Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Jasper Oram was known as Jack. He was born in London in mid 1863. The first born child of John and Sophia Oram. The family had two daughters plus two sons including Jack. He was named after his father.

Jack was living in London in 1881 but migrated to Sydney sometime after that. He was an Engineer by trade. Hence worked in that area.  

During the Mahdist War in 1885, the NSW Premier cabelled London with an offer to raise a NSW Sudan contingent. This followed senational newspaper accounts of the death of Gordon of Khartoum.

The Empire's underwater Telegraph cabel grams fed newspaper accounts. For it enabled inter colonial communications.

The NSW Premier's offer was accepted. It would be the only Australian Colonial Sudan Contingent offer that was accepted by the Imperial Government.

These NSW troops would under British control while attached to a Brigade composed of Scots, Genadiers and Coldstream Guards. 

This generated much enthusiasm in the streets of Sydney. The NSW Sudan contigent was quickly raised, with Jack rallying to the colours. He was enlisted on 20 Feb 1885 as a private as per AWM Sudan Nominal Roll.

He would have been enlisted at Victoria Barracks in Sydney. However, his Red Tunic uniform that he was first issued with, would later be exchanged in the field for desert khaki.

The enthusiasm was so great that a a public holliday was declared for their departure. This was a gala event as the contingent marched down to board their ships

PTE John "Jack" Oram [373] from the NSW Sudan Contingent received an embarking hero's send off complete with a huge "God speed" banner.

The departing NSW contingent made quite a specticle, marching down to the wharf in their bright red tunics.

However, the war was practically over by the time that the NSW Sudan Contingent arrived in theater to save the Empire. Hence, after some minor skirmishing they were sent back home.

Jack and his comrads received a hero's home coming reception after marching back through Sydney's CBD to Victoria Barracks. It had been twelve weeks since their embarkation.

Yet their war service was seen as a significant event in Australia's colonial military history.

Jack and his comrades recieved an Egypt Medal with 1885 Saukin clasp. They also received the Khedive Star 1884-1886 plus several medallians. These include the Lord Mayor of Sydney's 1885 Soudan Medallion plus the NSW Soudan Troops 3 March 1885 Departure medallian.

The latter had the late General Gordon CB's bust on the obverse. For such was the enthusiasm for NSW's first overseas deployment to what was then called Soudan.

Jack returned to obscurity after his brief interlude as a returning war hero. Though he did later render militia service prior to the Boer War.

In 1888, Jack married Edith Emily Hayes, five years his junior. The happy couple had four children, two boys and two girls. However, their youngest son, Harry b. 1895 predeceased them as an infant in 1896.

The 2nd Anglo-Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, after Boers besieged the Empire outposts at Mafeking, Ladysmith and Kimberley.

Jack was quick to volunteer to fight the Boers because they started the war. He had defended the Empire before and would do it again. He saw that as his duty to his Queen and Empress Victoria. 

However, the quickest way for him to get to the front was to join the NSW Medical Corps. For it was due to embark on 28 Oct 1899. The medical unit was raised to sail with the pre war trained NSW Lancers.

The NSW Lancers had a squadron returning from Aldershot in the U.K. when the war broke out. That squadron had been diverted to South Africa. Hence, the Sydney based NSW Lancers would join their Lancer mates over there to bring their unit up to strength. 

The NSW Medical Corps was recruiting applicants with previous military service to serve as stretcher bearers and medics. His 1885 Sudan veteran status enabled him to enlist in a medical unit at the age of 36 years.

Jack had five days medical specialist training before he embarked on the Troopship SS Kent. This would be his second and final war.  

Jack subsequently contracted fever on active service. He died in the Orange River Station Field Hospital in South Africa on 22 Feb 1900.

He had succumbed to the ever present enteric fever. For this was a time before antibiotics and modern medicine.

Enteric was the prime cause of non combat deaths during the 2nd Anglo-Boer War.

Jack received a poshumous QSA Medal for his Boer War service.

Edith Oram, his beloved wife spent the next 64 years as his widow, until her death in 1964, aged 96 years.  

Lest We Forget.

MyHeritage Family History cited.