James McKenzie BOYLE

BOYLE, James McKenzie

Service Number: 348
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen
Born: Queensland, Australia, 27 June 1880
Home Town: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Electrician
Died: Killed in Action WW1, Belle Vue Spur, Belgium, 12 October 1917, aged 37 years
Cemetery: Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial
Plot: N.Z. Apse, Panel 3.
Memorials:
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Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899: Involvement Private, 348, Queensland Imperial Bushmen
18 May 1900: Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 348, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 475 notes 4th QIB embarked 18 May 1900 aboard Manchester Port arriving Beira 14 Jun 1900.
1 Apr 1901: Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 348, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier notes invalided returned to Australia aboard Victorian arriving Brisbane 25 Mar 1901, discharged 1 Apr 1901.

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Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey

James McKelzie Boyle was born on 27 Jun 1880 in Queensland, Australia, a son to James Boyle and Mary Boyle (nee McKenzie). He appears to have relocated to New Zealand some time after returning from his Boer War service and married Frances Coley.

He served in both the South African (Boer) War and WW1. He served as a Private S.N. 348 in the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen. When New Zealand entered WW1 he was living in Wellington with his wife and children working as an electrician. He enlisted in NZ and embarked in 1916 as a Sergeant S.N. 24331 with the Otago Infantry Battalion, D Company and would serve in Belgium. He was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry following his actions at Messines Ridge on 7 Jun 1917. He was killed in action on 12 Oct 1917 at Belle Vue Spur, Belgium.

(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 486; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier; NZ Online Cenotaph; NZ WW1 Nominal Roll No. 41, p. 14).

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