Voices of Birralee

ANGELL, William

Angell served in the 2nd Battalion in France from 1917-18. He was wounded twice, but fortunately came home. One day, his identical twin brother, who was home in Australia, said “Something’s happened to Will”. That was the day he was wounded in the shoulder, forcing him to be evacuated to London for treatment. 

(Kerry Pickering, his great granddaughter, has his Australian Military Pocketbook)

AVERY,  Wilfred Percival 

1884 - 1917

Captain Avery was a mining engineer, joining the 1st Australian Tunnelling Corps in 1914. He died in action at Hill 60, Belgium and is buried in Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, Belgium. 

(Relative of Di Gartry) 

BEAN, John (Jack)

Dr Bean served in the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Gallipoli and on the Western Front. 

(Relative of Amirah Farrell)

BINNIE, David Johnston

Captain Binnie served in the 2nd Lighthorse Corps of the 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion. He was wounded (shell shocked) in action in France, January 1917 and returned to Australia June 1917. (Binnie was the Great Grandfather of Julie Christiansen)

BROWNING, John Cowan 

1885-1957

Browning served in the 1st East Lancashire Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division (Territorial Force). This was the first British non-regular army unit into action in WW1that was posted first on the Suez Canal defences. Browning then landed on W Beach at Helles ('Lancashire Landing') on 11 May 1915 and formed a combined battery there with Anzac artillery. He took part in the third battle of Krithia and the battle of Krithia Vineyard. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the DSO. Later he served on the Western Front, including heavy action at Passchendaele. 

(Browning is the great, great grandfather of Elsie Bow (Birralee Kids) and Will Bow (Birralee Piccolos), great grandfather of Ellen Bow (Birralee Recycled) and grandfather of John Browning (Birralee Recycled 2017))

BLAKE, Leslie Russell 

1890 - 1918

Blake was working in the Queensland Geological Survey Office when he was chosen to join Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition. His task was to map Macquarie Island over two years, which earned him a Polar Medal.  

Subsequently, Blake enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force in August 1915, serving on the Western Front, and was promoted to Sergeant in November 1915.  He was injured several times, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1916. 

He was mortally wounded in 1918 by a shell on the Hindenberg Line on 2 October 1918 (39 days before the Armistice), while directing ammunition convoys on the Somme for the 5th Australian Field Artillery.  He died of his wounds near Estrees the following morning on 3 October 1918Hindenburg and was buried at Tincourt New British Cemetery. His final Rank was Captain, and his medals were sent to his fiancee, Frances Eileen Elliott, in Australia. His fiancee never married.

(Relative of Elizabeth Nunn)

BRADLEY, James Allen 

Bradley, a Policeman from Kilcoy, enlisted 19 November 1914 and served until 23 12 1918 in the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF. He was a part of the A Squadron. 

(Relative of the Higgins family)

BUDGEN, Patrick 

1897-1917

Private Budgen VC, served in the 31st Battalion, Australian Infantry.  He was killed in action on 28 September 1917, aged only 20. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery. Budgen is laid to rest at Hooge Crater Cemetery. (Private Bugden is the ancestor of Bernie Knapp. Geraldine Knapp was the former Councillor of the Gap Ward in Brisbane)

BURNS, Charles Edward 

1896 - 1940

Burns served in the 49th Battalion 1916 -1919 and returned to Australia.

(Relative of Lenore Sullivan)

CASSELS, Norman Reginald 

1897 - 1917

Gunner Norman Reginald Cassells was in the 11th Australian Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force. He died in action in Belgium at the age of 20 and is remembered on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium.

(Cassells is the Great Great Great Uncle of James and Isabel Stevenson)

CLAYTON, Walter George 

1896 - 1916

Walter was a young Scot who arrived in Brisbane with his family in 1911. He joined the 9th Battalion and went to France in 1916. He was killed in action 23 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of Pozieres. His body was not found. His name is recorded at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux.

