12 Field Ambulance bearers, 1917

Walter Keating and Charles Watson embarked with 6 Field Ambulance in 1915.  Albert Inch embarked with 4  Field Ambulance in 1914.  "Self" is Harold Williams.

Charlie Watson was always smiling - the others look a little glum on this occasion - probably very tired.

The figure on the far left has not been named.

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. 

Lt Newall and the Henley Peace Regatta

The AIF No 2 crew, 1919.  Photo:  History of Australian Rowing

Seated in the front row, second from the left, is Lieutenant Harold Robert Newall of Ascot Vale, who was selected to represent the AIF at the Henley Peace Regatta in 1919.   Newall rowed in the stroke position, as he had earlier done for the Essendon Rowing Club.     The No 2 crew were unlucky to drop out of the event early when they were drawn to row in the first heat with the stronger AIF No 1 crew, which went on to win the King's Cup.  This Cup is still competed for today at the Australian National Rowing Championships as the Inter-state Trophy.  See the History of Australian Rowing website for the full story of the Cup and the Peace Regatta.

Pte Valentine Legg embarks, 1916

Members of 3 Reinforcements/58 Battalion on the dock before boarding

HMAT Ajana, 8 July 1916

Private Valentine Legg was amongst the reinforcements of 58 Inf Bn which boarded the Ajana on 8 July 1916 en route for the war in France.  In March 1917 Valentine received a head wound from a fragment of high explosive shell. Rod Martin tells his story.

Diary of a native of Flemington

Facsimile of Allen Allsop's diary on the FromThePage website

A transcription project from FromThePage includes the war diary of a young man from Mosman, NSW, Wilfred John Allan Allsop, who served with the 8th Field Ambulance.  Allan, as he was known, was born in Flemington, Victoria and the front pages of his diaries include addresses for friends and relatives in Kensington and Essendon.   If you like this kind of work, you might like to volunteer to transcribe this or other handwritten works.  There are a number of transcription projects being organised in Mosman.

Orry Farrant and the 107 Howitzer Battery

A 4.5 inch howitzer at Ravine Wood, near Ploegsteert.  AWM Collection.  Orry Farrant is not pictured.

In 1916, 18 year old Orry Farrant changed his desk at a livestock auctioneer's office for a 4.5 Howitzer in the 7th Field Artillery Brigade.  The enemy, of course, was always attempting to  knock out the batteries which did them so much damage, and Orry fell in just such an attack. Read Rod Martin's description of the work of Howitzer Batteries, and Orry's end here.

Buried at sea

Aquitania steaming through Mudros Harbour.

Deaths on Service
BAKER. - On the 29th November, on hospital ship
"Aquitania," of exhaustion, Douglas Gibbs, 6th Bty.,
2nd F.A.B., younger son of J. A. Baker, 19 Brighton
road, St. Kilda. In firing-line since April without rest.
(Inserted by his sisters.)
The Argus 18 Dec 1915
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1586588

Rod Martin gives an account of the actions in which Driver Douglas Gibbs Baker was involved on the Gallipoli Peninsula, and which led to his evacuation and ultimate death. Baker had been born in Ascot Vale, and attended the Ascot Vale State School, and is commemorated on their honour board.