Lance Corporal Alfred George Sinigear of Blackwood

Alf Sinigear was the only son of Thomas George Wintle Sinigear and Ellen Sinigear (nee Rowe) of Blackwood. He was born at Norwood in 1897, and was educated at Coromandel Valley Public School and at the Adelaide High School in Grote Street, Adelaide. He served in the senior cadets for three years with the 76th Battalion and after his schooling worked as a clerk for Elder, Smith & Co. Before the war he was active in the Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Boys’ Club, including its literary society and basketball team, and he was also secretary of the Blackwood Football Club 2nd XVIII and played for the Coromandel 2nd XI cricket team. He was also a local athlete of note.

He enlisted on 28 June 1915 at the age of 18, and embarked with Ack Company of the 32nd Battalion in November that year. After training in the Middle East, during which Alf was ill several times, the battalion shipped out to France in June 1916. The 32nd Battalion, as part of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division, fought its first major battle at Fromelles on 19 July 1916, having entered the front line only a few days prior. It was also the first attack conducted by Australian troops on the Western Front. The attack was a disaster, with the battalion suffering nearly 75% casualties in the worst night in the history of the Australian Army. One of those casualties was Alf Sinigear, whose body could not be located after the battle, and as a result he was recorded as killed in action. Along with 1,332 other Australians who died in the battle who had no known grave, his name was inscribed on the VC Corner Australian Memorial at Fromelles. Despite the efforts of the recent Fromelles Project, his remains have yet to be identified, although it is possible he was amongst those re-interred in the Pheasant Wood Cemetery in 2010.

Alf Sinigear's name is also inscribed on the Blackwood Memorial, the honour board in the Elders Building in Currie Street, Adelaide, and the South Australian National War Memorial, North Terrace.

Alf was the only son of an only son, and his death, along with that of his father in November that year, meant that the name Sinigear died out in Australia with the death of his mother in 1938.

Photograph: The Advertiser, 18 August 1916, page 7.

Private Henry Heyer of Upper Sturt

Harry Heyer was a son of William Heyer and Mary Ann Heyer (nee Zachariah) who lived at 'Haldeen' a property on Waverley Ridge between Upper Sturt and Crafers. He was born at Upper Sturt in 1892 and grew up in the district, working for the South Australian Railways as an engine cleaner.

He enlisted on 24 September 1915 at the age of 23 at which time he was working and living in Murray Bridge. After undergoing signalling training at Mitcham Camp, he was eventually allocated to the signals section of the headquarters of the 43rd Battalion, the third battalion to be raised solely in South Australia. He may have had trouble enlisting earlier in the war as he was only 5'4" tall, and this was under the minimum height imposed at the start of the war. As casualties mounted, the military authorities reduced the height requirements. The 43rd Battalion embarked from Adelaide on the transport 'Afric' on 9 June 1916, and disembarked at Marseilles in the south of France on 20 July 1916 after a short stop in Egypt. After entraining for the Channel coast and further training in England, the battalion was sent to France in late November 1916, and arrived on the Western Front the following month.

After an initial stint in the so-called 'nursery sector' near Armentieries, the battalion was rested in April 1917 at Oosthove Farm, during which Harry was sent for three days further signals training. In late April they returned to the mud-clogged frontline near Ploegsteert, and conducted several raids into the enemy trenches opposite. In June 1917, the 43rd Battalion was initially in a reserve role during the Battle of Messines, but then took over the advance as resistance stiffened, resulting in 143 casualties suffered by the battalion between 2-12 June.

After a short stint back in reserve, the battalion re-entered the frontline north-west of Warneton in late June 1917. On 1 July 1917, Harry was working at battalion headquarters when the area was heavily shelled by the Germans resulting in several casualties. Harry was hit in the back and left shoulder, and was evacuated via the 9th Field Ambulance and the 11th Casualty Clearing Station, but died of his wounds later that day.

He was buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, France. His mates from the signals section erected a cross over his grave.

Harry's younger brother William served in the 32nd Battalion and was killed in France on 29 September 1918.

Harry's name is inscribed on honour rolls in the Upper Sturt Methodist Church, Upper Sturt Memorial Hall and Adelaide Railway Station and on the Aldgate Memorial.

Photograph: Courtesy State Records of South Australia

Lieutenant Russell Hope Harris of Blackwood

Russell Harris was one of three sons of Charles Hope Harris and Margaret Harris. He was born in North Kensington, SA in 1889. His father was a notable surveyor responsible for surveying large areas of northern South Australia, including the towns of Port Pirie, Laura, Curramulka and Ardrossan.

Russell attended Prince Alfred College, The School of Mines and Industries, and graduated with a Diploma of Commerce from the University of Adelaide in 1912. He was working as an accountant when he enlisted on 13 December 1915.

Russell attended the 3rd Officers' Training School at Duntroon between March and September 1916, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 1 October 1916. At some point between his initial enlistment and his departure for England, he married Helen Alison Frances Harris and they had a home at Blackwood, where his mother lived. He disembarked in England on 27 March 1917 and after some additional training, was taken on strength of the 27th Battalion in France on 27 June 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 7 September 1917 and was wounded in action during the Battle of Menin Road on 20 September 1917, sustaining a shrapnel wound to his left hand. He displayed leadership and example by continuing to lead his platoon for over five hours, despite great pain. He had to be ordered to leave the frontline to get medical treatment by his company commander after the objective was captured.

Russell recovered to rejoin his unit on 23 October 1917 and received word that he had been mentioned in dispatches for gallant service and devotion to duty for his actions during the Battle of Menin Road. He remained with the battalion until April 1918 when he did a stint at the Corps reinforcement camp as an instructor. He returned to the 27th Battalion in early August 1918, and within a week was wounded for a second time during the Battle of Amiens, this time a gunshot wound to the left leg.

Following the armistice, Russell was granted leave with pay to attend a special AIF course at Bradford Technical College, then worked at Laycock and Sons Wool Mills for education purposes. He resigned his permanent commission on 27 July 1919, and planned to return to Australia via the United States, for business reasons. His wife Helen had been living in London, and accompanied him to the United States.

His younger brother Charles served with the 10th Battalion and survived the war.

Russell subsequently became a citizen of the United States and worked as a wool buyer for American Woolen Mills in Boston for over 34 years. His wife had died prior to 1951 when he visited his daughter, Mrs John Lindon who lived in Fitzroy, SA with her husband Dr John Lindon. He visited Adelaide again in 1954 after his retirement when Dr and Mrs Lindon were living in Aldgate.

His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Memorial.

Private Charles Irvine Harris of Blackwood

Charles Irvine Harris was one of three sons of Charles Hope Harris and Margaret Harris. He was born in Kensington, SA in 1894. His father was a notable surveyor responsible for surveying large areas of northern South Australia, including the towns of Port Pirie, Laura, Curramulka and Ardrossan.

After his schooling, Charles served in the junior and senior cadets and worked as a bank clerk before the war, at which time he was living in Blackwood with his mother. His father died in June 1915.

He enlisted on 30 March 1916 at the age of 20, and joined the 19th reinforcements to the 10th Battalion which shipped out from Adelaide on 12 August 1916 aboard the troopship 'Ballarat'. He joined the 3rd Training Battalion in England in October 1916, and after training, joined the 10th Battalion in France in December 1917. By February 1918 he was a trombonist in the battalion band. Contrary to common belief, after the Battle of Pozieres in 1916, bandsmen were generally not used as stretcher bearers. The band accompanied the battalion in and out of the trenches however, performing a range of miscellaneous duties when not required to perform.

Whilst he was with the battalion, it helped stop the German Spring offensive at Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, took part in the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, and then helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line.

His older brother Russell was a Lieutenant in the 27th Battalion, was mentioned in dispatches and survived the war, then emigrated to the United States.

Charles married Muriel Blanche Harris on 18 February 1928 at North Kensington, SA. During the Second World War, Charles served in the 2nd Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps between April 1942 and July 1944. He and Muriel were living at Prospect at the time. Charles died in 1953.

His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Memorial and the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church Honour Roll at the Blackwood RSL.

Corporal Ronald Percival Jones of Coromandel Valley

Perc Jones was born in 1889, a son of Edwin Elliot Jones and Annie Jones (nee Wait). His father died in 1892 when Perc was only three years old, and the family moved to the Coromandel Valley area where Annie's father had been the local butcher. Perc was schooled at Coromandel Valley Public School until an altercation with the headmaster meant he and his brother Stanley had to complete their schooling at Cherry Gardens Public School. He left school at 13 and worked as a builder's labourer in the Strathalbyn area. He was a keen horseman, and in 1910 or 1911 he served a year with 4 Squadron of the 17th Australian (South Australian Mounted Rifles) Light Horse militia unit that took in the Blackwood and Clarendon area. Before the war he was an active member of the Blackwood Rifle Club, attended the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church and Rechabite Lodge, and kept wicket for the Coromandel Valley 2nd XI.

