DAVIS, Cornelius George
| Service Number: | 126 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Trumpeter |
| Last Unit: | 4th Imperial Bushmen |
| Born: | Crystal Brook, South Australia, 9 October 1877 |
| Home Town: | Walkerville, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grocer |
| Died: | Enteric Fever, Pretoria, South Africa, 4 January 1901, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Church Street Cemetery, Pretoria, South Africa Burial: Church Street Cemetery of Pretoria Pretoria City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Gauteng, South Africa |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Boer War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, North Adelaide St Peter's Cathedral Boer War Honour Roll |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement 126 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 126, 4th Imperial Bushmen | |
| 1 May 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trumpeter, 126, 4th Imperial Bushmen, Departed from Port Adelaide on the "Manhatton" | |
| 4 Aug 1900: | Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trumpeter, 126, 4th Imperial Bushmen, Elands River | |
| 4 Jan 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trumpeter, 126, 4th Imperial Bushmen, D.O.D. | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
Help us honour Cornelius George Davis's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA: 1839 - 1900) Wednesday 9 January 1901
LETTER FROM THE LATE TRUMPETER DAVIS.
Trumpeter Cornelius George Davis, of the Imperial Bushmen, who died at Pretoria on January 4 from enteric fever, addressed the following letter to his parents from Rhenoster Kop on December 5:—"once more I am down on my bunk to write a few more lines to let you know that I am still alive and well, and hope this will find you all the same. I suppose you will have seen that we have had another little row with the Boers at this place. It only lasted for one day of 16 hours, but it was rather tropical. This you will see by our casualties. We lost two killed out of A squad, Sgt. McCabe and Tpr. Page, and two wounded, but the New Zealanders lost a lot, and also the Queenslanders and West Ridings. The enemy had a splendid position amongst some very large rocks, and the only thing that would have shifted them would have been the bayonet, which they would have got next day had they not shifted. It was on the 29th November that we had the fight, and since then we have been camped here, with Gens. Paget and Plumer and Col. Hickman. I suppose you will laugh when I tell you that B Squad held Christmas Day on the 2nd December. I will tell you how it came about. We went out under Lieut. Hurcombe, who has taken over charge of our squad, to escort a cable cart to pick up a telegraph line and relay it in another place. On our way home we came across some farmhouses, which we are always pleased to meet in our travels, and found a lot of ammunition in the garden, so we were told to search the house, and after this we were told to take anything we wanted. We ducked on the poultry yard, and in less time than it takes to write it down every saddle was loaded on both sides with geese, fowls, and pigs, and also our nosebags full of fruit, which, although it wasn't ripe, was very nice stewed. I should think now that you will understand how it was that we had Christmas before time. We thought perhaps we won't get it on the 25th, so you can rest contented that I have enjoyed my Christmas very much, even if it was a few days early, but was rather sorry that I couldn't spend it home with all. This morning we were lined up in front of Gen. Plumer to hear Lord Roberts's farewell address, and at the close we were told we had an hour to post letters, or to write them, whichever you like, so I have taken the opportunity."
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54558912
Click images to start slideshow.