CHESHER, Edward Brown
| Service Number: | 333 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | New South Wales Citizen Bushmen |
| Born: | Molong, New South Wales, Australia, 1 January 1879 |
| Home Town: | Eugowra, Cabonne, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Kaneel Poort, South Africa, 2 September 1900, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Petronella Military Cemetery, South Africa First buried at Kaneel Poort. Subsequently re-interred in Petronella Military Cemetery. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Eugowra St Matthew's Anglican Church Boer War Memorial Plaque, Forbes Boer War Memorial |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 333 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 333, New South Wales Citizen Bushmen | |
| 28 Feb 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lance Corporal, 333, New South Wales Citizen Bushmen | |
| 2 Sep 1900: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lance Corporal, 333, New South Wales Citizen Bushmen, K.I.A. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Maurice Kissane
Edward Chesher was born in New South Wales in 1879. His parents were Donald and Esabella Chesher (nee Anderson). Ted as he was known, was a bushie.
His older brother George had embarked early in Nov 1899 to fight for Queen and Empire. He was W.I.A. on 19 Feb 1900.
However, George wrote home from De Arr Hospital to tell family and friends in his 4th March 1900 letter that "The Boer are very bad shots". George states that 'Boers fired without aiming and wasted a lot of ammuninition'. Ted must have lapped this up. For he would have seen his big brother as a hero to emulate.
However, George was wrong. The Boers had accurate long range mausers. Their Commondo Tactics were sound. It would be a pyrrhic victory to defeat them.
George had lost his trigger finger in his first significant combat. Hence he was eventualy invalided back home.
However, his letter from the front had likely inspired Ted to enlist. Ted had enlisted and embarked by the time George was repatriated.
He had only been back home for three days when he learnt that Ted was K.I.A. For Boer Commondos were indeed good shots. Ted was a victim of Boer Tactics.
The Australian Bushmen Regiments were used by the Empire to challenge Boer Commando Tactics. Ted was one of the boys from the bush who never came home.
Lest We Forget.
Reference:
George Chesher's 04 March 1900 De Aar Hospital Letter back home was published on 09 April 1900 in the Evening News (Sydney) on page 7.
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