In May 1915 the family received news that Perc's brother Fred had died of wounds received during the landing at ANZAC. Perc enlisted on 7 January 1916 and was allocated to the 16th reinforcements to the 9th Light Horse Regiment. A farewell reception was held at the Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Boy's Club on 14 February 1916, and he and Lena Hall announced their engagement just before he embarked in late April 1916. Lena Hall's brother Albert had enlisted in the Light Horse a week before Perc. By this time it was estimated that 85% of all eligible young men in the district had enlisted.

On arrival in Egypt in June 1916, Perc was allocated to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment, and after a short stint in hospital was transferred to the 27th Depot Unit of Supply at Romani. He spent three weeks in hospital in April and May 1917 at Belah then Cairo with influenza, and then was transferred to the Australian Army Service Corps in early May 1917, where he became a member of the Australian and New Zealand Divisional Train. The Divisional Train contained all the logistic and supply requirements to support the Australian and New Zealand Division. Perc was transferred between the companies of the Divisional Train over the next two years, and was promoted to Corporal in June 1918. He spent more stints in hospital with malaria and dysentery, and was dangerously ill in the 24th Stationary Hospital at Kantara for some time in May and June 1919. He embarked on the 'Dunluce Castle' at Suez on 17 July 1919, and was discharged in Adelaide on 7 October 1919.

Perc and Lena were married in the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church two weeks after his discharge. Their first home was in Blackwood where Perc worked for his brother Arch, who ran the butcher shop located at the Blackwood crossroads. Lena and Perc had three daughters, Kathleen Ellen in 1920, Hilda Ruth in 1922 and Thelma Yvonne in 1929. The corner where the butcher shop stood has been known as 'Jones Corner' for nearly a century. Perc later took over the butcher shop in Coromandel Valley until 1938 when he and Lena moved back to Blackwood and he returned to work in Arch's butcher shop.

Perc and Lena were very active in many community organisations including school committees, sports clubs and the Blackwood RSL.

During the Second World War, Perc served as a private in the 3rd Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps between April 1942 and October 1945. Two years later, Lena passed away.

Perc married Jean Paebell in 1953, and in 1967 he was living at 31 Waite Street, Blackwood when applied for his brother Fred's Gallipoli Medallion. Perc died in December 1972 aged 83 and was buried at Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on the Coromandel Valley War Memorial, the Coromandel Valley and Cherry Gardens Public School Rolls of Honour, and the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church Roll of Honour in the Blackwood RSL.

Photograph: Courtesy of Judy Tscharke

Private Frederick Wallace Jones of Coromandel Valley

Fred Jones was the fifth child of Edwin Elliott Jones and Annie Jones (nee Wait). He was born at Glen Osmond in 1888, and his father died four years later when Fred was just 4. He attended Coromandel Valley Public School and the family were active in the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church. Fred was honorary secretary of the Blackwood Rifle Club and a member of the Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Valley Boy's Club. Like many young men at the time, Fred chased work wherever he could find it, including breaking rocks for council road-making in the district. He enlisted on 28 August 1914, and the September 1914 issue of the Blackwood Magazine noted that he was amongst the first men to enlist from the area.

He joined B or 'Beer' Company of the 10th Battalion at Morphettville, and shipped out with the rest of the battalion on the 'Ascanius' on 20 October 1914. By December 1914 the battalion was camped in tents at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt. Training continued till early April 1915 when the battalion moved to Alexandria and then to the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.

About 2pm on the afternoon of 24 April 1915, Fred, loaded down with his pack and rifle, climbed on board the British battleship the 'Prince of Wales', along with the rest of 'Beer' and 'Cork' companies of the 10th Battalion. The 'Prince of Wales' then slipped out of Mudros Harbour, along with other ships carrying the rest of the first wave that was to land on Gallipoli.

Around 7pm that evening the battalion were told they could rest until 11pm. Those that were able to sleep were woken at midnight, and they were all given a welcome cup of hot cocoa by the ships' crew.

At 1am the ships stopped so the soldiers could start climbing down rope ladders into lines of rowing boats moored alongside the battleship. By 2.35am the rowing boats were full, and the battleship set off again with the lines of rowing boats attached to its sides. At 3 am the moon set and the sky grew very dark. At 3.30am the boats cast off from the battleship to be towed in threes towards the distant shore by small steamboats.

It was so dark that they would probably not have been able to see the lines of boats being towed alongside. Perhaps they could have just made out the boat behind or in front. The water was smooth as satin. It was a cool peaceful night. There was still no sign of any sort that the Turks had seen them. Close to the shore, the steamboats cast off the lines of boats, and they began to row.

About 4.29am a figure appeared silhouetted on a cliff overlooking the beach and a shot rang out, whizzed overhead and plunged into the sea. Moments later, as the boats reached the stony beach, Fred and his mates slipped over the side and waded ashore, weighed down by their equipment. Bullets struck sparks off the stones on the beach, and men were killed and wounded in the boats, in the water and on the beach. Those that hadn’t been hit ran across the stony beach to the cover of a sandy bank. They started to scale the steep hill in front of them, some driving their bayonet into the dirt to give them a handhold, as the Turks kept shooting at them with rifles then machine guns, the fire getting heavier and the casualties mounting every minute.

Sometime in the next few days of confused fighting, Fred Jones was seriously wounded. On 1 May 1915 at sea aboard the 'Derfflinger', he died. He was buried the following day at the Chatby War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. He was the first man from Coromandel Valley to die as a result of enemy action in the First World War. He is commemorated on the family grave in the Coromandel Valley Cemetery, on the Coromandel Valley Public School Roll of Honour, at the Coromandel War Memorial, and in the South Australian National War Memorial.

His younger brother Perc enlisted in January 1916, served in the Middle East with the 9th Light Horse Regiment and survived the war.

Private Gilbert Ernest Baker of Blackwood

Bert Baker was a son of James and Louisa Baker, and was born in Blackwood in September 1891. He attended Coromandel Valley Public School and worked as a labourer before the war. The September 1914 issue of the Blackwood Magazine mentions that Bert was one of twelve local men who had enlisted soon after war was declared.

He enlisted on 8 September 1914 at the age of 22, and was an original member of A or 'Ack' Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment when it formed at Morphettville. The 3rd Light Horse Regiment consisted of a headquarters and two squadrons raised in South Australia and a third squadron raised in Tasmania. The South Australian part of the regiment embarked on the 'Port Lincoln' on 20 October and disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt on 9 December 1914. After a period in camp at Maadi then Heliopolis, the regiment was volunteered to serve on Gallipoli as dismounted infantry, and landed at ANZAC Cove on 12 May 1915.

After digging in along Shrapnel Valley, the regiment was committed to defend Pope's Hill during the Turkish counterattack of 18/19 May 1915. It rotated on and off Pope's Hill until the end of July when it received a large number of reinforcements. During the period from their arrival until the end of July, the regiment had lost 29 killed and many wounded. From his first day on Gallipoli, Bert did valuable work as a sniper.

In early August, the regiment was redeployed to new positions to support the offensive which included the charge at the Nek on 7 August 1915, during which over 300 lighthorsemen from the 8th and 10th Light Horse Regiments were slaughtered. Between 9 and 22 August 1915, Ack Squadron of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment defended Quinn's Post. Throughout that period, Bert Baker did consistently good work in sniping and bomb (grenade) throwing, but on 22 August a new kind of bomb blew up in his hand as he was experimenting with it, and it blew his right hand off. He was evacuated to Mudros, on the island of Lemnos, then on to England, arriving in hospital in London on 9 September 1915, a year and a day after he enlisted. On 7 December 1915, the commanding officer of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment recommended Bert for the award of the French Medaille Militaire for his consistently good work as both a sniper and bomb thrower at Quinn's Post, but the recommendation did not result in an award. After treatment in London, Bert embarked for Australia in May 1916, and was discharged in Adelaide on 24 August 1916.

After the war Bert married Elizabeth and had a family. His grandson Jon remembers being picked up by his braces by Bert, using the prosthetic hook he wore in place of his right hand. He also remembers marvelling at how Bert rolled a cigarette one-handed.

Bert Baker died on 11 October 1957 at the age of 65 and was buried in Derrick Gardens, Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Memorial.

Photograph: Courtesy of Jon Chittleborough

Trooper Albert Ernest Hall of Blackwood

Bert Hall was born in Coromandel Valley in 1887. He was the only son of James and Minnie Hall, and the family lived at 'Wardlowvale' near Blackwood immediately before the war. The family were active in the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church.

