The Great Adventure'

THE

GREAT

ADVENTURE

by Barry Allan

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This book was first published in print in 2010 and follows on from my earlier book 'Black Sheep and Gold Diggers' that told the story of convicts Joseph Allen and Richard Venvill, and of the early lives of their descendants Bill Allan and Elizabeth Vurlow. Bill and Liz never married each other but had many children. Three of their boys George, Joe and Dave served in the AIF in World War One. This book is an account of the boys' army service, their family's situation during the war, and of the consequences for all of them that came afterwards.

The family's story at Footscray is based upon real events and the personalities, as far as they are known, of the people involved. For the military action I have used factual records, only inventing dialogue to give some life to the narrative, and occasionally including the boys in real battlefield incidents where they were known to be present but where no names were recorded. All the people named in the book were real and their actions are taken from sources such as Army Service records, Unit War Diaries, and two excellent books written about the 5th Battalion and the 6th Machine Gun Company. Both were written soon after the war by Officers who were in those Units. Those books have enabled me to include explanations of tactics, anecdotes about individual men, and background detail such as weather and specific battlefield conditions on particular days.

The spelling of place names has changed in some cases, and I have usually used the modern spelling to make it easier for the reader to find them on a map, but I have used Ypres here whereas the spelling now is Ieper. All the French towns mentioned can be easily found on internet maps, and I suggest that regular reference be made to those maps in order to follow the frequent and confusing movements of the Army Units. Even here I have omitted many route marches between billets that the troops undertook, to keep the story readable. For the same reason I have included few details of other Allied armies, but it should not be assumed that the Australians were in any way unique in enduring the conditions described.

I have simplified the descriptions of battles in most cases for clarity. There was much more going on, even concerning the three boys, than I have written here, but those details tended to complicate the story without adding much to the reader's understanding of it.

My thanks go to several people who provided assistance during my research. By some good luck I discovered Joe's daughters Rose and Margaret, who I previously didn't know existed, living in Melbourne. They provided valuable information about Joe, especially his life and attitudes after the war. However they knew almost nothing about his war service and had little information about Dave, Mavis or Ellen, and they had never heard of George or Tasman. June Howard knew Joe, his wife Daisy, Mavis and Ellen, and provided background information and anecdotes that helped me to gauge their personalities.

My thanks also go to Charlotte's niece Patricia Clements, the last living person to have seen George, who provided some personal anecdotes, background information and photos of Charlotte, Gwen and George junior. Also thanks to her daughter Gayle King who passed information back and forth to her mother, vetted the story for accuracy of family details, and encouraged me to get the book finished.

I myself met Mavis and Ellen more than 40 years ago, long before I had any knowledge of, or interest in family history, and so missed the opportunity to ask questions.

Barry Allan 2012 Table of Contents

Prologue Chapter 1 Melbourne 1914 Chapter 2 The AIF 1914 Chapter 3 Gallipoli 1915 Chapter 4 Lone Pine Chapter 5 Footscray 1915 Chapter 6 Egypt 1916 Chapter 7 Western Front Chapter 8 Fromelles Chapter 9 Pozieres Chapter 10 The Somme Chapter 11 First Pioneer Battalion Chapter 12 Footscray 1916 Chapter 13 Bullecourt Chapter 14 The Long Rest Chapter 15 Ypres Chapter 16 Bulford 1917 Chapter 17 France 1918 Chapter 18 Final Battles Chapter 19 Footscray 1918 Chapter 20 Coming Home Chapter 21 The Twenties Epilogue

Prologue The young men of Melbourne were excitedly anticipating the grand opening of Luna Park just before Christmas in 1912. The rides and other attractions that it offered were just what they needed to provide an interesting place to take a girl on an outing. Moving pictures were still a novelty that they liked, but the shows didn't change often enough to fill their needs. Picnics had always been popular, but a train trip to the country and a walk to some suitable spot was becoming somewhat humdrum. Daylight public bathing had only been legalised a few months earlier, but it was still banned on Sundays. The boys had at first enjoyed the experience of seeing their girlfriends in less than the usual full- cover clothing that was fashionable at the time. Their comparatively scanty neck to knee bathers had aroused the lads, and it has to be said, the girls too, and there was a general increase in the level of sexual activity among the youngsters. Swimming was seasonal though, and Melbourne's weather wasn’t always suitable for a day of sightseeing at the beach, so a new fun place to take a girl was just what they needed.

George Allan and Charlotte Bennet were both eighteen years old and had met only recently, but had already found a strong mutual attraction. George knew it wouldn't be long before they fully consummated their relationship, and he was looking forward to the event. A day at Luna Park with a ride on the Scenic Railway, a boat ride through the Caves of the World, some fun in the Penny Arcade and a performance at the Palais de Follies was almost guaranteed to get a girl in the mood.

And so it did. By the time of George's nineteenth birthday in February of 1913 they had thoroughly consummated their relationship, and continued to do so at every opportunity. Charlotte turned nineteen a month later, and the party continued.

George was 5 feet 7 inches tall, strongly built, having fair hair and blue eyes, and with his family trait of square jaw and heavy eyebrows. He would be described as rugged rather than handsome. He was still growing and would be a strong young man in a few years. He lived with his parents and worked as a labourer at a quarry near Footscray. That work was building muscle onto his solid frame. Charlotte was 5 feet 5 inches tall, with dark wavy hair and a cheeky grin that went with her outgoing personality. Her father had died a year earlier and her mother now took in boarders to help with their poor financial position. Charlotte worked as a domestic servant, so was also helping with the finances.

The couple's family backgrounds were very different, but they hadn't got so far in their relationship for that sort of personal information to be exchanged. It was just sex for the moment, and it was all going so well that they both ignored any possible consequences until June, when Charlotte found she was pregnant.

She had tried to time their liaisons to minimise the chance of pregnancy but it had gone wrong somehow. She wasn't sure what George's reaction would be when she told him, but decided on a direct approach. Their next outing the following Sunday was memorable for both of them, and she broke the news to George with some trepidation.

'George I think I'm pregnant.'

George was momentarily lost for words, his brain slowly processing the information. No immediate course of action came to mind and he had no idea what to do next. This was a complication that he wasn't prepared for. Then the obvious question formed in his mind.

'Ah jeez Lottie are you sure? That will put a spoke in our wheel.'

'Yes I'm fairly sure. I'll be seeing the doctor this week.'

'Well what can you do about it?'

Charlotte bristled. 'We're in this together George, so don't think you're just going to leave it all to me. Anyway, we can't do anything about it!' Charlotte had already dismissed any thought of abortion. Her Catholic upbringing prevented any such possibility. 'I'll have the baby and I expect you will do the honorable thing and marry me.'

George could see his little world crumbling at the thought of marriage at the age of nineteen. This wasn't part of his life's plan, vague as that was. Working at the quarry and having a good time on his days off summed up his life goals. Charlotte was a good friend and sex partner, but babies and marriage were things he hadn't even considered. 'What about adoption? You could give it away and no one would know.' George's mind was still processing all the possible scenarios he could think of, none of which so far involved himself.

