HUMPHRIES, Archibald
| Service Number: | 911 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
| Born: | Armadale, New South Wales, Australia , 5 August 1883 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Bush Hand |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Fort Franklin Barracks Portsea, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, Portsea Hospital, Portsea, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, 9 August 1902, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
Sorrento Civil Cemetery, Victoria Buried in the Church of England Cemetery in Sorrento with full Military Honours on 10/08/1902. (The Argus, 12/08/1902 page 6) |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 911 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Trooper, 911, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse | |
| 18 Feb 1902: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 911, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse, Entrained at Brisbane for Sydney on 26 Jan 1902. Embarked from Sydney with NSW Troops on the "Custodian" on 18 Feb 1902. | |
| 11 Jul 1902: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 911, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse, Embarked from Durban to R.T.A. | |
| 9 Aug 1902: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 911, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse, D.O.D. at Fort Franklin Barracks at Portsea in Victoria. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Maurice Kissane
Archibald Harry Wallace Humphries was born in 1883. He was the son of John and Mary Anne Humphries. He was a bush hand who enlisted early in 1902 when he was 18 years old. He added three years to his age to avoid having to get parental consent. That age issue itself was quite common with under aged enlistments.
Archibald or Archie, as he would have been called, enlisted to fight to fight for King and Empire. He was a good horseman as evidenced by passing the strict riding test to serve in the 1st Australian Commonwealth Horse Battalion.
He saw active service in the Western Transvaal for several months before the Anglo-Boer War Peace Accords.
He departed from Durban to R.T.A. of the ill fated "Drayton Grange" on 11 July 1902. The unsanitary conditions aboard the overcrowed "Drayton Grange" coupled with stress weather while at sea, caused illness and death. This became the subject of a Court of Enquiry and a Commmonwealth Royal Commission.
PTE Archibald Humphries succumbed to pneunmonia, contracted as a consequence of his war service, while being quarintined at Portsea's Fort Franklin Barracks.
PTE Archibald Humphries 1ACH was buried with full military honours in 1902.
Lest We Forget.
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