Bert was working as a mason, mostly in the Strathalbyn area, when he enlisted on 30 December 1915, and he was allocated to the 15th reinforcements to the 9th Light Horse Regiment. He embarked with the rest of those reinforcements on the 'Anchises' in March 1916 and was taken on strength of the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment in Egypt the following month.

In September 1916 he was detached to the Imperial Camel Corps. In November 1916 he was allocated to No. 1 Company of the 1st ANZAC Battalion of the Imperial Camel Corps. While Bert was with the battalion it took part in the battles of Magdhaba and Rafa, and the three battles of Gaza. Bert spent a month in hospital in November 1917 with a fever and again in May 1918 with malaria. He went to the Light Horse depot in July 1918 when the Camel Corps was reorganised, and rejoined the 9th Light Horse Regiment in September 1918. He was with the 9th during the captures of Jenin, Sasa and Damascus just prior to the Turkish surrender. He was admitted to hospital again with malaria in February 1919 before shipping home. He was discharged in Adelaide in October 1919 and gave his address as Blackwood.

After his discharge he lived a reserved life. He suffered from asthma, and in the latter years of his life found relief by sleeping on an open verandah. He worked on the family property, milking cows, separating the milk, seeing to the poultry and attending to the garden.

During the Second World War he met and married an attractive woman, Elsie Daniels, who had two daughters from a previous marriage. The marriage did not last, and Bert moved back to the family home, which still stands.

Bert Hall died in 1962 at the age of 75 at the Blackwood Private Hospital and was buried with his parents in Coromandel Valley cemetery. His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldiers Memorial, the Coromandel Valley War Memorial and the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church Honour Roll displayed in the Blackwood and Community RSL.

Captain Gordon Cathcart Campbell MC (and Bar) of Blackwood

Gordon Campbell was born at Myrtle Bank in 1885, and was one of six sons of Dr Allan Campbell and Florence Ann Campbell (nee Way). His father was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council and has been credited with the establishment of the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now the Women's and Children's Hospital) in 1876. Gordon's maternal uncle Sir Samuel Way was a very prominent leader in the colony, serving as Lieutenant Governor, Attorney-General, Chief Justice, and Chancellor of the University of Adelaide amongst many other important roles. Gordon was educated at St Peter's College, and in his prime was one of the finest all-round athletes and sportsmen in South Australia. While he was still at school his older brothers Allan and Neil served in the Boer War, Allan being killed in action.

During his schooling, Gordon excelled in cricket, football, running, lacrosse and gymnastics, and captained the St Peter's football, cricket and running teams. Gordon went on to the University of Adelaide, and in 1906 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, then LLB in 1909. While he was at university he captained the University of Adelaide inter-varsity sports team, and captained South Australian sides in both lacrosse and cricket. When available, he also played cricket for the Coromandel Valley 1st XI. After completing his articles with Johnstone and Evans, he was admitted to the Bar in 1911, and before the outbreak of war was practicing as a solicitor and living at Blackwood.

In 1915 he married Iris Fisher, the daughter of Isaac Alfred Fisher, a first class cricket umpire. In May 1915 the family received news that Gordon's brother Neil had been wounded at Gallipoli. In September Gordon enlisted and despite having no military experience whatever, was immediately put on an officer's training course at Mitcham Camp. At the completion of the course he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and allocated to the 10th reinforcements to the 10th Battalion. He joined the battalion on Lemnos on 21 November 1915 after they had evacuated from Gallipoli, and once they arrived in Egypt he underwent training on the Lewis machinegun and was appointed as the officer commanding the battalion's Lewis gun section. In March 1916 he was promoted to lieutenant just prior to the battalion's departure for France.

On arrival in France the battalion's first major action was the Battle of Pozieres. The following is taken from a description of his actions by his commanding officer:

On the morning of 24 July, Lieutenant Gordon Campbell showed great courage dash and ability in a bomb fight which took place in the old German trenches. Not only did he handle his machine guns with marked ability, but he organised and led parties of bombers to the attack, he stood on the parapet and threw bombs into the German trench and although wounded in two places, he continued his work until the enemy were driven out. It was largely due to his work that the enemy were driven out.

For his actions that day, Gordon was awarded the Military Cross.

A week later he was temporarily promoted to captain and took command of Cork Company of the 10th Battalion. His promotion was confirmed in October 1916. In February 1917 he was wounded in the foot during the Le Barque attack, but rejoined the battalion in June. In August he was appointed to command a special company of raiders known as Y Company. The following month he led his company onto the 2nd objective during the Battle of Polygon Wood. His commanding officer wrote:

During this period, Captain Gordon Campbell displayed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in commanding his company with the utmost determination, skill and energy. When the battalion was on the forming up line they were caught in an enemy artillery barrage and became disorganised. By his coolness and determination and utter disregard of his personal safety he re-organised his own company and then assisted in the reorganisation of the remainder of the battalion. Throughout the whole of the operations Gordon Campbell’s work was admirable and he was largely responsible for the success of the operation.

As a result, Gordon was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross. He was the first officer of the battalion to be awarded two gallantry decorations. A few weeks later Gordon commanded the battalion for four days in the absence of any senior officers.

Between February and June 1918 he was hospitalised in England, and after rejoining the battalion was appointed Adjutant. Gordon was responsible for much of the planning for the Battle of Merris in late July 1918, as a result of which Corporal Philip Davey of the 10th Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross. Gordon was promoted to temporary major in early October 1918, but after a training injury necessitated his evacuation to England, he reverted to the rank of captain. After the Armistice he was involved in the negotiations for the AIF cricket team to tour Britain, and returned to South Australia in May 1919.

After the war Gordon moved to North Adelaide and practiced law. He served as a state vice-president of what is now the Returned and Services League and as president of the 10th Battalion Association. He continued his passion for cricket, serving as a state selector, a member of the Australian Board of Cricket Control and chairman of the South Australian Cricket Association. His other sports interests included roles as chairman of the South Australian Lacrosse Association and president of the South Australian Amateur Sports Association.

Gordon's older brother Lieutenant Neil Campbell was killed in action in April 1918 whilst serving with the 3rd Tunnelling Company near Erquinghem, France.

Gordon died in 1961 at the age of 76 and was cremated at Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldier's Memorial and he is also commemorated on honour boards in Scot's Church, Adelaide and Christ Church Hall, North Adelaide.

Photograph: From the Advertiser, 11 April 1917, p.6

Lieutenant Neil Campbell of Blackwood

Neil Campbell was born in Adelaide in 1882, and was one of six sons of Dr Allan Campbell and Florence Ann Campbell (nee Way). His father was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council and has been credited with the establishment of the Adelaide Children's Hospital (now the Women's and Children's Hospital) in 1876. Neil's maternal uncle Sir Samuel Way was a very prominent leader in the colony, serving as Lieutenant Governor, Attorney-General, Chief Justice, and Chancellor of the University of Adelaide amongst many other important roles. Neil was schooled at St Peter's College, and served in the cadets for five years then one year as a trooper with No.1 Squadron, South Australian Mounted Rifles. His father died in 1898, and in 1901 at the age of 18 Neil was granted a commission as a lieutenant in the fifth South Australian contingent (SA Imperial Bushmen) sent to the Boer War. He served in South Africa for one year and eight months, spending some time seriously ill with enteric (paratyphoid) fever, and then being attached to Colonel De Lisle's staff for five months towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Queen's Medal with four clasps for his service.

Following his return from the Boer War, Neil attended the University of Adelaide and the School of Mines and Industries, studying engineering. During this time he was very busy in a number of other roles, being a prominent member of the Adelaide Hunt Club, an extra aide-de-camp to his uncle, Sir Samuel Way, who was at that time the Lieutenant Governor, and showjumping at Adelaide and regional shows. He was close friends with Heywood Gordon, the son of Supreme Court Justice Sir John Gordon, and this was how he met Kathleen Gordon, his future wife.

In the early 1910's, following completion of his studies, Neil was working in the mines at Meekatharra in Western Australia as a mine surveyor and assayer, and some time prior to the outbreak of war, he married Kathleen Gordon.

In December 1914, Neil was granted a commission in the AIF on the basis of his previous service, and was appointed as a second lieutenant in the WA-recruited 10th Light Horse Regiment, not surprising given his obvious horse-riding skills. The 10th Light Horse embarked at Fremantle, WA in February 1915, and whilst he was at sea his wife gave birth to a daughter, Margaret. The 10th was amongst the light horse regiments that volunteered to be sent from Egypt to Gallipoli as infantry, and Neil landed there with the rest of the regiment on 21 May 1915.

