: NSW Imperial Bushmen, "E" Company NSW Imperial Bushmen

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: Detail not provided

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): Did not serev after the war.

Murray Page: 103

Contingent: 4th New South Wales

Ship: Armenian, Date of Sailing: 23/04/1900

Memorial details: Detail not provided.

Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps

Personal Characteristics: Pierce was born in Haltwhistle, England and came to Australia with his parents at the age of 2. His parents were the Rev Pierce Galliard Smith and Emily Philippa Davis. His father was the Rector of St John's Church Canberra for over 50 years. Pierce lived as a child at the Parsonage in Canberra. He travelled extensively throughout the remote parts of Qld. NT, WA. He worked on Savannah Downs and was known as Savannah Smith.

Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided.

Details of service in war: In Rhodesia under Carington and west Transvaal. Invalided home about August 1900. Feb 1901 arrived in Albany, Western Austrlia.

Service and life after the Boer War: In June 1901 Pierce went to Roper River in the Northern Territory near Elsey Station. He bought Hodgson Downs but had to sell it after his riding accident. He married Ethel Lumsdaine in 1909. He bought "Oldbury" near Berrima NSW and died there less than two years later.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Adrienne Fane Bradley, Weston Creek ACT
Relationship to Ancestor: great great niece


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