Private John Yates - a short war

John Yates, a railway fireman of Moonee Ponds, enlisted on 1 September 1916 and embarked with 5 Infantry Bn one month later.  Rod Martin tells the unfortunate story of John Yates, who had a short war, killed by friendly fire.

Unknown Bandsman, 1916

The photo was taken in Melbourne, circa 1916.  Courtesy of Judith Williams.

This photo of an unknown soldier was included with some photos of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion Band.  He also appears in the centre of the top row of the band photographed in January 1916, probably at Campbellfield. 

(Click on the photo to get a larger view.)

If anyone can identify this young man, or any of the bandsmen in the 3rd Pioneer Battalion photos, please let us know.


UPDATE:  After further consideration, it seems likely that the band taken in front of pine trees was the Head Quarters Band, or Depot Band, as it was dated January 1916.  The two identified Bandsmen did not join 3 Pioneer Battalion until late February 1916, so the  Unknown Bandsman may not have embarked with 3 Pioneer Bn.

3 Pioneer Battalion Band in Collins Street, 1916

3 Pioneer Bn Band in Collins St, courtesy of Judith Williams.

Fundraising was done by the soldiers and citizens to find the money to purchase instruments for the 3 Pioneer Battalion Band.  The above march seems likely to have been held on Wednesday 10 May, 1916.  "The route of the march will be as follows: - Leave King street at  half past 11 o'clock, and proceed via Collins, Spring, and Victoria streets to Royal Park, where the men will have lunch."    The centre horsemen of the three directly behind the band was Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Law.  The business on the left, Southwell Coultas & Co was located on the east side of Collins Street, between Swanston and Russell.  they are probably passing Scots Church on the right of the photo.  See the website for further photos of the Band.

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.

Soldier's photo identified

This Darge photo was originally identified as S D C Simmon in the AWM collection, but they have lately agreed with my identification of that photo as D C Simmons, and have advised me that they will change the catalogue accordingly.

This photo of D C Simmons comes from a publication called  A Tribute to those employees of The Metropolitan Gas Company who served in The Great War.   
  

Flemington-Kensington Roll of Honour

A small bound volume of newsletters donated back the Church after the fire of 1970.

The first issue of the Flemington Presbyterian Church News was published in January 1917.  It contained details of the busy schedule of  church meetings, hatches, matches and dispatches, and news of their boys at the front.   In August 1917 a Roll of Honour appeared, which would have formed the basis of the subsequent Honour Boards which were hung in the church.  You can see the names of the parish members who volunteered for service on this page, courtesy of St Stephen's Presbyterian Church, Flemington.

As time goes on I will provide a link to each of the volunteers from that page.

British Red Cross volunteers records to be digitised

The charity will recruit 100 volunteers to create an online archive of Voluntary Aid Detachment index cards of civilians who contributed to the war effort.



The British Red Cross has been awarded an £80,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to conserve and digitise historic documents detailing the work of volunteers during the First World War.


As part of the project to commemorate the centenary of the war, the BRC will recruit 100 volunteers to create a free and publicly available online archive of 244,000 Voluntary Aid Detachment index cards.


These paper cards include details of nurses, ambulance drivers and seamstresses who contributed to the war effort. They were organised on a county basis and allocated to carry out a variety of roles between 1914 and 1918.

See the full story at Third Sector

First seen at GeneaNet