(Relative of Christopher Griffiths)

COWPER, Arthur ‘Mac’ Macquarie

1893 - 1990

Mac was the second son of six children. His older brother, William, had already enlisted when Mac enlisted on 2 March 1915.  He was in the 10th Field Ambulance and served in Gallipoli and after recovering in England was then sent to France with the same unit.  There he received a gunshot wound in his thigh and was treated in a field hospital in Egypt and later in England. He returned to France until the end of the war. He left Southampton on 19 February 1919 on board the "Orca" and arrived in Sydney in early April. 

(Relative of Sarah Whiting)

DEARDS, Henry Fredrick Leon Howard 

1891 - 1917

Private Deards served in the 15th Australian Infantry Battalion in the Australian Army. He was killed in action on 18 August 1917 in Belgium, aged 26. He is buried in Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Messines, Flanders, Belgium. (Relative of Mark Deards)

DUNNING, Sydney Herbert 

Dunning was a railway porter before serving in WW1 from 14 July 1915 - 27 October 1919. He was enlisted in the 11/9th Battalion among the first infantry units raised for the AIF.  The 9th Battalion was then split to help form the 49th battalion that in March 1916 sailed for France. (His Great Granddaughter, Elise Watt (nee Perrett) treasures his diary from his service and years after. )

EGAN, Jack 

1889 -1941

Private Egan served in the 21st Australian Infantry Battalion (part of 6th Brigade, 2nd Division). He enlisted in September 1915 to serve in WW1, and returned to Australia in March 1919. He fought in France on the Western Front from April 1916 to October 1918. Egan was on carrying duties during the Battle of Pozieres in late July/early August 1916, fought at the Second Battle of Bullecourt in early May 1917, the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge in early October 1917, and defended against the German Spring Offensive of April 1918, subsequently fighting in the Battles of Hamel, Amiens and Mont St. Quentin. The 21st Battalion was ordered to disband, but mutinied on 25 September 1918 and had the order rescinded, and soon joined the attack at Montbrehain in early October 1918 and were withdrawn after one day. 

(Relative of Simon Garrett)

FINCH, Thomas 

1889-1972

Lieutenant Finch served in the 1st East Lancashire Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division (Territorial Force). This was the first British non-regular army unit into action in WW1 - first posted on the Suez Canal defences. Finch's unit sailed to Gallipoli in May 1915 but his unit could not be landed and he was returned to Egypt, arriving in Gallipoli in September 1915. He also served on the Western Front. 

(Finch is the great, great grandfather of Elsie Bow (Birralee Kids) and Will Bow (Birralee Piccolos), great grandfather of Ellen Bow (Birralee Recycled) and grandfather of John Browning (Birralee Recycled 2017)

ELGAR, Arthur John 

1896 - 1970

Arthur enlisted on 11 February 1915, leaving Australia on 12 April 1916 with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcements. He served in France and was wounded twice. His two brothers Albert Edward Elgar and Robert Alexander Elgar also served during WW1 and miraculously, all three boys returned home safe to the heartfelt relief of his parents Betsy and William Edwin Hooper Elgar. (Relative of Marilyn Watts)

GERAN, John Grant 

1894 - 1916

Geran served in the 25th Battalion from 1915 - 1916 and was killed in action in the Battle of Pozieres on 29 July 1916.  He is buried in an unknown grave. (Relative of Lenore Sullivan)

GILLESPIE, Ernest John 

1897-1983

Gillespie was born and raised in Toowoomba and in 1915, aged 19, he enlisted to serve in WW1. He was assigned to the 25th Battalion 8th Reinforcements and fought at Gallipoli and then France. In France he was severely wounded and lost an eye in battle. He returned home in 1917 after recovering in hospital overseas. (Relative of Madi Paulsen)

GUILD, David

1915 - 1919 

Guild was born in Leith, Scotland and enlisted on 1 September 1915 in Cootamundra aged 21. He was a part of the 2nd reinforcement of the 5th Field Artillery Brigade. He served in France on the Western Front as a Gunner and as a Driver, returning to Australia in April 1919. (Mark Gillies’ paternal grandfather)

THE GREBER BROTHERS: 

Ernest George (Lismore), a Private in the 31st Battalion. He returned to Australia on 5 January 1919 and was awarded a Military Medal. 

Alfred Cecil (Rous Mill), a Private in the 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion and passed away on 25 April 1918. He is remembered at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France. 


Albert (Linville), a Private in the 41st Australian Infantry Battalion killed in action on 5 January 1917. He is buried at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery,  Armentieres, Lille, Nord, Pasde Calais, France. 

Arthur Phillip Victor (Tuckerimba), a Private in the 17th Battalion,12th Reinforcement. He returned to Australia on 24 January 1919 and passed away on 9 October 1960. 

William Ernest (Tuckurimba, New South Wales), a Private in the 49th Australian Infantry Battalion passed away on 16 November 1917 from wounds at age 37. He is buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, Abbeville, Picardie, France.

(Relatives of Joshua Beausang)

GUILD, David

1915 - 1919 

Guild was born in Leith, Scotland and enlisted on 1 September 1915 in Cootamundra aged 21. He was a part of the 2nd reinforcement of the 5th Field Artillery Brigade. He served in France on the Western Front as a Gunner and as a Driver, returning to Australia in April 1919. (Mark Gillies’ paternal grandfather)

HOGARTH, Alexander Forbes 

1886 - 1916

Alexander was a trooper with the 11th Australian Light horse Regiment with the Australian Army. He died from Pneumonia in Egypt and is buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

HOGARTH, Joseph 

1878 - 1918

Joseph was a driver with the Australian Infantry Battalion in the Australian Army. He died from war injuries and tumour in the pelvic colon and general peritonitis at No 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Herefield, England.  He is buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard, Harefield, England.

HOGARTH, Archibald McDonald 

1879 - 1915

Archibald  was 2/Lieut. A/104 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and died from wounds received on the battlefield. He is buried at Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, France. 

(Alexander, Joseph and Archibald were relatives of Billie Goffage)

 HOLMES, Thomas Alexander 

1896 - 1916

Thomas was born and raised in Toowoomba, and at 19 he enlisted in the AIF.  He served in WW1 as a soldier of the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion. At the age of 20, Thomas was killed in action on the battlefields of Pozieres and has no known grave. He is honoured at the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, France. (Relative of Madi Paulsen)

HOLMES, William Henry 

1898 - 2000

Holmes enlisted in WW1 as a 19-year-old. He was born and raised in Toowoomba, Queensland and served in Egypt with the AIF in the 1st Field Squadrons Engineers battalion as a Sapper/Field Engineer. He returned home in 1919.

(Relative of Madi Paulsen)

HURMAN, Archie Alderton 

1886 -1971

Hurman enlisted in the Australian Imperial force (AIF) in Townsville on 25 September 1915, aged 29 years.  After military training he was identified as part of the 6th reinforcement for the 47th Battalion. The 47th battalion fought in a number of significant battles, including the Battle of Pozieres in 1916 and the Battles of Bullecourt, Messines and Passchendaele in 1917. 

In early 1918, the battalion was heavily involved in turning back the German advance during the Spring Offensive, taking part in the fighting that took place around Dernancourt. It was at Dernancourt that the 47th Battalion found itself squarely in the path of the heaviest attack ever faced by Australians in any war. In May 1918 Archie Hurman was awarded the Military Medal.  

(Relative of Andrew Hurman)

JONES, Adolphus William Percy

1896 - 1917

Lieutenant Jones was working for a bank when he signed up aged only 19,  to the AIF in the 15th Battalion. He was awarded a DCM for 'conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty'. He died, aged 21, at Westhoek, Flanders, Belgium and has no known grave but is remembered at Menin Gate. (Relative of Di Gartry)

JONES, Francis ‘Frank’ Michael 

1893 - 1917

Jones enlisted on 22 Nov 1915. According to his enlistment paper he resided at Glebe and was a 22-year-old salesman. He served in the 7th Field Artillery Brigade of the Australian Field Artillery. He was wounded at Passchendaele, near Ypres at the end of September 1917. About 2.30 or 3pm, when Jones’s gun was being worked, a shell dropped on the muzzle of the gun completely capsizing it and falling on Jones, who was No. 2 on the gun. In addition Jones received several wounds from the shell fragments.  

Gunner Jones was admitted to 22nd General Hospital on 21 September 1917 with a gunshot wound to the head, penetrating the skull.  He was unconscious on admission and remained so until his death on 19 Oct 1917. He is buried at the Military Cemetery, Etaples. (Jones was the son of Francis Michael Jones, Uncle of Vincent William and Francis Michael Jones, Great Uncle of Catherine Knauth, Great Great Uncle of Louise Frances Knauth)

JONES, Claude Morgan

Captain Jones served in the 20th Infantry Battalion, serving in both Anzac Cove and later in France. He returned to Australia on 20 June 1919. (Relative of Amirah Farrell)

KENNY, John Joseph 

1893 - 1917

Kenny served in the 11th Light Horse Brigade 1916 - 1917 and was killed in action in Gaza 19 April 1917. He is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Palestine.

(Relative of Lenore Sullivan)

KENLINE, Sergeant Levi Nelson 

1895 - 1918

Lance Sergeant Kenline served in the 7th Battalion Canadian Infantry.  He was awarded a  Military Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry for his devotion to duty during the 1917 operational north of Passchendaele. He died while advancing along the Cambrai Road near Leekwood, during the Bourlon Wood operations in September 1918.  He was instantly killed when an enemy shell burst close to him. He is buried in Sains Les Marquion British Cemetery - Pas de Calais, France. (Relative of the Forbes family)

LANE, Edgar Murray 

Lane served in the 20th Australian Infantry Battalion in France from September 1916. He was killed in action 2 May 1917. 

A recount of his death from a digger friend was that “they were laying telephone cable in a trench in Bullecourt and were hit by a shell which blew him (Lane) and his assistant into a million pieces.” Lane has no known grave and is honoured on the Australian National Memorial wall at Villers-Bretonneux.

(Julie Christiansen’s Great Uncle)

MADDISON Ralph James

MADDISON Joseph Foster 

MADDISON Lionel Foster

MADDISON William Stanley 

Of all the men in the family who served, only one came home, this was Ralph Maddison, and he died as a result of injuries. Ralph was gassed by the Germans in Pozieres in 1916 and was sent home in 1917 but died shortly after.  Joseph Maddison was the youngest brother, aged 31. He was killed in Pozieres in August 1916 where he served with the 10th Battalion. Lionel Maddison was the oldest brother, 44. He was killed in Mouquet Farm in Aug 1916 while serving with the 4th Pioneers. William Maddison was the son of Lionel, aged 18. He followed his father to war, serving in the 27th Battalion. He was killed at the Menin Road/Gate in 1917. Joseph and Lionel are on the Australian National Memorial wall at Villers-Bretonneux and William is on the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres. (Relatives of Vicky Munday)

MCKIE, Kenneth Clinton 

1891 -1917

Mckie was a loving young man, the baby of seven siblings who had worked in the bank in Warwick and other rural sites. He attempted to enlist but had a severe mastoid problem and was not passed as fit. He then received white flowers in the mail. He then enlisted based on his brother’s medical tests (as they could do in those days). He was a lieutenant and passed away of wounds incurred during the battle of Menniners Ridge in 1917. He was 26-years-old. 

(Relative of Jenny Eggins)

MCCLUSKEY, Peter 

1885 - 1956 

McCluskey enlisted December 1914 in the 6th Light Horse regiment 55th Battalion. He departed Sydney 12 December 1914 and returned 14 May 1920. Peter served in Gallipoli, and the Western Front, Europe. He was wounded many times and returned to the front. He was awarded The Military Medal for Bravery, 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

(“He was my Grandfather and a brave man.” Colin Galbraith)

MARSHALL, William 

William served in the 22nd Australian Infantry Battalion. He was wounded in the Battle of Bullecourt on 3 May 1917 and died that day. 

