A Sportsmen's Thousand recruit

Artist Will Dyson: 22^nd Battalion men awaiting relief, near

Ville sur Ancre, 1918. (AWM ART 19603)

Benjamin Phillip James, a 40 year old labourer, was inspired to enlist in the Sportsman's Thousand in July 1917.    Rod Martin has taken up his pen again to relate the story of Private James from Broadmeadows to France.  Read Private James' story here.

The Rossi brothers do their bit

Gunner Les Rossi, back row, far left, trained in Swanage, England with reinforcements of 3rd Divisional Ammunition Column.  They embarked for France on 10 Feb 1917,  where Les was subsequently transferred to the 4th Divisional Ammunition Column.  Please get in touch if you recognise any of the men in the above photo.

Standing on the left is Les Rossi's brother, who enlisted as Francis Ross.  Frank embarked with the 18th Reinforcements of the 23 Infantry Battalion.  This photo was taken in Melbourne prior to embarkation, but his comrade is unknown. Photos courtesy of Bron Rossi.

Les and Frank both returned to Australia. 

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.

The Lost Grave of Robert Thomson Barbour

Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery, Authuille.  Source:  Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

In view of the fact that 100 years after the Great War that bodies of soldiers are still being identified and buried with a stone bearing their names, it should not be surprising that it might take fifteen years for the body of Private Robert Thomson Barbour to be located on the battlefields of France.   And while in present times it is a relief to members of families  of lost soldiers to be located and reburied, for families at the time it was an agony not to know the last resting place of their husbands and sons, as evidenced by the persistent inquiries made by members of Robert Barbour's family during those fifteen years.

Rod Martin tells the story of Robert Barbour's short months on the battlefield, and how he was buried, lost, and found again.

Lost Digger - Jack of the 20th Battalion - Updated

 Photo courtesy of Isabelle Godard, Vignacourt.

"Jack" on the left of the picture, had this photo taken in Montigny-le-Tilleul (Belgium) in 1919 and sent it to a French family in Vignacourt with his first name and his Battalion - the 20th - written on the back.  The family have kept that photo for all these years, and now would like to identify him.  Their enquiry ended up with The Lost Diggers volunteers to attempt to identify him.    

Volunteers Alison McCallum, Tim Lycett and Sandra Playle have identified the clues in the photo - his appearance fair, light coloured eyes, average stature, probably aged in his early thirties, late twenties  WW1 uniform, three overseas service chevrons on his right sleeve, and a wedding ring on his left hand.

After detailed research, Alison says "Jack had posted the photo to Vignacourt (Somme, France) from Montigny-le-Tilleul (Belgium) where he was stationed with 20th Battalion. Based on a search of the 20th Battalion War Diaries and the Quota lists and staff movement lists for 20th Battalion found in the diaries for 6 Feb - 30 April 1919, locating men with J as an initial, I started with a list of 90 surnames and initials. That was then narrowed down to any with Jack or John as given names. Finally further refined list working from clues in the photo, cross-checking with Embarkation Rolls, and Service Files and narrowed it to one soldier as a POSSIBLE."

I haven't included all of Alison's research here, but John Howarth Blythe served with a number of battalions, the 24th, 23rd, 17th, 19th, and in 1919 the 20th Battalion. 

Alison believes the soldier may be John Howarth BLYTHE of 27 Parsons St, Kensington who enlisted in 1916.  We would be very glad to hear from anyone who believes they can identify the man in the photo above, or confirm or otherwise his possible identification with Private 4622 J H Howarth.  PLEASE PHONE Alison McCallum  0400 063 718 OR E-MAIL mccallumalison8@gmail.com