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War Memorial
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Note- Horace Travers was serving with Doyle's Australian Scouts as part of his second service (tour) in the Boer War when he was Mentioned-in-Despatches and subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his actions.

Horace Travers served twice in the South African (Boer) War. First service was as a Private rising to Quartermaster Sergeant S.N. 104, 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry. Second service was as a Private rising to Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant S.N. 667, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen (1st Draft). 

When he joined the 3rd QMI in 1900 and his details were published with the rank and file in The Queenslander, 3 Mar 1900, it was noted he was single and his contact details were c/- G. A. Miller, solicitor, Thames, New Zealand. He served the full tour of the 3rd QMI and returned to Brisbane for discharge on 20 Jun 1901.

Not long after he was selected in the First Draft of the 6th QIB and embarked again for South Africa in Aug 1901. The members of the draft mainly consisted of men who had served in previous contingents in South Africa and were assembled as reinforcements for the 5th and 6th QIB contingents already in South Africa.

Men in the draft were not recorded in the original nominal roll for the 6th QIB but he is recorded in the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 5th QIB (to which he was allotted), Bk 4 p. 103. As part of this tour he was seconded to Doyle's Australian Scouts and he was awarded the DCM for his actions. When the 5th QIB returned to Australia, several of the men remained in South Africa for various reasons. 

The Brisbane Courier, 16 May 1902, notes when the 5th QIB embarked to return to Australia that, S.N. 667, Q. M. Sergeant Horace Travers, remained in South Africa for further service. The Boer War Service Paybooks for the 5th QIB, Bk 4 p. 101, does not provide a discharge or return to Australia date suggesting he was discharged in South Africa and remained there.

When he was recorded on the original nominal roll for the 3rd Queensland Contingent, held by National Archives, he provided the same contact details of the solicitor, as given in The Queenslander newspaper, suggesting he was originally from New Zealand. it doesn't appear he was related to the solicitor indicating that perhaps the solicitor held his Will. When his award of the DCM was published in the London Gazette it also noted he was from New Zealand.

Similarly, he is recorded on the N.Z. Online Cenotaph, created by Auckland Museum, which simply notes he served with Doyle's Australian Scouts in the South African War and was awarded the DCM. It provides no further advice on his birth details or life in New Zealand. A biographical footnote "He served with Australian forces, Polaschek notes his medal was forwarded to the Australian Government for disposal", appears to indicate he didn't return to New Zealand.

In 1903 a public appeal for information was published in The Queenslander, 19 Dec 1903, p. 20, in the "Current" column with the extract transcribed below.

Current- The Queenslander, 19 Dec 1903, p. 20

Mr. H. M. Henderson, wirting from Manly, Sydney, says:- A brother of mine in South Africa has been handed a medal belonging to trooper H. Travers, who went to South Africa with a contingent, and is believed to be dead. My brother (in the army in South Africa) has asked me to try and find Travers' relatives (if he is dead), with a view to handing them over the medal, which would no doubt be valuable to them as a memento, and I desire to ask if you will insert a short memo, in your valuable paper, with a view of gaining the required information.

No followup article could be found to indicate the outcome of the published request. Again, it suggests he remained in South Africa and possibly passed there not long after the war. Note, Murray's roll only contains one H. Travers, the Horace Travers the subject of this biography.

Details of his date and place of birth, and his life after returning from the war, were not able to be ascertained.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 469 & 519; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 3rd QMI, Bk 4 p. 21, and 5th QIB, Bk 4 p. 103).