The Australian Boer War Memorial
Anzac Parade Canberra

 
 
Private Samuel Barnes

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Samuel Barnes

Ancestor's date of birth: 01/05/1873

Ancestor's date of death: 21/04/1917

Cause of Death: Killed in action Lagnicourt World War 1

Service and Life Before the Boer War: He was born in the Manchester area in the UK. He became a tradesman in the metal trades. He also joined the 6th Volunteer battalion the Manchester Regiment on 19-4-1890

Service Number: Not known

Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia, Place of Enlistment: Manchester

Unit: A volunteer Service Company of the Manchester Regiment

Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: 14/04/1890

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): PTE, Date Effective: 13/03/1915

Murray Page: Not applicable, did not serve in an Australian unit in the Boer War.

Contingent: Not applicable

Ship: Not Known

Memorial details: Buried in the Lagnicourt area France, possibly no known grave, Australian War Memorial Canberra, Australian National Memorial Villers-Bretonneux France

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps. Volunteer Medal. British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Personal Characteristics: 169 cm tall

Reasons to go and fight: Patriotism

Details of service in war: Most likely attached to 2nd Manchesters as mounted Infantry. There follows an extract of the war services of the 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment.

20 to 24 April 1900. Engaged in operations for the relief of Wepener; thereafter marched north. May 1900, operating between Thabanchu and Senekal. 4 June 1900. Occupied Ficksburg; held it till 20 June. Frequently shelled.

20 June to 29 July 1900, holding Hammonia and part of line, Ficksburg westwards, to keep in Prinsloo's Boers.

29 July to 4 August 1900. Marched to Harrismith, 184 kilometres in seven days. Thence by Reitz and Vrede to Standerton. Arrived there on 30 August 1900.

"During these four months the division was on very short rations, their boots and clothing were worn out, many of the men wearing sacks. A hundred men of the battalion were sent back from Reitz to Harrismith as they had no boots. At Standerton the men received fresh boots and clothes, and after that time supplies were more regular".

Marched from Standerton, via Vrede and Bethlehem, to Senekal. Had fighting there, and near that town some waggons, a gun, and 17 prisoners taken. On 30 September reached Reitz again. On 14 October occupied Harrismith. Left on 3 November 1900 as escort to convoy; had fighting daily.

And so on with these interminable treks and constant skirmishes, sometimes developing into quite fierce actions, as at Reitpan on 6 January 1901. At times the battalion got a spell of garrison work, as at Bethlehem between 30 January and 27 April 1901, during which time no mails got in.

During May and June 1901 half the battalion went out with a column under Lieutenant Colonel Reay of the regiment. This column, working in the Brand water basin, had fighting every day.

During August to November the battalion was always on column work, pursuing Boers or taking out convoys. The enemy got numerous and daring in November, and the skirmishes were frequent and fierce. Captain Noble was killed, and another officer died on the 12th of that month.

From the end of November 1901 till the declaration of peace the battalion was constructing and occupying blockhouses on the line Harrismith-Van Reenens and Harrismith-Oliver's Hoek. That they held them well is proved by the largeness of the captures in the drives to that corner in February and March 1902.

Over three companies of the battalion were mounted and did excellent work.

Service and life after the Boer War: Was married to Mary Ann. He returned to service with the 6th Volunteer Bn until 18 April 1905 when the unit was redesignated, service continued until 1 April 1908 when the unit was againt redesinated as the 8th (Territorial) Battalion the Manchester Regiment and stayed with them until 3 October 1911 when he took his discharge and moved to Australia. His occupation in Australia was as a pipe machine fitter and he lived in Sydney. He joined the AIF in March 1915 as no 5311 and initially was designated for the 45th Battalion. He left Australia 13 March 1916 as part of the 14th reinforcements for the 17th Bn. He was killed in action 21-4-1917 in the Lagnicourt area of France and is believed to have no known grave.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Denis Balcombe, Yarrawarrah NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Grand Son

 


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