1st Australian Horse, Trooper No. 1084, 1st Australian Commonwealth Horse (NSW) Trooper No.146 William Vincent (Vince) McJannett was born 27 February 1879 at Bungendore, NSW.
A brother to John and Robert, he was working as a ticket collector based at Goulburn before his enlistment. As an employee of the Sydney Railway Institute, he was presented with an address, a beautifully bound pocket book and purse with his name engraved. In addition, his position was kept open for him on his return. Before entering that employment, he had worked as a messenger at the Bungendore Post Office on leaving school.
Vince sailed with the First Contingent and arrived in South Africa on13 December 1899.
He returned to Australia on the troopship Orient and arrived in Bungendore on 16 January 1901.Here he was presented with a gold medal by his workmates at the Goulburn Railway Traffic Branch. He then worked as a goods shed porter.
He joined many of his army comrades at Government House, Sydney to receive his Queen’s Medal with four clasps from the Duke of York on 1 June 1901.
On 13 January 1902, now nearly twenty-two years old, he re~enlisted with the 1st Battalion of the Australian Commonwealth Horse (NSW) and arrived back in South Africa as the war ended in May 1902.
The Goulburn Evening Penny Post in June 1902 published the following letter extract from Vince:
“..Vrybutrg-brigade captured 291 Boers with sheep, cattle, waggons etc.-fighting all night - tried to souvenir a rifle but nearly made a prisoner - war about tail end-making for Klerksdorp - Cpl Curt Masters in same brigade. ”{this letter from Vince McJannett was the last letter from the front published in the Penny Post}.
He remained in South Africa after the war, took his discharge and in June 1903 gained employment as a railway station master at Drihoek near Germanston, having at first worked on the railway at Klerksdorp.
He married and subsequently died in South Africa about 1948.
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