About 3.20am on 29 May 1915, the 10th Light Horse was holding the trenches at Quinn's Post when the Turks blew up a sap and rushed the position. Neil was blown up when the mine exploded, and also suffered a gunshot wound in his left shoulder. Hospitalised on Malta and discovered to be also suffering from shell shock from the explosion, he was then embarked on a hospital ship to England and deemed unfit for active service in October 1915. He returned to Australia in December 1915, and after a stint in Adelaide he was re-assessed at the repatriation hospital in Fremantle in January 1916 and found fit for further active service.

Neil returned to England, but suffered another bout of enteric fever which further delayed his deployment to France. In September 1916 he was promoted to lieutenant, and in November 1916 he was transferred to Tunnelling Company reinforcements, probably due to his mining and engineering skills and experience. He joined the 3rd Tunnelling Company under Hill 70 near Hulluch, France on 7 March 1917, where they were heavily engaged in tunnelling and placing large mines in the tunnels. On 3 May the unit was engaged in road building and repair when he was examining a German booby trap rifle grenade located in an enemy mine shaft. The booby trap exploded, wounding him in the hands and face, damaging one of his eyes. He was evacuated to England and re-joined his unit in October 1917 wearing an eye patch, having lost sight in the damaged eye.

On 9 April 1918, Neil was commanding No.1 Section of the 3rd Tunnelling Company who were developing machinegun emplacements at Pont-de-Nieppe on the Lys River in a British sector. He was ordered to form part of a defensive line alongside the 15th Royal Scots Regiment near Erquinghem to hold the German advance. On 10 April, Neil's command was extended to include a company of a composite battalion made up of cooks, batmen and various detachments. In the late afternoon, a runner arrived with orders for the line to withdrawn, but Neil was not satisfied and got out of the position to walk back to the unit headquarters to confirm the order. He was never seen again. In his account of the action in which Neil was reported missing in action, in Chapter 13, Volume 5 of the Official History of Australia the War of 1914-1918, Charles Bean described Neil Campbell as 'a singularly fine leader'.

On 29 April 1918 Justice John Gordon was sitting at the Supreme Court when he received a message that his son-in-law was missing. He went home and the court was adjourned. Justice Gordon was the only male member of his family not to go to the war.

Witnesses interviewed as part of the board of inquiry conducted into Neil's fate in early 1919 said that he was a very brave officer who had an absolute disregard for shellfire.

Neil's younger brother Captain Gordon Campbell MC served with the 10th Battalion and was the first 10th Battalion officer to be awarded two bravery awards, receiving a Bar to his Military Cross. Gordon survived the war.

Neil Campbell's name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldier's Memorial and he is also commemorated in the North Road Church of England Cemetery, Nailsworth.

Photograph: Taken from Adelaide Hunt Club 1905 - Courtesy State Library of South Australia

Private Tressillian Herbert Coombs of Blackwood

Tress Coombs was a son of Thomas Coombs and Emily Adelaide Coombs (nee Humby), and was born at New Glenelg in 1893. When Tress was young his family moved to Woodleigh Rd, Blackwood, and he attended Cherry Gardens and Coromandel Valley Public Schools. As a young man he was a keen cricketer, playing for both Blackwood Cricket Club and the Coromandel Valley 2nd XI, and was a useful bowler. He was also a member of the Blackwood Rifle Club and was actively involved with the Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Boy's Club.

He was one of the first men from the Blackwood area to enlist, signing his papers on 24 August 1914, less than three weeks after war was declared. He enlisted at Morphettville, where the 10th Battalion was being raised, and he was allotted to B or "Beer' Company, along with Pte FW Jones, another Blackwood man. He was presented with a pocketbook at a farewell by the Coromandel Valley Cricket Club on 9 September. After a few weeks training the battalion embarked on the 'Ascanius' on 20 October and sailed for the Middle East. By December 1914 the battalion was camped in tents at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt. Training continued till early April 1915 when the battalion moved to Alexandria and then to the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.

'Beer' Company along with C or 'Cork' Company of the 10th Battalion were in the first wave ashore at Gallipoli in the early hours of 25 April 1915. During the confused, hard fighting that day, Tress Coombs was wounded in the leg and evacuated on an improvised hospital ship to Cairo, where he arrived on 30 April. By that time nearly half of the battalion had become casualties. He recovered quickly, returning to Gallipoli on 18 July, just as the unsanitary conditions were resulting in many cases of dysentery. By mid-August half the remaining battalion members had been evacuated with diahorrea. Tress himself was hospitalised on 12 August with diahorrea, and put aboard the hospital ship 'Valdavia', but died of enteric fever (also known as typhoid or paratyphoid fever) on 16 August 1915. He was buried in the East Mudros cemetery on the island of Lemnos, Greece.

Tress Coombs' name is inscribed on the State National War Memorial, the Blackwood Soldiers Memorial, and the Coromandel Valley Primary School Roll of Honour.

Lieutenant Llewellyn Weston Claude Leak of Upper Sturt

Llewellyn Leak was the eldest son of Daniel Leak and Cleopatra Annie Leak (nee Winwood) of Upper Sturt. Llewellyn was born in 1887 in Unley and attended the Unley Public School. After he finished school he passed the civil service exam and worked as a railway traffic auditor with the South Australian Railways. He was an accomplished cellist and a member of the Musicians Union. In 1909 he was elected honorary treasurer of the Holdfast Bay Yacht Club. He was also a keen cyclist with the North Adelaide Cycling Club. He was a Lieutenant in the militia before he enlisted, as well as a prominent member of the Adelaide Rifle Club.

He enlisted at Adelaide on 19 January 1916, and almost immediately was sent to non-commissioned officers school and provisionally promoted to Sergeant. After spending time training reinforcements at Mitcham Camp he was sent to attend the 3rd Officer Training School at located at Duntroon in the Australian Capital Territory. Whilst he was at Duntroon he received news that his younger brother Lance Corporal Hugh Phillips Leak of the 10th Battalion had been killed in action at Pozieres. Llewellyn graduated with the rest of No.5 Platoon in August 1916 and returned to Adelaide.

On 1 October 1916 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and spent the next year or so again training reinforcements at Mitcham Camp. On 9 December 1916 Llewellyn married Stella Gladys Evans at his grandparents house at Glenelg. Stella was the fourth daughter of David Evans of Upper Sturt, a sister of Douglas Evans (also on this blog) and the couple lived at Upper Sturt. Llewellyn entrained for Melbourne on 27 October 1917, and embarked with the rest of the 20th reinforcements to the 27the Battalion on the 'Aeneas' on 30 October 1917. Whilst he was at sea on 23 December 1917, his wife Stella gave birth to a son, Weston Hugh Leak.

After some more training in England, he crossed the Channel to France and finally joined his unit on 10 April 1918, taking up over command of 13 Platoon, 'Don' Company, 27th Battalion which was resting near Albert, France. Cecil Oswald, whom he had gone through officer training with back in Australia, joined the battalion the same day. The Battalion spent the rest of April and May in fairly quiet sectors, rotating through frontline, support and reserve areas.

The following month the battalion was part of the successful 7th Brigade attack at Morlancourt on 10 June, when the unit killed over 130 of the enemy, and captured one officer and 80 men, as well as 13 machineguns and two trench mortars. On 8 July, Llewellyn was promoted to Lieutenant, and at the end of the month he was sent to the Australian Corps Bombing (Grenade) School to attend a short training course.

On 2 September 1918 the 27th Battalion was ordered to capture the villages of Allaines and Haut Allaines near Peronne. During the attack, 'Don' Company was the leading right hand company, and German machineguns on high ground to the right of the advancing troops caused a large number of casualties, including all but two of the officers of 'Don' Company. Llewellyn Leak was one of the officers wounded, in his case in the chest and throat. He was evacuated first to the 6th Field Ambulance then the 5th Casualty Clearing Station. His condition on arrival at the casualty clearing station late on 2 September was described as 'very grave'. He hung on for two more days, but died of his wounds at 7.15pm on 4 September 1918. Soldiers that had served under his command later described him as a 'brave soldier' who was 'loved and respected by his men, with whom he was very popular'.

He was buried in the Proyart communal cemetery extension on 5 September 1918. A few years later his remains were exhumed and laid to rest in the Heath Cemetery at Harbonnieres.

Stella Leak died in 1976 at the age of 81. During the Second World War, Llewellyn and Stella's son Weston served as a Lieutenant with the 2nd/6th Field Ambulance.

Llewellyn Leak's name is inscribed on the State National War Memorial and honour boards in the Glenelg Town Hall, North Adelaide Cycling Club, Adelaide Railway Station and the Upper Sturt Methodist (now Uniting) Church.

Scope of Project

I have been thinking about how to keep the project manageable in terms of numbers (I now have just short of 300 names), but also limiting it to a defined geographical area that makes sense in terms of the pattern of settlement and transport links of the district pre-war.

Due to the key importance of Blackwood Station as a transport hub and the coach services that serviced the surrounding district I have decided that the project will cover the area traced by Main Road from Belair to Coromandel Valley (with a short branch down Shepherd's Hill Road to Eden Hills), Cherry Gardens Road through Cherry Gardens, Ironbank Road through to Upper Sturt and Upper Sturt Road back to Belair, including settlements on either side of those roads. This will include the settlements of Ironbank and Scott Creek but not Dorset Vale or Chandler's Hill. I am looking for an old map to confirm the boundaries of these settlements as they were defined at the time.

Ironbank Methodist Sunday School Honour Roll

On 6 July 1919, Mr George Laffer MP presided over the unveiling of an honour roll at the Ironbank Methodist Sunday School by a Dr Dawkins. The honour roll included the names of all former students of the Sunday School who had served in the First World War. The names were:

Claude Ahrens
Albert Brown
Gordon Brown
Harry Brown
John Carthew
Lancelot Carthew
Alexander Coats
Alick Coats
Arnold Coats
Britton Coats
Charles Coats
Frank Coats
Gilbert Coats
Norman Coats
Reuben Coats
David Davies
Cecil Edwards
Douglas Evans
Frederick Evans
Thomas Evans
Frederick Gates
Henry Gates
Jack Hancock
Charles Hill
Cleveland Hill
John Hill
Rowland Hill
Henry Holland
Percival Holland
Clifford Jacobs
William Batt
Hal Jacobs
William Pole
Herbert Slater
Alfred Uren
William Warland

This information is drawn from an article from page 9 of the Adelaide Advertiser, 11 July 1919.

Sergeant Douglas Evans, MM, CdeG (Belgian) of Upper Sturt

Douglas Evans was a son of David Evans of Upper Sturt. As a boy he attended Sunday school at the Methodist Church at Iron Bank. Before the war he worked as a gardener and lived in Upper Sturt.

He enlisted on 3 April 1916 at the age of 29, and after a period of training in England joined the 48rd Battalion in France in December 1916. During early months of 1917 the battalion rotated in and out of the trenches near Gueudecourt. During 1917, the 48th Battalion fought in the disastrous First Battle of Bullecourt in France in April where the battalion's casualties totalled 14 officers and 421 other ranks. After being thrown in by companies to support the brigade attack at Messines in June, the battalion received reinforcements, and had some rest behind the lines. The battalion's next major action was the First Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium in October, where over half the battalion became casualties. In late October Douglas spent two weeks on leave in England then a stint at the ANZAC Corps training school. After rotating in and out of the trenches during the winter of 1917/1918 with the battalion, Douglas was promoted to Lance Corporal in February 1918. This promotion marked the beginning of a remarkable six months for Douglas.

The 48th Battalion played a crucial part in stopping the German Spring offensive in front of Amiens in late March and early April 1918, and following the attack on Monument Wood in early May, Douglas was promoted to Corporal. The battalion took part in the Battle of Amiens in August 1918, and following that battle Douglas was again promoted, this time to Sergeant, as the battalion helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg Line. Douglas was now the Scout Sergeant of the 48th Battalion, responsible for reconnaissance, patrolling and laying of 'jumping off' tapes for attacks. During a spell in mid September 1918, his commanding officer recommended him for a mention in dispatches for his performance as Scout Sergeant, describing him as a brilliant patrol leader who displayed daring and skill especially during night patrols.

Eleven days later the battalion was in the first wave of attacks on the outposts of the Hindenberg Line opposite Bellenglise, after which his commanding officer wrote that he had displayed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, untiring energy and disregard for personal safety, which inspired all men working with him. He was subsequently awarded both the Military Medal and the Belgian Croix-de-Guerre for his actions during the period from February to September 1918. He was granted leave in England in early November 1918, but returned to the battalion in France until he started his return voyage to Australia in April 1919. He arrived back in Adelaide in August, and was discharged in September 1919.

He returned to Upper Sturt after the war, and during the Second World War was living in Crafers when he enlisted as a Sergeant in the 4th Battalion of the Volunteer Defence Corps, in which he served until October 1945.

Trooper Oswald Vincent Pearson of Blackwood

Oswald Pearson was the only son of George and Marion Ann Pearson (nee Gravestock) and was born in Riverton in 1892. After attending school at Rose Park, he joined the firm of Elder, Smith and Co. working for four years at the Adelaide head office in Currie Street before moving to the country. He trained as a wool-classer at the School of Mines and Industries whilst working at head office. He worked in various locations, including Broken Hill, before taking over the management of the Snowtown office in 1914. In that same year, his mother re-married, his father having died some years before. His mother and two sisters lived in Blackwood with Oswald's step-father, James Dawson McLean. After war was declared, Oswald was very active in raising patriotic funds to support the war effort, auctioning goods donated for that purpose on Australia Day 1915.

Oswald had tried to enlist in Broken Hill in 1914, but after moving to Snowtown he successfully passed the medical examination in October 1915 and was allocated to the 14th reinforcements to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. he embarked at Adelaide on 10 February 1916 on the 'Warilda', but on the voyage from Adelaide to Fremantle he contracted meningitis. He disembarked at Fremantle on 15 February 1916, and was admitted to No.8 Base Hospital at Fremantle, but died four days later.

He was buried in Fremantle cemetery, and his name is inscribed on the Blackwood Memorial, the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial and the Elder Smith honour board at their head office in Currie Street, Adelaide. His name is also inscribed on a plaque in the South Australian Garden of Remembrance, Centennial Park.

Private Frank Palmer Smith of Coromandel Valley

In 1896, the year Frank Palmer Smith was born, his parents Jacob Adam and Mary Ellen 'Nell' Smith (nee Mincham) bought a block of land along the Sturt River in Coromandel Valley where they established a dairy. Their home was built by John Weymouth and it still stands on The Knoll Crescent. Frank attended the Coromandel Valley Public School, and as a boy enjoyed roller skating and playing the piano, for which he won several prizes. He also served for a year in the senior cadets. In 1912 he passed the civil service exam and began work as a clerk. Before the war he assisted with gymnasium classes at the Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Boys’ Club.

He enlisted on 11 September 1914 at the age of 19, joining 'Cork' Company of the 10th Battalion at Morphettville and boarding the troopship 'Ascanius' on 20 October 1914. By December 1914 the battalion was camped in tents at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt. Training continued till early April 1915 when the battalion moved to Alexandria and then to the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.

About 2pm on the afternoon of 24 April 1915, Frank, loaded down with his pack and rifle, climbed on board the British battleship the 'Prince of Wales', along with the rest of 'Cork' and 'Beer' companies of the 10th Battalion. The 'Prince of Wales' then slipped out of Mudros Harbour, along with other ships carrying the rest of the first wave that was to land on Gallipoli.

Around 7pm that evening the battalion were told they could rest until 11pm. Those that were able to sleep were woken at midnight, and they were all given a welcome cup of hot cocoa by the ships' crew.

At 1am the ships stopped so the soldiers could start climbing down rope ladders into lines of rowing boats moored alongside the battleship. By 2.35am the rowing boats were full, and the battleship set off again with the lines of rowing boats attached to its sides. At 3 am the moon set and the sky grew very dark. At 3.30am the boats cast off from the battleship to be towed in threes towards the distant shore by small steamboats.

It was so dark that they would probably not have been able to see the lines of boats being towed alongside. Perhaps they could have just made out the boat behind or in front. The water was smooth as satin. It was a cool peaceful night. There was still no sign of any sort that the Turks had seen them. Close to the shore, the steamboats cast off the lines of boats, and they began to row.

About 4.29am a figure appeared silhouetted on a cliff overlooking the beach and a shot rang out, whizzed overhead and plunged into the sea. Moments later, as the boats reached the stony beach, Frank and his mates slipped over the side and waded ashore, weighed down by their equipment. Bullets struck sparks off the stones on the beach, and men were killed and wounded in the boats, in the water and on the beach. Those that hadn’t been hit ran across the stony beach to the cover of a sandy bank. They started to scale the steep hill in front of them, some driving their bayonet into the dirt to give them a handhold, as the Turks kept shooting at them with rifles then machine guns, the fire getting heavier and the casualties mounting every minute.

Sometime on that first ANZAC Day, Frank Smith was shot through the left foot. Four agonising days later he finally made it to a hospital in Cairo.

He survived his wound, but it was bad enough that he was repatriated to Australia and discharged as medically unfit in November 1915. He had spent little more than a year in the AIF. His older brother John enlisted a year after Frank, and died of arsenic poisoning whilst training in Egypt in May 1916.