MARSHALL, Thomas

Thomas served in the 22nd Australian Infantry Battalion. He died of wounds on 9 November 1917 at  Zonnebeke and is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgian Flanders. 

(The Marshalls are relatives of Amirah Farrell)

MOON, William Lewry 

1897 - 1982

Originally from Laidley, Queensland, Moon was 18-years-old when he enlisted. He served as a private in WW1 where his regiment, the 52nd Battalion, 9th reinforncement, fought in the Battlle of Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, and Hamel as well as in the Somme, Pozieres and Bullecourt. He was gassed in the trenches but returned home to Australian and went on to serve in WW11 as a Captain of the 13th Battalion. 

NICHOL, Edward 

1893 - 1918

Private Nichol, of the 1st Australian Infantry Battalion in the Australian Imperial force, was killed in action on the 9 August 1918 on the Western Front and is buried in the Heath Cemetery, Picardie, France. Originally from Maryborough, he was 25 when he was died.

(Nichol is the Great Great Great Uncle of James and Isabel Stevenson)

 NORTHFIELD, John Wilfred 

1892 - 1966

Northfield was born in Wollongong. He enlisted on 10 July 1915 and was a private in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, serving in the Middle East. He married Martha Foreman three days prior to leaving the country.  On return, due to his wife's ill health, he settled in Roma, Queensland and was a milk vendor for approximately 30 years until he was unable to continue working after having several strokes.  He was survived by his wife and three daughters and several grandchildren. (Relative of Katherine Rayner)

O’HEA, Robert Steuart 

DOD 1916

Lieutenant O’Hea served in the 25th Battalion, enlisting in Brisbane on 28 July 1915. The day Lt O’Hea died, 29 July 1916, also marked the first of two advancements by the Second Division in the second part of the Battle of Pozieres. By the time the second division was relieved on 6 August, they had suffered 6,848 casualties. (Relative of Rosemary Phillips)

PATCH, Francis Edward 

DOD 1917 

Sergeant Patch served on the Western Front in France as part of the 14th Field Artillery Brigade. He was wounded at Messiness in June 1917 and was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for bravery in the field. Sgt Patch was killed in action on 29 September 1917, aged 28, whilst the brigade was moving from Ypres towards the front line near Hooge, Belgium. He is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Flanders, Belgium. (Relative of the Ingram family)

PAULSEN, Joseph William

1886 - 1940

Paulsen was a member of the AIF 3rd Battalion, 1st Reinforcements. He enlisted in October 1914 at the age of 28. The 3rd Battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked two months later. After undertaking more training in Egypt, the battalion was employed in the defence of the Suez Canal, before being committed to the Gallipoli Campaign. Paulsen returned home in May 1915 and was discharged due to illness. After spending six months in Australia he again re-enlisted in 1916. Joseph joined the 9th Battalion, 17th Reinforcements as a Quartermaster for the voyage back to England. He spent time at the army base in Etaples in France. He was sent home to Australia and discharged due to illness in July 1917. (Relative of Madi Paulsen)

PAULSEN, Johann Christian

1879 - 1927

Paulsen enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in February 1916. He served as a member of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion C Company. He spent three months at Larkhill training on Salisbury Plain under their commander, Major-General John Monash. They were then deployed to France. The Pioneer Battalion were raised to meet the needs of both the engineers and infantry. They were trained in the provision of mobility support to get people, weapons, ammunition, rations and stores up to the front and casualties out. Roads and railways needed to be built, maintained and repaired. Johann took ill after two years service and was sent home in December 1917. (Relative of Madi Paulsen) 

In early 1918, the battalion was heavily involved in turning back the German advance during the Spring Offensive, taking part in the fighting that took place around Dernancourt. It was at Dernancourt that the 47th Battalion found itself squarely in the path of the heaviest attack ever faced by Australians in any war. In May 1918 Archie Hurman was awarded the Military Medal.  

