Ancestor Details

Name of Ancestor: Frederick George Purcell

Ancestor's date of birth: 02/02/1876

Ancestor's date of death: 16/08/1927

Cause of Death: Self Inflicted

Service and Life Before the Boer War: Worked as a Merchant was a Lieutenant in VMR (Militia) 10/6/1898.

Service Number: Officer - no number

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

Unit: Victorian Imperial Bushmen (VIB); 5 Victorian Mounted Rifles (5VMR)

Rank attained in Boer War: MAJ, Date Effective: 28/09/1901

Highest Rank attained (if served after war): MAJ, Date Effective: 1 November 1917

Murray Page: 259, 253, 257

Contingent: Fourth and Fifth Victorian

Ship: Victorian, Date of Sailing: 01/05/1900

Memorial details: Buried Yea Victoria

Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Rhodesia, Transvaal, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, King's South Africa Medal with South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps, British War Medal.

Personal Characteristics: Diary and letters can be found in AWM PR88/121 Files 3 and 4

Reasons to go and fight: A serving soldier.

Details of service in war: Embarked for South Africa 1 May 1900; Disembarked 23 May 1900. VIB service 23 May 1900 to 22 June 1901 in Rhodesia, west Transvaal, Cape Colony including relief of Philipstown (11 February 1901), capture of Boer guns at Read's Drift (23 February 1901), and capture of Boer patrol near Doornkloof (1 March 1901). Promoted to Captain in B Squadron July 1900. Posted to 5VMR 23 June 1901 to 31 May 1902 served east Transvaal and Natal frontier, including successful intervention at Onverwacht (4 January 1902). Promoted Major in 5VMR On 28 September 1901.

Service and life after the Boer War: Enlisted 1 November 1917 as Captain (Honorary Major) in Australian Remount Unit for India. Appointment terminated 5/4/18 Returned to old occupation as merchant living in Yea Acted as JP and Acting Deputy Coroner

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Ian Scott, North Balwyn VIC
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson

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