Ancestor Details
Ancestor's Name: Richard Preston
Ancestor's date of birth: 1881 (from WW1 enlistment)
Ancestor's date of death: 25/04/1915
Cause of Death: Killed at Gallipoli 25 April 1915 [Re: AWM Preston R. Regimental. No.1065.]
Service Number: 1564
Colony or State of enlistment: VIC, Place of Enlistment: Kerang
Unit: 5th Victorian Mounted Rifles
Rank attained in Boer War: PTE, Date Effective: pre 1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): PTE, Date Effective: 1914
Murray Page: 299
Contingent: Fifth Victorian
Ship: Travelled privately to South Africa
Memorial details: Artillery Road plot 16, Shell Green Cemetery. Gallipoli, Turkey. Australian War Memorial, Canberra, VMR Memorial, Melbourne.
Shell Green Cemetery. Gallipoli, Turkey and Richard Preston's grave marker
Awards/Decorations: Queen and King's south Africa Medals with 6 clasps. 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Personal Characteristics: Richard Preston, according to AWM Documents, sold everthing he had to enable him to pay his passage to SOUTH AFRICA for Queen and country. Had previously seen service in the Kerang Mounted Rifles. Height 179 cm, weight 79 kg (1914), of dark complexion with brown eyes and black hair.
Reasons to go and fight: To serve country
Details of service in war: March 1901 - March 1902 in east Transvaal and Natal frontier, including defeat at Wilmansrust where 18 killed and 42 wounded (12 June 1901), and successful intervention at Onverwacht (4 January 1902); heaviest casualties of any Australian contingent, at Wilmansrust suffered the costliest defeat. According to the AWM documents he was wounded twice, serving 72 days.
Service and life after the Boer War: Married Rachel, lived at Glenalbyn, Victoria, had no children (had a stepson George, and stepdaughter Daisy), worked as a labourer. Joined AIF 11 September 1914 [Reg. No 1065] 8th Battalion KIA 25th April 1915 at Gallipoli.
Seven of his brothers served with him in the great war:
2750 Pte PRESTON Samuel John 47 Bn 4.7.16 RTA 25/8/17
4663 L/Cpl PRESTON James Wood 58 Bn 8.7.15 K.I.A. 22/11/16
3105 Pte PRESTON Leslie 33 Bn 10.1.17 RTA 28/10/18
6989 Dvr PRESTON Lawrence Woodley 4 FAB 2.8.15 RTA 25/3/19
6569 Pte PRESTON Louis Henry 10 Bn 14.8.16 RTA 11/12/18
2930 Pte PRESTON Michael John 25t Bn RTA 13/2/17
63782 Gnr PRESTON Norman Richard 4 DAC 4.8.16 RTA 12/7/19
5092 Pte PRESTON Oscar Blanchard 29 Bn 6.9.17 RTA 13/12/18
2463 Pte PRESTON Oscar Cyril 2 MG Bn 18.7.15 RTA 22/7/19
4161 Tpr PRESTON Osman Robert 12 LH 30.8.17 RTA 20/7/19
231 Sgt PRESTON Percy 8 MG Sect. 20.7.15 RTA 5/4/18
7048 Pte PRESTON Percy 11 Bn 7.9.16 RTA 1/5/19
2819 Pte PRESTON Percy Leopold 15 Bn 28..7.15 RTA 24.6.16
Lt PRESTON Raymond 28 Bn RTA 30.6.18
1065 Pte PRESTON Richard 8 Btn 11.9 14 K.I.A. 25/26/4/15.
Descendant Details
Name of Descendant: Denis Patrick Connelly, Salter Point, WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Nephew [mothers side nee. Preston]Name of Descendant: Richard Connelly, Perth WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Great NephewWilliam John Preston, Bicton WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Great NephewDr Raymond George Preston, Nedlands WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Great Nephew