(Relative of Andrew Hurman)

PATERSON, William & Alexander

The Paterson brothers served in the 26th Battalion.  William was killed in action at the Somme on 5 November 1916 and was noted as missing by the Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files between 1914-18. His name appears on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux. (Great grandfather of Mark Gillies)

PEAKE, Edward Robert

1882 - 1945

Private Peake enlisted and was sworn in on 28 August 1916. He was shipped to the UK on 27 October 1916 on Her Majesty's Australian Transport ship "Marathon" and disembarked in Plymouth on 9 January 1917. He was "marched in" to the 52nd Battalion and shipped to Le Havre, France on 3 July 1917. 

Private Peake saw action in late September 1917 during the Battle of Polygon Wood, and then in early 1918 was moved south to support an Allied defensive battle at Dernancourt. The 52nd also took part in an Allied counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April 1918. 

As a result of heavy losses the 52nd Battalion was disbanded and Pvte Peake was transferred to the 49th Battalion, and subsequently took part in the Allied Hundred Day Offensive commencing in August 1918. He was wounded in action on 2 August 1918 and a week later was invalided to England, where he spent the next several months in hospital. After recovering, he departed the UK on "HMT Ceramic", arriving back in Sydney on 14 March 1919. He was discharged from the AIF and returned home to Brisbane. (Relative of the Peake family)

PEDLER, George 

1893-1981

Pedler grew up in country South Australia and was the son of a farmer. He served in the 50th Battalion who were deployed to France. In 1916 he was injured while fighting near Etaples. His injures were minor but 10 months later he was more seriously injured fighting near Belgium. He was transferred to a military hospital in Chester, England. where he recovered. George returned to Australia in 1918, married his wife Sarah, and became a devoted father to his four children. For the remainder of his life he retained some shrapnel in his abdomen. He is buried in the Koolunga Cemetery in South Australia.

(George was a talented musician who played the cornet in a brass band. No doubt he would thoroughly approve of the ‘Poppies and Poems’ concert.” - Natalie Pedler (George Pedler was Natalie’s husband’s grandfather))

PORTER, Albert Victor 

1896 - 1957

Porter enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 27 November 1916. His unit was the 19th Reinforcement of the 25th battalion of the 2nd Division. He embarked from Sydney on 25 January 1917 for Davenport arriving April 1917. He was sent on HMAT Wiltshire which was a steam ship requisitioned by the government to carry Australian and New Zealand troops to Europe. He was appointed Lieutenant Corporal on 24 September 1917 after being sent to France. On 4 October 1917 Porter was shot in the middle of his forehead and right wrist and was left for dead on the battlefield on the France-Belgium border. When they came through to collect the bodies someone realised he wasn't dead and he was sent to England for treatment and recovery. After this he worked in the AIF depots and boarded HMAT Takada bound for Australia. He was formally discharged on 26 April 1919. (Relative of Anne Swalwell)

POTTER, Vincent Charles

Potter, from Speedwell, district of Wondai, embarked on the "Melville" on 24 September 1914 for the Dardanelles and Joined the1st Light Horse Brigade Train - 5 Company Army Service Corps. He served in Gallipoli, arriving 26 April 1915. He was sent to England and hospitalised on 29 August 1915 . He also served in France, making 2nd Lieutenant on 27 September 1917 and was transferred to First Machine Gun Battalion on 22 December 1917. Potter made Lieutenant on 1 January 1918.  He was wounded in action in France, with a gun shot would to his right shoulder on 11 September 1918.  He recuperated in England and embarked for Australia on 4 December 1918, with his appointment terminated on 18 March 1919.(Relative of Olivia Hodkinson)

REID, Maurice

1898 - DOD unknown

Born in Roma, Maurice was a Draper's Assistant before signing up on 9 November 2015. He lied about his age, declaring he was 18-years-old, but in fact he was just 17. He was assigned to the 42nd Battalion and after training in Australia, he was transferred to the 49th Battalion and sent to France on the S.S Invicta on 31 December 1916. He served on the Western Front, in Ypres and the Somme Valley, until contracting influenza and being hospitalised in Etaples and in England. He returned to France in early 1917, serving at various parts of the Hindenburg Line and Bullecourt, during the particularly bitter 1916 -17 winter. He was taken ill again to hospital. Later in 2017, he returned to serve on the Western Front in possibly Dernancourt and Villers-Bretonneux. He spent time in hospitals again with Pleurisy. He returned to Australia 19 February 1919 and was discharged. Maurice signed up during WWII on 4 September 1941 and served in Australia with the Northern Command Recruiting Staff, before being discharged in 1947. (A relative of Caitlin and Andrew Reid