'My mother would know, and anyway, this is your baby too. Do you want to give away your own flesh and blood and never know if it's being properly looked after?'

Then, in what George thought of as a compromise, he suggested; 'How about we just live together? We tell people we're married, and no one will ever know we aren't.'

'Again George, my mother will know! If you're willing to live with me, why not get married?'

George had no answer to that because he'd never thought the logic through. All he knew was that his own parents weren't married, and it seemed to work for them. Charlotte's forcefully presented opinion started to sway him.

'Well we'd have to get married soon. Where would we live? There isn't room at our place for you and a baby. I don't earn much at the quarry so money will be short too. It would be hard going.'

Charlotte could see George wavering. 'Yes, I'll have to stop working soon, but we'll just have to make do. If we both pull together we can make it work.'

They went home that evening and George spent a restless night thinking about his predicament. The problem as he saw it wasn't that Charlotte was going to have a baby and would have to look after it for years, it was that he was going to have to get married before he was ready. Jeez, there were still plenty of girls out there who he hadn't tried out yet, and he was going to miss out on all that fun.

By the time the doctor confirmed Charlotte's pregnancy though, he'd come to terms with it all. George was a basically decent sort of lad, and he decided to shoulder his responsibilities and become a family man. All that was left now was to tell both their families they were getting married. He didn't know what Charlotte's family would think, but he knew his own parents wouldn't care.

George was born into a large family group that consisted of his unmarried parents, Liz and Bill, and eight half-brothers and half- sisters from their former marriages. Then there were George and his three younger brothers, and a baby sister. This complex family structure had evolved over the years, and was mostly his mother's doing, although she hadn't planned it that way. She just didn't foresee that her disinterest in social conventions as a young woman would lead to complications later.

Liz had been an unconventional girl right from the start. She was born in 1862 under a bullock wagon beside the muddy Melbourne - Ballarat road near the town of Bacchus Marsh. She was the grand-daughter of a former convict named Richard Venvill, who was pardoned in Tasmania and then moved to the Port Philip District before Melbourne was founded, and eventually became the manager of a sheep property near Mount Egerton. His eldest child Susan was Liz's mother.

Susan had married a Swiss immigrant named Alexander Vurlow and Liz was their first child. Liz eventually had three sisters and four brothers, and the kids' early childhoods were spent being dragged from place to place around the goldfield towns near Ballarat as their father worked for the many small gold mining companies that came and went in that district. Finally in 1868 the family settled at the small town of Mount Egerton, which had been established in the gold rush years.

As Liz grew into a young woman she had a reputation for being strong-minded, and something of a rebel. She saw herself as being progressive, and was sympathetic to the socialist views that were flourishing in the younger generation. She delighted in flouting convention and seeing the shocked reactions of older people to her outspoken criticism of what she considered to be their old-fashioned ways. She also noticed that since the development of her womanly figure at the age of fourteen, she attracted the attention of boys. She wasn't especially pretty, but her well-developed figure had become a magnet for the hormone-rich boys of Mount Egerton. She rejected their advances until she was old enough to go to the weekly dances that all the young men and women in the district attended. It was the usual way to meet members of the opposite sex. It was also the place that they learned the practical aspects of sex.

Every town had its lover's lane where young couples went to experiment, and Liz had become familiar with all of them. She discovered early on that she was able to excite boys by letting them touch her body, and she was amused to see the effect it had on them. It wasn't long before a persistent lad caused her to take the plunge and have full-on sex with him. It was not particularly satisfying for Liz, but once that hurdle was cleared, she soon discovered other young men who showed her how much fun it could be.

When Liz's luck ran out in 1884 and she found she was pregnant, she had no intention of marrying the father, and decided to ignore people's disgust at her loose morals. Her Grandfather, the ex-convict, was more understanding than the rest of the family, and his support helped her through. The boy was born in 1884, and she named him James. She registered his birth under her own surname of Vurlow and recorded his father as 'unknown'.

Liz had a break from the dances for a while, but as James grew older she could leave him with her sisters and go out to enjoy herself again. She was more careful with sex now, but eventually found herself pregnant once again. She registered her second son in 1887 as Thomas Vurlow, illegitimate, father 'unknown'. Again her Grandfather supported her through the family's embarrassment.

Another four years of casual but careful sex culminated in her third pregnancy in 1891. This was too much even for her Grandfather, and under intense pressure she decided to marry the father. The man chosen was a Welshman named Richard Williams who had only recently come on the scene. They were married in Bacchus Marsh in 1891 and their baby girl was born in 1892. She was named Ellen and was registered in the approved manner as Ellen Williams. Richard had suffered from asthma on and off for some time, and just a year after they were married, he suffered a major attack and died. Liz then had three children to raise on her own.

Bill Allan had been born in 1860 about 25 miles north of Mount Egerton at the gold mining town of Blackwood. He was the son of another convict Joseph Allen, who had been a Glasgow street hoodlum, sentenced to ten years for assault and robbery. He was pardoned as part of a Political scheme to inflict convicts upon the otherwise free settlement of Melbourne in the 1840s. He immediately became a foot policeman, and then a detective. After being sacked from the Victoria Police Force in 1854 during a purge to remove former criminals from their ranks, he moved to the bush. He found gold in the hills north of Ballan that would later become the settlement of Blackwood. Old Joseph had lived to the age of 82 and by the time he died in 1902, he was known as a pillar of the Blackwood community. By then, no one remembered that he had been a convict, or that he had been arrested for trying to kill his wife, Bill's mother, in 1870.

Bill and his mates thought nothing of travelling miles to Mt. Egerton or to Ballan for the dances, where he met Liz. She was always surrounded by suitors so Bill never formed a permanent relationship, but they had casual sex over a few years from the late 1870s. In 1882 Bill moved away from Blackwood to Allendale to work in the gold mines, and he soon found a new girl there to satisfy him. Her name was Alice and he made her pregnant almost immediately.

Contraception was not something young people thought about too much, and single girls often became pregnant. Marriage was common for girls from the age of 16, and many were rushed affairs to prevent embarrassment, not so much to the youngsters, but to their parents. Bill and Alice had one of those rushed marriages so that their first child would be conventionally registered with a mother and a father.

Bill and Alice then had four more children in quick succession, but Alice suffered health problems from having so many pregnancies so close together. In 1889 they were living at Clifton Hill in Melbourne when she and her last baby became seriously ill at the same time, and both died within weeks of each other. Bill was then left with four children to raise, and moved back to Blackwood to be near his mother.

Bill and Liz had seen each other from time to time over the years and each knew the other's situation. So, after Richard Williams died, they decided to combine their two families. Liz wasn't interested in marriage though, and they just lived together so that the kids could have a stable upbringing. By then, Bill was 32 years old, and Liz 30. At first they lived at Barry's Reef near Blackwood where Bill worked as a gold miner.

It wasn't long before Liz was pregnant again, and went back to her family at Mt. Egerton for the birth. The boy arrived in February of 1894, and since she still wasn't married, Liz registered him as illegitimate, father 'unknown'. That was young George's introduction to the world. After the birth Liz and George went back to Barry's Reef again. Despite the way he was registered, young George was always raised as Bill's son.

