The interesting India Relief of Chitral 1895, and South Africa Boer War Relief of Kimberley and Battle of Paardeberg group to a subsequent Australian Imperial Force Gallipoli Casualty, as awarded to Private R.H. Ormsby, 1st Battalion, later 2nd Battalion, East Kent Regiment – the Buffs. From Chatham, Kent, he originally saw service in India when he took part in the operations to relieve Chitral as part of the Chitral Relief Force during 1895, and subsequently saw service in South Africa during the Boer War. By the outbreak of the Great War he was working on a ranch out in Australia in New South Wales, and choose to return to uniform. As a Private with the 13th Battalion, a under of Colonel Monash's 4th Australian Infantry Brigade, he waded ashore at ANZAC Cove on 25 April 1915, the first day. Officially he is listed as missing and killed in action on 26 April 1915, but witness statements indicate that he was most probably killed in action on 2 May 1915 during an attack up Shrapnel Gully.
Group of 3: India General Service Medal 1895-1902, 1 Clasp: Relief of Chitral 1895; (3460 Lce Corpl. R.H. Ormsby, 1st Bn, East Kent Regt.) Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 4 Clasps: Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal; (3460 PTE. R. ORMSBY. E. KENT. REGT.) King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902, 2 Clasps: South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; (3460 PTE. R. ORMSBY. E. KENT. REGT.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Robert Henry Ormsby was born in Chatham, Kent, and originally saw service as a Lance Corporal (No. 3460) with the 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment – the Buffs. Present out in India, he took part in the operations to relieve Chitral as part of the Chitral Relief Force which lasted from 7 March to 15 August 1895. Ormsby subsequently saw service as a Private with the 2nd Battalion, East Kent Regiment, on action service out in South Africa during the Boer War, when present on operations at the Relief of Kimberley on 15 February 1900, and in action at Paardeberg on 17 to 26 February 1900, and at Driefontein on 10 March 1900, as well as on operations in the Transvaal.
By the outbreak of the Great War, Ormsby was in Australia and working as a staton hand on either a sheep or cattle farm. He was then 41 years old, but nevertheless enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force at Liverpool, New South Wales on 7 January 1915, and joined as a Private (No.1441) the 2nd Reinforcements to the 13th Battalion, a unit of the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade, and was then sent to Egypt in February 1915. As such Ormsby landed at Gallipoli, as a member of ‘A’ Company, 13th Battalion. Tbattalion went ashore at ANZAC Cove on 25 April 1915. They landed late on in the day, as part of the Brigade commanded by Colonel John Monash.
The following day, 26 April 1915, Ormsby was allegedly killed in action, and is officially listed as having been killed on this day. This is however, according to witness statements found in his service records, an error, and his actual date of death should be shown as 2 May 1915.
A statement dated 2 June 1915 and made by Private (No.1352) A.R. Hall would record that: ‘On Sunday May 2nd Ormsby was in the same party as information which went up and dug in on the top of a hill in front of Pope’s Hill. On the Monday they were forced to retire leaving their dead only in the trenches and Ormsby must have been amongst these. Men who would have seen him dead would not know his name as being a 2nd reinforcements man he would be unknown to most of the other men of the party. This may account for his death having not been reported.’ Another, a Private (No.1435) A. Hollingsworth would be detailed as saying: ‘Witness says that Ormsby was a tent mate of his at Liverpool, N.S.W., and they came over together in the same ship. On the night of 2.5.15 he saw Ormsby preparing for an attack up Shrapnel Gully, after the attack witness made inquiries about Ormsby, and was told he had failed to report. He has not seen or heard of him since.’
Ormsby’s death still remains a mystery, and he remains officially listed as having been killed in action on 26 April 1915, despite the conflicting accounts of witnesses which strongly indicate that he wa in fact killed in action on 2 May 1915 during an attack up Shrapnel Gully. Having no known grave, he is commemorated by name on the Lone Pine Memorial.
