# Boer War Soldier

**URL:** <https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464>\
**Category:** Questions and answers\
**Created:** [17 July 2025 23:51 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464 "2025-07-17T23:51:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Drammen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@Drammen](https://forum.naa.gov.au/u/Drammen)\
**Post date:** [17 July 2025 23:51 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464/1 "2025-07-17T23:51:05Z")

</div>

Hello,  
I hope someone can give me some advice as to where I should look next.  
I found these details on the awm website:  
William Purdey  
Service number: 987  
Final Rank: Private  
Unit: 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles  
Conflict/Operation: South Africa, 1899-1902 (Boer War)  
Trouble is I cannot find anything about him in RecordSearch.  
I found some reference to something called: BS179 item B, but I cannot even ascertain what this is.  
He does appear in the ‘Murray Reference’, page 287.  
Would there be records somewhere of where/when he was born and enlisted?  
Thanks in Advance.  
Chris.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JakeM](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.naa.gov.au/jakem/32/329_2.png) [@JakeM](https://forum.naa.gov.au/u/JakeM)\
**Post date:** [18 July 2025 07:21 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464/2 "2025-07-18T07:21:34Z")

</div>

Genealogy SA shows two PURDYs: both too young

this may be your man  
[01 Jul 1882 - INQUESTS. - Trove](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221750402) – Coronial inquiry death of William PURDY age 56 a labourer at the time at Spencer street railway station. Weekly Times Melbourne Sat 1 July 1882 p13

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TreeSpirit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@TreeSpirit](https://forum.naa.gov.au/u/TreeSpirit)\
**Post date:** [18 July 2025 15:13 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464/3 "2025-07-18T15:13:16Z")

</div>

This page (from the Nominal rolls of Victorian Contingents for South Africa 1900) has a bit more info:  
[https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=32045876&T=P&S=71](https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=32045876&T=P&S=71)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Simon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f07891/32.png) [@Simon](https://forum.naa.gov.au/u/Simon)\
**Post date:** [21 July 2025 11:26 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464/4 "2025-07-21T11:26:25Z")

</div>

if you follow this link it will take you to the Oz Boer War site

> **[Boer War - Full Details](https://members.pcug.org.au/~croe/ozb/oz_boer_more.cgi?record=17315)**

There are some resources used to create his service page and you will find the links on this site

I hope this helps to flesh out his story

Regards

Simon

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Drammen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@Drammen](https://forum.naa.gov.au/u/Drammen)\
**Post date:** [6 August 2025 11:17 UTC](https://forum.naa.gov.au/t/boer-war-soldier/2464/5 "2025-08-06T11:17:54Z")

</div>

Thank you everyone for your help.

I have located all the information now.

Much appreciated.