Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Michael Joseph McNamara (my grandfather), was born in Yass, NSW, in 1876. He was a boundary rider, and volunteered for active service in the Boer War during the recruiting drive for men who could ride and shoot following the initial setbacks of 1889. He joined the New South Wales Imperial Bushmen with the rank of Lance Corporal, and sailed for the Cape on the Armenian in April 1900, leaving behind a widowed mother, a brother and 2 sisters. (and an enduring family rumour that he was avoiding the consequences of a lethal fight?)
They eventually disembarked in Beira in Portuguese Mocambique (now Mozambique). After a short boat trip up the Pungwe River, they boarded a narrow gauge railway, which took them to the village of Villa Paiva d'Andrade, (now Chimoio). From there they went to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and marched or rode virtually the entire length of the country from Umtali via Marandellas and Gwelo, arriving in Bulawayo in time for the celebrations for the relief of Mafeking. After being assigned to Lord Carringtons force in Rhodesia, their first real actions was to be involved in the ignominious retreat from the attempted relief of Elands River. They subsequently fought in numerouns actions and skirnishes in the guerilla war against De Wet in the Western Transvall, around Lichtenberg and Ottoshoop. D Squadron, including Lance Corporal McNamara, were assigned as the personal bodyguard of Lord Methuen.
At the end of a year's service, when the unit returned to Australia, MJ Mcnamara remained in South Africa, and enlisted in the Cape Mounted Rifles - for some reason under the name "Donald" McNamara. His attestation papers bear a handwritten notation to the effect that they agreed to this. he remained in the Cape Mounted Police and the Cape Police, with 2 Corps,based in Kimberley , until about 1920. He married Susarra Bosman, known as Sadie, whose father had been a Veldcornet in the Boer forces with the Jacobsdal Commando, and had been killed leading an attack on the British Garrison there in October 1900. (He is buried at the Burgher memorial at the Magersfontein Battlfield). Needless to say this caused some friction with the remaining Bosman side of the family, as they had all been held in concentration camps for the duration of the war.

Michael Joseph, now Donald, having left the Cape Police, joined the huge diamond rush that occurred in Lichtenburg in the 1920's, and spent some years unsuccessfully prospecting for a big diamond strike. This is where my father was born. Donald died of a heart attack aged 60, and is apparently buried in Mafeking cemetery. For his war service he received the Queens South Africa medal with clasps for Rhodesia, The Free State, the Transvaal and the Cape Colony.