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Carlo Ferruccio FIASCHI was born at Thompsons Square, Windsor, New South Wales on 4th March, 1880

His parents were Thomas Henry (Tommaso) FIASCHI & Catherine Ann RENOLDS who married in Sydney in 1876

He was a medical student at Sydney University and served for 14 months as a Trooper in the Boer War  (SN 800) with the NSW Lancers and later as a Lieutenant in the 1st Australian Commonwealth Horse (Boer War)

He returned to Australia on 5th November, 1900 on the ship Harlech Castle

Carlo married Alice Bertha Martin ROSS on 31st August, 1908 in St Phillips Church in Sydney

He died at Windsor on 25th April, 1910 following an accidental overdose of morphine and is buried in Waverley Cemetery in Sydney

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His father Thomas Henry FIASCHI served as a Major in the NSW Medical Corps in the Boer War

Carlo Ferruccio Fiaschi was born on the 4th March 1880 at Windsor NSW the third child and son of Thomas and Catherine (known as Kate) Fiaschi.  Thomas was born in Florence, Italy, and Kate in Drum Keeren, Ireland.  There were 8 children in all but 3 died in infancy leaving Carlo with 2 brothers and 2 sisters.  His oldest brother Ludovico was born mentally disabled and died in 1944 in a mental institution.  His other brother Piero was just 12months older than him and he served in WW1 as a surgeon being Mentioned in Despatches and awarded an OBE.  His mother died in 1913 aged 63.  Twelve months later his father married Amy Curtis in Bundaberg and they went on to have 4 children, however, 2 died in infancy leaving Carlo with 2 half-sisters.  His father was an esteemed and renowned surgeon who served in the Boer War and WW1 being awarded the DSO and Mentioned in Despatches twice.  He also served with the Italian Army as a surgeon in Abyssinian War in 1896 and was decorated for his service. 

Part of Carlo’s schooling was spent at the Church of England Grammar School in Sydney from 1895-96, along with his brother Piero. 

In 1899 Carlo was a medical student at Sydney University when the Boer War broke out.  He set aside his studies and volunteered for the Colonial Force along with his father, who in 1891 had become Honorary Surgeon Captain for the NSW Lancers.  Men volunteering had to be single, between the ages 20 and 40 and be a good shot.  Carlo’s rank was Trooper, his service number 800 and his unit was the NSW Lancers.  The first Company of the unit consisting of 2 Officers and 69 other ranks, was in England when the war broke so they proceeded to South Africa from there.  The second draft of the unit, Carlo’s Company, consisted of 5 Officers, 36 other ranks.  Two more Companies followed so there was a total of 8 Officers and 162 other ranks.  The unit, along with Carlo’s father, embarked from Sydney on the 28th October 1899 on the SS Kent and disembarked at Cape Town on the 1st December 1899 then proceeded to Arundel. 

Over the following 12 months the Lancers were involved 31 separate actions but there was one special one that saw Carlo distinguish himself as a selfless and brave soldier.  The unit was camped at Arundel, approx. 485 miles north east of Cape Town and just south of Colesburg.  The following extract is from the NSW Lancers website and explains what happened. 

“On the afternoon of 16th December (1899), Captain Jackson of the 7th Dragoon Guards, attached to the Inniskillings, was brought into camp by Troopers Carlo Fiaschi and McPherson, he died on the way.  He had been sniped at and shot from a hill about five kilometres towards Taaiboschlaagte while out with a patrol.  When the two Lancers galloped up, he was on the point of being taken prisoner.  McPherson kept the Boers at bay with rapid fire while Fiaschi (a medical student and son of the Regimental Medical Officer Major T. H. Fiaschi) bound up the captain's wounds, bullets missing them by inches. The two troopers then managed to get the wounded man on his horse, and holding him on, galloped out.  This is only one of many examples of individual courage and initiative displayed by the men during their first experience of active service.  Troopers McPherson and Fiaschi were thanked formally by the CO, 7th Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Page-Henderson.”

Captain Jackson was the only soldier killed in the war from his regiment and he has several memorials in his honour in England. 

One of Australia’s war correspondents for the Boer War was John Henry Abbott and he gave account of this action that was printed in “The Bulletin” Newspaper in 1910.  However, his version was slightly different. 

“Dr. Carlo Ferruccio Fiaschi, of Lithgow (N.S.W.), missed a V.C. in the late South African war by a very narrow margin.  Fiaschi carried a wounded “Private” some 600yds, with Boer bullets zipping round him in quantities.  Then he collapsed, exhausted.  A British soldier took up the burden which Fiaschi had laid down, staggered another hundred yards, and fell with it at the very feet of the General.  He got the decoration which the unlucky medico had earned.  Kitchener is said to have had a high opinion of Fiaschi.  When the big soldier arrived at Lithgow recently, he specifically asked for the man whom he’d known in South Africa, and put in most of the time he spent in Australia’s future arsenal conversing with him.” 

There is no record in Carlo’s service records of any recommendation for the VC...or any other award...for this action, although one does wonder why some sort of official acknowledgement wasn’t made...it certainly was warranted.  While Abbott got the rank of the soldier incorrect, Lord Kitchener certainly did visit Lithgow on the 10th January 1910 to inspect the small arms factory.  Lithgow was where Carlo was living and had his medical practice so it is very possible that they did meet on this occasion. 

The Lancers embarked for Australia from Cape Town on the 11th November 1900 on SS Harlech Castle and arrived in Sydney on the 6th December.  Their casualties were 2 killed and 2 died from disease.  Four men received decorations for their service...2 were their Commanding Officers, Captain C F Fox and Major G L Lee.   

The Commonwealth of Australia came into existence on the 1st January 1901 and the Lancers took part in the celebrations.  The Department of Defence was created and then the Australian Army was formed 2 months later in March.  All existing military units transferred into the Australian Army.  The Colonial Troops original badges of their home colony were replaced with the Rising Sun Badge, the symbol of the newly formed Australian Army.  

Carlo and his father Thomas arrived home in Windsor on 16th February and were met by a large crowd at the train station.  They were formally welcomed home by the Mayors of Windsor and Richmond.  Father and son were given a reception by the district and a presentation made to both as a token of the community’s esteem.    

In December 1901 it was decided to send more Contingents of Mounted Rifles from Australia to the war in South Africa, formed from different Squadrons from each State.  They were given the name “Australian Commonwealth Horse” with each consisting of 121 men.  Again, the men had to be single, good shots, good horsemen and preferably had previous service.  Carlo volunteered and became part of the first Contingent called the 1st Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) which was raised in January 1902 consisting of 3 units of volunteers from New South Wales, one unit from Queensland and one unit from Tasmania. 

Carlo was promoted to Lieutenant on the 18th February 1902, the day he and the 1st Battalion ACH embarked from Sydney on SS Custodian.  The unit disembarked in Durban on the 19th March.  They proceeded by train to Klerksdorp and joined the Column under the command of Colonel De Lisle.  This Column was inspected by Lord Kitchener on the 22nd April and he expressed his pleasure at the appearance of both men and horses.

The Battalion conducted patrols, without loss of life, until the war ended on the 31st May 1902.  The Battalion proceeded to Durban where they embarked for return to Australia on the 11th July on the SS Drayton Grange.  The journey home was costly with the loss of men from disease and another 12 dying with weeks of returning home.  A Royal Commission found that neglect and unsanitary living conditions aboard the vessel caused the deaths.    

After the war, Carlo resumed his medical studies travelling to the United Kingdom.  In 1906 he qualified a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (FRCPE), the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd) and the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow (RCPSG).  His brother Piero also qualified as a surgeon the same year but he did his studies in London.  Carlo then returned to Australia where he commenced practice in late 1906 at Lithgow NSW.

Carlo married Alice Bertha Faull at St Philip’s Church of England in Sydney on the 31st August 1908.  Alice was divorced and had a son from her previous marriage. 

Carlo moved his medical practice to new location in Lithgow in 1909.  In January 1910, Carlo, assisted by Nurse Young performed an operation on a lady.  She subsequently died the following day.  Following an inquest, both Carlo and Nurse Young were arrested and charged with manslaughter.  A court case ensued and on the 22nd March both were acquitted.  It was determined that due to decomposition of the body an error in facts reported by the coroner for the cause of death lead to the wrongful arrest and charge of manslaughter against both parties. 

While Carlo was acquitted, the whole affair took its toll on him.  Just a month later he was found unconscious on his bed at his home.  Three doctors attended him but he died soon after on the 25th April 1910 aged 30.  An inquest determined that he died from an accidental overdose of morphine.  He was survived by his wife, stepson, father and siblings.  His funeral was held 2 days later at St James Church of England in Sydney.  He was buried at the Waverley Cemetery where a memorial to him was erected beside the memorial for his mother. 

Carlo was greatly appreciated by the Lithgow community which is very evident by the number of testimonials that appear in the local newspaper regarding his medical care and treatment over the 3 years that he served the community.                         

Carlo Ferruccio Fiaschi was awarded for service in the Boer War the Queen’s South Africa Medal and the King’s South Africa Medal.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 20th November 2021.

Sources

http://www.lancers.org.au/site/South_Afica.php

https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-681286700/view?sectionId=nla.obj-697184364&partId=nla.obj-681294455#page/n19/mode/1up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Australia_during_the_Second_Boer_War

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:1st_Battalion%2C_Australian_Commonwealth_Horse

https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1069433/bundled/RCDIG1069433.pdf