>Name of Ancestor: John Alexander Barnes
Ancestor's date of birth: 15/12/1864
Ancestor's date of death: 26/05/1945
Cause of Death: Secondary cancers following removal of cancerous Prostate 6 months earlier
Service Number: 493
Colony or State of enlistment: NSW Place of Enlistment: Sydney
Unit: C Coy, NSW Imperial Bushmen
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: Detail not provided
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): No record Post Boer War Service
Murray Page: 96
Contingent: Fourth New South Wales
Ship: Armenian, Date of Sailing: 23/05/1900
Memorial details: No detail available
Decorations: Queen's South Africa Medal 5 Clasps (CC, OFS, Tvl, Rhod, and SA1) King's South Africa Medal Clasp
Personal Characteristics: Born John Tolmie (Illegitimate) 1864, Parents Married 1867 .
Enlistment shows dob as 1871, actual 1864 Assumed the Surname of Father, Thomas Barnes, and his 12 siblings.
Enlistment shows occupation as "Stockman". It is unlikely that there were Stockmen around North Sydney at that time.
Reasons to go and fight: Not known but probably Adventure . As an Aboriginal (Wiradjuri) man the opportunity a better life would have been attractive .
Details of service in war: None
Service and life after the Boer War: Married in Australia 7/5/1902 to Elizabeth Agnes Milwain.
they returned to South Africa where he took up some sort Soldiers Land Grant in poor country ,in Orange River Colony, now Orange Free State . The venture failed . He was employed by South AfricaRailways and Harbours as aPlatelayer (Fettler)and Ganger.
Died 26/5/1945 in Durban .His Son , Alexander McKenzie Barnes , was born in Australia 19/2/1909 .His mother died whe he was 3 months old and his Father did not return to Australia. No known Photo.s of John Barnes unless some exist in Military Records.No originals or documents
