More on the Williams Brothers' Album

I have lately been given access to a small collection of photos owned by 4755 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.

Charles Watson, 12 Field Ambulance Brigade

Back to the Williams' brothers photograph album, featuring men of the 6th and 12 Field Ambulance Brigades in France and Belgium in 1916 and 1917.   One of the men identified was Charles Watson, who is most likely to be 3380 Lance Corporal Charles Edward Watson, a dental assistant from Carlton who embarked with the 6th Field Ambulance on the Ajana in June 1915 and later transferred to the 12th Field Ambulance, as did Gordon Williams.

In this photo Charlie Watson is identified seated third from the left.

In this photo Charlie Watson is identified sitting first on the left.

Other photos which seem to feature photos of this man are:

The man on the left.

 The stretcher bearer on the right.

 As Charlie always seems to have a smile on his face, that might be him second from the left.

And for the same reason, the smiling face in the back row on the left may be Charlie.

 Possibly Charles Watson again in a winter fur.

Any comments on these identifications is welcome.

The man standing in the doorway was identified on the back as W Keating.  On the same embarkation roll page for Gordon Williams was a Walter Birmingham Keating, a 19 year old clerk from East St Kilda

In a different album, but also featuring the 6th Field Ambulance is another photo which shows "Wally" standing on the left at the side of the Ajana on her departure from Port Melbourne in 1915.  The identity of "Scottie" is difficult to discover, but I wonder if he is the corporal on the left in the photo below, which has Harold Williams on the far right?  The photo below is during the period that Harold served with the 12th Field Ambulance, during 1917.

Williams Bros, Frank Smiley and Maurice Eaton, 1917

"FOUR TERRIBLE ZAMBAKS
Frank Smiley, Sgt Eaton, Gordon & I
To dear Stan
with love from Harold. France 14/6/17".

 Gordon and Harold Williams of the 12th Field Ambulance having their portrait taken with Sergeant Eaton and Frank Smiley.  So from left to right, we see:

Harold Williams, Sergeant Maurice Eaton, Frank Smiley, and Sergeant Gordon Williams.

A snap below, taken in France on 8 May 1917, though with a different date, is in the album and again places the Williams' brothers at the same time and place as Maurice Eaton and Frank Smiley, who were serving at this date in the 4th Pioneer Battalion and the 4th Divisional Artillery Corps, respectively. They were possibly serving in the same sector of the line.  Reference to the Unit War Diaries for this date may clarify that.  

"Zambaks" seems possibly a play on words that refers to "Zam-Buk", a cure-all salve that came on the market about 1903, and was still being advertised in the papers right round Australia in the 1950s.

 From the Snowy River Mail in 1917


"Zam-Bak is the ideal healer, and at the present time, when there is a great shortage of doctors, it it real patriotism for every housewife and every worker to keep a pot of Zam-Buk handy for   the prompt self-treatment of any sud den wound or sore. This splendid herbal balm is un equalled, not only for cuts, bruises, burns, scalds, sprains, etc., but also for obstinate diseases like eczema, ringworm, ulcers, piles, etc. Of all chemists and stores at 1/6 and 3/16 per pot."

 Many parcels from home probably contained a post of Zam-buk, which was ferociously applied to itchy feet and other regions.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that Maurice Eaton looks like former Treasurer Peter Costello?

12th Field Ambulance in France, 1917

The caption on the back of this photo reads "Arrived 20/9/17".   The Unit War Diary says that on 19th September the Unit moved to BAVINGHOVE, and then by bus to Le Nieppe.  On the 20th it says that "3 Motor Ambulances with 9 O.R. (other ranks) detached to 20 M.A.C..  Motor cyclist detached to 1st Aug Div.  1 O.R, evacuated sick."   Reference to Harold Williams' B2455 shows that it was him that was evacuated, with what was later reported as scabies.  Harold is in the above photo second from the right.

The date on the back of the photo doesn't accord with the unit diary, which says they arrived on the 19th, unless they are the nine detached to 20 M.A.C,, except that there are 10 of them in the above photo not nine.  Unless they didn't count Harold who was evacuated.

