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Pte Cyril Iles, lost at Pozieres, 1916

May 20, 2015, 11:05 pm
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When General Gough congratulated the men of the 2nd Australian Division, saying they had  'inflicted a severe defeat on the enemy and secured us most valuable ground,' he wasn't thinking of the 6,846 casualties which were the cost.  The victory was severe on the 23 Infantry Battalion which had  participated in the battle.  Cyril Isles, a law clerk of Windsor was just one of the men who disappeared in the bombardment, never to be seen again.  His name was recorded on the Kensington Methodist Church Roll of Honour, and also included in the Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour.  There seems to be no obvious connection to the local area, but he was perhaps boarding locally and gave his parents' names on his attestation form.   

Rod Martin tells Cyril Isles' story, which you can read here.
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War diaries of Will Lycett of Flemington

May 26, 2015, 3:44 pm
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Today the Moonee Valley Leader began serialising the war diaries of a Flemington boiler-maker, Will Lycett, who embarked with the 4th Field Ambulance Brigade on 22 December 1914.  Will kept his diaries for the four years of the war, returning to Australia in December 1918.  Through the generosity of the Lycett family, journalist Tamara Heath introduces Will, his two brothers and his father, of Railway Place, Flemington all of whom enlisted. 

From Moonee Valley Leader, 27 May 2015. Pages 8 - 9
I cant seem to directly link to the article, but you can search for it here by the date, 27 May 2015.


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Missing at Moquet Farm, 1916 - Private William Young

May 30, 2015, 3:03 pm
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Mouquet Farm, December 1916.  The Germans were entrenched in a catacomb-like
system of tunnels under the farm.   (AWM E00564)
Young William Young was only eighteen and a half years old when he enlisted  along with the record  36 575 men who volunteered for the army in July 1915.  Rod Martin explores the brief life and unknown death of this young soldier.
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Les Vosti and the 3rd Pioneer Band

May 30, 2015, 4:17 pm
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Les Vosti of Epsom Rd, Ascot Vale, is pictured on the far right of this detail of a photo of the Headquarters Company, 3rd Pioneer Battalion.  It was taken  during training at Salisbury Plains in 1916 prior to their embarkation to France.  You can find the whole band pictured at the bottom of this page about the 3rd Pioneer Battalion Band - and perhaps help with identifications if you can. 


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3rd Pioneer Battalion Headquarters Company, 1916

May 30, 2015, 7:44 pm
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A detail of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion, Headquarters Company photo taken at Salisbury Plain in 1916.  In theory, if your relative's name appears in this embarkation roll, they should be included in this photo.  There are a small number of identifications on the website, and any further identifications would be welcome.  Photo courtesy of Judith Williams.


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A Great War Reading List

June 1, 2015, 3:26 am
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A recent post on the Exploring Military History blog on "World War 1: selection of non-fiction books" which included a list of junior non-fiction, and a previous post on "World War 1 through children's fiction", I thought worth passing on. 

One of the books mentioned by Vicki on her blog was the one above, "And the Band Played On: how music lifted the Anzac spirit in the battlefields of the First World War" by Robert Holden.  This is a book I have read recently, and can also thoroughly recommend.

There is a booklist contained on the Empire Called and I Answered website, called "Sources", which covers all the material I have looked at for any mention of the local volunteers.   This list doesn't have as much current material as Vicki's list, but may suggest some less well-known material published a bit closer to the war which may be useful for research.

And just for fun, I keep a Pinterest group of covers of   WW1 Australian history books.
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Australian Nurses in World War 1

June 2, 2015, 3:38 am
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Sister Elizabeth Gertrude Fleming,  The Penleigh Magazine 1919, p.24. Circa 1896. 
Courtesy of Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School Archives.

Another tip from Vicki's blog Exploring Military History is contained in a post on Locating a World War 1 Nurse.    This article contained a reference to the website Australian Nurses in World War 1, which provides an annotated, and sometimes illustrated list, not only of Australian Army Nursing Service women, but also Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.

Another piece of good news is that the website has a search engine and you can search by place as well as name. 

