Bertie Duckering, 1498, Trooper “C” Squadron.

Third New South Wales Mounted Rifles. This regiment was raised upon the same lines as predecessors, preference being given to trained men who were good shots and good riders; age, 20 to 40 years; height, 5 feet 6 inches and upwards; minimum chest measurement, 34 inches. Applicants were required to be single men and to pass a military medical examination. Establishment and rates of pay as for 2nd Mounted Rifles. ………. 12th March 1901.
Clothing, Etc. Uniform, consited of F.S. jacket, pants, puttees, and hat. Equipped with saddles (portion only).
Departures and Return. “B” and “D” squadrons of this regiment embarked at Sydney on the tranpsort Maplemore on the 15th March, and arrived at Port Elizabeth on 12th April 1901, with 8 officers and 251 others. “A”, “C” and “E” squadrons, with Regimental Staff, embarked on transport British Princess on the 21st March, and arrived at Durban on 17th April, 1901, with 17 officers and 401 other ranks. Machine-gun section embarked on transport Ranee on 21st March, and arrived at Durban on 23rd April 1901. Strength 2 officers, 34 others. Drafts embarked on transport Antillian on 5th April and arrived Durban on 12th May, 1901 - 10 officers, 294 others. Total strength of regiment, 37 officers, 980 of other ranks, besides supernumeraries with 1,000 horses.
One officer, 36 Sergeants and rank and file were killed or died; and 6 officers, 46 others were struck off in SouthAfrica.
The regiment embarked at Cape Town for Australia on 4th May, and arrived at Sydney on 3rd June, 1902, calling at Albany, Adelaide and Melbourne en route. (Source angloboerwar.com, Official Records of the Australian military contingents to the war in South Africa, complied & edited for the Dept of Defence by Lieut.Colonel P L Murray, pages 123/44)

B Duckering, Wounded 20th June 1901 at Uitkomost (Near Newcastle, Utrecht, South Africa), rank trooper, as part of the South African Field Force, Regiment New South Wales Contingents, Mounted Infantry. (Ancestry: Military Genealogy.com, Boer War Casualties)

Australian Military Forces, Ausralian Imperial Forces, Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad, Name Duckering, Bertie, Unit 19/3. Bn, Joined on 26.2.16. Questions put to those before Attestation. 1). Name? Duckering, Bertie, 2). Where born? Yorkshire, England, 3) British subject, 4) Age? 38 years 8 months, 5) Trade? Miner, 6) Ever an Apprentice? no & father deceased. 7). Single, 8). Next of kin? Mother - Mrs Mary Elizabeth Harris, Southlead, Forbes, NSW. 9). Ever convicted? no. 10) Discharged for various offences? 3rd Reg. Aus., Mounted Rifles in South Afirca. 11) Served in the colonial forces? No etc…Signed B Duckering 26/2/16. Height 5 feet 5 inches. Chest measurements 36 inches, Complexion fair, Eyes blue, Hair fair, Religious denomination CofE. Signed of fit for active service. See records on file.

Statement of Service of No 6141, Name Bertie Duckering, Unit served in, Promotions, Reductions, Casualties, etc, Period of service in each rank, Remarks.
Bbay 46th Btn Dubbo, Recruit, 4.3.16 - 18.4.16
A Coy 3rd Batt Liverpool, Private, 18.4.16 - 7.6.16
B/bay 3rd Batn, Private, 7.6.16
Taken on strength of 3rd Bn from ? 3rd Bn, 19.12.16
Pro o/seas France per S S Arundel via Folkstone, 13.12.16
Pte rejoined unit from Hosp, France 18.4.17
Crime using insubordinate language to his superior officer 18.6.17
Award 24 days JP. no.2 ? ? 3 Bn ? 23.6.17 (P.B.No 3218/8 £6.0.0)
3rd Bn Pte Killed in Action France 25.10.17
Buried Belgian Battery Corner Military Cemetery ? S.W. of Ypres

Casualty Form - Active Service. Army Form B.103 6141
Regiment or Corps 3rd Btn 19th Rfts (Reinforcements), Regimental no. 6141, Rank Private, Name Bertie Duckering, Enlisted 2 6/2/16, Terms of Service A/F, Service reckons from 26.2.16.
Received from C.C.Troops, A.18 “Wiltshire” Embarked Sydney 22.8.16, Disembked Plymouth 13.10.16
13.12.16 OC 1st T. Btn Proceeded overseas France per SS Arundel, Folkstone 13.12.16
17.12.16 1st A.D.B. Depot Marched in from England proceeding to join unit Etaples 14.12.16 & 17.12.16
22.12.16 3rd Bn B213 Taken on strength France 19.12.16
5.4.17 3rd Bn B213, To Hosp sick France 3.4.17
7.4.17 7th A.F’Amb. A36 Admitted & transferred to DRS Endentation France 3.4.17
7.4.17 2nd D.R. Stn. A36 Admitted France 3.4.17
14.4.17 2nd D.R. Stn. A36 To 4th Field Amb. France 13.4.17
20.4.17 3rd Bn. B213 Rejoined Unit France 18.4.17
28.6.17 3rd Bn. B2069, Crime Using insubodinate language to his Superior Officer 18.6.17, Award 24 days F.P. No. 2. 23.6.17 (P.B. 3218/8 - £6.0.0) France 23.6.17
30.6.17 3rd Bn. B213 To 1st F.P. Compound France 25.6.17
21.7.17 3rd Bn. B213 Rejoined Bn. France 17.7.17
1.9.17 3rd Bn. B213 To 2nd Army Rest Camp France 27.8.17
8.9.17 3rd Bn. B213 from 2nd Army Rest Camp France 7.9.17
30.10.17 C.O., 3rd Bn. KILLED IN ACTION Belgium 25.10.17
ANZAC Section, 3rd Echelon, G.H.C, British Expeditionary Force buried
13.6.18 Director of Graves, Belgian Battery Corner Military Cemetery 1 mile South West of Ypres.
See copy on file

