William Charles Westbury (abt. 1878 - 1936)

Boer War

William Charles Westbury

Birth: Mount Gambier, South Australia.

1 Oct 1899: Involvement Gunner, SN 2452, 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles

Conflict: Second Boer War in South Africa

Rank: Trooper 632

Units: 'F' Squadron 4th Troop
South Australian Sixth Contingent (Imperial Bushmen)

6th Apr 1901: Departed Port Adelaide on Transport 'Warrigal'

1901: South Africa

27th Apr1902: Returned Port Adelaide on 'Manchester Merchant'

1902: Orange Free State and Transvaal

28 Apr 1901: Promotion: Rank: Lance-Corporal

"'27 April, 1902: Arrival Dis-embarked "Manchester Merchant"

Arrival Port: Port Adelaide

Final Rank: Lance-Corporal

Final Unit: 5th and 6th South Australian Imperial Bushman

Awarded Queen's South Africa Medal with Clasps

World War I

Name: William Charles Westbury

Place of birth: Mt Gambier South Australia

Home Town: Port MacDonnell, Grant, South Australia

Schooling: MacDonnell Bay School, South Australia

Religion: Church of England

Occupation: Farmer, labourer

Service Numbers: 2452, 421

Enlisted 25th August 1914, No 421

Address: Pinnaroo, South Australia

Marital status: Single

Age at embarkation: 27

Next of kin: Sister, Sarah Ann Westbury, Port McDonald, South Australia

Description: Age: 37 yrs., Height: 5 foot 9 & half inches,
Chest 35 inches, Weight: 165 pounds,
Eyes: Brown, Complexion: Grey

25 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private

20 Oct 1914: Involvement Private, SN 421,

Rank: Private

Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion, A Company

Conflict/Operation: First World War, 1914-1918

Rank from Nominal Roll: Lance Sergeant

Unit from Nominal Roll: 50th Battalion

Fate: Returned to Australia 10 May 1917

20 Oct 1914: Embarked Private, SN 421, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, From Adelaide, South Australia

25 Oct 1914: Continued on from Fremantle aboard the A11 Ascanius

9 May 1915: Wounded Dardanelles

15 Sep 1915: Malta transport "Nile"

1 Jul 1917: Returned to Adelaide: Wounded and sick

Disembarkation "Runic"

27 Aug 1917: Discharged: Medically unfit

30 Aug 1917: Discharge Papers

Last Rank: Lance Sergeant

Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion

Total Service 2 years 3 days Good Character

11 Nov 1918: Involvement Lance Sergeant, SN 421, 50th Infantry Battalion

Medals: Gallipoli Medal, The 1914-15 Star,
The British War Medal, The Victory Medal

