3rd Pioneer Battalion Headquarters Company, 1916

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.

Les Vosti and the 3rd Pioneer Band

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. 

Missing at Moquet Farm, 1916 - Private William Young

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.

War diaries of Will Lycett of Flemington

 

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.








UPDATE from Tim L.

"Page 8-9 in the Moonee Valley Leader 27/5/15.
You'll find it under 'Western Suburbs' in the 'Select Title' tab here: http://leader.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx"

FURTHER UPDATE FROM LENORE

The Lycett family were next-door-neighbours of the Stelling family in Railway Place until immediately before the war when the Stellings moved to Essendon.  

Pte Cyril Iles, lost at Pozieres, 1916

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 Iles, 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 Iles' story, which you can read here.

Pandora - Australia's Web Archive

The Empire Called and I Answered website was selected for preservation in the National Library of Australia Pandora Web Archive by the Australian War Memorial. This title is scheduled to be re-archived regularly. The archived website can be seen here.

 The Pandora Archive is an interesting place to browse for Australian websites, both defunct and current, and is sorted into subject areas, such as History.

Heritage Walk in Flemington and Kensington, Sunday 24 May 2015

Private Moss of Kensington who was the subject of a disagreement between two "Furious Females" which ended in court.

If you weren't able to attend the heritage walk held on 3 May, it will be repeated on Sunday 24 May at 2 pm.  Gold coin donation for the Inner West Branch of the National Trust.  Meet outside the Kensington Town Hall, Bellair St, Kensington.  When we return to the Town Hall, there will be an opportunity to inspect the Honour Boards inside the Hall.