Liz followed the same procedure in 1896 with 'Joseph, father unknown', and then in 1898, 'Rupert David, father unknown'. Bill had never liked Rupert as a name, so he always called the boy David and that name had caught on. As he grew up, David never used his first name anywhere, and he was always known as Dave.

The big family moved across to Mt. Egerton for a few years, but regular work was hard to come by, and Bill thought about moving to Tasmania. His older brother Joseph already worked there in a mine at Beaconsfield. The Beaconsfield gold mine had been working since 1878, and seemed to offer long term employment that the boys would be able to benefit from as well. They left Liz's eldest boys, James and Tom, living with Liz's mother at Mt Egerton while Liz's only truly legitimate child, eight year old Ellen, went to Tasmania with them. Soon after they arrived in Tasmania, Liz was pregnant again and had her new baby there in 1900. It was a boy, so they named him Tasman, and when he was legitimately registered, Bill was named as his father. They still weren't married, but it was easier that way.

Government administrative procedures were evolving and the public's attitude that 'near enough is good enough' regarding official records, which had applied from the mad gold rush days of the mid 19th Century, was changing. By 1901 as Federation created new bureaucracies, it was becoming more difficult to interact with government agencies without proof of identity. Few people had birth certificates and many would have been incorrect anyway, so a person's word was usually enough, except for legal matters when a statutory declaration may have been required.

Nevertheless, more attention was now being paid to identification, and Bill and Liz decided that to avoid complicated explanations they would tell anyone who needed to know, that they were married.

Bill hadn't worked long at Beaconsfield before he realised that this mine was dangerous. There was a large underground body of water that often flooded the mine, and the best pumps available were not able to cope. Production was often suspended for weeks, and sometimes months, while the shafts were pumped dry. By 1902 there were rumours that the mine could close in the near future, so Bill decided it was time to go. Another consideration was that Liz had been having medical problems ever since Tasman was born, and it looked as though she might need surgery. They considered a move to Melbourne to get good medical treatment, and there were plenty of quarries there for Bill and the boys to find work.

The family moved from Beaconsfield to the Melbourne suburb of Northcote since it was near both the hospital and Clifton Hill where Bill had worked before, and Liz received some treatment that eased her medical problem for the time being. There were only a few quarries in that immediate area so they soon moved on to Footscray where there were many more quarries to pick from.

Bill's children from his marriage to Alice were all adults now, and didn't come with them. Bill, Liz and the remaining boys, George, Joe, Dave and Tasman, along with Ellen, moved into a new rental house in Talbot Street opposite the Footscray railway station, and Bill worked in a local quarry. Liz continued having medical problems and eventually had surgery that as a side effect, left her uninterested in having sex. That was when Bill turned his attention to his eighteen year old step-daughter Ellen.

Soon after they arrived at Footscray, Ellen became pregnant. Her daughter was born in 1911, and was registered as Mavis Williams, illegitimate, 'father unknown'. But to save embarrassing explanations, she was raised as Bill and Liz's daughter and was known as Mavis Allan. Tasman was eleven years older than Mavis so it was a stretch, but people accepted it for now. The fact that she strongly resembled the boys, especially Joe, helped the story.

Liz hoped that by being unencumbered with a child, Ellen would have a better chance of attracting a man other than her step- father, to marry. The relationship between Bill and Ellen strained even Liz's radical views, but they all remained living together for the next 14 years. Only the three of them knew the truth then, but it would eventually become known years later, and would break the already fragile family bonds.

Bill was a tough man, apparently inheriting some of his father's more undesirable characteristics, and the boys were brought up rough. Misdemeanours were punished severely, and the boys tended to stay away from their father as much as possible. Liz was more forgiving and shielded them to some extent, but they each developed an independence that didn't include a desire for close family ties, even with each other.

Charlotte's family was much more traditional, although her mother Margaret had had her first baby out of wedlock at the age of 15. The baby died within a year, but by then Margaret had been forced to leave their small country town, and found years later that she had been cut out of the family inheritance as well. From the time she was 21 Margaret was married and had the rest of her children in the approved manner. Myrtle was first but she was adopted out, and then Charlotte was next.

In August of 1913 George and Charlotte were married at Yarraville and then moved into a rented house in Lennox Street to begin what they both expected would be a reasonably happy life together. Their families had accepted their situation, and a rushed marriage saved any public embarrassment for Charlotte's mother. As George expected, his father Bill didn't bother to go to the wedding, but Liz brought Ellen and the boys along. It was then that George realised how different their two families were, but the ceremony went off without any hitches, so it didn't matter.

George now worked at a Yarraville quarry, and baby Gwen was born in March of 1914 at the Footscray hospital. As their first wedding anniversary approached George and Charlotte had settled into married life, and it looked as though, despite their very different family values, everything would work out satisfactorily.

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Chapter 1

Melbourne - 1914

The steam whistle blasted its mournful note across the suburb, sounding the end of the working day at the Yarraville quarry. The workers who had been cutting bluestone rocks from the quarry face throughout the day put away their tools, shook the dust out of their clothes, picked up their belongings and headed for the gate. George Allan was now 20 years old and had worked at this quarry at the end of Somerville Road near the river for nearly a year, ever since his marriage to Charlotte in August of 1913. This was one of the larger quarries that scarred the landscape around Footscray and other nearby western suburbs of Melbourne in 1914. Bluestone quarries had been operating all over this region for fifty years and Melbourne newspaper cartoons often unkindly referred to Footscray as 'Stoneopolis'. Many of the smaller quarries had already closed as they exhausted their local seams of basalt, and eventually others would as well. The prospect of job losses had been uppermost in residents' minds until the local Council devised a plan to attract industries to the area.

From 1898 Footscray had diversified and developed to become a major manufacturing area, and adjacent suburbs, including Yarraville, were close behind. These new industries provided much needed employment for the expanding population of Melbourne, as well as producing goods for export.

Yarraville is situated at the junction of the Maribyrnong and Yarra rivers, and had until the late 19th Century been a very pleasant area. Then an influx of companies, encouraged by the local Council, had precipitated a rapid decline in the appearance and atmosphere of the place as factories and processing plants were built along the river bank between Yarraville and Footscray. A new sugar refinery, textile factory, meatworks and tannery took advantage of the in-built drainage system by dumping their waste, often nearly toxic, and always noxious, straight into the Maribyrnong River. It immediately flowed on into the Yarra which emptied into Hobson's Bay at Port Melbourne.

The residents in the Footscray/Yarraville region were not too concerned about that though, because these companies were providing jobs for unskilled men who made up the majority of the workers in the area. Many of these companies also built houses for their workers to rent. The Angliss Meat Company alone built more than 30 houses in Donald Street and Railway Parade. The economic depression of the 1890s was still fresh in people's minds, so any job was a good job.

Churches, town halls and factories were mostly built from the bluestone that came from local quarries, and the roads were being paved with it too. So the growth of industry and jobs, despite the unpleasant odours that wafted around, was a comfortable arrangement for all concerned. By now, Footscray's earlier newspaper cartoon nickname had been replaced with the even less attractive 'Stinkopolis'.