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Pack up your troubles: Music and the Great War

June 6, 2015, 12:48 am
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Grainger Museum
24 April 2015 - 20 December 2015 
 
The Grainger Museum's contribution to the Centenary of ANZAC is the exhibition Pack up your troubles: Music and the Great War. With a focus on Australia, the exhibition explores the powerful and varied role of music and musicians during World War I and why music resonated so strongly across a broad spectrum of domestic, civic and military life.
On display are popular songs, printed as sheet music with striking covers, which chart the entire course of the war, from those first months through to Armistice and beyond. Other features of the exhibition include posters, artworks, photographs and musical instruments: those that went to war – or were made there.

The University of Melbourne's own collection items are complemented with loans from a number of public institutions notably the Australian War Memorial, the National Film and Sound Archive and the Performing Arts Museum, and generous private lenders.
For the first time at the Grainger Museum, iPods can be borrowed by visitors in order to hear music associated with items on display. Hear band music, songs and even Nellie Melba or Percy Grainger performing to raise money for the war effort. There is also a short silent movie of Australian archival footage from the National Film and Sound Archive which, with vivid immediacy, illustrates a rich diversity of musical experience from a century ago.

While preparing this exhibition, note was taken of the photos on the 3rd Pioneer Battalion Band page, and some of those photos may feature in the exhibition.

Thanks to Liz Pidgeon for the reminder!
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Soul of the Battalion: the role of brass bands in the Great War

June 6, 2015, 1:02 am
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An illustrated lecture by Jillian Durance

Grainger Museum, 28th Jun 2015 3:00pm
Royal Parade, near Gate 13
The University of Melbourne

Free admission. Please book ahead as numbers are limited
Contact the Grainger Museum at grainger@unimelb.edu.au or telephone 8344 5270.
  Using selected items in the Grainger Museum's current exhibition, Pack up your troubles: Music and the Great War, as well as items in Herbert Godber's own personal collection, Jillian Durance will explore the experiences of the battalion bandsmen, both at home in the training camps and overseas, on the battlefront and behind the lines. Through photographs, diary entries and memoir, Jillian will look at the origins of the bandsmen as well as their musical backgrounds. In particular, she will tell the story of her grandfather's role as a bandsman of the 21st Battalion. This lecture will touch on the lives of all those bandsmen who played to enliven the spirits of others, to provide solace to the wounded, to lend dignity to ceremonial occasions and to provide a vital cultural link between those fighting at the front and those waiting at home for their return.

Jillian is the author of the book Still Going Strong: the story of the Moyarra Honour Roll.
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Jim Anderson's wallet saves the day

June 6, 2015, 1:47 am
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 Jim Anderson's wallet, above, was crammed with his notebook, letters and photographs when it slowed the entry of a bomb fragment on its way to send him to oblivion.  The fragment passed through his folded up tunic, wallet and contents and still fractured Jim's jaw and cut a blood vessel, in July 1918. Evacuated to England, his recovery was long enough to prevent him re-entering the war, and he returned to Australia on Special Leave for 1914 men in December 1918.

”[Jim] received his wound whilst asleep early in the morning.  A bomb dropped from an aircraft exploded near his tent.  A piece of metal cut through his wallet which in his tunic pocket was acting as a pillow.  The wallet and contents– photos, cards, letters etc was nearly 2 inches thick and it was pierced right through slowing the metal,  stopping it in his neck. He stood up – had lost his hearing and put his hand to his neck to discover blood squirting  out.“

Jim carried a recent photo of his wife Elsie and daughter Margaret in his wallet - Elsie received a wound to the chest!

You can see more of the contents of Jim's wallet on the Empire Called website.  Jim served with 10 ASC and later 31 ASC, landing at Gallipoli, and later in France.

