Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: George Ashby
Ancestor's date of birth: 07/01/1852
Ancestor's date of death: 03/08/1940
Cause of Death: Old Age
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Born at Grenwich UK, son of a Lieutenant in the RN. Worked in Hudson Bay Company, as a gold miner in Canada, a fireman in the UK, a soldier, a light horse scout for the British 24th Regiment in South Africa during the Zulu War where he was at Isandalwana, Battle of Hlobane, Battle of Ulundi and at Zjilobane Mountain where he was rescued by Colonel (later General) Redvers Buller, for this action Buller received the Victoria Cross. After this war he worked for the Natal Harbours Board. Hearing about the finding of silver, he moved to Australia and became propsector at Broken Hill, then worked on the Murray River.
Service Number: Not known
Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia, Place of Enlistment: Cape Colony South Africa
Unit: Frontier Light Horse
Rank attained in Boer War: CPL, Date Effective: 1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No evideance of post Boer War Service.
Murray Page: Not applicable, did not serve in an Australian unit
Contingent: Not applicable
Ship: Travelled privately to South Africa
Memorial details: Buried near Adelaide
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Zulu War Medal with 1877 - 1879 clasp. Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony, South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902 clasps.
Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided.
Reasons to go and fight: For the Empire, and you would have to say - looking for adventure.
Details of service in war: The Frontier Light Horse, called at first the District Mounted Rifles, 3 squadrons strong, were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel EO Hutchinson. They operated in Cape Colony during the second phase of the war, and were in numerous little engagements and many pursuits, and frequently suffered casualties, as in the Maraisburg district in August and September 1901, at Wilgekloof in February 1902 Lieutenant F Legard being wounded on 1 February 1902, and about Somerset East and Jamestown districts in March and April 1902.
Service and life after the Boer War: Married Emma. Eventually settled in Rosewater, near Adelaide, South Australia.
Webmaster's note: it is difficult to confirm that that this soldier served in the Boer War as well as the Zulu war.
Only one reference, the "Mail", Adelaide, 20 May 1939. All others only mention Zulu War service.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Alan Ashby, Somerton Park SA
Relationship to Ancestor: 5 x great nephew
