1st Australian Horse Trooper No.1078
Walter James was born at Kidderminister, England on 5 June 1869.
When he enlisted with the 1st Australian Horse his Next of Kin was recorded as his mother, then being resident at Kidderminister, England. His occupation was stated as Station Overseer.
The Australian War Memorial (AWM) Boer War Nominal Roll (Murray) records that he died of Enteric Fever at Bloemfontein, South Africa on 4 May 1900.
The South African Graves website (www.hagsoc.org.au) records that a James, William Walter also described as having the Given Name: MJ/WW, a Trooper W/Aus H, No. 1078 is commemorated on the Central Memorial at the President Brand Cemetery, Bloemfontein. This record notes that this Trooper DOD (Died of Disease) on 24 April 1900.
The AWM records that the foregoing James, William Walter, Trooper 1181 of the 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent, Victoria, died at sea on 6 December 1901.
Murray does not list any Trooper James enlisting in any Contingent from Western Australia.
Accordingly it is considered that the President Brand Cemetery Memorial is in fact commemorating James, Walter Joseph, Trooper 1078 of the 1st Australian Horse (AH), who is also listed on the Bungendore Roll of Honour Board in the War Memorial Hall.
On 8.6.1900 The Queanbeyan Observer published a list of residents of the district serving in the Boer War 1899-1900. This list included James, W.J., Trooper No.1078,1st AH.
Later on 4.9.1900 it was further reported that a L/Cpl James, another invalided soldier accompanied Jack McJannett for his ‘welcome home’ to Bungendore. In the first instance mentioned it is considered that James W.J. did indeed serve in South Africa, noting that John Cope in his 'Boer War men of the Queanbeyan- Braidwood region: adventurers or patriots?' Only lists James W.J. as a “possible” “because it has not been possible to ascertain that they (he) actually fought in the Boer War or that they can generally be regarded as being part of the region”. In the second instance, the report of L/Cpl James accompanying McJannett at the Bungendore Railway Station, raises the question as to who this individual was observing that James W.J. was reported deceased at that time. Perhaps it was L/Cpl. James, Arthur Willis Stanley Trooper No.780 of the NSW Lancers who was invalided back to Australia on 17 August 1900, much the same time as Jack McJannett was also invalided home.
In summary all it can be said is that the Bungendore connection of James, Walter Joseph is unclear. Notwithstanding his name has been recorded on the War Memorial Roll of Honour Board and this fact must be respected.
See also: BUNGENDORE & DISTRICT WAR MEMORIAL SOUTH AFRICAN (BOER) WAR 1899-1902 ROLL OF HONOUR ISBN: 978-0-646-55612-3 Peter John Hugonnet 2011