BALFOUR-OGILVY, Walter Mansel
| Service Numbers: | 465, Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 November 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Castletown, County Cork, Ireland , 29 January 1875 |
| Home Town: | Renmark, Renmark Paringa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Christ Hospital School |
| Occupation: | Reporter - Murray Pioneer |
| Died: | Renmark, South Australia, 3 May 1944, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Warrant Officer II, 465, Victorian Citizen Bushmen |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 8 Nov 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Eastern embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' |
|
| 28 Nov 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 3rd Infantry Battalion, SS Eastern, Sydney | |
| 30 Jun 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1 |
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Walter (Tuppy) Mansel Balfour-Ogilvy was born in Castletown, County Cork, Ireland on 29 January 1875. Walter was the nephew to the Scottish Earl of Airlie. He grew up playing in the courtyard of Cortachy Castle with his brother, Harry, and their cousin, Clementine Hozier (later Clementine Churchill). After the passing of his father, his mother remarried and the family moved to Renmark, South Australia.
Walter & his brother, Harry, became the Station Managers at Paringa Station, South Australia. In February 1899 they met a Drover in Renmark who was looking for work, and soon Harry “The Breaker” Morant began working with the two brothers. Mid-1899 Walter left to manage a station at Wycheproof, Victoria. This was Walter’s attempt to get sufficiently well-established to marry local Teacher, Emily Bleechmore. The drought of 1898-99 had seen the two Balfour-Ogilvy brothers lose thousands of pounds in their cattle venture.
Walter joined the 3rd Victorian Bushmen's Contingent with the rank of Company Sergeant Major. He served with the unit until 19 December 1900 when he joined the South African Constabulary as 43, Troop Sergeant Major.
He was mentioned in despatches for special good service in Captain Wood's attack on a laager south of Bronkhorstspruit on 16 August 1901. The Gallantry Award was presented to Walter by Lieutenant-General Baden Powell.
Walter served seven years and 194 days with the South African Mounted Police and was Drill Instructor in Heidelberg, Pretoria and Potchefstroom depots. Promoted to Warrant Officer (Head Constable) of Barberton, Transvaal, and Swaziland, Portugese East African District. During the Zulu Rebellion of 1906, Walter patrolled the Swaziland borders. He served two years as Drill Instructor to the Transvaal Prisons Department.
In 1909, he returned to Australia and in January 1912, he married Emily "Topsy" Bleechmore, the lady to whom he had been engaged since before leaving for South Africa.
During the period prior to the First World War, he was a reporter for the Renmark Pioneer newspaper. He applied to join the Military Forces and, on 7 November 1914, he was allocated to D Company, 3rd Battalion, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force as a Second Lieutenant. He embarked for Rabaul from Sydney on HMAT Eastern on 28 November 1914.
He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 January 1915 and appointed District Officer and Commanding Officer Madang Garrison on 22 February 1915. The rank of Captain was attained on 22 October 1915. He returned to Australia on furlough on 31 January 1916 and resumed duty in Rabaul on 20 April 1916. He was discharged on 30 June 1917 to the Reserve of Officers, 4th Military District.
Walter Balfour-Ogilvy died on 3 May 1944, aged 69 years.
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