Name: Augustesen, Jens Neilsen
Known as: –
Date of Birth: 1864
Place of Birth: Denmark
Date of Death: 17 February 1940
Place of Death: –
Buried: Toowong Cemetery, Brisbane
Rank & Details: Petty Officer
Additional information:
The following information has been provided by Jens’ great grandson Ken Smith.
My great grandfather, Jens Neilsen AUGUSTESEN was born in Denmark in 1864 & arrived in Australia on 9th Jul 1882 as a crewman on board the ‘Kolga’. The ‘Kolga’ brought 3000 barrels of cement from Norway. He apparently disembarked in Sydney and made his way to Brisbane where he married in 1888.
I am not sure when Jens enlisted in the Queensland Naval Brigade / Naval Reserve however his obituary published after his death on 17th Feb 1940 says ….
“…at the time of the Russian war scare in the “eighties” served with the Naval Brigade at
Thursday Island, and during the Great War in the Naval Reserve here as chief petty officer.”
(“here” meaning Brisbane)
29 Aug 1887 He is mentioned as having won a prize for rifle shooting.
12 Aug 1895 He is mentioned in an article as having been on a boat party in a race conducted during a visit by the Qld Governor.
An extract of the announcement of Long Service Medals is as follows:
FOR LONG SERVICE.
MEDALS FOR QUEENSLANDERS
Melbourne, Saturday.
The following members of the Queensland Naval Reserve have been awarded long service medals: – Chief Petty Officer Peters, Petty Officer Augustesen, Petty Officer Cuthbert, Petty Officer P. Pederson, Petty Officer Williams, Leading Seaman Bevan, Able Seamen Warwick, McVey, Green, Roberts, Fielder, Howes, W. Grimsey and Stokers Thompson and Gill.
(Daily Standard Brisbane. 10 Jan 1914)
An extract of the presentation of the medals (where his name is wrongly spelt) is as follows:
Commander Weatherill said that the men who were receiving such an honour were all old, worthy, and trusted hands. He congratulated them heartily. The following are the names of the men who were decorated :-Petty Officers C. Williams. C. Cuthbert, and J. Augustensen, Chief Petty Officer R. Peters, Leading Seaman J. H. Bevan, T. C. Roberts, A.B., G. Warwick, A.B., W. S. R. Erimsel, A.B, J. M. McVey, A.B., G. Fielder, A.B., J. Thompson (stoker), and G. Howes, A.B.
(The Brisbane Courier, 15 June 1914)
Living at Paddington in Brisbane Jens would have have served on either one or both Paluma and Gayundah.
From the National Archives I found that he served in the Royal Australian Naval Brigade ‘Naval Guard Section’ from 2 Mar 1918. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer on 16 May 1918 and discharged 27 Dec 1918. I gather this force was raised to protect shipping returning to Australia after WW1. I have a letter from Medals Section in Canberra advising that he had been awarded the British War Medal and I’m sure it was for this latter service.
I have a picture of Jens in Naval uniform. He is shown with a single ribbon bar indicating the pic was taken between 1914 and 1920.
He passed away 17 Feb 1940 and is buried at Toowong Cemetery along with his wife of 52 years and two sons (one an infant and the other who served in WW2).