After the war Frank worked on the family farm, eventually taking it over when his father died. He met Muriel Mcintosh at a dance, they married in 1928, and had four children, twins that died shortly after they were born, and Patricia and John. Frank and Muriel were devoted to each other. In 1935, Muriel died when John was only three months old, and it hit Frank very hard. Patricia went to live with her grandparents Jacob and Mary, and John, who was disabled, went to live with an aunt closer to Adelaide. Frank continued to work the dairy farm. Sadly, Frank’s suffering wasn’t over. When John died at the age of twenty two, Frank went down the Sturt River and in his grief dug a dam which today is known as the John Wesley Smith Memorial Lake. It is located within the Frank Smith Reserve, just behind the Coromandel Valley Primary School off Magarey Road. Frank didn’t want the land broken up, so when he sold it to the Mitcham Council he made sure it would be kept as one lot, which is why the community is still able to enjoy it today.

Frank is remembered by his family as a kind man, who played the piano beautifully. He was an active member of the Blackwood RSL. Early in the Second World War he enlisted in the Army for home service, and sometime that year he married Hilda Priest. In 1944 he tried to enlist in the RAAF.

Frank died at the Repatriation Hospital at Daw Park on Ash Wednesday 1983 at the age of 87 and was buried in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park. His daughter Pat is still alive, two of his grandsons still live on the Knoll at Coromandel Valley, and his granddaughter Heather works at the Blackwood Library. His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldiers' Memorial.

Private Archibald Percy Choat of Cherry Gardens

Archie Choat was the third of the seven sons of Joseph Choat and Alice Mary Choat (nee Broadbent). He was born in 1897 at Cherry Gardens, but the family moved to Clarence Park before he was old enough for school. He attended Goodwood Public School and was working as a farm labourer for the Duncan family at 'Gum Creek' near Clare before he enlisted.

As he was only 18 years old, he needed his parent's permission to enlist alongside his older brothers Ray and Wesley on 12 July 1915, and all three were allocated to A (or 'Ack') Company of the SA/WA-recruited 32nd Battalion with sequential regimental numbers.

Embarking from Adelaide on 18 November 1915, the Battalion disembarked at Suez on 18 December 1915, and after training in Egypt sailed for France in June 1916. On 19 July 1916 the inexperienced battalion was thrown into the poorly planned Battle of Fromelles. During the night of 19/20 July 1916 Ack Company of the 32nd Battalion was cut-off by German counter-attacks and Archie and his brother Ray were killed. Their brother Wesley was wounded by shrapnel and captured by the Germans. Archie's body was found and buried at the Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, France. His name is inscribed on: the State National War Memorial, the Goodwood Primary School honour board, the Goodwood Anglican Church Monument, the Unley Town Hall honour roll and the family grave at Mitcham Cemetery.

After his death his parents and friends wrote to the Red Cross and the Department of Defence and placed family notices in the Advertiser remembering Archie. Among the letters and messages, his parents said their 'hearts were rent, and well nigh broken'. His brother Wesley escaped from the German prison camp and received the Military Medal in recognition of his bravery in doing so. It was common for family and friends to include a short poem in notices placed in the newspaper, and the following poem was the one chosen for Archie by his friend 'Olly':

rest on in peace, o warrior brave
now your task is o'er
all your best you gladly gave
to help us win the war
but the last post now has sounded
you've laid aside your sword
and god has called you from us
to your noble-won reward

Photograph: Courtesy State Records of South Australia

Private Victor Rupert Sydney Boothey of Blackwood

Vic Boothey was born at Blackwood in 1882, but his family must have moved to Mount Gambier before the turn of the century. In February 1905, the Advertiser reported that Vic was riding his bicycle from Kalangadoo to Mount Gambier when he was overtaken by a bushfire in a stringybark forest. Surrounded by fire and nearly suffocated by smoke he just managed to escape. Three months later Vic was again the subject of an article in the Advertiser when he almost severed his ear in a bicycle accident. Apparently he was a keen cyclist who competed in road races in the south-east.

Vic was living at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island and working as a motor mechanic when he travelled to Adelaide to enlist in January 1916 at the age of 32. He played for the Kingscote Football Club. His next of kin was his sister Beatrice, who lived in Mount Gambier.

After spending most of 1916 undergoing signals training and being transferred from one set of reinforcements to another, Vic was eventually allocated to the 6th reinforcements to the 43rd Battalion and embarked at Adelaide on the 'Berrima' in December 1916. After disembarking at Devonport, Vic spent time training in England before shipping out to France in late September and joining the 43rd Battalion at the 'Toronto' camp near the Ypres salient in Belgium on 8 October 1917.

The day after he joined the battalion it marched to the front line and entered the support trenches in the rear of the 44th Battalion. Over the next few days the 43rd Battalion was shelled heavily, including with gas shells, and on 12 October 1917 Vic was evacuated with gas-related wounds. He rejoined his unit on 22 November, and in late January went to hospital sick. He attended a two week training course in late February 1918, and not long after he returned to the Battalion it was rushed south to the Somme to help stop the German spring offensive. After a short rest, on 24 May 1917 the 43rd Battalion re-entered the frontline near La Bizet, and two days later Vic was gassed for the second time. He quickly recuperated, rejoining the Battalion on 8 June 1918 when it was in reserve near Villers Bretonneux.

After stints in the reserve and support trenches the unit was withdrawn for training alongside tanks, and on 4 July 1918 participated in the highly successful Battle of Hamel. During the training for and conduct of this attack a company of American troops were attached to the 43rd Battalion. During the battle the unit advanced 1700 yards, and captured over 300 prisoners and 20 enemy machineguns. On 8 August 1918 the unit participated in the hugely successful Battle of Amiens, and during the remainder of August helped drive the Germans back to the Hindenburg line.

Vic was granted leave in the UK between 29 August and 16 September, and after he returned the Battalion was committed to the capture of the Hindenburg Line on 30 September 1918. This was the last action of the 43rd Battalion in the war.

After the fighting ended on 11 November, the battalion wintered in the Picardy region of northern France, and in 1919 began returning to Australia in drafts for demobilisation and discharge. Vic was transferred to the 5th Australian Mechanical Transport Company from 12 March to 3 July 1919, before embarking on the 'Persic' in July and disembarking in Adelaide on 27 August 1919. He was discharged on 4 October 1919 and it is believed that he returned to Kangaroo Island.

His name is inscribed on the Kangaroo Island Council and Dudley District (Penneshaw) honour boards on Kangaroo Island. He died on 23 June 1950 at the age of 67 and was buried at Centennial Park.

The Broadbent clan of Cherry Gardens

Just finished doing the basic research on the six Broadbent boys from Cherry Gardens. They appear to have all been brothers or cousins:

Private Albert George Broadbent, 5th Pioneer Battalion: killed in action at Bullecourt, France 10 May 1917. Brother of Marshall Broadbent below.

Private Ralph Leslie Broadbent, 43rd Battalion, killed in action near Messines, Belgium 31 July 1917

Sapper Marshall Broadbent, 3rd Tunnelling Company, survived the war but died in an explosives accident at the Golden Horseshoe mine near Kalgoorlie, WA in 1940. Brother of Albert George Broadbent above.

Private Leland Keith Broadbent, 48th Battalion, survived the war and died aged 82 in 1980. Brother of Lindsay (Reg) Broadbent and Rowland Broadbent below.

Private Lindsay Reginald Broadbent, 32nd Battalion, wounded twice, lost one or both legs as a result, survived the war, died aged 85 in 1975. Brother of Leland Keith Broadbent above, and Rowland Broadbent below.

Corporal Rowland Broadbent, 11th Field Ambulance, gassed, survived war, Methodist clergyman, died in 1947 aged approximately 66. Brother of Leland Keith and Lindsay Reginald Broadbent above.

There is also Sapper Harry Franklin Broadbent, MM of the 2nd Divisional Signals Company who survived the war but apparently took his own life a few years later. Harry was a brother of Marshall and Albert George Broadbent above, but I can't find a link with Cherry Gardens for him.

I will be writing to the 'Cherry Chatter' team at Cherry Gardens to see if there is any more they can add.

Private Albert George Broadbent of Cherry Gardens

Albert Broadbent was a son of Harry Broadbent and Agnes Broadbent (nee Mackereth) and was born at Cherry Gardens, SA in 1879. He attended Cherry Gardens Public School, but the family must have moved to Western Australia around the turn of the century. Before he enlisted Albert was a farm labourer, well sinker and miner and was living in Dowerin, WA.

He enlisted on 3 April 1916 at the age of 36, and was allocated to the 6th reinforcements to the 5th Pioneer Battalion which embarked at Fremantle, WA on 30 October 1916. After two months training in England Albert joined the 5th Pioneer Battalion on 7 March 1917. Two months later, two days before his 37th birthday, Albert and the rest of 'Don' Company, 5th Pioneer Battalion took over a camp occupied by the 2nd Pioneer Battalion near Bapaume, France. On the night of 9/10 May 1917 and during the following day, while the Second Battle of Bullecourt raged nearby, artillery shells hit the camp, including one shell that made a direct hit on one of the 'Don' Company tents. That single shell killed 12 members of 'Don' Company and wounded a further 23. One of those killed was Albert Broadbent.

Albert was buried in the Vaulx Hill Cemetery (the picture of Albert's grave was taken by Don Watton of Cherry Gardens). His name is inscribed on the Cherry Gardens War Memorial, the Cherry Gardens Methodist (Uniting) Church roll of honour (as AC Broadbent), a stained glass window in the Cherry Gardens Methodist (Uniting) Church, and the Cherry Gardens, Iron Bank, Dorset Vale Districts honour roll.

On 17 March 1919 a photograph of Albert George Broadbent was unveiled at the Cherry Gardens Public School alongside photographs of ten other former students who paid the supreme sacrifice.

Photograph: Courtesy of Don Watton

Lieutenant Horace Lionel Billing of Coromandel Valley

Horace Billing was born in Mount Gambier, SA on New Year's Eve 1891 to Clara Eleanor Billing. He attended school in Mount Gambier, finishing his high school days in 1910. He worked as a student teacher at several schools over the next few years, including Mount Templeton, Hummock's Hill (Whyalla) and Thebarton. In December 1915 he received his senior certificate from the Public Examinations Board and it is believed he was teaching at Coromandel Valley Public School when he enlisted in March 1916.

Horace attended non-commissioned officer training in Adelaide in May and June 1916 and was allocated to the 6th reinforcements to the 50th Battalion in October 1916. He sailed for the UK in late October 1916 as an acting sergeant (probably due to his age and status as a teacher), but reverted to the ranks upon arrival in England a few days before his 25th birthday. His leadership skills must have been obvious as he was promoted to provisional corporal after a few days and attended more non-commissioned officer training before he was sent to France where he joined the 50th Battalion on 13 May 1917. Less than two weeks later Horace was promoted to lance corporal, and he served during the Battle of Messines from 7-12 June 1917. In July he was promoted to corporal, and in September the battalion was again heavily engaged during the Battle of Zonnebeke on 26 September 1917. A few weeks later he was sent for officer training, and after further training rejoined his unit on 17 April 1918 as a second lieutenant, and was allocated command 10 Platoon, 'Cork' Company.

Early on the morning of 24 April 1918, the German spring offensive hit the frontline east of Villers-Bretonneux. 10 Platoon were roused from their billets in the village of Daours at 5am to participate in a counter-attack to recapture the town, but didn't move off until after 11am. As they marched to link up with the 49th Battalion, 'Cork' Company was hit by a number of German 'whizz bang' shells, one of which struck very close to Horace causing a serious head wound. He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 May whilst he was recuperating, and rejoined the 50th Battalion on 12 June 1918 whilst they were back in the frontline near Daours. On 8 July the Battalion was involved in the Battle of Hamel, then between 8-10 August they attacked along the Bray-Corbie Road as part of the Battle of Amiens. Horace went on leave in the UK in September, followed by a further training stint at the gas school before the war ended.

After the war ended Horace was initially detached as a finance officer at the Australian Corps School before being granted six months leave to attend language courses at the Sorbonne in Paris and at Rome University. Before he embarked to return to Australia he also visited schools in Scotland. He finally returned to South Australia in February 1920 and his appointment as an officer was terminated in April 1920. At first he lived in Malvern with his mother, but was moved around to various locations as a school teacher then school inspector. During the Second World War Horace served as a lieutenant in the 4th Garrison Battalion between June 1940 and February 1944. He was living in Lamaroo when he volunteered. In the 1950's the Billings lived in both Goodwood Park and Mount Pleasant, and they were living at Glengowrie when his wife Irene died in 1969. Horace marched with his former battalion comrades on ANZAC Day, often catching up over a drink at the Crown and Sceptre hotel afterwards. Horace passed away on 6 December 1976 at the age of 84 and was cremated at Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on the Coromandel Valley Public School roll of honour and the Unley Town Hall Honour Board.

Photograph: Courtesy of State Records of South Australia

Private Thomas William Alley of Belair

Tom Alley was the son of William Alfred and Thirza Alley and was born at Belair in 1897. He attended Brownhill Creek Public School and worked as a gardener. Tom served in the junior and senior cadets before the war.

He enlisted on 24 August 1915 at the age of 18, and although he sailed with the 13th reinforcements to the 16th Battalion in January 1916, he was subsequently transferred to and joined the 48rd Battalion in Egypt in early April 1916. After spending some time in the trenches guarding the Suez canal, the battalion entrained for Alexandria and sailed to Marseilles in early June. Over the next month the 48th Battalion was engaged in static trench warfare, generally spending two weeks in then two weeks out of the frontline. However, between 5 and 7 August 1916 the 48th Battalion held ground in the village of Pozieres during what has been described as the heaviest artillery barrage ever experienced by Australian troops. During those three days the 48th Battalion suffered 104 killed, 418 wounded and 76 missing. Sometime on the second day of that barrage Tom was wounded in the left leg and didn't rejoin his unit until 11 September 1916. The day Tom returned to the battalion it was in reserve, and his commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Ray Leane arranged for the picture hall in the village of Poperinghe to screen a movie for the men. Two weeks later the battalion returned to the frontline for another stint in the trenches.

After the terrible winter of 1916/17, the 48th Battalion fought its first major action of 1917 during the Battle of Bullecourt on 11 April when the battalion captured a section of the Hindenburg Line but was forced to withdraw due to the failure of the supporting tanks. In June the battalion participated in the second stage of the Battle of Messines. Later that year the 48th Battalion were involved in the abortive attack on Passchendaele on 12 October 1917 when more than half the battalion became casualties. Tom was wounded again on 20 October 1917 as the battalion moved into support trenches, but he stayed on duty.

From mid-February until early July 1918 Tom went absent without leave twice, and with a stint in hospital and some time undergoing punishment following a court martial he didn't rejoin his unit until early July 1918. In late September, after a further stint of absence, he was promoted to lance corporal and detached to the brigade signals school for training until early November 1918. Between January and May 1919 Tom went absent without leave on four separate occasions, and was court martialled once again. He finally sailed for Australia in July, arriving in Adelaide in August and was discharged in October 1919.

After the war Tom apparently lived in Torrensville for some time, and died on 30 September 1989 at the age of 93 and was buried at Centennial Park. His name was inscribed on the Roll of Honour at All Hallows Anglican Church on Coromandel Parade, Blackwood, and the Brownhill Creek Public School Roll of Honour. When she sent his photograph in to the State Library in the 1920's, his mother Jean described him as 'a dinkum Digger'. Translated into today's language (as much as that is possible), I think that means he was 'a bit of a lad'.

Photograph: Courtesy of State Records of South Australia and Miss Jean Alley of Belair

Private Ralph Leslie Broadbent of Cherry Gardens

Ralph Leslie Broadbent was a son of Henry Field Broadbent and Mary Hill Broadbent (nee Hughes), and was born at Wandearah, SA (south of Port Pirie) in 1895. He attended Victor Harbor Public School, was a keen sportsman and worked as a farmer before the war.

He enlisted on 16 June 1916 at the age of 20, and after a short stint in a training unit in England, joined 'Cork' Company of the 43rd Battalion in France in January 1917. After several months of static trench warfare, Ralph fought in his first major action during the Battle of Messines in June 1917.

On 31 July 1917, the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, the 43rd Battalion was ordered to capture six German posts near Warneton, Belgium. 'Cork' Company was tasked to capture three of the posts, and took many casualties during the capture of one located in a ruined windmill. During the attack or the subsequent German and Australian counter-attacks, Ralph was killed in action. 44 members of the battalion were killed that day. His body could not be located after the battle, and his name is inscribed on panel 27 of the Menin Gate Memorial near Ypres, Belgium, along with many other Australians with no known grave.

After the war the town of Whyalla (previously called Hummock's Hill) named a street (Broadbent Terrace) in his honour. His name is also inscribed on the State National Memorial, the Whyalla memorial and the Cherry Gardens Methodist Church Roll of Honour. In describing her son for the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mary Broadbent quoted from a letter sent to her by Ralph's platoon commander in which he described him as 'a splendid companion to have nearby when things were hot, who always set a splendid example of cheerfulness, even under most adverse conditions'.

