Mealing, Christopher Thornton (Trooper, b.1877 - d.1957)

Two original diaries and copies of notes by Trooper Christopher Thornton Mealing, No.137 (5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen) who boarded the transport ship "Templemore" on 4 March 1901 for the South African Boer War. Traces his voyage to Port Elizabeth, the train journey to Pretoria, passage through Orange Free State, Cape Colony and the Transvaal and various confrontations with the Boers. Many locations are mentioned including Standerton, Utrecht, Carolina and Bloemfontein. There are references to the horses, impressions of the countryside, the treatment of prisoners by the Boers and the health of the troops. Trooper Mealing documents the deaths of a number of members of the 5th Contingent including that of W. (William) Lilley, G. (Anders Gustav) Belian, J. (John) McFarlane, Sgt (Robert Edwin) Berry, Sgt (James Charles) Power, A. (Alexander William) Eagelton, (Frederick Thomas) Goodall, (William George) Clark, (Frederick Gregg) Blunt, (William) White, C. (Cuthbert) Moller, Lt (Lachlan John) Caskey, Lt (Alfred Ernest) Pooley, Geo (George Henry) White, (Colin) Sterling and S. Cummings (probably R.R.Cumming). The diaries conclude with the embarkation at Capetown on SS "St Andrew" on 27 March 1902 and the voyage home which included an outbreak of measles. The typescript transcript not only includes the above diaries but relevant photographs and maps, poems by the author dated 1900, a diary by Mr and Mrs C.T. Mealing entitled "An Epic journey" by lorry from Black Creek, Tabulam, NSW to Bundaberg, Qld 1931. There are references to other members of the Mealing family notably William Richard Mealing who went to both the South African Boer War and World War 1.