George had followed his father into mining and quarrying after finishing school. He knew that by inhaling dust he would eventually suffer the same health problems as Bill, but there weren't many other unskilled occupations that he could follow. The standard working week was six days, and George earned a little more than the basic wage, but he had no particular ambition to be rich, so he considered he was doing quite well for his family.

His younger brothers Joe and Dave would later follow the same path, but Tasman was the youngest, and was growing up in the dawning age of the motor car. He would become a truck driver, and would later work in a garage near the Rising Sun hotel on the Geelong Road.

George wasn't a big man but he looked solidly built from working at hard physical jobs. He had already suffered short bouts of phthisis that caused him breathing problems now and then. His job title of Quarryman was really no more than a specialised labourer, but it paid a bit more than the ordinary one. The extra money was partly to cover the additional dangers of rock falls and explosives accidents, and also it seemed, it had to cover this lung congestion as well. George wasn't sure that the few extra shillings he was paid was adequate compensation, so he had been looking around to see what other jobs might be suitable, but so far without result. He would check the newspaper again when he got home to see if there were any new opportunities.

With his hat and coat on, Gladstone bag in hand, containing a now empty lunch box, yesterday's Argus newspaper, and a sweat-soaked towel, George set out to walk the 400 yards to his rented house in Lennox Street, where Charlotte and Gwen would be waiting for him. Gwen was born just eight months after their marriage, which was a rushed affair so that few people would know that Charlotte was pregnant at the time. The marriage was working out well though, and it looked as if there would be no further social scandals, such as separation or divorce. The July afternoon was cold and darkness wasn't far off as George opened his front gate and walked up the short path to the narrow verandah that ran across the front of the house. The house, like all the others in the street had a small frontage with just a window and the door that opened into the small living room. It had a fireplace in one side wall and a hallway ran down the interior along the other wall. Two small bedrooms opened into it. The hallway ended at the kitchen at the back of the house where a combustion stove that Charlotte kept burning nearly all the time, warmed that end of the house and provided hot water. The bathroom and laundry were in an annex with a sleepout just outside the back door. There was a small yard surrounded by a high paling fence, and a short path led to the toilet which stood prominently in the middle of the yard, in line with all the others in the street. Just beyond the toilet, a gate in the back fence opened into a narrow laneway running behind all the houses. The laneway provided access for the night-soil collectors and a playground for the kids since there were few cars around, and none in this working class street.

There was a general store, hotel, butcher, bakery and dairy only a few streets from their house, and the Yarraville railway station was next to the shops. George and Charlotte could take the train to Flinders Street Station in the centre of Melbourne in about twenty minutes if they wanted to, or get off at Footscray. But everything they needed could be bought locally, so they seldom went to the city and only occasionally to Footscray where there were clothing and hardware shops. So, everyday life for the family was quite comfortable without the need for personal transport of any description.

Charlotte was feeding Gwen in her high-chair as George came in, tossed his hat onto the cupboard, put his bag on the table and removed his coat.

'G'day Lottie, how has Gwen been today?' He bent over and gave them each a peck on the cheek.

'Oh she's been good today. Her cold seems to have passed now.' Charlotte looked at his dirty clothing. 'Leave your clothes in the laundry. I have a big wash to do tomorrow, so I hope the weather will stay fine to get it all dry.'

George opened his bag and took out its contents.

'Did you buy a paper today? I want to keep looking for a job that doesn't involve breathing dust.'

Charlotte nodded towards the cupboard. 'Look at the front page. It says there will be a war in Europe soon.'

George glanced at the paper. 'Mmm' he said, 'but Europe's a long way from here so it won't affect us. I'm going to get cleaned up then I'll read about it.'

Charlotte gave Gwen her last mouthful of mashed vegetables and stood up. 'Your tea will be ready in a few minutes.'

Twenty minutes later George was showered and fed, and sat down to read the paper. The story that Charlotte had been concerned about, reported that since the heir to the Austria- Hungary throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by Serbian extremists in Sarajevo three weeks earlier, Russia and Serbia sided against Austria. Germany then sided with Austria against Serbia and Russia.

George wasn't unduly worried by the story. It was all a long way away and he couldn't see how it would affect Australia, much less himself. He had registered for his compulsory military cadet training when that law was introduced in 1911 along with all the other young men aged between 12 and 18 years, but he had failed the medical examination due to his lung congestion, and was declared medically unfit for service.

His younger brother Joe had registered in 1913 and had no trouble with the medical or the basic military training. Dave was two years younger than Joe but looked up to him rather than George because Joe seemed to be doing interesting things. George had always been annoyed at Joe's undisciplined approach to life that nevertheless always seemed to work out well for him. He never seemed to suffer any consequences for his actions, and was known as a likeable larrikin. But George kept his feelings to himself. Joe was still too young to volunteer for the regular forces and any war would be over before he was old enough, so George wouldn't be embarrassed by his younger brother becoming a soldier and fighting for his country while he was left at home shovelling rocks.

Even as George was reading the paper, events on the other side of the world were moving quickly. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, so their allies Russia and Germany were obliged to join in. Germany invaded Belgium which was aligned with Britain, who then also had to join in. By August all of Europe was at war. The newspaper stories continued over succeeding weeks, reporting the deteriorating political and escalating war situations, as German troops invaded France. They advanced towards Paris but French forces slowed them along a line from the coast near Calais in the north, south to Amiens, then southeast to Verdun and on to the Swiss border. That was the beginning of the Western Front. Britain immediately sent 100,000 soldiers to France, and the Australian Government offered 20,000 men to the British Government as its contribution to the war effort.

A recruiting campaign for the Australian Army started immediately. It was generally thought that the war would only last a few months, so many young men were eager to get into it before it finished. George and Charlotte were not concerned. This war could not have any impact upon them, although George was sometimes asked by neighbours if he intended to volunteer. He didn't want to reveal his medical problem, so used his family as an excuse. He said it was a war for single men at this stage.

The following Sunday they decided to visit George's family at Footscray and boarded the train at Yarraville for the five minute ride. They passed through Seddon and left the train at the Footscray station. Talbot Street was a dead-end little street that ran up to the railway line. To get there they simply walked off the end of the platform and crossed the line, and they were in Talbot Street. George's parents Bill and Liz lived at number four, just two doors from the railway end of this short street. His younger brothers Joe, Dave and Tasman, along with their older and unmarried half-sister Ellen and three year old Mavis, all lived together in this small house. Both Joe and Dave had left school at the age of 13 and worked at a local quarry with Bill. Joe was a strong looking lad, but Dave was smaller, and often found it necessary to prove himself among the local kids, which led to a few fights. Tasman was still at school.

Ellen put the kettle on as they arrived, and the adults sat around the kitchen table to have a cup of tea and a chat. The conversation inevitably came around to the war in Europe. Bill was now 54 years old, ten years past the maximum recruiting age, George was medically unfit, and Joe was still only 17. Joe had suggested that he could volunteer anyway, as he'd heard of others putting up their age by a year or so to get into the fighting, but Bill wouldn't hear of it.

