Beverly (Markham) - please excuse - we're a bit off topic here (and to add insult to injury, I have left John's letter attached for those who have missed his information) Thank you John for the encouragement. I do know quite a good deal about Milne Bay - though maybe I should say "I did". It's stored in the back of my mind for future reference, (I do recall "moonshine" though) and Albert Grulke is trying to persuade me to dig it out. Simple, I'm not ready! I have a wonderful Legacy Representative who will help when I'm ready, but in the meantime, the Great War 1914-1918 is of immense interest to both David and myself. David's Grandfather GIESEMANN (Laidley etc) went back to Germany at an old age to see his family in Bissendorf during WWI and died there in 1917 of starvation. David's Father and my maternal Grandfather both served in Egypt and Gallipoli, so the addresses and advice you have given are greatly appreciated. I don't believe our Germans, Danes, Irish and English people had been here long enough to be in the Boer War though -). I'll have to re-check those Irish Harrisons! Cheers Bev Kerlin ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Harkin" <harkin@pencc.org> To: <AUS-QLD-SE-Germans-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 11:50 AM Subject: boer,ww1andww2 > re the Milnw BayMuseum emails in regard to Boer,1ww and 2ww I have never paid for any of my dossiers as suggested $16-40. However try the Museum.BOER WAR 1899-1902 > > In regard to Albert William Christie for Boer War records go to Internet Explorer ,click Yahoo, enter www.naa.gov.au ,click on National Archives of Australia, click on Service Records, click on Boer war 1899-1902, click on Boer War Nominal Roll. This should gives you two entries for Christie. First is. number 201 Private, 4(Qld) Imperial Bushmen CNTGNT, Qld , Murray page number 483. Second is . number 19, Corporal, 7BN AUST CMNWLTH HORSE (QLD), QLD,Murray page Number 531.On the same page click on "instruction" and that will explain what Murray page means. I do not know if there are any records of service as most Services before the 1st World war kept records of a soldier's service, only the Officers records were kept. Try the archives, I think they have their attestation documents. You may have some luck as they might have changed the units into Commonwealth units after federstion. 1st WORLD WARI have had no luck finding relatives on the computer in the fi! > rst world war I have 1st war service records of one Uncle who enlisted under his elder brother's name and served from September 1914 until February 1919 in the 15th Battalion, a Queensland unit. During this time he was wounded three times. Twice at Gallopoli against the Turks and once in France against the Germans, and rose by promotions in the field, to become Company Sergeant Major and then sent to Oxford to obtain his commision to 2nd Lieutenant. I find this record fascinating reading and I have made up a file on him. On the right hand corner of his file I have his service photo and three A4 pages of his record. This includes three telegrams of his being wounded. There was a long delay before his parents were notified of his wounding. I can follow his evacuation from Gallopoli through the various hopitals to to Egypt Hospital and re training in Egypt. He was sent almost a year later to his battalion in France. Because of someone being wounded, killed or being made a priso! > ner of war he was promoted in the field, each time, to his new rank When wounded in France he was sent to Hospital in England then returned to his battalion.Then before war's end he went to Oxford for Officer training. The brother whose name he had used to go to war was killed in a mine accident in Queensland in 1916. His elder brother went as a reinforcement to the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, a Queensland Regiment,.and was wounded twice against the Turks. The second time was at Beersheba and he was evacuated eventually to Cairo and the sent back to Australia by Hospital ship and eventually discharged on a war pension. The Light Horse was not used as Cavalary but used their horses to get to about 1500 yards from the enemy and then proceed on foot into battle. Beersheba was, however, a Cavalary Charge. Even though I have extensive Genealogical records, I find these records more interesting. By using war books and finding out the dates where they were wounded or promoted I can s! > ee all the battles they fought in. The address I found for 1st War records was Austrlian Archives National Office World War1 Personnel Records Service PO Box 117 Mitchell ACT 2911 at no cost to me. > > In searching I suggest AMW 133 the Nominal Roll for AIF in the 1914-1918 War. This list is in Alphabetical order and lists the number, rank, surname, given name, unit date of enlistment, if returned to Australia or killed and date of embarkation for Australia. The number is the battalion number as each unit started from 1 and nmbered its own men. Officers in the 1st AIF did not have a number so my uncle did not have a number on discharge. Remember this is the end of the war list of units etc. So do not be suprised if you cannot find your relative or friend in the next list. Whilst overseas a lot of new units were formed or units disbanded. This list is AMW 8 a list of Australians who left Australia for overseas in their unit and on what ship. By reading the instructions you can find out the Fiche number for each unit and then you can see the comprehensive listing on this document. It lists regimental number, name in full, rank, age, trade or calling, married or single, addre! > ss at date of enlistment, next of kin and address, religion,date of joining, AMF unit serving in at date of enlistment and pay under six coulums. This is a very good source of information to check if you have the right person. For instance one Uncle put an "s" after our name and one has his mother as next of kin the other his father as next of kin. Remember the unit on AMW 133 might not be the one he left Australia on AMW8. In this list my uncle(the officer) has a number as he left Australia as a private. These lists might only be in State Libraries.or other big societies > > .2nd War 1939-1945 These records cannot be found in the Archives. The address is Soldier Careeer Management Authority GPO Box 393D Melbourne Vic 3001 This is much tougher to get information from. You need to have > > (a) written consent of the ex-member must be provided, or if he is deceased, a written statement from you to that effect is required > > (b) the inquirer's relationship to the ex-member must be stated. If you are notdirectly related ( i.e. the members parent, spouse,child,brother or sister), the written consent of the ex-member closest surviving next of kin is required, > 1.. the reason for the request must be stated > For my own disability claim I used Freedom of Information to obtain my records from the RAAF. > > I have not long obtained my fathers VDC records and my dead cousin's record of Service in Japan, Korea and for later service in the Regular Australian Army with no trouble. I have hit a hurdle in obtaining more information about my father and also an Uncle of mine who served pre Japan overseas in Papua in the Militia and later joined the AIF and served for a long time in the Islands. I have two letters, on the same date, from the same SCMA office. One says it will be a time whilst they process my claim the other says I have to supply proof of identity even though I have obtained my fathers record from the same office...SNAFU!! > > Beverly you can find out about your father from either the Soldier Career Management Authority address or.. > > Personnnel Records > > (Queanbeyan Annexe) > > Department of Defence Canberra ACT 2600 > > Just quote your name, that he is your father and his full name and any information you know about him.

Hello Bev (Kerlin), Off topic conversations would be more like griping about your bunions that hurt after you trapsed all over a graveyard looking for someone only to find that they are still alive! I suspect that if the Australian Army, in any of the wars in which it has participated, would be rather short of soldiers if it excluded all persons, who are in any way ,of German descent. cheers, Beverly.