William Alexander SMITH

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SMITH, William Alexander

Service Number:	1550
Enlisted:	24 March 1901
Last Rank:	Shoeing-Smith
Last Unit:	5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
Born:	Sutton Grange, Victoria, Australia, 22 April 1879
Home Town:	Sutton Grange, Mount Alexander, Victoria
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Farmer
Died:	Killed in Action, Wilmansrust, south of Middelburg, South African Republic, Wilmansrust, Mpumalanga, South Africa, 12 June 1901, aged 22 years
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Boer War Memorial (Queen Victoria Square), Castlemaine Boer War Memorial, Sutton Grange Hall Private William Smith Memorial

Boer War Service

15 Feb 1901:	Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 1550, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, Embarked on 'The Orient' with the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, leaving Melbourne on February 15th 1901.
24 Mar 1901:	Enlisted Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 1550, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
12 Jun 1901:	Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Shoeing-Smith, 1550, 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles

3 Soldiers from Sutton Grange

The Australian Colonies sent 16,175 troops to Boer war including 3 men from Sutton Grange.

Bernard Byrne joined the 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles and was in South Africa from April 1901 to May 1902 while Wiliam Joseph McMahon and Alexander Smith joined the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles, riding to the Castlemaine Railway Station and with their mounts boarded the train to Melbourne to enlist. Their enlistment was for one year. Men had to supply their own mount, rifle and saddle and after a short period of training at Langwarrin, the 46 officers, 971 other ranks and 1099 horses left for South Africa on 15th February 1901. They were there from the 24th March 1901 to April 1902.

William Joseph McMahon was the son of Peter and Ann McMahon of Straightview,Wellington Flat. He enlisted in the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles on 24 March 1901 and returned to Australia on 8th April 1902. On the 31 May 1902, Sutton Grange welcomed his return with a celebration at the Sutton Grange Hotel. Councillor TH Smith, father of the late William Smith(killed in action 12 June 1901) made the welcoming speech with Mr J WMcCay making a presentation on behalf of the residents, of a suitably engraved gold Albert and Victoria Medal.

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia