Not forgotten at Christmas time, Egypt 1915

Christmas billies, provided by the Australian Comforts Fund, being distributed to 1st Light Horse Regiment at the Brigade camp at the aerodrome, Heliopolis, Egypt, Christmas 1915.  Australian War Memorial Collection, JO2506.

Three local volunteers embarked with the 1 LHR: 

• Sidney Firth Lumb of Lorne St, Moonee Ponds
• Robert Hill Robertson of Marshall St, Moonee Ponds
• Thomas Charles Wheatley of Ardmillan Rd, Moonee Ponds

 Neither Thomas Wheatley nor Robert Robertson ever had Christmas with their families again.
 

Remembering Bill Scurry

 

 Bill Scurry as a Captain, in France, 1917,  seated on the left, with officers of the 15th Light Trench Mortar Battery.  Standing behind on the left is Lieutenant Leonard Frederick Morris, a school-fellow of Scurry's, attending Ascot Vale State School.  Courtesy of the AWM  http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/P01786.001

Today an article in The Age reminds us that at this time 100 years ago, the last of the Anzacs were being evacuated from the Gallipoli Peninsula.  Lance-Corporal William Scurry from Ascot Vale  invented a clever device to encourage the Turks to think that the Anzacs were still in their trenches, though it was only one element of a much more extensive plan, prepared by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Brudenell-White, to get the men off Gallipoli without casualties.

Tomorrow, Sunday 20 December, a plaque will be unveiled at the Lilydale Lawn Cemetery to remember Bill Scurry.

The Families and Friends of the First AIF website has further information about the evacuation.

An account of the evacuation was written by an unidentified Australian officer, but most likely Major Alfred Jackson.

Three mates out rabbiting, 1920s

Three mates out rabbiting, 1920s.  Courtesy of Louise Hill-Coleman.

Louise Hill-Coleman had this photo in her family collection, but knew little about it other than recognising her grandfather Thomas Hill in the centre, out rabbiting with mates. 

Louise had contacted me some while back about her grandfather Thomas Hill and his son Arthur, who had been killed in France, an underage soldier.  She kindly provided photographs and papers relating to Thomas and Arthur for the website. A previous post about Arthur can be seen here.

Earlier this year I was likewise contacted by Matt Freckleton, whose grandfather Eric Herman had also served in the Great War.   Previous blog postings about Eric can be seen here and here.


Both Thomas Hill  and Eric Herman, and Eric's brother Joseph, had ended up in 4th Division Headquarters in France.  Matt had unearthed the AWM photo of the 4th Div HQ, which he sent me to illustrate his story of his grandfather's war service.  The soldiers in this photo had been named, and when I had a look at it (just in case I knew any other local men in the photo), I recognised the name of Thomas Hill.  I also noted that both Thomas Hill and Joseph Herman (also in the 4th Div HQ photo) had been employed as tobacco workers before the war, which suggested they might have known each other before the war.  They were the same age and had enlisted on the same day.  It was possible.  I put Louise and Matt in touch with one another, and they have since enjoyed corresponding about their respective grandfathers, and doing further research.

Louise, painstakingly working through their B2455s, went on to discover that Joseph Herman and Thomas Hill had been charged on the same day with the same offence - and Matt had a possible explanation!  You can read about that in the story he wrote about his grandfather Eric Herman.

Louise, having seen the photo of Eric, had a sudden brainstorm and burrowed into her grandfather's photos to find the one above - which shows three mates out enjoying a rabbiting expedition in the 1920s.  She now knows them as probably Joseph Herman on the left, Thomas Hill in the middle, and Eric Herman on the right.  Matt's mother thought the man on the left looked like Joseph.

This story illustrates the value of sharing family stories and photos, as the piecing together of the story of Thomas Hill and the Herman brothers, and the understanding of who was in the photo  to which Louise had not attached a particular meaning, could only have happened  with a willingness to share.  More than just unknown mates, the three men had a shared history in the Great War. 

Gunner Tatterson says farewell

HMAT Orsova leaving Port Melbourne, 16 December 1916.

If  Nellie Tatterson took her three children down to Port Melbourne to farewell Gunner John Forrest Tatterson eight days before Christmas 1916, it was the last time they were to see their husband and father.

Rod Martin outlines the service of Gunner Tatterson, who despite embarking with the 13 Light Horse Regiment, saw most his time overseas with the Field Artillery Brigade.  Transferred to work with howitzers, dangerous work owing to the proximity to the German lines.  Read the full story by clicking on the link above.

Trooper Harry Griffiths acknowledged as war dead

Harry David Griffiths died in 1919 after his return to Australia and was buried at the Heidelberg Cemetery.  His family have worked to have his service in the AIF acknowledged as contributing to his death by the Office of Australian War Graves. This new plaque also recognises his earlier period of military service with Cameron's Scouts in the South African War.  A dedication will take place at the Heidelberg Cemetery tomorrow.  Photo courtesy of Wendy Moline. 

Missing in 1916, found in 1924

4th Division Memorial at Ballenglise, France.

There was special suffering for those families whose lost sons, brothers and husbands had no known grave.    The family of Lionel Rupert Fox Walker, a hairdresser from Essendon, was one of those families.  The Red Cross had been unable to determine what had become of Lionel and his body could not be found - until 1924.  Rod Martin describes the carnage that characterised the battle for Mouquet Farm, in which Lionel was lost.   Lionel's last posting was with the 52 Battalion, which was part of 4 Division.

A teacher joins the machine gunners

Frederick Almonde Coe was teaching at St Thomas' Grammar School, Essendon, when he enlisted in February 1916.  The image above shows the Vickers medium machine gun on which Coe trained, and later operated in France. Rod Martin describes how the machine gun crews operated, and the outcome of Frederick's part in the war.