The Australian Boer War Memorial
Anzac Parade Canberra

 
 
Private Rupert Thornton

Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: Rupert Melbourne Thornton

Ancestor's date of birth: 03/06/1877

Ancestor's date of death: 12/06/1901

Cause of Death: Killed in ambush at Wilmansrust

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born Moama, NSW. Family left Trentham VIC after Dec 1875, Rupert was born in Moama while his family and Grandfather Joseph Bickley ran Bullocks in the area. Family was back in Trentham by April 1880 or before. . He was a nephew of Mr and Mrs William Byrne, of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham.

Service Number: 1602

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

Unit: 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 1901

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): Did not survive the Boer War.

Murray Page: 300

Contingent: Fifth Victorian

Ship: Orient, Date of Sailing: 15/02/1901

Memorial details: St Kilda, South Melbourne, Ballarat, Kyneton, Trentham, Tablet town Hall Kilmore, Victoria; Australian National War Memorial, Canberra; Middelburg Cemetery Cairn South Africa.

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Transvaal and SA 1901 clasps.

Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided.

Reasons to go and fight: Unknown

Details of service in war: From March 1901 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier, including defeat at Wilmansrust on 12 June 1901 where 18 including Private Thornton were killed and 42 wounded.

Service and life after the Boer War: Did not survive the Boer War.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Amanda Louise Curran, Trentham VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Grand Uncle

 


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RUSI of NSW Boer War Battlefields