Life in Egypt, and other places, with the AIF

Unknown Album, circa 1914-1918. Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria Collection.

The photo above was contained on page 42 of  a photograph album by a mystery photographer who took his camera with him when he enlisted. The photographs are not necessarily in chronological order.  They depict life in Egypt, Lemnos, and Gallipoli and Broadmeadows. The SLV catalogue entry describes the album thus:

Album, containing annotated photographs depicting scenes in Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos and Malta. No indication of the compiler's or photographer's name is given. Photographs include men in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 14th Battalions; the 7th and 8th Battalions leaving Mena for Ismailia (1915); the crossing of the Panama Canal on the transport Jaika (Dec. 1918); troops on the Minnewaska en route for Gallipoli and on the Osmanick at Gallipoli; the terrain, and men in the trenches.

There is no provenance given with the album, and the best guess from me is that the soldier served originally with 14 Battalion in A Company and later moved to 8 Battalion, and probably as a cook.  Not all photos are captioned, but some of the groups that are mention that they are cooks.  

I checked all the names mentioned in the album against my database of men from Essendon and Flemington, and the only one I found was Herbert Troy Swindells, whom I thought was probably the Bert Swindles mentioned in the caption above.  He had been a trained baker when he enlisted.   His service record doesn't indicate whether he served as a cook in 8 Battalion, but it is possible he did.  The only other man I could identify in the photo is "Bert Glangell", whom I think was
William Henry Herbert Gangell who also served in 8 Battalion and who was also a baker when he enlisted.  

It is not entirely clear when the photo was taken - it appears on a page where other photos were taken at Broadmeadows, Zeitoun and Mena, but given the sand underfoot, probably it was taken in Egypt.  8 Battalion had two periods in Egypt, in 1915 before the landing at Gallipoli, and in 1916 after the evacuation, so it is not entirely clear when it was taken.

It is an interesting album to browse through, showing ordinary aspects of camp life, such as in the image below:

"Fight.  Mena."

Out of the Firing Line ......

Albert 'Berty' Olley, a butcher from Ascot Vale, was one of thousands who answered the call in July 1915.  Rod Martin recounts Berty's part in the conflict - out of the Firing Line and into the Fire.

Is this photo of the 3rd reinforcements, 14th Infantry Battalion?

Thought to be the 3rd Reinforcments of the 14th Battalion, courtesy of Jenny Fawcett.

 The above photo was recently the subject of a blog post by Jenny Fawcett, who hopes to identify the unit involved with the help of descendants of the men in the photo.  She believes it is the 3rd Reinforcements of the 14th Infantry Battalion.  You can see her original post on her blogpost Mystery WW1 Photo: 3rd Reinforcement 14th Battalion AIF? together with a transcription of their Embarkation Roll

I was interested to note that the Embarkation Roll included two local men included in my database: Gladwyn Garnett of Ascot Vale and William Kelly of Essendon.

Unit unknown, courtesy of Christine Laskowski.

I was also interested to note the similar background to the photo  of another one I have been given with a view to identifying the group.  I haven't started on it, but it would be useful to identify the location the photo was taken, so if anyone knows or has seen something similar, both Jenny and I would be very interested to know of it.

To see a larger image, Right Click and then select View Image, then click again.

Roy Easton writes from Egypt

Pte Roy Easton died of wounds after a trench raid in 1916.  The originals and copies of  his letters to his family in 1915 and 1916 were lodged in the Australian War Memorial, and copies kindly provided by Lynn Haines and added to Easton's webpage.

Now listen while I tell you this, we have had a nice little stroll across the desert from our last camp, a distance of perhaps ? miles, I am not quite sure but think that's about correct, we left Sunday morning at 6 o'clock and had a pretty good morning of it, had a good spell for dinner which consisted of bully beef and biscs. and proceeded, put up for the night at ----, very pretty little hamlet (I don't think) the next morning up again at 4 o'clock and proceeded with the business till dinner time, had another spell and again imshied, which is, being interpreted "moved on", until the shades of evening, when we put up for the night on the grassless paddock at ----, and on the morning of the third day we again imshied on our way with the usual rests, quavers, and semi quavers, and by the evening thereof we were here, do you happen to know of any of the stopping places mentioned?  Anyway,  or anyhow, whichever way you like it we had a fairly long walk carrying a fairly heavy bundle over fairly heavy sand and fairly and truly we were fairly tired out and absolutely pleased with the job was done and over, am just beginning to feel fit again now, yrs truly is beginning to get Egyptitis, that is to say, is always very pleased to hear that there is to be a move to some other part, and up to the present we have been fortunate as we have had a bit of a peripatetic holiday, but fair dink will not be sorry to see green fields and rabbits again.

