A real piece of history

[Buccaneer]

After exhausting my google fu I have found out that 2582 Trooper RH Shirley didn't have a long visit to South Africa.

He embarked in Sydney on March 15 1901 as a re enforcement, posted to the 3rd New South Wales Imperial Bushmen when that unit was raised on May 4 1901 and was repatriated home February 6 1902.

The bit that has me confused is from what I can gather is they embarked without arms and yet "MARCH 1901" is carved into the LH side of the butt of the rifle.

Taking into account time taken to sail from Sydney to South Africa, it is unlikely he was issued his rifle in March.

I think you might have found our man, as I said in my opening post the two sides appear to had been done by two separate people so it is quite possible that Trooper 2582 RH Shirley was given this rifle when he arrived in South Africa when it had already been inscribed with March 1901 before he got it. Of course there is no guarantee that the rifle left South Africa when he did so the damage caused to it could had occurred when not in his possession.
Looking at the damage and where it has occurred if some was actually holding the rifle when it was hit I doubt if they could have survived especially if it was being held in the shoulder.