Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force Nominal Roll

Detail from cover of the nominal roll of the ANMEF to New Guinea, 1914-1918, military component.  AWM AWM190 [4]

Yesterday I had cause to have a look at the WW1 Nominal Roll for the AIF, but noticed while tracking it down that a new roll had been added to the digital records - the ANMEF Nominal Roll which I had gone looking for about 4 years ago, but it was not then available on the AWM website.   I originally sought to find local men who had embarked in 1914 with the ANMEF.  I found a newspaper article naming the 104 men from Victoria who had departed with the Force, but they are not included in this nominal roll, presumably because they were Naval reservists.


The details included in the ANMEF nominal roll are Regimental Number, Rank, Full Name, Birthplace, Place of Enlistment, Date of Enlistment, Date of Embarkation, and Disposal (usually discharged at end of agreement.)  The record also contains annotations of subsequent AIF service.

Here is a link to the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force [Military Component] Nominal Roll, 1914-1918.

Edmond Danaher, tinsmith of Newmarket

Reconstruction of a ‘Gallipoli boat’, Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance   (Rod Martin)

The above reconstruction of a boat used to ferry the soldiers from troop transports to the shore of Gallipoli clearly illustrates how exposed the soldiers were when Turkish troops opened fire on them.  In his new story about Edmond Danaher, Road Martin tells the story of a young man who went to war and never came home.

Lieutenant D F C Coles, 8th FAB

Officers of the 8 Field Artillery Brigade, courtesy of the State Library of South Australia, PRG 1364/1/15

David Frederick Clifford Coles, a sergeant in the Royal Artillery, came to Australia in 1913 to take up an appointment as a Staff Sergeant Major with the Instructional Staff at the Royal Military Academy, Duntroon, in 1913.  On 1 May 1916 David enlisted in the AIF, being given an immediate commission with the 8 Field Artillery Brigade.   Rod Martin tells the story of David Coles' service with the AIF here.

Chaplain Captain Potter

Chaplain Captain Sydney Morkham Potter, courtesy of Marjorie Morkham.

Sydney Potter, a minister at the Newmarket Baptist Church first went overseas, aged 38, with the YMCA to provide comforts to Australian Soldiers.  While overseas he was appointed Chaplain, with the honorary rank of Captain.  You can read a little more about Sydney on his webpage: http://empirecall.pbworks.com/w/page/50485660/Potter-S-M-Chaplain

By clicking on the tags Chaplains or YMCA on the above webpage, you will get a list of other local men who served the AIF in this way.

Private Charles Malcolm Baker

  24 Tennyson St, Kensington.  Reproduced with the permission of view.com.au.

From this single-fronted terrace house at 24 Tennyson St, Kensington, salesman Charles Malcolm Baker, known as Malcolm, left in 1916 to do his bit for the war effort.   Initially allocated to the newly formed 39 Infantry Battalion, Malcolm later transferred to the battle-hardened 7 Battalion which had strong links to the Essendon district.

Rod Martin is on a roll, and tells the story of Malcolm Baker's war service on the Empire Called website in his usual sparkling style.

Private John Knox Adams - missing

The Argus 25 Apr 1916 (Courtesy of Kim

Phillips, Spirits of Gallipoli website.)

John Knox Adams of McPherson St, Essendon, was an enthusiastic AIF recruit of 22 years when he enlisted at the outbreak of the war in 1914.   He worked as a grocer in Sydney Rd, Brunswick, and was a keen baseballer and cricketer  on weekends.

John Adams stepped ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April and no-one was able to say what became of him after that.  Probably those who knew were also missing.

Rod Martin tells the story of this young man's appointment with fate on The Empire Called website.

Gunner Youlden of the 8 FAB

Members of 14 FAB battery, Ypres Front, 28 September 1917   (AWM E00920)

Gunner Frederick Henry Youlden, formerly of Bendigo but lately of Moonee Ponds, was posted to the 8th Field Artillery Brigade where they operated eighteen-pounder field guns as shown above.  The stacks of shells close to each gun amply illustrates how entire gun crews could disappear if the enemy guns found their range.   Fred Youlden died of shell wounds to the chest received on 28 September 1917.    Rod Martin tells the story of Fred Youlden's service here.

His bride Gertie did  not have a child and never remarried, remaining a widow for 35 years.