Private McCorkell’s South African War

As the governments and peoples of the British Empire marked the death of Queen Victoria, Private John McCorkell spent the first year of Australian Federation in the service of the Empire in what is now known as the Boer War or South African War. 

McCorkell’s diary, which was donated to the Memorial, has been digitised and is now available for viewing online.  McCorkell records his experiences serving with the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles in the Boer War, 1899–1902.

The South African War had been brewing for more than a century before the outbreak of hostilities in 1899.  The southern tip of Africa had been shared between British colonies and independent republics of Dutch–Afrikaner settlers, known as Boers, after its acquisition by Britain during the Napoleonic Wars.  Throughout the nineteenth century, tensions were often high, and the discovery of gold and diamonds in the Boer republics in the 1880s further intensified rivalries.  British imperial ambition, the rights of British subjects in Boer territory, and the Boer desire to stay outside the British Empire caused further friction, and in 1899 the Boers attacked to forestall what they saw as an impending British conquest.  As part of the British Empire, the Australian colonies offered troops for the war in South Africa. This support continued after the Federation of the colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.

John McCorkell enlisted with the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1901. He undertook his initial military training in Victoria, spending time with a gunnery crew at Fort Queenscliff. There was time available to catch up with family members, and a group photo was taken during a meeting at the Langwarrin training camp. On 15 February 1901, McCorkell and his unit embarked on the troopship Argus for a month-long voyage to South Africa.

Argus arrived at Table Bay on 13 March 1901. After a short onshore visit to Cape Town, the troopship continued to Port Elizabeth. The following month, McCorkell and other members of the unit suffered a bout of measles. McCorkell’s condition was serious enough to warrant a fortnight in a hospital. Once recovered he re-joined his unit before it left the Cape Colony and began military operations. 

McCorkell’s service began with a long series of mounted treks and a number of armed encounters with Boers throughout the Orange Free State, Transvaal and Natal provinces. Conditions for soldiers and horses were harsh. Throughout 1901, operations included expelling Boer families from their farms and capturing their livestock, and assisting Australian and Imperial units in larger operations against Boer commando groups. In a notebook serving as his diary, he recorded the places the unit visited, including Ladysmith, the site of a famous siege by Boer forces, and Wakkerstroom. He also occasionally recorded the number of Boers his unit was involved in expelling or killing.   

Living for months in basic camping conditions, combined with frequent shortages of clean water, increased the men’s chances of succumbing to diseases, and medical aid was a long way away. McCorkell’s training regime focused on garrisoning an established fort or joining a battle formation in European setting, leaving him somewhat unprepared for the guerrilla warfare he experienced in South Africa.   

Sudden changes of operational orders often caused confusion and led to additional gruelling travel at short notice.  The limited communication networks in remote inland areas did nothing to help the Australian and other Imperial units.

Another recurring problem for the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles was a severe shortage of money to use in remote towns. The personnel entrusted to deliver adequate amounts of currency for soldiers’ pay faced long, difficult, and dangerous journeys, and there were few opportunities to send updates about delays. As the pay problem imposed limits on recreational options, improvised games of football became popular.    

In December 1901, the 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles gathered at the Transvaal town of Wakkerstroom, where it would renew supplies and spend Christmas. It was joined by units from around Australia and the British Empire, a rare chance for a group of troops and officers to gather for more than a couple of days.  

McCorkell died from enteric fever on 21 January 1902. He was buried in the Wakkerstroom Cemetery.  He never saw Australia or his family again. 

Private McCorkell is listed on the Memorial’s Roll of Honour. The diary detailing his personal experiences during the Boer War has been digitised and is available to view here