3. ‘Collie Boys’ the Boer War WA Contingents

Boer War Contingents - the Second Anglo-Boer War

(Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, translates; Second Freedom War)

Saluting their Service - Grahame Old

Boer War Western Australian Contingents

The majority of soldiers who volunteered for service during the Boer War were Australian bushmen, mainly men from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with a lesser number from Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. Our soldiers, who were truly the first Australian expeditionary force to fight overseas, did Australia proud in the Boer War as they have done in all conflicts since. Western Australia provided 6 contingents prior to Federation and a further 3 Battalions post Federation.

1st WA Mounted Infantry Departed Nov 7, 1899 Returned Dec 29, 1900

2nd WA Mounted Infantry Departed Feb 3, 1900 Returned Dec 8, 1900

3rd WA Mounted Infantry Departed Mar 13, 1900 Returned May 28, 1901

4th WA Mounted Infantry Departed May 8, 1900 Returned Jul 20, 1901

5th WA Mounted Infantry Departed Mar 6, 1901 Returned May 17, 1902

6th WA Mounted Infantry Departed Apr 10, 1901 Returned May 17, 1902

2nd Battalion Aust Commonwealth Horse WA-Departed Feb 6, 1902-Returned Jul 25, 1902 4th Battalion Aust Commonwealth Horse WA-Departed Apr 7, 1902-Returned Jul 30, 1902 8th Battalion Aust Commonwealth Horse WA-Departed Jun 2, 1902-Returned Jul 24, 1902

The men who volunteered for service in the various contingents came from many labour backgrounds. They had one thing in common that is to serve the empire and join in the great adventure. The make-up of the 5th WA contingent is highlighted below.

5th West Australian Mounted Infantry

Enrolled men numbered 200, under the command of ten officers and one medical officer, numbering a total of 211. From the list of 200 men the non-commissioned officers were selected based on previous military experience and knowledge.

The force represented men of diverse professions, trades and callings. This covered commercial travellers, engineers, warehousemen, clerks, drapers, grocers, butchers, printers, policemen and some other uncommon occupations such as a circus proprietor, and five men with no occupation listed. Miners and labourers contributed the greatest number, there were 25 of each of those occupations. There were 19 clerks including four bank clerks, an articled clerk and a bookkeeper. Seven mechanical engineers and one civil engineer, 13 farmers, 5 engine drivers, 5 blacksmiths, 5 teamsters, 5 policemen, 5 prospectors, 3 stockmen, 3 horse-breakers, 3 butchers, 3 railway employees, 2 plasterers, 2 bushmen, 2 farriers, 2 grocers, 2 station-hands, 2 drapers, 2 firemen, 2 bakers, 2 compositors, 2 coach-painters, 2 boot makers, a commercial traveller, a warehouseman, a wool-classer, a brick-maker, a draughtsman, a school teacher, a designer, a pianist, a boundary rider, a miller, a joiner, a mill-hand, a civil servant, a coach driver, a detective, a groom, a driver, a wood-cutter, a horse-trainer, an amalgamator, an agent and a printer.

Of the 200 men, 76 had seen service either with volunteer corps or with other companies. Nineteen had already fought in South Africa. Of these men, 14 had served in the 1st West Australian Mounted Infantry Contingent, and four in the 2nd Contingent, the other proceeded to South Africa and joined the Border Light Horse.

The force was also representative of the Australian States. Victorians totalled 61, 28 West Australians, 25 South Australians, 18 New South Welshmen, 8 Queenslanders, 8 New Zealanders, and 3 Tasmanians. There were 20 Englishmen, 5 Irishmen, and a Welshman, a Scotsman, an Anglo-Egyptian, an Anglo-Fijian, an Anglo-Singhalese, a Canadian, and an American.

Seventy-five of the men were enlisted at Karrakatta Camp, many of whom came from country districts. Kalgoorlie 42 men, Geraldton 16, Collie 11, Kanowna 10, Northam 10, Bunbury 9, Menzies 7, Bridgetown 5, Coolgardie 4, Wagin 4, Busselton 4, Albany 2, and Pinjarra 1 man.

On the morning of the 6th of March 1901, the Contingent struck camp and proceeded to march to Fremantle and reached South Quay at 0930 hours, loaded horses and equipment on the steamer ‘Devon’ and set sail at 1400 hours for Durban, South Africa.