On the whole they looked none too pleased about their change of accommodation, though Harold looks his usual chirpy self, despite being on the verge of being sent off with scabies.

Can anyone identify someone in this photo?

6th Field Ambulance in Egypt, 1915

3355 George Gordon Williams is standing on the right in the photo above,  but who is on the left?  He is wearing a nice watch.

"Tent Group outside waggons at Oasis".

"Tent pitching Showing Heliopolis.  Col Hardie, Capt Johnson, Cpl Reid, Pvte Inglis & myself."

"Myself" is Gordon Williams, whose regimental number was 3355.  Pte Inglis was No 3410 Thomas Inglis, a station hand from Orange, NSW.  You won't recognise him from the back view, but perhaps he is in one of the other photos in this post.

6th or 12th Field Ambulance crew

Based on the fact that Gordon Williams seems to have usually had his photo taken with a pipe between his teeth, I am speculating that the man on the left is Gordon Williams.

Again, if anyone can help with identifications, I'd be pleased to hear from you.

Unknown stretcher-bearer No 1

These photos seem to represent the same man.  He appears wearing a pith helmet in the Middle East, which means he would have embarked with the 6th Field Ambulance there, and later moved to France/Belgium.  He might have moved on to the 12th Field Ambulance, but this isn't clear.  In the bottom photo he is wearing a German helmet and greatcoat.


He is standing on the left in the photo below.


Can anyone identify him?

Stretcherbearers, 6th or 12th Field Ambulance

These photos are details from photos that I have enlarged to try and capture the faces. 

What the well-dressed stretcher bearer is wearing

I have been very fortunate in having been given access to a photograph album, courtesy of Robin Benjamin, which had been sent home in 1917 by brothers George Gordon Williams and Harold James Williams, at that time serving with 12 Field Ambulance. 

Gordon Williams embarked with the 6 Field Ambulance on the Ajana on 4 June 1915, and his brother Harold with the 23 Infantry Battalion.  Gordon transferred to 12 Field Ambulance on 27 October 1916, and Harold joined him there a few weeks later on 13 December 1916.  

The photos are small snaps of low resolution, but I would like to try and identify some of the men who worked with Gordon and Harold by putting them in the next few posts. 

Harold Williams on the left, and Gordon Williams on the right, at this point they are serving with 12 Field Ambulance.

Some of the photos have inscriptions on the back, but most do not.  None of the photos are of the 23 Inf Bn. 

Stretcher bearer rescues own brother

Stretcher bearers placing a patient on a stretcher near Ypres, 1918.  AWM Collection

"Mr. J. Markham, Bacchus Marsh, has just been informed that his brother, Andrew, who was previously reported missing, and later on a Prisoner of War, was killed in Action on 11th April last. The detail supplied by the Red Cross Bureau show that the lost soldier was wounded, and rescued by his own brother (Corporal. Steven A. Markham, who was a stretcher bearer) and placed in safety in a dug-out, which was afterwards retaken by the Germans, and it is here that the confusion arose about him being a Prisoner of War. Corporal S. A. Markham (the stretcher bearer previously referred to) won the Military Medal at Gallipoli, and the Distinguished Conduct Medal at Bullecourt, for his exceptional bravery in recovering wounded men; but his brilliant career was brought to an end at the battle of Messines. Letters recently received from his superior officers speak in the very highest terms of praise of his conduct and general regret at his death. Two other brothers of this family are still in the ranks".

THE EMPIRE'S CALL. (1917, December 1). The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved January 10, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74227187

Details of the three Markham brothers who served in the AIF can be found here.

Pte George Joseph O'Neill, awarded Croix de Guerre

George O'Neill enlisted in the 4th Field Ambulance Corps, and served from 1915 until the end of the war in Lemnos, dealing with the Gallipoli wounded, and later in France and Belgium.  While the citation for his Croix de Guerre has not yet come to light, Rod Martin describes the arduous and heroic service of a stretcher bearer in the front lines here.