Ancestor Details
Name of Ancestor: Walter McFarland (McFarlane) Watson
Ancestor's date of birth: 1880
Ancestor's date of death: 1932
Cause of Death: Detail not provided
Service Number: 807 (NSWIB), 229 (1ACH)
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW, Place of Enlistment: Sydney
Unit: New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, 1st Australian Commonwealth Horse (NSW)
Rank attained in Boer War: TPR, Date Effective: On enlistment in ACH
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): SGT, Date Effective: 1917?
Murray Page: 98, 172
Contingent: Fourth New South Wales, First Australian
Ship: Armenian, Date of Sailing: 23/04/1900 (NSWIB)
Ship: Custodian, Date of Sailing: 16/02/1902 (1ACH)
Decorations: Queen and King's South Africa Medals with clasps, 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Personal Characteristics: A butcher by trade. Description 1902 - height: 1.75 m, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair.
Reasons to go and fight: Detail not provided
Details of service in war: NSWIB: May 1900 - May 1901 in Rhodesia and west Transvaal including capture of de la Rey's convoy and guns at Wildfontein (24 March 1901). 1ACH: March - May 1902 on Natal border and west Transvaal.
Service and life after the Boer War: Married in 1902 to Eva H Spooner nee Foster and had a son Alfred Thomas Watson (1904-1955) who was a Gunner in WWII. Walter saw service in WWI as no 149 - Corporal - Mobile Vet Section 1 - enlisted 25 November 1914 - unit embarked from Sydney NSW, on board HMAT A44 Vestalia 19 December 1914 - returned 20 November 1918 as a sergeant in the Australian Army Veterinary Hospital.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Roslyn Allen, Buff Point NSW
Relationship to Ancestor: 1st cousin X removed
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