O'BRIEN, William Edward
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 April 1902 |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 5th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
| Born: | Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Bega, Bega Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk of Petty Sessions |
| Died: | 9 August 1937, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, New South Wales RC Monumental 3 0848 - Unmarked Grave |
| Memorials: | Bathurst Boer War Memorial |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Captain, Officer, New South Wales Imperial Bushmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Apr 1902: | Enlisted Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Major, Officer, 5th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Major William Edward .O'Brien, D.S.O., who has been selected to proceed to South Africa as second in command or the Fifth Battalion of the Commonwealth Horse, belongs to the Bega District. He received his first commission in 1893, and in 1898 was made a first lieutenant. He went to South Africa with the Imperial Bushmen, being given the rank of captain, and after 15 months' fighting returned in July last year to Bega. He was present at 19 general engagements, in addition to the operations around Ottoshoop, Wildfontein, and Kaffir Kraal, in addition to many skirmishes. At Wildfontein he won his D.S.O. by capturing 19 guns from the Boers. The deed was performed at the head of 299 of the Bushmen, and the guns included the two guns taken by the enemy at Colenso, when Lord Roberts' only son was killed. Major O'Brien afterwards received his promotlon to majority rank.
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