Photograph: Courtesy State Records of South Australia

Private Harold Braley of Belair

Harold Braley was born in Liverpool, England in 1895 and was raised in the same area, serving with 1st Liverpool Western Cavalry Volunteer Cadets in his teens. He emigrated to Australia and by the age of 20 he had married and was living with his wife Ruby at Karrob Lodge, Belair, and working as a motor driver.

He enlisted on 18 August 1915, and embarked for overseas service on 11 January 1916 with the 13th reinforcements for the 12th Battalion. Upon arrival in Egypt he joined the 52nd Battalion on 3 March 1916. A few weeks later he was admitted to hospital with a serious middle ear infection, and was consequently invalided back to Australia for that reason in May 1916. After six weeks at Keswick Hospital he was discharged for deafness on 23 August 1916, just over a year after he enlisted.

On 12 June 1918 he died of meningitis at Keswick Hospital at the age of 23. The meningitis was found to have been aggravated by his service. By this time his wife Ruby had given birth to a child, and in 1920 Ruby Ann Braley applied for a widow's living allowance. Harold Braley's name is inscribed on the honour roll at All Hallows Anglican Church, Coromandel Parade, Blackwood.

Photograph: Courtesy State Records of South Australia and Miss Jean Alley of Belair

Private Frank Leslie Ougden of Blackwood

Frank Ougden was the only son of Elizabeth Ougden (nee Chivell). He was born in 1893 at Alberton, and his father Charles James Ougden died when Frank was only one year old. At some point before the war his mother moved to Blackwood. After his schooling, Frank found work as a hardware assistant. Before the war he was an active member of the Anglican parish which included Blackwood, Belair and Coromandel Valley.

He enlisted on 26 August 1915 at the age of 22, and was allocated to the 2nd reinforcements of the 32nd Battalion. When he arrived in Egypt in February 1916 he was transferred to the 48th Battalion, which sailed to France in June 1916.

The 48th Battalion's first major battle in France was at Pozieres where, along with the rest of the 4th Division, it was responsible for defending positions previously captured by the 2nd Division. Over the period 5-7 August 1916, the battalion was hit by one of the longest and heaviest artillery barrages ever faced by Australian troops. During those three days the 48th Battalion suffered 104 killed, 418 wounded and 76 missing. On the evening of 6 August, 'Don' Company of the battalion, of which Frank was a member, relieved 'Ack' and 'Beer' Companies in the frontline, which by then consisted of open shell holes with no connecting trenches. During the following day Frank Ougden suffered shrapnel wounds to his left wrist, left thigh and spine.

Frank was evacuated to the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, but died the following day and was buried at Puchevillers British Cemetery. He was 23 years old.

His name is inscribed on the Blackwood Soldiers' Memorial and an honour roll in Holy Innocents' Church, Coromandel Parade, Blackwood, as well as the State National War Memorial, North Terrace, Adelaide.

Photograph: Courtesy State Records of South Australia

Private Jesse Strange of Cherry Gardens

Jesse Strange was a son of Henry Strange and Charlotte Strange (nee Ricks). He was born in Cherry Gardens in 1887 and attended the local public school. As a teenager he won prizes for his garden produce at the local agricultural shows in 1901 and 1902. He then worked as a gardener in Cherry Gardens, and under the leadership of his father, became an active member of the Independent Order of Rechabites, a friendly society that encouraged temperance.

He enlisted on 2 June 1915 at the age of 27, and joined the 4th reinforcements to the 27th Battalion. After a stint in Keswick Hospital with measles he sailed to Egypt and joined A or 'Ack' Company of the battalion at Tel-el-Kebir in late January 1916. After another stint in hospital he sailed to France but was found to have contracted the mumps and was hospitalised in Marseilles on arrival. He caught up with the battalion on 23 April 1916. The 27th Battalion took part in its first major battle at Pozieres between 28 July and 5 August 1916. On the final day of that battle Jesse received a gunshot wound to his right arm and was evacuated back to England.

Jesse's wound was mild and he recuperated quickly, rejoining the battalion in France in early December 1916. The unit participated in minor attacks during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917. Jesse reported sick with influenza in early September 1917 and did not rejoin the battalion until early January 1918. After two weeks leave in England in February 1918 he returned to the battalion. In April 1918 the battalion fought to turn back the German spring offensive, and in May Jesse returned to hospital for a further month, again with influenza.

He rejoined the 27th Battalion on 4 June 1918, and the following day the battalion entered the frontline near Sailly-le-Sec. On 10 June 1918 the battalion attacked and captured German trenches around Morlancourt. Sometime on 11 June 1918 Jesse was killed in action, probably during heavy German shelling of the forward posts the 27th Battalion established after the attack. His cousin Charles Ricks, who was also serving with the 27th Battalion, had been killed on the first day of the attack. Despite the efforts of Jesse's brother Arthur, the Red Cross were unable to find out any details about Jesse's death.

Jesse's body was never located, and as a result his name is on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, along with many other Australians with no known grave. His photograph was displayed in the Cherry Gardens Public School after the war alongside other former students that died in the war. His name is inscribed on the Cherry Gardens War Memorial and the State National War Memorial.

Photograph: Courtesy Don Watton

The War Graves Photographic Project

As a result of the article in the recent Mitcham Community News, I was contacted by South Australian members of the War Graves Photographic Project. This project is aimed at photographing every war grave, individual memorial and family memorial of military personnel from WW1 to the present day. They now work in a joint venture with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and make the photographs available through their website (linked through the title of this blog entry).

A brilliant resource. They have already visited and photographed cemeteries in the Cherry Gardens area, and are hoping to visit other cemeteries in Blackwood and surrounding districts later this year.

Well done to everyone involved!

The Tunnellers research website

As result of some research I was doing on the Broadbent boys from Cherry Gardens, I came across 'The Tunnellers' research website at http://www.tunnellers.net/pages/indexpag.html. Some brilliant work has been done my those responsible, including a nominal roll of members of the Mining Corps (which included the Tunnelling Companies). So far Neil Campbell and Andrew Thomas of Blackwood and Marshall Broadbent of Cherry Gardens all belonged to the 3rd Tunnelling Company, so I expect more will turn up as I go.

Well done to John Reading and crew.

Driver George Tuckey Wray of Blackwood

George Wray was born in Eastwood, SA in 1898 and attended Unley High School. He served for four years in the senior cadets and one year in the Citizen's Forces, and after leaving school was apprenticed to the Union Engineering Company in Adelaide for four years.

He enlisted on 4 May 1917 at the age of 19 and was allocated to the Mechanical Transport Reinforcements. His older brother Frank Hewett Wray had enlisted two years earlier and was serving with the 3rd Australian General Hospital. After a couple of months training at Mitcham Camp (in modern-day Colonel Light Gardens), he was transferred to Broadmeadows Camp on the outskirts of Melbourne, Victoria. His reinforcements embarked at Melbourne on 30 October 1917. George arrived in England just after Christmas 1917 and after two months driving duty in London was sent to France in March 1918. He initially drove siege artillery ammunition trucks before being detached from the 6th Mechanical Transport Company to General Monash's Australian Corps Headquarters, probably as a staff car driver. He served out the rest of the war on this detachment.

After a two week leave in England in early February 1919 he had a stint in hospital before he was shipped back to Australia in June 1919. His brother Frank ended the war as a staff sergeant with the 3rd Australian General Hospital and was once mentioned in dispatches. George was discharged in August 1919 and lived with his parents in Fullarton.

In 1924 George married Frances Ethel Clark and they lived in Netherby where they raised their two children Margaret and Granville. Frances died in August 1936. In 1939, George moved to Main Rd, Blackwood and married Daisy Hewett and they had one child, Helen who was born in 1940. During the 1940's George and his brother-in-law Harry Hewett laid the piping for the irrigation of the Blackwood Bowling Club in Simla Pde. George and Harry looked after the irrigation of the Bowling Club for many years, and George served for many years as Treasurer, also serving terms as Vice President and President of the Club. A motor mechanic by trade, George was a manager at the Adelaide Cooperative Society garage until 1957, then at Hannan Brothers until he retired. The family lived in the district until the 1980's, and throughout that time George was a very active golfer, lawn bowler and keen member of the Blackwood RSL. His daughters remember him as a very kind and loving father with a great sense of humour, who was well respected in the community. George died in 1981 at the age of 83 and was cremated at Centennial Park. His name is inscribed on a window in St Saviour's Anglican Church, Glen Osmond, on the Myrtle Bank Memorial and the Unley Town Hall honour roll.

Photo: Courtesy of Margaret Herbstreit and Helen Ashby (George's daughters)
Colour Patch of the Mechanical Transport Companies: Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial