Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Henry St. John BEASLEY was born in 1878 in Clunes, Victoria

His parents were William BEASLEY and Sarah Amelia SMITH who married in 1862 in Victoria.  His father was born in 1841 in Cheltenham, England & his mother was born in Middlesex, England - they had 10 children, 7 born in Victoria and 3 more born in the Orange area in NSW

Henrys war records somehow got mixed up by the Army with a man called George GANDER (same Serial Number) & some of his records are under GANDER & the rest under his real name of BEASLEY

Henry was living in Lucknow (near Orange NSW) when he enlisted for the Boer War in 1901 and was with D Squadron of the 3rd New South Wales Mounted Rifles which embarked at Sydney on 16th March, 1901 and arrived at Port Elizabeth in South Africa on 12th April, 1901.

He died of dysentry on 19th March, 1902 in Wynberg, South Africa and is buried in Saint Johns Parish Cemetery in Wynberg

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See the links listed for articles about his death

An article in the Central Western Daily newspaper  when talking about the Boer War Memorial that had been erected in Orange in honour of the men from that area who served in the Boer War said:-

"Of the 1000 Australians who died in the Boer War, four were from the Orange region, including the Mayors son, S.J. Smith, while another man who died, H. Beasley from Lucknow, served under the name Gander, due to mishap."

Henry St-John Beasley was born Clunes, Victoria on the 1st of January 1878.
George Gander was born in 1877 at Lucknow NSW. His occupation was recorded as a
labourer. George Gander initially sought to enlist and go to South Africa, however changed
his mind and changed identity with his good friend Henry Beasley who readily went in his
place under the assumed identity.
Henry embarked as George Gander with the 3rd Mounted Rifles, D squadron from Sydney
on the 15th of March 1901 as part of the 6th Contingent on board the troop ship
‘Maplemore’.
The regiment saw active duty in Orange Free State and East Transvaal under British
commander Michael Rimington. Henry contracted enteric fever and was first hospitalised at
Norval’s Port, before being transferred to Wynberg Hospital at Cape Town. Whilst awaiting a
troop ship home to Australia, Henry was affected by dysentery and again admitted to
hospital.
Prior to his death he talked to the nursing siter and the chaplain telling them he was Henry
St-John Beasley and not George Gander. Henry died on the 19th March 1902 at Wynberg
Hospital. Following Henry’s death one of the nursing staff wrote to Mrs Beasley, explaining
the circumstances of her son’s death and burial.

Orange Remembers Boer War 1899-1902, pages 110 and 111.  by Heather Nicholls ISBN 0-9578654-4-9