ROWE, Reginald Lewis 

1895 - 1915

Lance Corporal Rowe enlisted in the 4 Battalion, on 22 April 1915. He landed at Gallipoli 4 August, 1915. He was killed in action 6th/9th August 1915. Place of burial Gallipoli, Canakke, Turkey.

(Relative of the West family)

ROWE, David Harold 

1898 - DOD unknown 

Private Rowe was the younger brother of Lance Corporal Reginald Lewis Rowe who was killed in action in Gallipoli in 1915. He enlisted in the 1st Battalion 22 January 1917 aged 18 years. He became a casualty with a chest wound at Etaples, France on 4 February 1918 and received a medical discharge on 13 October 1919. 

(Relative of the West family) 

RULE, Reuben John 

DOD 1916

In December 1914 Rule volunteered in Shepparton, Victoria and departed Melbourne on-board HMAT Wiltshire in April 1915. Around 8 June that year, he left England for Dardanelles arriving at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, on 17 June.  On 6 July, a bomb wounded the fingers on his left hand and he was sent to England for recovery. He returned to duty, this time in Egypt on 22 November 1915 and in December re-joined the unit at Anzac Cove. In March 1916 the First Division moved from Anzac Cove to Egypt, then on to Northern France (including 5th Battalion, 4th Regiment). On 23 July 1916, he was a part of the First Division, joining the Somme offensive. On 25 July 1916 Rule was reported missing and soon after was reported as being killed in action. A report shows he is buried in E Pozieres & 4-1/4 mile NE Albert - France. 

(Relative of Ray Jennings and Forbes family)

SCHRODER, Alfred Gustav 

1878 - 1916

Schroder enlisted in 1915 at the age of 38. He first served in Gallipoli and then France. He was severely wounded on the 5 August 1916 in the Battle of Pozieres and was taken to the Military Hospital in England where he died several days later due to his injuries. He is buried at the Bramshott Military Cemetery Churchyard (St Mary's) Hampshire, England. 

(Relative of Madi Paulsen)

STEELE, Joseph Sheriff

1892 - 1982 

SULLIVAN, William Michael Thomas 

1894 - 1955

Thomas served in the 26th Battalion AIF 1916-1919, serving in France and Belgium. He returned to Australia. 

(Relative of Lenore Sullivan)

SULLIVAN, Charles Joseph 

1888 -1937

Joseph served in the 3rd Battalion AIF 1915 -1919 and returned to Australia. 

(Relative of Lenore Sullivan)

TOMKINS, Robert Benjamin 

1988 - 1966

Tomkins served as a sapper in the 1st Field Company, Australian Engineers, during WW1. He enlisted on 3 November 1917 and sailed out on the transport ship, the HMAT Runic. Robert returned to Australia on the 3 September 1919. Robert was from a pioneering farming family of the Wingham/Gloucester area in NSW. After his return, he went on to marry Elsie, and had six children. (Grandfather of Robyn Tomkins)

THOMSON, James John


1890 - 1975

Thomson was born in Charters Towers and worked as a mining engineer until he enlisted in the army in September 1916, with the 8th Field Engineers of the AIF. He was fortunate to return in September 1919. (Relative of Justine Favell)

WHELAN, Norman

DOD 1918

Corporal Whelan served in the 31st Australian Infantry Battalion, enlisted 10 July 1915, He died 8 September 1918 in France. (Relative of Dahlia Vogel)

WORTH, William 

Private Worth served in the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Gallipoli and the Western Front. He was wounded and returned to Australia on 8 May 1916. (Relative of Amirah Farrell)