N.B.: This thread is for thoughts, recollections, and like re ANZAC Day, Australian military history, and the like. Comments relating to other matters should be kept on the OT.
I don’t agree in our democracy that people can’t accept the views of others Well then, why did you back…
Money on Jacob Hersant
Line up and collect your winnings if you had Grampian Nazis as being instigators. Hun: Tens of thousands of people…
An older man I knew well (he has since passed) said when we were chatting “ You know, India is…
I don’t believe I have seen such a complaisant cowardly performance by a major party. To be justly rewarded with a…
That “teacher” is talking sh*t . Revisionist garbage.
Infuriating stuff.
—
Avi:
‘Teachers for Palestine’ SMEAR Anzacs as villains to push hateful agenda
I’m neither reading nor watching the link because I don’t want to spike my blood pressure, but I cannot help visualising generations of our ancestors ‘up there’ quietly and with dignity turning their backs on us in embarrassment and shame.
Quelle surprise! That teacher org is in Victoria. The state that never stops sinking.
Lest we forget. I can’t make it to dawn service, but it’s dawn here so at least I can say that on this ANZAC memoriam thread. Thanks Dover.
Worthy of posting again on this day.
Two Steps from Hell – Victory Charge of the Australian Light Horse, Beersheba – extended version
From the Oz.
Loud booing erupted at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance during the Welcome to Country ahead of Friday’s Dawn Service ceremony.
Members of the crowd hurled abuse at Bunerong elder and senior cultural heritage officer Mark Brown as he welcomed the crowd to his father’s country.
“We pay our respects to all of my ancestors. We pay our respects to all of my elders. And we pay your respects to all of my community members, past, present and emerging, and we acknowledge the continuous and unbroken connection to country …” Mr Brown said.
Multiple attendees could be heard yelling “this is our country”, with one man saying “we don’t have to be welcomed”.
“Give us our country back,” another man yelled.
Despite the abuse, Mr Brown continued to deliver the heartfelt welcome, with other members of the crowd cheering in support.
An RSL Victoria spokesman returned to the microphone shortly after the Welcome to Country, saying “attendance is not mandatory” at the Dawn Service.
“There’s no team to cheer for… there’s no special prize for coming and no penalty if you don’t,” he said.
“… It’s an honour to stand next to uncle Mark Brown today as we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet today, the Bunerong people.”
My local service did the acknowledgement of aboriginals last year, and again this year, much to my disgust.
It’s still the one day in the year you see the real Australia show up, even with the efforts to push “diversity” into the ceremony.
My local service did an acknowledgement once.
And to the “hecklers” .. Well dun, lads & Thank You for Your Service ……!
The welcome to country has absolutely nothing to do with Anzac day and inserting it is insulting.
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
April 25, 2025 6:31 am
From the Oz.
Loud booing erupted at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance during the Welcome to Country ahead of Friday’s Dawn Service ceremony.
Good to see that some people have finally grown some testicles..
“… It’s an honour to stand next to uncle Mark Brown today as we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet today, the Bunerong people.”
Not so good to see that some of the people “in charge” of these ceremonies are the usual gutless coward traitors, sometimes in uniform.
In my younger, much stupider days, I used to think ANZAC Day was a callous celebration of war.
It is now insultingly obvious that it is one of the rare remnants of what used to be a decent, patriotic Australia.
Hope all Cats have a Bonza Day!
So glad there was some pushback to the tedious harangue at the beginning of the service in Melbourne. We were so disappointed with the whole thing – probably won’t attend again.
My grandfather served with a Scottish regiment at Suvla Bay? and died on a hospital ship returning to Britain from Gallipoli. He was buried at sea off Cape Finisterre. He left a pregnant wife who had just recently lost a two year old daughter to illness.
My father, the child born after his father’s death, served in WW2 with the RNZVR and the Fleet Air Arm. He flew raids against the ‘Tirpitz’ in barracudas.
My mother was in the WRENS.
My maternal grandfather rode a motorbike as a dispatch rider in Flanders. He survived but was a damaged man.
I have found ANZAC Day a suitable time to remember them all but will find somewhere other than the Shrine to greet the dawn.
Thanks for commenting, CharlieP.
Q36172 Samways, Norman. Lance-Corporal. No. 8 Platoon, ‘A’ Company, 49th Australian Infantry Battalion. Killed in Action 7 Dec, 1942, Sanananda, Papua. Born 18 Oct, 1918. Resided Rockhampton, Qld. Storeman in pre-war life.
An eyewitness, Sgt. McLean, stated: “Coming out of the jungle into [kunai] grass, we were opened on by the enemy with explosive and heavy shells. L/Cpl Samways taking the brunt of the first burst in the head and chest and I am quite certain he was dead.” His body had to be left, however, and was never recovered for burial.”
[NAA].
Please choose a name from the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour and publish it here. Give this individual a brief acknowledgement for their sacrifice.
Make this The People’s Acknowledgement to Country by respecting those who actually did something to build the remnants we still see – sometimes only in the form of shadows – around us. (It shouldn’t be necessary to state, but I will, that this includes respecting the sacrifices of any Aussie serviceman with indigenous ancestry. If they wore the uniform, they were Australian).
(If the hijacking of our history and culture continues, I foresee a time when we will need to stage alternate events).
Q31475 Harold Dooley, Corporal, was born 17 Feb, 1919, Winton, Qld. A station hand in pre-war life. He had previously served in the 26th (Western Qld) Bn. Killed in Action with the 49th Australian Infantry Battalion at Sanananda, Papua, 7th of December, 1942.
Witness, Sgt. McLean: “They were advancing through the jungle under an artillery barrage and on coming out into swampy Kunai grass, they ran into direct fire at fairly close range. Cpl. Dooley was hit in the chest, just below the right shoulder with an artillery shell [fragment]. I attempted to render first-aid to Joe Dooley but under the circumstances little could be done as it was necessary for the platoon to push on. In my opinion the nature of the wound was such that he could not live for more than a few hours. His last words to me were “Well, Mac, I am as good as any of those A.I.F.” Joe had not been with the unit long and was not well-known to many of the lads, but in my opinion he was a very good soldier and section leader and showed great bravery.”
Dooley’s body was not recovered.
VX68190 Winch, Clarence Rozelle, 39th Aust Inf Bn. Born 9 Nov, 1918, Malvern, Vic. A married hairdresser pre-war. PHOTO in NAA file. Missing, presumed dead, 13 Aug, 1942.
According to a Sgt. R.S. Rosengreen of his platoon, Winch was seriously wounded in both legs and the back from mortar shrapnel in or in the vicinity of the village of Deniki, Owen Stanley Range (Kokoda Track). He was carried several hundred metres to the RAP (Regimental Aid Post) and his wounds dressed, but the Japanese cut the track behind him and Winch had to be left behind as his mates evacuated (they went to warn others and could not return to where they had left Winch). His body was never retrieved.
NX39846 Smalley, Edward Joseph, Pte., 2/33rd Aust Inf Bn, Died of Injuries, 7th September, 1943, Port Moresby, PNG. Smalley was one of many who were killed and injured in a catastrophic aircraft crash when an American bomber taking off at Jackson’s drome crashed into several truckloads of Australian infantrymen awaiting emplaning to participate in the Lae Campaign.
The bomber was loaded with bombs and fuel. Smalley sustained “extensive 3rd degree burns all over” his body when fuel drums were ignited by the impact of the bomber, and died of his injuries. He was buried in the Bomana War Cemetery outside of Port Moresby.
Smalley had been born on the 18th of March, 1815 in Mortdale, NSW. He was a labourer in pre-war life and had served in the 1st Division Australian Service Corps (Militia) prior to enlisting in the 2nd AIF, where he served initially with the No. 3 Australian Independent Company during their garrison duties on New Caledonia.
Smalley’s father No. 975 Edward Joseph Smalley had been Killed in Action at Gallipoli with ‘D’ Company of the 3rd Bn, 1st Bde, AIF. He was 35 years old when he enlisted in August, 1915. His date of death was listed as between “7 to 12” August, 1915.
NX57689 Fitness, Denis Herbert. L/Cpl. Born 9th of March, 1922 in Bowenville, NSW. A signalman with the 2/4th Australian Independent Company, Fitness died of disease (malaria?) in Portuguese (East) Timor on the 21st of May, 1943.
Husband and I are casting our memories back to our visit to Gallipoli years ago. I will never forget it. It was part of a larger trip through Turkey -tracing the journey of Alexander the Great. Interestingly, Alexander’s army crossed at around this point where the car ferry crosses today. We had a car and drove to the vicinity of Gallipoli. As we approached I became teary. It was weird because I hadn’t been thinking of it much – except I knew that young men from my father’s family in Victoria had fought there.
Gallipoli itself was more confined a space than I had imagined. The thought of the thousands who fought on those slopes is appalling. We walked up the steep slopes on a track that was there, casually picking up a cartridge shell just lying besides the track. We stopped occasionally to note some special spaces with signage. Finally reached Lone Pine and read the signage there where I found the name of the fallen in my family. Just an extraordinary moment. Never forgotten.
Cassie of Sydney April 24, 2025 8:41 pm
Apologies, Cassie.
I wrote an answer then decided that it could stand by itself. The system doesn’t allow a blank post nor does it allow a duplicate comment.
So I have to put in a couple of random characters.
There was no insult intended.
Winnie, all you have to do is press the “Reply” button and your comment will disappear.
Yep .. a flaw in the system .. same when posting a standalone pix having to add an entry to get it thru ………
Sorry, everyone – I meant to put this in another post.
Muddy, please delete this as it doesn’t belong here.
I don’t have that control, Winston! It’s all good, though.
A bitter sweet story, very briefly told with humility from the poor memory of the writer.
Vale Alan McQueen
Alan was one of a church group who joined the Oz army in 1940. He married Dorothy, another of the church group, on her 21st birthday before heading overseas where he was a despatch rider, taking important messages between command posts, amongst other jobs. Along with many others, he was captured at Singapore and was transported to Japan as a slave POW. Gross mistreatment caused failing health and he died there in 1943/44 where he is buried.
Bill, another of the church group, was with his artillery company fighting at Shaggy Ridge in PNG when he heard of Alan’s demise. He wrote a heartfelt letter of condolence to Dorothy who responded with warmth. Bill wrote a second letter, proposing marriage which Dorothy accepted. They were married in Oz in 1944 after which Bill returned to the front and didn’t return until after well after hostilities ceased.
A son was born in 1945 and another son followed two years later. A third son, Mak, was born another 5 years further on. Yes, Bill was my dad and, soberingly, had Alan not succumbed all those years ago, I and my brothers, and all our offspring would not exist.
Lest we forget.
No.2042 Scott, William Robert. Lieutenant (enlisted as a gunner). Born Oatlands, Tasmania, a carpenter in pre-war life. Scott had served for three years with the A.G.A. (? Garrison Artillery?). Enlisted in the AIF 27th August, 1914, at the age of 24, in the 9th Field Artillery Battery. Scott was Killed in Action in the broader vicinity or Ypres, Belgium, on the 29th of September, 1917.
No.967 Grant, Norman Allen. Corporal. Born in Yackandandah, Victoria, a tailor’s presser in pre-war life. Grant enlisted on the 6th of July, 1915, at the age of 21 years and 6 months. Initially serving in the 13th Light Horse Regiment, Grant transferred to the 24th Infantry Battalion, with which unit he was killed in action on the 5th of October, 1918 at Mont Brehain, France, one of the last battles fought by Australians in the Great War.
033821 Cranston, Ian Rew. Pilot Officer. No. 77 Squadron, RAAF. Born 3rd of October, 1927 in Willoughby, NSW. A ‘qualified fitter and machinist’ in pre-war life. Enlisted on the 28th of February, 1950. Recipient of the U.S. Air Medal. Killed in Action on the 9th of March, 1952 in Meteor A77-920 in Korea. His burial in the Pusan/Tanggok United Nations War Cemetery did not take place until the 5th of January, 1956, however, his remains not having been handed over by the North Koreans until late 1955.
8216300 Cafe, Peter John, Sergeant, 2nd Commando Regiment. Served in Operation Okra in the ‘Greater Middle East’ and Died of suicide in Engadine, NSW, 6 Feb, 2017, at the age of 48.
Listed on the AWM’s Roll of Honour with no additional details.
Thought provoking.
8527154 Acreman, Cameron Ryan, Leading Seaman, HMAS Darwin. Served on Operations Accordion and Manitou in the Greater Middle East (2014 – ), and Died at Muscat [presumably Oman], on the 15th of June, 2016, at the age of 27. No further details.
I only recently remembered two of mum’s cousins who served in WWII. Sgt Bob who was in North Africa with my uncle Al. The other cousin Pte Georgie, in Crete for part of it. Later joining the other two mentioned in Italy. Mum had a photo of them somewhere in Italy. They looked so young. We never had much to do with Bob even though they lived a few hundred metres away. I went to school with the kids. Bob got some shrapnel in his arm which affected him the rest of his life. I remember walking through town with Granddad in the wintery sun, meeting his old comrades. Some of them would slip me a shilling when I shook hands with them. They were only in their early 60’s. Granddad died a couple of years later.
Rose, Eli, Able Seaman, New South Wales Naval Contingent to the Boxer Uprising, Died of Illness (Pleurisy) in Peking, China, on the 6th of January, 1901.
Bennett, Albert John (also known as Arthur James), Petty Officer 2nd Class of the NSW Naval Contingent, Colonial Military Forces, Died of Wounds on the 3rd of March, 1901, in Peking China, and was buried in the same cemetery and plot as Eli Rose (above). The AWM has a photo of the headstone. (Whether that cemetery still exists is unknown).
My searches aren’t returning anything.
SEWELL, James Ronald.10/01/1916 – 15/08/47 Shikoku, Japan
SGT J.R.Sewell was a member of No. 10 Australian Bomb Disposal Squad. The squad was engaged i a mine delouse operation on Murotasakai Beach. When they were working on the last of three mines, it exploded killing SGT Sewell, his fellow worker and 36 Japanese bystanders Awarded the George Medal.
SEWELL, John Augustus 8/11/1917 killed in action in Lae NG, 11/03/1945.Awarded the N.G. Military Medal.
Mum, Dad, Stepfather Jack, Uncles x3 all served but returned damaged emotionally and physically, and never really recovered.
All gone to God since then and all in good standing with Him.
Thanks for the contribution, Winston.
I’m not sure what you mean by your first comment though, that your searches aren’t returning anything?
I put in the names, but don’t have Service numbers. I know the stories are genuine. A couple of the fields I had to leave blank and that may be it. I accept I’m doing something wrong, but can’t figure out what.
Aha!
I put in just the last name, and removed all other fields.
Success.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1664274
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2799519
Try this link for James Ronald.
John Augustus.
For those who are unaware, my intention behind these multiple comments is that by acknowledging an individual’s name, they become – albeit briefly – more than a simple statistic or punctuation mark in a footnote of history. These names were once flesh and blood: they had families, jobs, responsibilities in and contributions to, their community.
Unlike the now performative and abstract, politically-posing, welcome-to-what-we-didn’t-build-and-you-don’t-belong-here-country, this acknowledgement of our ancestors demands nothing other than offering a polite nod to those upon whose shadow we now stand.
George Austin HumphreysService number: 3754
Rank: Sapper
Unit: 7th Field Company, Australian Engineers
Conflict/Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
A snippit
Great. Thanks for sharing.
my great grandfather served in both wars and was in the worst of it in France
when I was young, old man Craske was was a bed-ridden wreck with an enormous shock of white hair and beard who lived in the back room at Nan’s
never quite understood the relationship and used to call him the angel that lived out the back
on one occasion I was there at his bedside chatting with the old man and my two younger brothers ran the length of hallway.
two sets of rapid legato foot falls… dum, dum, dum, doom, dum and getting louder as they approached then , staccato … boom… booom…booom as they tacked each other
I watched the old man’s face go from happiness to terror as he pulled the sheets over his head whimpering. he pissed himself while shaking uncontrollably
I remember
Cpl Arthur Craske
10th Reinforcements / 22nd Battalion was born in Norfolk, England before emigrating to Australia and settling in Port Melbourne. Pte Craske was wounded in action in June 1918 and returned to Australia in January 1919
I tried searching the usual sites for ‘Kraske’ but came up with nothing.
Good stuff.
I’m guessing you’ve accessed his personnel file?
ah, I spelt it wrong in the first draft … it’s Craske (with a C)
oh wow … I can get digital copies of all his files !!
That’s a poignant memory, Matrix.
It makes me remember the story of a bloke who had been shot through the spine at Gallipoli, and then spent about 15 or so years on his back in a hospital until his early death. Wars don’t actually stop completely on exact dates; only the most visible, measurable parts of them do.
too true Muddy
enduring memory from my childhood is of what seemed like a constant stream of men who were damaged, injured, maimed
John Gow Alcorn
Service number: NX148530
Rank: Warrant Officer Class 2
Unit: 41st Australian Infantry Battalion
Service: Australian Army
Conflict/Operation: Second World War, 1939-1945
Date of Death: 31 March 1944
Place of Death: Australia
Cause of Death: Illness
Cemetery or Memorial Details: Camden War Cemetery, Camden, New South Wales, Australia
Warrant Officer Class 2 John Gow ALCORN died from pneumonia in Camden on 31 March 1944 age 44
Muddy, this is a letter to his family from Don Donaldson, tells how his brave little brother died in the battle of Fromelles (my great, great uncle). It is considered to be an important and poignant letter to family by the War Memorial in Canberra, who hold the original copy.
Frank Donaldson, 3088, 60th Bn, AIF, KIA 17/7/1916
On the last day of July, the family received a cable from Don informing them of his brother’s death – the following letter (extract), dated 15/8/16, was received at the end of September. Their father (after sudden illness) had died only days before it’s arrival.
Don Donaldson, 3090, 60th Bn, AIF, lost a foot as a result of his wound.
2nd Southern General Hospital,
Bristol Royal Infirmary
15/8/16
I know you will be anxiously awaiting this letter, but I have not been feeling up to writing while lying on me back. We were no time in France before we were into the trenches, as you know by my other letters, and when it became known that we had to charge the German trenches on July 16th everybody was in a fever of excitement. Well, they kept postponing the charge until we believed it was all off. Wish to God it had been, but on the 19th, at 6.45 p.m., we had to go over the parapet 400 yards to the German line. We were in the second wave to “hopover,” and things were very hot, bullets flying all around us. We got within 100 yards of the German trench when poor little Frank went down, badly hit in the groin. I ran to help him into a shell-hole close by, when I got one through a finger of the left hand – thought me hand was gone. Then, just as I got the poor kid to the hole, he got another to the same place, and one to the arm, and I got hit in the foot – blew half my foot right open. I tried to bandage Frank, but our field dressings were not long enough, and I could not make a proper job of it. Then I tied apiece of string round my leg to stop the circulation of the blood, which stopped my foot from bleeding. Poor little Frank knew he was going, and asked me to say the Lord’s payer with him, and said, “Poor old Dad.” But he was as brave as could be, and when his time had come a few hours later he died game and said goodbye to me quite calmly. In fact, he took it a good deal better than I did. I would have gladly have changed places with him, for he made me feel a bit of a coward, the calm way he was taking it. So you have something to be proud of, Dad, for he died the way you would have any of us die, and he has shown us the way. Anyhow, he has shown me. I never ventured out of the shell-hole that night, as shells were bursting quite close all night. My steel helmet stopped a couple of pieces getting me in the head. I got back to our trenches next day, dead beat, and the first man to give me a drink and help me to the dressing station was Jim Tracey, from Kerang. His company did not hop over as they had been in the trenches a fortnight. The boys entered the German trench nearly along a front of 5000 yards, but the casualties were that heavy they had to retire, so our work went all for nothing – not an inch gained.
[note: their brother Jack Donaldson was the famous Australian runner known as the ‘Blue Streak’]
Frank’s body is still unrecovered, but the family have provided DNA to assist in his identification, should his remains be eventually found.
That’s a vivid letter. Thanks for sharing it.
(I sometimes wonder how I’d be if I was in their place during a brisk walk into death or wounding; I imagine I’d be soiling myself in fear, but then resigning myself to it because I didn’t want to show hesitation, lest I be thought of as less than masculine. It’s a heck of a thing these blokes were asked to do, and it drives me wild when their memory is insulted by the arrogant, ignorant, and imbecilic.
The 26 names of the fallen are as follows:
I’ve read of this disaster, Bluey. In fact, a former member of my late paternal grandfather’s unit, the 2/3rd Australian Independent Company, transferred out of that coy and lost his life in Wagga, though I don’t recognise his name in the list. I’ll do some scrounging around to find him.
Recruits used to be shown the memorial at Kapooka. Don’t know if they still are.
Catalina A24-20 became missing on the 6th of May, 1942, in the Coral Sea.
The crew (No. 20 Squadron, RAAF) were: 260275 Sqn/Ldr G.E. Hemsworth, AFC; 403782 F/O L.G. McClintock; 407891 Sgt. Coulter, J.R.; 401021 Sgt. Bandy, J.P.W.; 21371 Cpl. Marsden, C; 21070 LAC Arnott, K.J.; 23549 LAC Banvill, N.R.; 13453 LAC Dorman, E.; 33208 LAC Brown, E.B.
The A24-20 had sighted two Japanese destroyers of the Port Moresby invasion convoy and was being attacked by enemy aircraft at 0422 hours on the morning of the 6th of May, 1942, three miles south of Cape Ebola on the island of Misima in the Coral Sea. This was her last communication. A captured Japanese diary later disclosed that an Allied aircraft had been shot down in front of the convoy, the crew picked up by the destroyer Yubari, and then transferred to the transport Matsue Maru, on which was the headquarters of the Nankai Shitai.
The remains of all nine crew members were found in a mass grave in the vicinity of Matupi, Rabaul, after the war. They had been executed (murdered), likely within days of their capture.
There are five files on the subject, all accessible online via the National Archives of Australia.
Hemsworth had been a pilot for QANTAS pre-war, and had (I think) some association with the famous Australian aviator Ray Parer.
Walter Ernest Brown
Born in Tasmania, Wally Brown was a grocer in Sydney when he enlisted in 1915. He was in the light horse and the camel corps before transferring to the infantry. A brave soldier, he gained the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1917.
On 6 July 1918, at Villers-Bretonneux, Brown’s party had taken over some newly captured trenches. When told that an enemy sniper was causing trouble, Brown discarded his rifle and picked up two Mills bombs. Running towards the post, he threw one bomb, which fell short, but on reaching the position he attacked a German with his fists and threatened the others with his remaining grenade. They all promptly surrendered.
During the war Brown was twice wounded, and promoted to sergeant. Although married and over-age, he served again in the Second World War. He went missing after the fall of Singapore in February 1942; he was last sighted declaring, “no surrender for me”.
Brown was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, service medals for the First and Second World Wars, and the King George VI Coronation Medal.
His WWII file states he was born in 1900, so either he enlisted in WWI as a 15 year old, or dropped his age to get into it again in WWII.
Oh, what previous generations were made of!
(It’s cheap and easy to take a shot at ourselves, but in comparison, we’re so soft now).
He dropped his age when he enlisted in WW II.
From the Roll of Honour
Leslie Cornelius Walmsley
Service number B/2261
Rank Able Seaman
Unit HMAS Perth
Date of Death 1 March 194
Place of Death Sunda Strait, Netherlands East Indies
Cause of Death Killed in action
A cousin of my mother.
I’m sure Top Ender can tell us about the Perth (and Houston, plus a couple of others I think?)
Actually, I think someone on here posted a link a number of months back (maybe earlier) about the wreck of the Perth being salvaged for scrap?
The wrecks of HMAS Perth, USS Houston, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse have all been picked over for scrap.
Some of the Dutch ships sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea have been almost completely removed.
Winston.
Have you gotten to this yet?
Augustus William Sewell.
VX148 Arthur Samuel Key, Lt. Col., Key was born 1 July, 1906, in Hawthorn, Victoria. C.O. of the 2/14th Aust Inf Bn. Missing, Presumed Dead 10th Sept, 1942. Captured Japanese documents and post-war interrogations suggest that Key and several with him were captured on the 10th of Sept following the battle for Isurava – Alola (last seen on the 31st of Aug), and Col. Key at least, was transported to Rabaul, but died very soon afterwards of malaria or a similar illness. His body was not recovered.
NG2003 Vernon, Richard Edward, Lance-Corporal. New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. Killed in Action 19th July, 1942, Markham Valley Road, west of Lae, New Guinea. His body was not recovered.
(Vernon, from memory, was armed with only an old pistol for protection. He and several others were driving a truck to an NGVR outer patrol base to deliver supplies when they were ambushed by a party of the Japanese 82nd Keibitai (naval garrison unit).
bother – made a minor format change and got my comment sent to Spam – can you help, dover0beach?
It might be quicker just to re-type your comment, Seza. I’m not sure if Lord Dover is a military history fan, and he may have other commitments today.
Just viewed in the Brisbane parade a 99 year old walking, at a good pace, past the Governor’s review platform at City Hall. Well done that man. I hope he does many more parades walking at a good pace.
H1824 Piesse, Edward ‘Ted’ Stanfield, Able Seaman, HMAS Armidale. Missing presumed Dead, 8th December, 1942. Born 13 August, 1923 in Hobart, Tasmania. Entered the RAN on the 21 of November, 1941.
My maternal grandmother knew the Piesse children, including Ted, when she was attending school at Bridgewater, Tasmania. The Piesse family had a horse and jinker which my grandmother recalled running behind with the older Piesse children.
Ted Piesse was recorded in a secondary source I have forgotten (possibly Madigan or Senberg’s book?) as having been one of those assigned to the doomed raft when the surviving crew were separated by their modes of flotation. I feel somewhat haunted by the grainy photograph of the Armidale raft. Top Ender can provide far more information on this than I can.
Harold Croft
Service number 46
Rank: Sergeant, Unit:14th Australian Infantry Battalion
Australian Imperial Force
Conflict/Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
Date of Death: 08 July 1916 Place of Death: France
Cause of Death: Died of wounds
Age at Death:27
Memorial Details: Lille Southern Cemetery, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France
My great-great uncle, “Curly” Croft. Fought at Gallipoli under Monash and with Albert Jacka. Was wounded and evacuated to Malta for treatment. Rejoined the unit as a Serjeant in Egypt and was sent to the Western Front.
During a night raid on the German trenches near Armentieres, Curly was caught on the wire and hit by machine gun fire. He had to be left there, and was captured by the Germans and taken to a field hospital where he died. He was buried temporarily in the hospital area, and eventually repatriated to the Lille Southern Cemetery’s Commonwealth Graves area.
I eventually found the gravesite with the help of a supervisor (and his voiture electrique!) and was able to get a photo.
The Old Man’s father was too young for the Great War, but his two older brothers weren’t.
One was almost famous*.
Per The Gazette:
According to his recollection of the action forty years later, a heavy, low lying mist allowed him to get very close to the Huns and an empty Lewis gun has little use as a club, so there was a lot of Webley work.
*One of the wounded was the Company CO who succumbed to his wounds and thus unable to endorse a recommendation for the next gong up.
In consolation, the Belgians and French both awarded him the Croix de guerre to go along with the DCM.
Dawn Service at Camberwell RSL 06:00am
No welcome to country bullshit.
Dignified, short speeches, bagpipes opening proceedings, local Railway band and a bugler for the Last Post.
About 200-300 people – largest attendance ever according to the MC.
Ages from the very old with medals to young people with kids and slightly older people like me at 73.
Even the No. 75 tram rattling past seemed quiet during the minutes silence.
A beautiful time to reflect on those who served and those who didn’t return.
Now rested, and off to the G to watch Collingwood bash Essendon.
Carna Pies!
William PERKINS
Regimental number 1359
Age at embarkation 44
Next of kin Wife, Mrs Hannah Perkins, Kyabram, Victoria
Enlistment date 9 August 1915 Rank on enlistment Private
Unit name 8th Light Horse Regiment, 11th Reinforcement
Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT SS Hawkes Bay on 21 October 1915
Unit from Nominal Roll 3rd Light Horse Regiment
Fate Killed in Action 23 December 1916 at the Battle of Magdhaba
Age at death: 45
Place of burial Kantara War Memorial Cemetery (Row A, Grave No. 167), Egypt Panel number, Roll of Honour,
Family/military connections Sons: 2873 Pte Stanley Oswald PERKINS, 7th Bn, returned to Australia, 5 March 1919.
My wife’s Great-grandfather – who claimed he was 44, but was 53!
ELLEN, Lennox James
Service number PM/V114
Rank Able Seaman
Unit HMAS Moreton
Service Royal Australian Navy
Conflict/Operation Second World War, 1939-1945
Conflict Eligibility Date Second World War, 1939-1947
Date of Death 08 April 1944
Place of Death Australia
Cemetery or Memorial Details Lutwyche Cemetery, Lutwyche, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Source AWM146 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, Royal Australian Navy
LENNOX James Ellen (45), married naval man, of Surrey Hills, Victoria, died in an ambulance yesterday afternoon from injuries received when he fell 15 feet from a ship’s gangplank on the Brisbane waterfront. He was visiting the ship to see his son who is a soldier in an army transport unit.
In my days as an AWM volunteer, while browsing the Roll of Honour, I came across a man whose name I now cannot recall.
IIRC, he was in the 14th Battalion, and was killed by artillery on the Western Front. He gave his age on enlistment as 43, but when filling out the Casualty Card, his widow gave his true age at death as 63.
It seems likely that he was the oldest Australian soldier to die in WW I, being some 49 years older than James Martin, the youngest.