BRYCE, Private James

Private 199 James Bryce

3^rd Queensland Mounted Infantry

7th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse (Queensland)

by Robert Simpson

James Bryce was born in Queensland on 24^th July 1869. His parents were William Bryce and Lillias McCallum. They had been born in Scotland and were married there in 1850. Their first son, William was born in Edinburgh Scotland on 23^rd March 1858, as were Janet (2^nd July 1855) and Mary (24^th December 1859); but the next child, Elizabeth was born in Queensland in 1863, so they had migrated before then. Lillias Joan Bryce was born in 1865, Catharine Bryce in 1867 and Christina in 1871. James was the second last child born of 8 children in total; 6 girls and 2 boys. They seemed to have settled in an area called Pine Mountain, near Ipswich. His Father William passed away on 2^nd October 1886 and is buried in The Pine Mountain Congregational Church Cemetery. On the 1895 and 1900 Electoral Rolls James is listed as residing at Pine Mountain.

James was recorded as Private 199 in the 3^rd contingent Queensland Mounted Infantry to go to the Boer War which was part of the 3^rd Queensland Contingent along with the Queensland (Citizen) Bushmen and the 2^nd Bushmen Regiment. They left on 1^st March 1900 on the Duke of Portland under the command of Major W Tunbridge. They served from April 1900 until April 1901. They served in Rhodesia under Carrington, west Transvaal (including the relief of Mafeking, 16^th to 17^th May 1900), defeat at Koster River (22^nd July 1900) and defence of Elands River Post (4^th to 16^th August 1900). At the Relief of Mafeking he was in the only squadron of an Australian unit involved in the action, 110 men of the 3^rd QMI with Major C W Kellie commanding. “D” Squadron were escorts for a six-gun Canadian artillery unit and travelled some of the way in coaches (with 20 men in each coach) and the last 80 miles on foot. They arrived in Mafeking which had been stoutly defended by Colonel R Baden-Powell for seven months. There was much rejoicing in Great Britain on hearing this news. He was slightly wounded at Otto’s Hoop in August 1900. In the Warwick Argus newspaper of 28^th August 1900 was an article on the late Lieutenant Annat. – “Private James Bryce (Ipswich district), writing shortly after the relief of Mafeking, thus referred to the late Lieut. J. W. Annat: – “We experienced four and a half hours of shell fire and were highly complimented on our behaviour by Major Kellie and the other officers in charge. Lieut. Annat has charge of this division. He has seen a great deal of active service; this is his third campaign here, and he has been through a good deal of service against the Indians in America. He is full of energy and pluck, and is well liked by his division. No other officer in the contingent looks after his men better than he does.””. Under Plumer in northern Transvaal they were involved in the battle of Rhenoster Kop (29^th November 1900) and the advance on Petersburg. The contingent returned to Australia on 7^th June 1901 on the Morayshire and returned to Brisbane from Sydney on a train.

On 30^th April 1902, he re-joined as Private 29, 7^th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse (Queensland) at Wilston, Brisbane. It was raised entirely in Queensland. Their commanding officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Chauvel. His attestation form states he was 5 foot 7.5 inches high, chest measurement 33 to 35.5 inches, had blue eyes a fresh complexion and fair hair. His occupation was listed as a miner. His address was Pine Mountain and his Mother was listed as next-of-kin. It also notes he was with the 3^rd Queensland Contingent for 16 months. They left on 19^th May 1902 from Pinkenba in the Custodian and arrived in Durban on 22^nd June. Peace having been declared they travelled no further than Newcastle, Natal. The contingent returned to Brisbane on 2^nd August, having stopped at other ports beforehand, in the Manchester Merchant. They were disbanded on 9^th August.

After the war, he returned to Pine Mountain, where he is found on the 1913 Electoral Roll as a contractor and on the 1915 roll as a farmer. His Mother passed away in 1918 in Ipswich. The 1919 and 1922 Electoral Rolls show him living in Southport at Tamborine Mountain and he was a farmer. These two are only a possibility and may not be correct. After that not much is known of his life. There are too many James Bryce’s in Queensland to positively track him down. None are in Pine Mountain, so he must have moved after 1915. Finding where he died would confirm things. It is also not known if he married. The only possibilities are in 1914 and 1924, which seems a bit old.

James passed away in Queensland on 20^th February 1950. The Queensland Times of Ipswich on Tuesday 21^st February 1950 in page 6 under the heading “FUNERAL NOTICE.” Was an entry for “BRYCE.-The Funeral of the late James Bryce, of Saxelby-street, Booval, will leave the Funeral Chapel, Limestone-street, after service, commencing at 10.15 This (Tuesday) Morning, for the Crematorium, Mt. Thompson.” He is not listed on the Crematorium site, so his ashes are not there.

He was awarded the Queens South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Relief of Mafeking, Orange Free State, Transvaal and South Africa 1901.

ANZAC Biographies

On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women

whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection belonging to the

Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum,

Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.