Field Service. Army Form B. 2090A, 8th Dec 1917, records no will - see copy on file

'Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery is located 2 km south west ofIeper town centre, on a road called Omloopstraat, a road leading from the Dikkebusseweg. From Ieper town centre the Dikkebusseweg (N375), is reached via Elverdingsestraat, straight over around about onto J. Capronstraat (for 30 metres), then left along M. Fochlaan. Immediately after the train station, the first right hand turning is the Dikkebusseweg. 1.5 km along the Dikkebusseweg is the right hand turning onto the Frezenbergstraat. 200 metres further on the right hand side is Omloopstraat. The cemetery is located immediately on the righthand side of the Omloopstraat.'

'Belgian Battery Corner was the name given to the point wherethe Rue Brielen joins a spur of the Ypres-Dickebusch road, about1.6 kilometres from the ramparts of Ypres. The origin of thename is evident, but details of the Battery in question are notknown. The house 550 metres to the West was known during the War as "Belgian Chateau," and was used as Brigade or Battalion Headquarters. The cemetery was begun by the 8th division in June1917, after the Battle of Messines (although a grave of March,1916, will be found in Plot III, Row A); and it was used untilOctober, 1918, largely for burials from the dressing station ina cottage near by. There are now nearly 600, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a known small number are unidentified and special memorials are erected to two known Australian soldiers buried in the unknown graves. The 1st Field Company, Australian Engineers, and the 21st Australian Machine Gun Company have also erected regimental memorials. The cemetery covers an area of 3349 square metres and is enclosed by a concrete curb (except on the road frontage).'

Australian War Memorial - P08047.001. ‘Studio potrait of 6141 Private (Pte) Bertie Duckering, dr3 Battalion, of Frobes, NSW (originally of Eston, Yorkshire). Pte Duckering had served for 15 months in South Africa in the Boer War, and had been wounded there. A mining labourer on enlistment on 26 Feb 1916, he embarked from Sydney on 22 Aug 1916 on HMAT Wiltshire (A18) with the 9th Reinforcements. He was killed in action in Belgium on 25 Oct 1917 at the age of 40 and is buried in the Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery, Ypres.’

Source trove.nla.gov.au – ‘Forbes Times, NSW, 13 Nov 1917 page 2’
PRIVATE BERT DUCKERING.
This afternoon, as we go to press, the sad news containing the death, in action of Pte. Bertie Duckering (more familiarly known as Bert Harris) was receivcd- by Rev. Mr Mirrington, of Forbes.. The message shows that Pte Duckering was killed in France. Deceased was a single man, 40 years of age, and the only son of' Mrs. Harris, who resides near the local Cricket Ground. He enlisted about two years ago, and as late as last week his mother received a letter from him stating that he was one of the lucky few who were picked to enter the Rest Camp. The deceased hero, went through the Boer war and like many other of his comrades, was well and favorably known here.
To his parents we extend our sympathy

Source Trove.nla.gov.au – ‘The Forbes Advocate, NSW – Fri 16 Nov 1917, page 4’
PRIVATE HERBERT DUCKERING
On Tuesday afternoon, the Rev. H. H. Mirrington received word that Private Herbert Duckering had been killed in action, and was asked to communicate the sad news to the soldier's mother, Mrs Harris, who resides near Forbes cricket ground. Private Duckering (he was more familiarly known under the name of Harris) was about 40 years of age, and had been on active service for a considerable time. It is over two years ago since he enlisted, and was in France during the early days of the fighting there, and has now laid down his life on the field where so many brave Australian soldiers have fallen.
It was not Private Duckering's first experience at war, for he saw active service in the Boer war, in South Africa, going there with one of the Australian contingents, and he saw and took part in a lot of the heavy fighting in South Africa. When the present war broke out, Private Duckering made up his mind to go some time before he actually enlisted, and having completed his preparations and made final arrangements, it was not long before he went into camp.
His mother received a letter from deceased only last week, and he stated that he had been in the front trenches for a considerable time, and had been picked out to have a spell in one of the rest camps. It was on his return to the trenches after this rest that he was killed. Much sympathy is expressed for the relatives of the deceased soldier. The flag at the town hall was at half-mast as a token of respect to his memory.

Telegraph. Australian Imperial Forces, 110 Greyhound Road, Hammersmith, London, W6, Inventory of effects of The late no. 6141 Pte Duckering.B. 3rd Batt A.I.F.. Forwarded to Mother Mrs Mary E Harris, South Lead, Forbes, New South Wales, Effects: Ex 3rd Echelon. France 27.12.17 (7972), Purse, coins, diary, razor strop, brush, letter, chain & keys, whistle scissors, fountain pen, French booket. Euripides 26309. See copy on file

Letter written by Miss C Harris, 260 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield, 24 March 1918.
Dear Sir, I am writing to you to ask you do you know anything of my brother Pte B Duckering 6141 3rd battn private belongings. He was killed in action on the 22nd October and when I called at Victoria Barrack I was told to write to you. My brother enlisted at Forbes when we used to reside, but have since moved to Ashfield. If you hear of anything or could tell me how I could get them I would be very pleased. Will you let me know as soon as possible. And obliged Miss C Harris 260 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield. See copy on file

Mrs E Harris advised effects available to collect 24 May 1918 - see copy on file

Receipt of B Duckering’s effects 1 package signed for at Victoria Bararcks, Melbourne, Victoria 8th June 1918, Mrs E Harris. See copy on file