Alexander Forrester (Sandy) HARDIE

Alexander Forrester (Sandy) HARDIE Update Details

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HARDIE, Alexander Forrester

Service Numbers:	54, N32730, 56984
Enlisted:	30 May 1916
Last Rank:	Trooper
Last Unit:	1st Light Horse Regiment
Born:	Kangaloon, New South Wales, Australia, 1879
Home Town:	Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Independent Means
Died:	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 12 August 1951, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:

Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899:	Involvement Private, 54, 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles
17 Jan 1900:	Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trooper, 54, 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, ex Sydney for Cape Town per Southern Cross
26 Jan 1901:	Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Trooper, 54, 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles, Invalided (Murray page number - 40)

World War 1 Service

30 May 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, N32730
22 Jul 1916:	Discharged AIF WW1, N32730, Medically Unfit
14 Mar 1918:	Enlisted AIF WW1, 56984, Private: 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment 3rd GS Rein N Egypt
10 Jun 1918:	Embarked AIF WW1, 56984, ex Sydney per A18 for Suez 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment 3rd GS Rein N Egypt
12 Oct 1918:	Transferred 1st Light Horse Regiment, Private
13 Mar 1919:	Embarked AIF WW1, 56984, 1st Light Horse Regiment, ex Kanara per HMAT Ulimaroa Trooper
9 May 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1, 56984, 1st Light Horse Regiment

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Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

Sandy was the eldest of two children of John Robert Alexander Hardie (born 1834 in Scotland) and Margaret Fleming (born 1848 at Dungog in NSW). John and Margaret married in 1877 at Woolongong in NSW and lived at Burrawong and Kangaloon before moving to Wilde's Meadow in NSW.

Sandy, born at Burrawong, was a 'man of independent means' in 1899 when he enlisted with the 1st NSW Mounted Rifles for service with the Australian and Colonial Military Forces in the Boer War. Sandy was a Trooper (Service No:54), and on 6 March 1899 wrote home to his parents ' Norval's Pont is where the Boers blew up the big bridge the other day ... Arundel was the last place I wrote to you from. We left on 28th January and went to Colesberg Junction ...' and on 6 May ' Winburg ... I am getting on splendidly and enjoying the best of health ... in fact I am in love with soldiering .... and having great sport chasing Boers. I think we are going right into Pretoria ... We have had only one fight since I wrote last, and that was at Phalbancho. We charged a kopje, and mounted it under very heavy shot and shell fire'. On 26 August 1900 Major Holmes wrote to Sandy's parents 'He was with me all the way through the campaign, as far as Pretoria ... He has done remarkably well throughout the piece. He was with me at the battles of Houlbnek, Venterburgh, Doornskop and Pretoria, and I cannot speak too highly of his behaviour on all occasions'. (Bowral Free Press).

In 1915 Sandy was in Sydney NSW when he married Elsie Mahood (born 1890 in Sydney NSW), and in May 1916 Sandy enlisted with the AIF (Service No:32730) but was Discharged as Medicall Unfit within six months. In April 1918 Sandy again enlisted with the AIF, and served as a Trooper (Service No:56984)with 3rd GS Reinforcements and 1st Light Horse Regiment in Egypt. He was Discharged on 3 May 1919 and returned to Sydney. Younger brother John McFarland Hardie also enlisted for service with the AIF in 1915, and was attached to 17 Battalion as a Rifleman for six months before being Discharged (Medically Unfit).

Sandy and Elsie settled in Sydney, where Sandy was 'of Independent Means', occasionally working as a Commercial Traveller. Their eldest son Ross - an Aviator - left for London in August 1938, where he enlisted in the RAF, serving as a Warrant Officer/Pilot (No:902422). Ross was flying a Marauder FB509 at Catania in Sicily, Italy on 17 May 1944 when he was killed. Youngest son Graeme enlisted with the Australian Army in June 1940, serving as a Private (Service No:NX23827) with 2/17 Infantry Battalion until November 1945.

Sandy died in 1951 and Elsie in 1978.

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