20 Feb 1936: Death, aged 56

Place of Death: Pinnaroo, South Australia

Cause of death: Tetanus

Cemetery: Pinnaroo Cemetery, South Australia. Row 6 in 4th place

21 Feb 1936: Burial^[17][18]

Sources

1. ↑ Second Boer War: 5th & 6th (Imperial) Contingents:
2. ↑ Boer War Veteran: SA's only Aboriginal Boer War veteran William Westbury honoured in home town of Pinnaroo
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} National Archives of Australia: Digital Service Record: William Charles Westbury
4. ↑ Aboriginal Soldier:The story of William Charles Westbury Aboriginal Soldier, The Boer War and First World War:
5. ↑ ANZAC Spirit School Prize 2018: Premier’s ANZAC Spirit School Prize 2018 – William Charles Westbury – By Neva van Raalte
6. ↑ Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) Sat 3 May 1902 Page 33 ACCOUNTING FOR THE TROOPS: Relevant Excerpt:Lance-Corporals P. Foale, J. Ingleton, A. Simpson, W. G. E. Tucker, W. C. Westbury, and S.H. Pretty (shoeing smith).
7. ↑ Nature's Gentleman: Defence Newspapers MARCH 8TH 2018: Nature's Gentleman
8. ↑ Recognition: Recognising William Westbury
9. ↑ awm.gov.au 10th Australian Infantry Battalion
10. ↑ Gallipoli Soldiers:
11. ↑ Australian War Memorial: The story of William Charles Westbury Aboriginal Soldier, The Boer War and First World War:
12. ↑ Newspaper Report: Military researcher reveals family past Port MacDonnell descendants discover indigenous soldier’s untold story
13. ↑ Death: genealogysa.org.au South Australia, Australia Deaths: Surname: WESTBURY First Names: William Death Date: 20-Feb-1936 Age: 58 Gender: M Marital Status: S Place of Death: Pinnaroo Residence: Pinnaroo Relative: Not Recorded District: Pinnaroo Book/Page: 577/778
14. ↑ Burial: genealogysa.org.au South Australia, Australia South Australia ‘Cemeteries’ Database: Burials: Surname: WESTBURY First Names: William Charles Death Date: 20-Feb-1936 Burial Date: Not Recorded Age: 56 Cemetery: Pinnaroo Relations: Brother of Sarah JONES of Pt. McDonnell. Notes: 421, Sgt, 10th Btn, AIF, died at Pinnaroo. Source: Memorial Inscription Source 2: Not Recorded Photo: Photo District Code: 20 EventYear: 1936
15. ↑ Burial: Billion Graves: Sgt William Charles Westbury: Died: 20 Feb 1936 Cemetery: Pinnaroo Cemetery 15 Devon Terrace, Pinnaroo, Chandos, South Australia Australia Inscription: IN MEMORY OF /No 421/ SGT. WILLIAM CHARLES/ WESTBURY/10th BATTALION AIF/ DIED AT PINNAROO/ 20th FEBRUARY 1936/ AGED 36 YEARS/ LOVED BROTHER OF SARAH JONES/ PORT MACDONALD
16. ↑ vwma.org.au Virtual War Memorial Australia: WESTBURY, William Charles: Search Links:
17. ↑ The AIF Project:
18. ↑ awm.gov.au Australian War Memorial: FIRST WORLD WAR EMBARKATION ROLL: AWM Embarkation Roll number: 23/27/1

• Death of Brother: New South Wales Australia Deaths: Surname: WESTBURY First Names: John James Death Date: 28-Aug-1925 Age: 37 Gender: M Marital Status: S Place of Death: Mount Gambier Residence: Mount Gambier Relative: Not Recorded District: Grey Book/Page: 481/245 Notes: Symbol=H.
• Burial of Brother: South Australia, Australia South Australia ‘Cemeteries’ Database: Burials: Surname: WESTBURY First Names: John James Death Date: Not Recorded Burial Date: 30-Aug-1925 Age: 42 Cemetery: Mount Gambier Lake Terrace Relations: Not Recorded Notes: Of Mt Gambier. Source: Burial Register Source 2: Not Recorded Photo: Not Recorded District Code: 22 EventYear: 1925

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• The Boer War Story: Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Mon 28 Apr 1902 Page 6 STORY OF THE CAMPAIGN:
  OFFICERS INTERVIEWED.
  The principal display of bunting in honor of the returned troops was at Captain Watt's residence, at Kent Town. It was there, in the midst of a group of friends, that a representative of "The Advertiser" found the captain on Sunday afternoon. Presently Lieutenant A. Miell came in, and a kind of double-barrelled interview took place. It has been remarked before that the officers who come back with splendid records of heavy work and great bravery are the most diffident in speaking of their achievements. This was overcome yesterday, for one officer would not allow the other to skip his own deeds. "We left in the Ormizan," began Captain Watt, "an old tub. which took 42 days to get us to Cape Town. Owing to the plague there we were sent round to Port Elizabeth, and were sent on by train the same night we landed there to Kroon- stad. We had five days in the train, and the horses were pretty well knocked about. After a fortnight at Kroonstad we went on to Hoonig Spruit, and met Colonel De Lisle, who took charge of us. We had as companions the Gordon Highlanders, the Welsh, the Bedfords, and the Wilts, the whole forming the Sixth Mounted Infantry." There was also a small cycle corps with us for a month. The country, however, was too rough for them, though in Cape Colony, they did good work."
  CLEANING THE COUNTRY.
  "On April 7 we started out on trek, and look part in the sweeping or driving operation, the object being to clear the country of Boers, refugees, aud stock. We also did some fighting when we got a chanci and at first it was very frequent. We had a little sniping every day. We went up the western side of the railway to the Rhenoster River, crossed the railway Iine there at Kopje station, passed through Frankfort, and made our first, night march from there, the idea being to catch a large convoy. We were 200 strong-100 Sont Australians and 100 Mounted Infantry. We came on the rear of the convoy, and a though our horses were done we killed three Boers, captured six Boers, and took nine waggons, all the time fighting a rear-guard action. There were hundreds and hundreds of waggons on the plain for ten miles ahead of us, and as usual when we came on them they scattered. We went on next morning to Tafel Kop and stopped there a week, having little en gagements every day. In one of them Quartermaster-Sergeant Schumann was killed. At Tweefontein early in May we met the Sixth Contingent, and amalgamated under Major Shea, who took command in place of Major Scriven, who went away as a Speciai-service officer.
  A REARGUARD ACTION.
  "D Squadron, consisting of 50 men fought a very heavy rearguard action about June 1, while going into Vrede. It lasted for five hours, and we had a very hot time. Every time we went near the Vrede district we encountered the enemy who were splendidly handled by Man Botha and Aleck Ross. We pursued the convoy to the Wilge River, and the night we arrived captured, eight waggons, three Cape carts, and 300 cattle. We got into camp late that night, and Colonel De Lisle sent out Major Sladen with 200 men, in cluding 100 South Australians, to follow the convoy up and attack it. Major Slader, caught the convoy at daylight at Graspan and captured it with 70 prisoners without the loss of a single life. The Boers gathered up afterwards while he was getting the convoy together. It had straggled out, and they took him unawares, as he thought they were some of General Low's people coming up from one of General Elliot's other columns. The result was that the British lost 21 killed, including eight South. Australians. Major Sladen had his out-posts out, but he called them in at lunch-time, thinking we would soon be moving. We, with the rest of the South Australians, were coming on behind fighting a rear-guard action. We went from there to Reitz, and on June 6 buried those who had fallen in the cemetery. We trekked from there through Lindley, where so may British have been killed, and on to Kroon- stad, reaching it on June 16. We rested there a few days, refitted, and made a forced march to Senekal. But the Boers had cleared out an hour or two before our arrival. We worked along the foot of the Wittenberg Ranges and got within touch of Harrismith and Major's Drift, on the Wilge River, and got supplies. We work- ed through Vrede up to Heilbron, crossed tlie railway line at Kopjes Siding, and camped on De Wet's farm. We worked from there along Rhenoster River, and trekked around there for two or three days. At Winkel's Drift Captain Watt, with D Squadron, captured 11 prisoners, 21 saddle horses, 3 laden waggons, and some Capecarts. Lieutenant Miell, with eight men, was meanwhile chasing some Boers, who were in Capo carts and got away.
  SHOT BY A WOMAN.
  "It was here that Regimental Sergeant Major McGillivray was killed. He was out of sight at the time going down a donga, but there was pretty strong evidence that a woman shot him treacherously. This could not be proved, but Sergeant-Major McGillivray had captured a cart, and was ahead of it. The woman was seen attempting to shoot Sergeant-Major A. E. Ewens, and for this offence he was sent to prison for 15 months.
  ENTERING THE TRANSVAAL.
  "We went from there across the Vaal River, making our first entry into the Transvaal just five days too late to get the bar for service in that colony. We had already earned the bars for service in Cape Colony and in the Orange River Colony. We got into Klerksdorp and took part in a big concentrated drive, General Elliott's division moving in conjunction with one or two other divisions.
  THREE NIGHT MARCHES.
  "In this big sweep we had three night marches, one every other night or so, in which South Australians only took part. The first was on to the Valsh River. We crossed the Vaal, and in going towards the Valah attacked a small camp at dawn, killing two Boers and taking sixteen prisoners. Captain Watt and two men chased three escaping Boers, who were exceedingly well mounted, and after a three-mile gallop the captain shot one, and one of the men shot another. The spoil included a number of waggons and carts, and a large quantity of stock.
  ATTACKING A LARGE FORCE.
  "Two nights after that we got on to GrotL Vlei, on the Wet River. We travelled south all night, and saw some fires burning early in the morning near a farmhouse, and a small party immediately attacked the camp. The Boers had pickets out, but they must have been asleep, for we got through them easily enough. Then we found that we had attacked a much larger force than we expected to meet. They were parts of Smut's commando. There were 80 at the farmhouse, and 200 under Smut himself over the river. We killed five Boers, wounded nine, and took thirteen prisoners, as well as twenty rifles and a quantity of ammunition. The majority of the Boers got away in the dark, some of our own, men galloping off with them, thinking it was the party still charging on. A lot of the Boers were about, ready to move when we reached there, and they very quickly got ready.
  IN THE THICK OF IT.
  "Captain Watt was in the very heart of that," explained Lieutenant Miell, "I had to lead half a squadron round to close them in, and the captain went right into the centre, and got mentioned for gal lant leading. Lieutenant S. C. McFarlane was similarly mentioned, and Major Shea got his D.S.O. When daylight came we found that the Boers were hovering all round the skyline, and we expected them to attack every minute. We had no guns, but Colonel Fanshawe was expected to bring them up at about 7 or 8 o'clock. Captain Legge, of New South Wales, who was serving on the staff ias intelligence officer, did a very plucky thing here. He took two or three scouts with him, and galloped through the Boer scouts, who fired at him and gave chase. The result was that Colonel Fanshawe brought up the guns at 9 o'clock and relieved us from rather an ugly situation. We had two men wounded in the encounter.
  A BIG CAPTURE.
  "A couple of nights after that we had another night march. The South Australians and the fifth Mounted Infantry went out and captured 130 waggons with 18 or 20 oxen in each, and there must have been nearly 300 refugees, chiefly women, with them.
  THE GREAT DRIVE.
  "Taken altogether, the big concentrated drive was most successful. All the crossing places on the Modder were held, and we made wonderful captures. General Elliot's division must have got at least 100 prisoners and 400 waggons, and the other divisions did equally well. The South Australians had a big share in the success; in fact, captured most of the waggons. We moved down past the Modder River on to the Glen station, near Bloemfontem, and handed our prisoners and refugees, the stock, and the waggons, over to the provost-marshal. We moved out again through the Ladybrand district, a grand producing district. The country is well watered, and there are some magnificent farms and homesteads there. Going towards the Basuto border, we were once more in the Wittenberg Ranges, and were constantly engaged in little scrimmages. We took a prisoner or two and a great number of stock, and had very few casualties. We went on to Harrismith, and Colonel De Lisle's brigade did a lot of heavy marching.
  A BRITISH DISASTER.
  "At two hours notice we were sent out to Bratten Laagte, 6O miles distant, to the relief of Colonel Benson's forces. The colonel had been killed, and his command of 2,100 men shattered by Botha, two of his guns being captured andl 130 of the Buffs being taken prisoners. We moved independently of the rest of the division, and it was a wonder that in that country, with the enemy in strong force all round, we were not swallowed up.
  A BIG MOVEMENT.
  "We were too late to prevent the disaster, and we went back to our own district and joined with 13 other columns in a big encircling movement. We thought we had De Wet in the centre, but we closed in on nothing. Then we worked across to Bethlehem, through Lindley, and round the Kroonstad district. "The blockhouse lines had become completed then in various places, and instead of the old sweeping movements on a small scale, several divisions worked in conjunction. The men were in extended order, five yards apart, and they presented a front 70 or 80 miles long. We travelled all day and into the night, camped in extended order, the line being unbroken from the time the drive began until it was over. No fires were allowed at night. In this way we drove the enemy right on to the block- house line, but De Wet managed to get through. In the first drive we captured 407 Boers, and then we swept back over the same country, and accounted for 1,060 prisoners and 25,000 cattle. Do Wet's son was one of the prisoners. Then we repeated the drive northwards, and De Wet again got through. "During the last two months we were under Colonel Fanshawe, Colonel De Lisle having been transferred to another command. We had a big chase after some Boers who had broken through the block-house line, but they had 12 hours start on us, and the chase was futile. We came back into Kroonstad and mobilised for home."
  COMPLIMENTARY REMARKS
  An enquiry as to the behaviour and work of the men elicited a reply which both offi- cers were pleased to give-: "The men have done remarkably well," said Captain Watt. "They are the best lot of men a man could have to serve under him." This opinion was endorsed by Lieutenant Miell, who added:- "Right through the campaign I never heard of a single case ot outrage by our troops or the British troops. Their behaviour in the field and on board the transport has been exceptional. I cannot speak too highly of the men." Both officers formed a high opinion of some of the English regiments. "The finest body of men I saw was the Inniskilling Fusiliers. They had had from six to seven years' service in India," said Lieutenant Miell. "The Seaforth Highlanders were also a grand body of men," added Captain Watt. The Militia, the Rifle Brigade, and the Yeomanry did not impress the officers, who also formed a poor opinion of the "boys" sent out from England to "man" the blockhouses. There was a great improvement, however, to be noticed in recruits who had seen a little service.
  THE TRIP HOME.
  The trip home, and the arrangements on board the transport, were described as perfect, and the captain and the lieutenant spoke in grateful terms of the kindness shown them at Albany by the Albany club. All the men of the Fifth Contingent much regretted the loss of Captain Hipwell so early in the campaign, and the officers showed their esteem for him by erecting a headstone over his grave at Kroonstad.