A bit of a lad

SS Makarini at Port Melbourne, 1915, with troops abord.  AWM PB0537.

In his latest story Rod Martin describes Private George Roy Lancaster as 'a bit of a lad'. Dogged by ill-health, including a bout of mumps, George added to his travails by going absent without leave after completing leave in London and attracting some severe punishment.  By 1918 he was involved in some very heavy fighting with the 14th Infantry Battalion.

The Captain and his war bride

Reg Jones of Shaftesbury St, Essendon left Australia with the AIF as a Corporal with the 14 Inf Bn, and returned home as a Captain with a pretty bride he met while convalescing in England.  Kathleen Norah Kenney was a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) worker during the war.    The photo below shows Kitty in her uniform and engagement ring.

The couple married in England on New Year's Eve, 1917.

These photos and other photos and letters can be found on the Empire Called website,  courtesy of Brenda Noonan, granddaughter of Reginald Jones.    You can see more letters and photos here.

Captain Reginald Walter Jones, 14th Battalion

Captain Reginald Walter Jones of the 14th Infantry Battalion was an electrician from Essendon.  The History of the 14th Infantry Battalion, AIF says:

"An Original, he enlisted as a private, but his ability soon brought him to the front. A deadly rifle shot, he did much effective sniping on the Peninsula.  He had been wounded several times,but it never altered his outlook on life. He was noted for his daring in a Brigade of brave men, but his daring was always controlled by intelligence. Much scouting and reconnaissance work must be placed to his credit during his long and honourable career with the Battalion".

Jones served with Albert Jacka VC throughout much of the war.  His two brothers, also in the 14th Battalion, were killed in action.  You can see details of Jones' career here.

Len McKay, groom from Moonee Ponds

Len McKay joined up in July 1915 and found himself in the fleshpots of Cairo before a more serious engagement in France with the 14th Infantry Battalion.    Read Rod Martin's story of Len's service here.

2nd Lieut Viv Garner, 14th Infantry Bn

 

Fellow officer Lieutenant Ted Rule remarked of Viv Garner that "the boys were closely attached to him" and that "he was not one to squib it; in fact, he was too much the other way".  Rod Martin tells the story of this popular young officer, who didn't "squib it", here.

14th Battalion Reinforcements in Egypt, 1916

No 2915 Private Ernest (Ern) Edward Warry is standing in the back row, fourth from the left.  Ern left Australia in September 1915 on the Hororata with the 9th Reinforcements of the 14th Infantry Battalion.   Working on the theory that recruits  tended to stay in the group with which they originally enlisted, I had a look at the Embarkation Nominal Roll (AWM) on which Ern appeared, to see if I could recognise any names, and in particular whether anyone in that group came from Kensington.  If you look carefully at the fellow on the far right of the middle row you will see that he inscribed "Kensington" on his hatband.  Sure enough, there was a young fellow from Kensington - a William Henry Webster, 19, a jeweller from Kensington.  This identification is not certain, but it is worth considering.  A name I actually did recognise was No 2911 Henry Leonard Wallis,  a young fellow from Moonee Ponds, photos of whom I have at my disposal.  I am confident that the young man seated in the middle row, second from the right, is Leonard Wallis.  If anyone has a relative in this Embarkation Nominal Roll, it is possible that they may be in this photo.  Please get in touch if you can identify anyone.  Needless to say, most of them are not local to Essendon and Flemington, but from right round Victoria.

Brothers in Arms, Zeitoun February 1916

 

Bert Manderson (front left) of the 6th Infantry Battalion, and his brother Ernie Manderson (front right) of the 14th Infantry Battalion, photographed with their pals in Zeitoun in February 1916.  It is thought that their cousin Arthur Soutter, 14th Bn, is in the photo, possibly at the back on the left.  The fellow behind Ernie on the right appears to be wearing a 14th Bn colour patch.  Can anyone identify the others in this photo?

This detail shows Bert Manderson with 'ESSENDON' written on the puggaree around his hat.  It is not properly discernable in this image, but can be seen on the original.