Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: James William Watts
Ancestor's date of birth: 14/06/1874
Ancestor's date of death: 08/09/1902
Cause of Death: Contracted Hydatids at Bloemfontein and returned to Australia arriving 17 August 1900 on the Transport Persic.
Service Number: 85
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Parramatta
Unit: New South Wales Lancers
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: Pre 1897
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): CPL, Date Effective: 1900
Murray Page: 12
Contingent: First NSW Contingent, Second NSW Lancer Draft.
Ship: Moravian, Date of Sailing: 17/01/1900
Memorial details: Interred at the Prospect Cemetery. Boer War Memorial Parramatta Park. New South Wales Lancers Memorial Museum, Parramatta.
Awards/Decorations: Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, Queen's South Africa Medal with Orange Free State clasp.
Personal Characteristics: An accomplished horseman, he was also one of the Lancer representatives at the 1897 Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebrations in London.
Reasons to go and fight: A serving lancer
Details of service in war: From February 1900 took part in the Battle of Poplar Grove and operation against Bloemfontein. in March 1900 he contracted typhoid at Bloomfontein. Unlike his colleagues Corporal Harkus and Trooper Fetting, he did not die quickly. He returned to Australia arriving 17 August 1900 on the Transport Persic.
Service and life after the Boer War: His death notice tells the story; he was promoted Corporal.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Margaret Watts, Epping NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Great Niece