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ASC Football Team AIF England 1917-18

June 6, 2015, 7:23 pm
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This was another of the photos in Sgt James Anderson's wallet when he was wounded by a bomb fragment which went through the wallet first.  Jim is not in the photo, but he was in the ASC and may have known some of the players.  James served with both the 10th ASC and the 31st ASC in 1917.  Any identifications welcome.  The photo was taken by a photographer from Sutton Veny in the winter of 1917-18.  You can see a larger version of the photo on this page. 
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AIF stripes,chevrons, patches, badges etc

June 12, 2015, 1:03 am
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More on the Williams Brothers' Album

June 13, 2015, 8:00 pm
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I have lately been given access to a small collection of photos owned by 4755 owned by Private Patrick Heneberry O'Callaghan of the 12th Field Ambulance, with captions. Several of these were also found in the Williams Brothers Album which I loaded onto the Empire Called website some time ago.  Amongst the duplicated photos was this one:

The caption from Pte O'Callaghan reads:

"12 Field Ambulance Stretcher bearers carrying through Poziere wood, the one at the back was killed later carrying with me, we had only just changed ends.  Better born lucky than rich in France."

Trawling through the AWM collection for photos relating to the 12th Field Ambulance, I found the above photo, of which I have a different copy on the Empire Called website.  The AWM description reads in part: 

3219 Corporal George Lloyd MM (right) and two other unidentified stretcher bearers, one believed to be 3373 Private (Pte) Norman Henry Sadler MM (position unknown), of the 12th Field Ambulance carrying a wounded man.

It was recorded in 3373 Norman Henry Sadler's B2455 record that he had been killed on 28 August 1916. Reference to the Australian Red Cross Correspondence turned up a report of Sadler's death, and included a statement from Patrick O'Callaghan, confirming the caption on the photo:

12 Field Ambulance AIF
SADLER 3375 N E

Killed 20-8-16

Witness states that he was with Sadler when the latter was killed.  They were carrying a stretcher with patient on it.  A few yards before casualty happened, they changed ends.  States that a shell burst in front of them when crossing a sap about 100 yards from Pozieres Cemetery.  Piece of shell went through Sadler's helmet in front and came out at back of head.  He was unconscious.  Took him back to dressing station, where he died.  Did not regain consciousness.  Next morning SADLER was buried by witness and others at Casualty Coral by Protestant Minister.  There is a cross on grave with his name and name of unit on it.
Cert:  by: - O'Callaghan, P A 4755, 12 FA
3rd Aux Austr Hosp, Dartford.

Corporal George Lloyd 3219 was in charge of a party of four, which included O'Callaghan, Charlie Watson and Norman Sadler.

Lloyd's description of having dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair accords with the AWM caption that George Lloyd is the man on the right.  Sadler's description recorded fair complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. 

This helps greatly with dating and placing some of the photos, and identifying a couple more of the faces.

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Where is this WW1 tank?

June 21, 2015, 2:35 am
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There are those who would like to know where and when this tank was photographed.  The men having a good look around it are most likely from the 12th Field Ambulance Corps.  It is mostly likely in winter in early 1917.  The tank is No 746, and the crew is C17.  I have looked at the Unit War Diary of the 12th Field Ambulance and am none the wiser.  Does anyone know when there was a little bit of snow on the ground in France?  The 12th Field Ambulance seems to have been around Becordel, Bernafay, N. Flers, Decauville, Deauville, Longueval and  Mametz Wood in January 1917.  Does anyone have any further information about it?
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Where is this War Memorial?

June 21, 2015, 3:02 am
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Does anyone know the location of this war memorial - most likely in France, or possibly Belgium.  There is a member of the 12th Field Ambulance standing behind it.  The album in which it was included was sent home to Australia in 1917, so the photo was taken no later than that.
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Eric Herman at the Helouan Convalescent Hospital

July 2, 2015, 9:04 pm
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Pte Eric Herman and other convalescents, courtesy of Matt Freckelton.
Eric Herman, front left, at the Australian & New Zealand Convalescent Hospital, Helouan, Egypt, between 17 September 1915 and 16 Jan 1916.  Eric, 7th Infantry Battalion,  had received injuries to his leg and back at Gallipoli, and spent some time in Helouan recovering.    Get in touch if you can identify anyone else in this photo.

The AWM has a photo of convalescents at  Helouan which shows the same balustrading.
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The Spirits of Gallipoli: A Centenary of Anzacs

July 4, 2015, 4:26 pm
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All of us would be familiar with the heroic efforts of our brave Anzacs as they fought in the First World War at Gallipoli.

Yet, we do not have many records of the background or of the families of these brave men.  Probably many Australians were deprived of knowledge about their grandfathers, or their great uncles, and may not have had a photo of them.

Anyone who has visited Gallipoli cannot helped but be moved by the experience.  Kim Phillipscertainly found it a deeply moving experience when she first visited in the year 2000.

On returning home, she wanted to find out more about the campaign and the Anzacs that fought and died in it.   However, in her research, she couldn’t find out much at all about the men, and this frustrated her to the point where she decided to do something about it.   Thus, “The Spirits of Gallipoli project” was started.

For the past 15 years, Kim has devoted herself to finding out as much as possible about these men and in 2009 she led a team of self-funded enthusiasts to Gallipoli, where they photographed all the headstones, memorials and cemeteries which now form part of a large amount of information gathered by the project, available to those interested.

Kim Phillips will introduce you to her project, give you a brief history of the Gallipoli Campaign and take you on a tour of Gallipoli today.

Where:  Sam Merrifield Library, 762 Mount Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds
When:  Wednesday 29 July, 7.30 pm
Cost:  Free
Website:  http://www.spirits-of-gallipoli.com/
Bookings and enquiries:  lenore10@hotmail.com
Seating is limited, so please book using the above email. 

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Spirits of Gallipoli talk tonight by Kim Phillips

July 28, 2015, 8:35 pm
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Cape Helles Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula.
Hello folks, just a reminder that Kim Phillips will be at the Sam Merrifield Library  tonight at 7.30.  Come and hear some stories of young Australians who were lost at Gallipoli.  Join us for a cuppa afterwards.

Where:  Sam Merrifield Library, 762 Mount Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds
When:  Wednesday 29 July, 7.30 pm
Cost:  Free
Website:  http://www.spirits-of-gallipoli.com/
Bookings and enquiries:  lenore10@hotmail.com
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Eric Survives Lone Pine

July 31, 2015, 9:58 pm
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We met Private Eric Herman a little while ago, but now his grandson has provided the story of Eric's service with the AIF.  Buried before his time in a bomb blast at Lone Pine, Eric's next appointment to 4 Div Headquarters unit kept him a little further away from the front line, but not from the risk of shelling.  See Eric's story  on the Empire Called and I Answered website.




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Commemorating the Battles of Lone Pine and The Nek

August 6, 2015, 4:33 pm
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Corporal Harry Webb, DCM, a groom of Buckley St, Essendon, died at Lone Pine on 8 August.

The following men from Essendon and Flemington died at Gallipoli during the period 6 to 14 August during the August offensive.  Both the attacks at Lone Pine and The Nek were designed as diversions but ended very badly for Australian troops.  The 8th and 10th Light Horse took the brunt of casualties at The Nek. This list does not include those who died later of wounds in hospitals at Lemnos or Malta.

Kenneth McLennan of Waratah St, Ascot Vale died 6 August
Adrian Charles Bonnefin of Hudson St, Moonee Ponds died 7-14 August
Henry Murtagh of McConnell St, Kensington died 8-9 August
Samuel Arthur Roberts of Hudson St, Moonee Ponds died 7-12 August
Peter Robert Burns of The Parade, Ascot Vale died 8-9 August
Henry Cowell of McPherson St, Essendon died 7 August
Wallace Essay of Henry St, Kensington died 7 August
Gladwyn Garnett of Roseberry St, Ascot Vale died 8 August
Charles Frederick Johnson of Rankins Rd, Kensington died 7 August
Robert Kerr of Brewster St, Essendon died 7 August
William Lang of Union Rd, Ascot Vale died 7 August
Horace Gilchrist Lennox of Bowen St, Moonee Ponds died 7 August
John E Marshall, Balmoral St, Essendon died 7 August
John Eddy Phillips of Norwood Place, Flemington died 8 August
Charles Gordon Wood of Fletcher St, Essendon died 8-9 August
Harry Webb of Buckley St, Essendon died 9 August
Alexander John Robertson of Hutcheson St, Moonee Ponds died 6 August
Stanley Paul Vaughan of Mangalore St, Kensington died 8 August

You can find information about these men at the Empire Called website.
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