Collie Boys within the 5th WA Mounted Infantry

Eleven Collie Boys served with the 5th WA Mounted Infantry Contingent. A short service history of two of those soldiers follows;

McGREGOR Robert Henry, 184 Farrier Sergeant, 5th West Australia Mounted Infantry.

Robert McGregor had moved to WA from Vic and enlisted from Collie, he listed his age as 34 and his birth date as unknown. His listed occupation was horse breaker and brumby catcher and he was considered locally as an expert horseman. His recorded Boer War service is from 6 March 1901 until 20 May 1901. He is listed as died on Active Service (pneumonia) at Middleburg South Africa on 20 May 1901.

The following is an extract from The West Australian newspaper on 24 May 1901, page 5 regarding Robert McGregor;

CABLEGRAMS.

THE BOER WAR

A cablegram was received by His Excellency the Governor yesterday.

Robert Henry McGregor left with the 'Fifth West Australian Contingent’, in the beginning of - March last, holding the non-commissioned officers position of Farrier-Sergeant. During the preparation of the contingent in camp at Karrakatta, when young, unbroken animals had to be prepared for use as remounts, the officers found McGregor's services invaluable. He was a more than ordinarily expert horseman. During the voyage to South Africa some poison weed got into the horse feed, with the result that nearly all of the animals were prostrated. In one of his despatches, when reporting the sickness among the horses during the voyage from Fremantle to Durban, Captain Darling referred in the warmest terms of praise to the untiring efforts and skill displayed by McGregor in doctoring and tending them. "The mortality, Captain Darling was of opinion, among the animals would have been very great but for McGregor's attention to them. Happily, only two were lost. During all weathers and at all hours, McGregor was tending the horses, and it is quite possible that it was thus that he contracted the chill which brought on pneumonia, and ultimately caused his demise”. Among comrades McGregor was a great favourite. He was a native of Victoria and was 34 years of age. He enlisted at Collie, where he had gained a livelihood in catching "brumbies" and preparing them for market.

WOODS Arthur Ellis, 198 Private, 5th West Australian Mounted Infantry.

Arthur Woods was born on 13 October 1877 in Staffordshire, England. He emigrated to Australia as a child with his father, Randle Woods and family in 1879. He enlisted from Collie, listing his age as 23 and next of kin as unknown. His listed occupation was brick maker in Collie. His recorded Boer War service is from 6 March 1901 until 17 May 1902.

Following the Boer War Arthur Woods returned to England to enlist in the British Army for service in WW1. He survived the war and then spent a number of years in South Africa until his death, as a result of a mugging, on 11 September 1934, near Pretoria, South Africa. Detail of his Boer War service and his time in South Africa post WW1 follow;

Details of service in Boer War: Arthur Ellis Woods was a Private, Regiment No. 198 of the Fifth Western Australian Mounted Infantry Contingent that departed Fremantle on the troop transport "Devon" for the Boer War, 6 March, 1901 and arrived in Durban South Africa on 28th March. The Fifth then comprised 14 Officers, 207 other ranks with 239 horses. He was a scout in the intelligence forces during the Anglo Boer war and was in the British Forces during the 1st World War. During the Boer War, Arthur Ellis Woods became a prisoner of war and below is a copy of his release papers on the letter head of the South African Police, handwritten in pen and ink read: "Discharge and Liberation" the undersigned persons ...A.E. Woods, all from Vollksrust, being prisoners of war with General De Wets' Commando, are liberated. They are authorised to return to their farms with any conveyance which are at their disposal. Signed C.R. De Wet, Commandant General."

It is known that Arthur Ellis Woods' elder brother; Samuel Woods, lived in Western Australia. He was a Station Master with the Railways and eventually held a high position in the Western Australian Railways. This may explain how Arthur Ellis Woods came to join the Fifth Western Australian Mounted Infantry.

After WW1: He was site Superintendent at the building of the first dam on South Africa's largest river the Orange and built canals that served to open up that part of South Africa for further development and habitation. He returned to Pretoria in approximately 1933 and worked on the construction of the first steel works to be developed in South Africa, which was situated in Pretoria. He died in Pretoria on the 11 September 1934 as a result of a Mugging.

‘Collie Boys’ in the Boer War – Remembered forever at the Collie Cardiff RSL