'I haven't seen a war,' Bill was saying, 'but I've read about the Crimean battles and the Boer war, and I don't think you boys know how nasty they can be. All this talk about giving the Huns a hiding and coming home heroes makes it all seem easy, but I think it will turn out to be a lot harder than people think.' He took a sip of tea as the rest of the family considered his view.

Then Joe said, 'Well all the other boys in the area are signing up and I heard that all the Footscray blokes will be in the same Company. It will be like a footy team and anyone who isn't in it will feel left out when they come home. I want to join up straight away.'

His mother put down her cup and said, 'Joe there is no way on Earth that you are going until you are at least eighteen, and not even then if I have anything to do with it. If the papers are right it will all be over by then anyway.'

Bill continued his analysis. 'I reckon it will take longer than a few months if previous wars are anything to go by. I think it will be at least two years or longer, and hundreds of young blokes could be killed.'

George was feeling uncomfortable after listening to Joe, and felt the need to justify his position. 'I would sign up straight away too if it wasn't for those doctors who said I was unfit.'

Joe sensed his brother's discomfort as he'd sensed his annoyance at all of Joe's accomplishments over the years. He indulged in a bit of sarcasm, 'Well, you have a family so you have a good reason not to go anyway.'

That didn't help George's self-esteem at all. 'I would still sign up if I was fit.' he retorted.

'Alright that's enough you two,' said Liz. 'You can't even think of going George, with a young family. If something happened to you, Charlotte would have an awful time trying to raise Gwen on her own. We would help her of course, but we won't be here forever.'

Liz had no particular quarrel with Charlotte, but their attitudes to life were diametrically opposed, so they would never be close. Charlotte knew of Liz's indiscretions as a young woman, and it was all very much at odds with Charlotte's Catholic upbringing. George had been Christened in the Church of England, but had to marry Charlotte in the Catholic Church after having to solemnly promise to bring up any children as Catholics.

Charlotte decided that this would be a good time to tell all of them her own plans for the future. 'I want another baby anyway, so you will have to stay at home, George,' she said.

'Well there you are,' said Joe looking at George, 'another reason not to go. That's alright, I'll be eighteen in December and I'll be there to fly the flag for this family.'

George had heard enough. 'It's time we were off Lottie; the next train should be due in fifteen minutes. Joe will want to start packing.'

Bill had heard enough too. 'No one is going to this war unless I say so. You don't know what you'd be getting into. Wait and see what happens when our boys get over there. The paper says they will go to France, so in a couple of month's time we'll get some idea of how this will end. Just wait and see.'

Dave had been listening too but at just 16 years of age he was way too young, and said nothing. He was still doing his Cadet training, so he was sure he could be accepted. He silently agreed with Joe as he always did, and now decided he would enlist as soon as he could.

Ellen had listened to the conversation but she wasn't married and currently had no prospect of being so, which made her no more than a bystander in the family discussion between her step-father and half-brothers. The boys always thought of her as an older sister, but Ellen felt that she was almost an outsider. She had been persuaded that it was better to allow people to think that Mavis was Bill and Liz's child rather than her own. That should have given her a better chance of finding a husband, but it hadn't worked so far. Her involvement with Bill continued discreetly, but Ellen's self-esteem and confidence were low, and she didn't go out to dances much. She worked at a local factory but her chances of ever being married seemed remote, and she was resigned to her lot in life. She spent her spare time helping Liz in the house and looking after Mavis as her sister.

Ellen started clearing the cups from the table as George and Charlotte gathered up Gwen and walked to the front door with Liz. They could hear Joe still trying to convince Bill to let him raise his age to go into the Army straight away. Liz knew George was uncomfortable with the whole situation, and said,

'Don't take any notice of Joe. He's just trying to keep up with his mates. He did well in his cadet training, but he has no idea of what the real Army is like, so he won't be going anywhere.'

On the way home Charlotte let George know that she wouldn't be happy for him to join under any circumstances. 'Don't you be thinking that you have to join up just because your brothers do! You have responsibilities that they might never have. Neither Joe nor Dave look as if they could settle down to married life.'

George didn't want to discuss it any more. 'Alright,' he said, 'I'm not going to do anything unless you agree. Let's leave it at that.'

The recruiting lines grew quickly as young men all over the country rushed to join before it was over. Already the newspapers were calling the prospect of war against Germany; 'The Great Adventure'.

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Chapter 2

The AIF - 1914

The Australian Imperial Force now being assembled would consist of an Infantry Division and a Light Horse Brigade, plus support Units. The army would be made up of three Infantry Brigades, three Artillery Brigades, four Light Horse Regiments and ancillary Units such as Mortar and Machine Gun Companies, an Engineer Battalion, Medical Corps and an Ammunition Column. It would be commanded by Major General Bridges. New Zealand also offered Infantry and Artillery Brigades along with their support Units. Their commander was a British Officer, Major General Godley, who had been appointed in 1910 to form a New Zealand army.

The Infantry's Order of Battle for the First Division AIF was:

Three Infantry Brigades. Each brigade of 4000 men was commanded by a Brigadier General. Each Infantry Brigade was made up of four battalions of 1000 men, each commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. Each battalion had four or five Companies, identified as A, B, C, etc., each commanded by a Captain. Those Companies were subdivided into Platoons of about 50 men under a Lieutenant and a Sergeant, and those further divided into Sections of eight to ten men, usually led by a Corporal.

A soldier's battalion became his basic unit of identification because it was the smallest Unit that was uniquely numbered. For example, the 1st Brigade raised mostly from New South Wales, consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Battalions, while the 2nd Brigade recruited mostly from Victoria was made up of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, the 3rd Brigade had the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions and so on. As new Divisions and Brigades were added later, their new battalions continued the sequential and unique numbering system. By the end of the war, there were five AIF Divisions and some 60 Infantry Battalions. Artillery and Engineer Battalions were also numbered sequentially.

The exceptions to the rule were the Machine Gun Companies. Each brigade had one such Company, numbered the same as its parent brigade. For example the 6th Machine Gun Company belonged to the 6th Brigade. These Units of about 150 men equipped with 16 Vickers guns split into four Sections, had their own transport section and because of their specialised nature were somewhat removed from the infantry style of command, and so were often left to their own devices. During assaults the Sections would be distributed between the infantry battalions of their brigade.

The AIF First Division was supposed to go to England for advanced training, but the training facilities there were already overstretched, so the Australians were sent to Egypt instead. They arrived by sea at Alexandria on the 4th of December 1914 after a four week voyage, and almost immediately travelled by train to Cairo, arriving after dark. After a short rest they marched 10 miles to their new campsite at Mena just a few minutes march from the pyramids. After sleeping in the sand for the rest of that night, they set up a tent city in the desert that would become the staging point for all Anzac troops deployed to Egypt. Egypt was selected because it was under British control and the nearby Suez Canal was a strategic target that needed protection.

The soldiers would soon find that local dogs were infected with rabies, water was generally unfit to drink unless boiled and chlorinated, and Arabs who were hired as contractors were preoccupied with finding things to steal rather than doing the work they were hired for. Arab farmers quickly learned that they could be paid compensation for damage to their crops, and were making nice profits until it was discovered that they were claiming for crop damage in areas that no soldiers had been near.

In Australia there were increasing newspaper reports of mounting casualties in Europe without any significant victories. The reports were read with dismay by the population of Australia generally, and of Footscray and Yarraville in particular. The Germans had advanced through northern France almost to the English Channel within weeks of war being declared, and the British had lost thousands of troops trying to drive them back. Previously unheard-of districts like Flanders and cities like Armentieres and Ypres along with the Somme River became well known around the world almost overnight.

Bill's sister Mary-Ann lived at Ballarat and had kept in touch with him by letter over the years. Mary Ann had married Bill Grose at Blackwood in 1883, and had seven children, but two of the boys had died very young, and then a 24 year-old daughter died in 1910. Now a letter arrived, informing Bill that Mary- Ann's husband had died suddenly while prospecting for gold near Kalgoorlie. Bill knew that she was left with three grown up boys, Joseph, Ronald and Percy, and a 14 year-old daughter, Juanita. The boys were all old enough to join the Army, and intended doing so. Joseph was over 21, and had already signed up. In her letter Mary-Ann asked Bill if she should allow Ron at 20 and Percy at just 18 to do the same. Bill immediately wrote back to her saying that she should discourage Ron and Percy from joining. One son in the firing line at a time was enough. He didn't hear from Mary-Ann again for three months.

Bill read the daily papers carefully to try to assess the progress of the war in France. He was aghast that his prediction of hundreds of deaths had been surpassed within days, and the casualties were now in the thousands. He pointed it out to Joe.

'Look at these numbers Joe, all those youngsters are dead already and they still haven't won the battle. This is going to be a terrible war.'

Joe was not going to be put off though.

'It just means more of us have to join so that we win,' he said with quiet determination.

Bill suddenly saw a glimpse of his own father in Joe. He'd even named Joe after his father, who'd had a somewhat colourful life. Old Joe had started as a street hoodlum in Glasgow back in 1840 and was sentenced to ten years for assault and robbery. He was transported to Victoria as a convict in 1846, but due to a misguided British Government scheme to dump convicts anywhere they could, all those convicts received a pardon as they stepped off the ship at Williamstown. The only restriction upon them was that they could not return to England until the expiry of their original sentences. They were effectively exiled from their homeland. Almost immediately Joe became a policeman, and then one of the first full time detectives in the world. He married an Irish famine orphan, and soon after the gold rush started he was among the first to open the Blackwood diggings in December of 1854. He then lived at Blackwood for the rest of his life, and Bill had been born there in 1860, eventually following his father into gold mining. Joe had been arrested for trying to kill Bill's mother, in 1870 but the charge was later dropped. Bill still remembered that night vividly. Joe had been a tough old bloke who had died in the street at the age of 82, while walking to his favourite pub. Now here was young Joe showing the same sort of toughness as his grandfather, but this time at least it was directed at his country's enemies.

Dave was listening, and for the first time voiced his opinion to his father. 'I'm joining too, as soon as I can.'

Bill had expected this. Dave had always followed Joe's lead.

'You won't be old enough for another two years yet,' he said to Dave. 'I think it will be over by then.'

George and Charlotte were just as dismayed at the rising casualties, but despite the increasing public pressure by patriotic groups to have all fit men join up, George kept working at the quarry. In March of 1915, Charlotte announced to the family that she was pregnant again, and felt sure now that George would stay at home.

Her news was overshadowed though, by Joe's announcement that he had been to the recruiting office to see about joining the Army. The area's Recruiting Centre was at the Footscray Drill Hall which at other times was used by the Cadet Corps. On Monday the 15th of March 1915 Joe filled in the Attestation Papers and had his medical examination. He was eighteen now, but the Recruiting Officer told Joe he would need his father's written permission to enlist. He'd been badgering Bill for six months, and even Liz could see his determination, so when he came home with the application form, they reluctantly agreed to let him go. Bill signed the paper.

On Tuesday Joe was back in front of the Recruiting Officer. Joe was rugged looking, just under six feet tall, with fair hair and blue eyes. His square jaw and broad forehead betrayed his Scottish heritage, but he had been born and raised in Australia, so had no accent. He just looked like a tough young Australian lad of the type that the Army needed, so he was in.

Joe was given Service Number 2107 and allocated to the sixth reinforcements for the 5th Infantry Battalion. That battalion was already in Egypt with the rest of the AIF, undergoing advanced training. He would spend three months at Broadmeadows doing basic training before being sent overseas to join his Unit.

When Joe reached Broadmeadows he found he was one of hundreds of men undergoing training as reinforcements for many of the battalions, in anticipation of casualties when they went into action. His group consisted of about 150 men from all over Victoria, and they were the sixth such group earmarked just for the 5th Battalion. Joe soon found that there were four other young men from the Footscray area in his intake, and they all decided to team up and try to stay together. Apart from Joe, there were Les Jones, George Smith, and Amos Madin, all from Footscray, and Frank Adams from Spotswood. They were all older than Joe, and told him condescendingly that they would look after him when the shooting started.

The first day was spent being issued with their uniforms and other items of kit. Two complete working uniforms of jacket and trousers, with one 'Hat, Khaki, Felt' and a ceremonial uniform of breeches, jacket and cap were the first items. They were followed by shirts, socks, towels and underclothes, a greatcoat, two pairs of boots and one pair of putties. A set of hair, shaving and tooth brushes, a 'housewife' sewing kit, and a knife fork and spoon completed the issue, and finally a kitbag to carry it all. The entire kit was valued at 6 pounds 4 shillings and 9 pence, almost exactly three weeks wages.

The training at Broadmeadows was very basic, but one of the most difficult early tasks was learning to wind their puttees effectively. The puttees were two strips of woollen cloth, each nine yards long, with a cloth tape sewn to one end. The wearer started with the un-taped end just above the boot, and wound the first turn around the leg, then continued the spiral down over the top of the boot, then back up the calf to just below the knee. The top was then tied off with the tape. The trick was to get the trouser leg with just the right amount of slack, and the puttee just tight enough to stay on. Too tight, and the trouser leg would drag uncomfortably and restrict movement. Too loose, and the puttee would fall down. When properly tied, puttees provided very effective protection for the shins, and stopped dirt getting into the boots.

Physical training, saluting, marching and rifle drill, followed by firing exercises on the rifle range, filled in their days. Pitching tents, digging trenches and living in battlefield conditions came later, along with bayonet charging against straw-filled bags, and some hand-to-hand fighting techniques. Officers were also undergoing training, many of them holding senior rank in the Militia, but now having to be assessed under battle conditions to be appointed to a starting rank in the real Army. Mock battles were held between Units so the Officers' tactics could be evaluated, with the most competent being appointed as Captains or Majors. The troops called these mock battles 'stunts', and that term would persist when they reached the real battles.

There was plenty of time off after training finished at 1700 hours each day, and again on most Saturday and Sunday afternoons, so Joe, Frank and Amos often shared a taxi to travel to the city and have a drink or two. They even went home to Footscray several times to let the families know what they were doing. Dave was already making noises about joining the Army, but Liz wouldn't hear of it.

During Joe's time at Broadmeadows the Gallipoli landings took place, and when their training was finished, the new troops were ready for deployment to the Dardanelles to replace the huge losses that were now being suffered on the Gallipoli Peninsular.

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Chapter 3

Gallipoli - 1915

During the early months of the war, the British Army High Command had assessed various proposed plans to advance their aims in the war against Germany. Following the early German victories, the more recent battles in France had resulted in little gain or loss of ground by either side, but produced heavy casualties, mostly from artillery shelling. As part of the overall strategy they decided that the AIF and the New Zealand Brigade already training in Egypt would take part in a campaign, along with British and French forces, to open up the Dardanelles to allow shipping to reach Russia. The first phase would be to take the Gallipoli peninsular. This new combined force began training for that objective, and was given the name Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, abbreviated to Anzac, and Lieutenant General Birdwood was appointed commander. He was a British Officer but seemed to understand the different attitudes of the Anzac soldiers compared to the British, and organised his Corps accordingly. At dawn on the morning of Sunday the 25th of April 1915 the Anzacs made an amphibious landing at Gallipoli. It was led by the Australian 3rd Brigade consisting of the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Battalions. For a number of reasons it didn't go according to plan, and those units suffered heavy casualties. The 1st and 2nd Brigades followed, and at the end of the first day 2000 Anzacs had been killed, but the beachhead was established. Ten days later the 2nd Brigade was pulled back and sent to Cape Helles at the southern end of the Peninsular to assist the British and French in an assault on the town of Krithia. That landing was even more costly than the first one at Anzac Cove. By the end of it, more than 6000 Anzacs were dead.

The fighting in the Dardanelles was reported in Melbourne, but at this early stage few details were known. The Argus newspaper published a special War Edition on the 1st of May that quoted the Minister for Defence, and listed a number of Officers who had been wounded. It said that there was:

'No information available as to whether any Australians had been killed.' That left the public with the perception that the attack had gone well.

When the casualty lists were released weeks later, E Company, 7th Battalion, many of them from the Footscray region, had been almost wiped out. Twenty-four year old John Scott lived in Lennox Street, a few doors down from George, and had enlisted in the first wave as a member of E Company. There was no immediate news of him, but later, a letter to his father confirmed that he was one of the lucky ones who had survived uninjured. Two notable casualties soon after the landing were the AIF Commander General Bridges who was shot by a sniper and died a few days later, and his superior, the overall Anzac Commander General Birdwood, who was wounded but remained on duty.

Everyone in the Footscray area knew someone who was related to the boys in E Company, and the losses impressed upon them the seriousness of this war. There were immediate calls for memorials bearing the names of those killed to be erected in local parks. But far from these casualties discouraging further enlistments, throughout Australia, another 36,000 young men volunteered in July. Those volunteers were partly a reaction to the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania by a German U Boat off southern Ireland in May. Some 1200 civilians had died, and Germany was universally condemned for its barbaric act. It was even struck off the list of 'Civilised Countries'.

The news of the E Company casualties reached Joe as his Reinforcement Unit was packing up to embark for Gallipoli. He had known some of the Footscray boys who died, but rather than deter him, the news made him more determined to get over there and do his bit.

Now Bill received another letter from Mary Ann. Her son Joseph had joined the Army and was in the 2nd Brigade's first landing at Gallipoli. He had survived that, but two weeks later when the Brigade was sent to Cape Hellas, he was killed. She was distraught now because Percy had also joined, and was already on his way to Gallipoli to join the 14th Battalion. For Bill and Liz the danger was getting closer to home.

Joe's Unit travelled by train to Sydney and embarked on the military transport ship 'Ceramic' on Friday the 25th of June, with more than 4000 other reinforcement troops. The 'Ceramic' was by far the biggest of the 74 military transport ships at over 18,000 tons, and capable of steaming at 15 knots. Other ships were departing for the middle-east around the same time, but they all sailed independently. The 'Ceramic' sailed on the 16th of July, first for Albany in Western Australia, then direct to the war zone.

The voyage was uncomfortable but uneventful for Joe and his mates. The ship was crowded and troops took to sleeping on the decks rather than suffering the claustrophobic conditions below. They experienced some rain at times during the tropical nights, but it was so warm that most soldiers decided to stay on deck. They soon dried out again when the rain stopped. There were periods of physical training every day along with vaccinations, lectures on health and hygiene, and dealing with foreign cultures and customs. Each Sunday, Church Parades were held, with sermons delivered and hymns sung. Each Service concluded with 'God Save the King'. The ship was blacked out each night in case of submarine attack, but none came. The lectures helped to pass the time, and in four weeks they passed through the Suez Canal. It was the troops' first sight of the trappings of war, as sandbagged fortifications lined the canal on the Egyptian side, along with barbed wire entanglements, and Indian troops manning the defences.

The 'Ceramic' cruised on and arrived safely at Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos. Mudros had a large natural harbour that could handle dozens of ships at anchor so it was the obvious staging area for the Gallipoli campaign. This was a large base on a fairly desolate part of the island and apart from the huge Army camp, was also the site of a British Field Hospital for all the troops on the Gallipoli Peninsular. The hospital consisted entirely of tents. Hundreds of them were set out in long lines, and they had already processed thousands of casualties. The conditions were very basic and maintaining cleanliness was an insurmountable difficulty. Food and water were inadequate, and many sick and wounded men had to shave, wash and bathe septic sores in a local waterhole. Hungry men often lined up for a second sitting at mess tables. Anyone detected 'stealing' food in this way was immediately sent back to Gallipoli. Everyone thought that was a more desirable place anyway, and the formerly despised Egypt was now thought of as Paradise. Following the Cape Hellas disaster the decision was made to take wounded men to Alexandria for treatment, and to use Mudros only for sick men who could expect to recover quickly. Even Egypt was difficult for the medical staff with the temperature reaching 128 degrees Fahrenheit on many occasions, along with the ever present flies. Thousands of fresh troops were being assembled at Mudros, both as reinforcements for depleted Units, and to form a new Second Division of the AIF. They were massing here with British, Indian and South African troops in preparation for a major new attack at Gallipoli, with a new landing at Suvla Bay. The Anzac reinforcements didn't stay long at Mudros and were transported in smaller ships to Anzac Cove, where they landed only at night so that the Turks couldn't see reinforcements arriving.

No one in Joe's group slept during that last night before they landed at Gallipoli, as a final kit inspection was conducted to see that everyone had all of their equipment, and that weapons were cleaned and ready for action. Joe was issued with a respirator and heard for the first time about gas warfare that the soldiers were using in France. Soon after midnight Joe and 140 other reinforcements destined for the 5th Battalion, along with those for the other battalions, were rowed ashore. It was Thursday the 5th of August 1915.

They marched up into the hills above the beach guided by a brigade runner. It was slow going in the dark, and Joe's group arrived at their Brigade HQ dugout at 0615 hours, where they were officially taken on strength. The Brigade Major, Major Jess, made a brief introductory speech outlining the military situation, and handed them on to their battalion runners who led them to their respective battalion's positions. Joe's 5th Battalion Acting Commanding Officer was Major LeMaistre, and his Company Commander was Captain Hooper. Joe's mates, Amos, Frank and George stayed with him, but Les Jones was reallocated to the 7th Battalion. Joe was issued with his battalion colour patch, a rectangular cloth measuring two inches by one, coloured black over red, to sew onto his tunic.

Joe joined a Company of about 150 men, most of them old hands who had been there for months, but there were very few left who had been there at the first landing. The 2nd Brigade had suffered heavy casualties on the 25th of April, and many more later at Cape Hellas. By the end of that operation, the 2nd Brigade's original 3600 fighting men had been reduced to just 1000. The 5th Battalion started the Hellas battle with 30 Officers and nearly 1000 men, and a day later was left with just 7 Officers and less than 300 men.

It had since been built up again by reinforcements, but it now had the highest ratio of new men. In Joe's 5th Battalion there were four Companies numbered A, B, C and D, now totalling 700 men, including the 140 who had just arrived. They were currently in reserve, resting in dugouts in a ravine well behind and below the Front, though still within enemy artillery range. It was called Shrapnel Valley.

Most of the Turkish shells were designed to burst in the air above the Anzac trenches to rain red-hot shards of steel into them. Joe didn't have to wait long for his first encounter. As daylight dawned enemy shelling began as usual, and Joe instinctively ducked as each one exploded nearby. Different sized shells made different 'whooshing' sounds as they approached, and the old hands could tell not only what sort of shell was coming, but where it was going to land.

The Australian front-line trenches followed a ridge running north/south, half a mile inland from the beaches. The crest of the ridge was only 100 yards wide, and the Turk's Front was there too, so the two lines of trenches were just 80 yards apart in most places. The ground in between was covered in low scrub, but it was being slowly wiped out by shell splinters ripping through it. If either side gained control of the ridge they would also control the valleys on either side of it. Major battles had already been fought along here at Quinn's Post, Courtney's Post and Johnston's Jolly in May and June, costing thousands of lives on both sides. Further to the north, inland from Suvla Bay, thousands more British and some Anzac troops were fighting their own costly battles.

The reinforcements settled down to eat breakfast and Joe was introduced to the standard meal of tinned bully beef and biscuits. The biscuits were so hard that they had to be smashed to crumbs with the handle of a trenching tool, and then mixed with water to make them edible. An alternative recipe was to mix the crumbs with bully beef and fry them into pretend rissoles. The tins of bully beef came from Argentina where they were packed by a German company. There was some cheese, marmalade jam and tea, but no bread. It wasn't particularly appetising, but it was the best meal Joe would see for weeks. The flies that swarmed in plague proportions appreciated it anyway.

After breakfast, at 0900 hours, the whole 2nd Brigade formed up to move to the northern end of the Front below Quinn's Post, to relieve the 1st Brigade who had been defending that Sector for a week and were going to the rear for a rest. The changeover of troops took hours, all the time under Turkish artillery fire, but was completed by 1500 hours. Joe's battalion was at the southern end of his Brigade's sector near Johnson's Jolly. North of Quinn's, the dismounted Light Horse Regiments were holding a line below a narrow ridge called The Nek.

The front line trenches were dug in a zigzag fashion so that enemy fire could not enfilade a trench very far before hitting the side, but along with the web of communication trenches, it made the trench system look like a maze. Joe found that the trenches were deep enough to walk along and still have his head below ground level. Their width varied, but two men could pass comfortably in most places. The top edge on the enemy's side was lined with sandbags for extra cover. Firing-steps along the sides allowed a rifleman to step up and see over the top, or through loopholes between the sandbags, but any movement seen by the enemy above the parapet drew immediate sniper fire. Small dugouts at intervals in the sides of the trenches provided some protection from falling shrapnel, and served as cramped sleeping positions for the men. Bayonets stuck into the walls of the trench provided convenient hanging points for items of kit to keep them out of the dirt. Sniper fire kept up at all hours, and any movement drew immediate attention. Shelling usually came in bursts, a few shells at a time as the Turkish artillery worked its way along the trench lines. There were many German Officers attached to the Turkish army, to assist with tactics and to gain experience. A particular problem for the Australians was an enemy stronghold on the right flank called 'German Officers Trench' that had been lobbing mortars into the Anzac lines for weeks, and hadn't been affected by any return Anzac artillery fire. Several determined attempts had been made to wipe out that stronghold, but none were successful, and no one could understand why they were so untouchable.

The NCOs briefed the new boys on the daily routine and the practicalities of living in trenches, safety briefings, the most important of which was 'keep your head down', and recognising the differences between various artillery and mortar shells that would be landing near them from now on. It wasn't as heroic as Joe had imagined, but the troops were well dug in by now and a routine had been established, since the campaign had been at a stalemate for weeks.

The new men were told that the Turkish front line was just 80 yards away, and the Turks had laid barbed-wire entanglements in front of their trenches to slow any advance by the Anzacs. Getting through that wire quickly was vital if any attack was to be successful. Both armies had communication trenches running from their front lines to the rear so that reinforcements, supplies and ammunition could be easily brought up as needed. Wounded and dead could also be taken away without exposing the stretcher bearers.

At any time, at least two companies from each 'on duty' battalion manned the Firing Line in the forward trenches to watch for and repel any surprise attack. These men were regularly rotated to the second lines, as other Companies took their place. In the event of an attack the rest of the brigade could quickly reach the Front through the communication and resupply trenches. All troops 'stood to arms' at dawn and dusk each day in case of attack, but for several weeks now, not much had happened.

At 1815 hours Joe saw his first aeroplane as a Turkish observation aircraft flew along the trench lines. Everyone had a shot at it, but it droned on out of sight, without any sign of being hit. Sniper fire made sure they kept their heads down, and the frequent artillery shells landing nearby caused Joe to flinch. The word around the trenches now was that a new 'stunt' was being planned, and would occur very soon.

The arrival of these fresh troops was just what the allied commanders had been waiting for to mount a new attack. The push in Joe's Sector was designed as a feint to mask the major offensive by the British, Anzac, and Indian forces a mile or so to the north at Sari Bair. Three Australian brigades would take part in this diversionary attack, and their objective was to capture a strategically placed and heavily fortified hill, so that the Turks would commit their reserve forces to recapture it. That would take them away from the area where the main offensive would commence a few hours later. The Light Horse would attack the Nek at the same time to further disrupt Turkish reinforcements moving to where they were most needed.

To improve the view for their observers on the hill, the Turks had cut down all the pine trees at the top except one, and those logs had been used to cover their trenches against falling shrapnel. The one tree left standing was a prominent landmark and the hill was officially named Lonesome Pine at first, but in general use it was shortened to Lone Pine.

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Chapter 4

Lone Pine

Joe spent his first night sleeping intermittently and uncomfortably on his waterproof groundsheet at the bottom of a trench, but at dawn he was on the firing step with everyone else. Later that morning, Captain Hooper came through the trenches to talk to the newcomers, to see how they were coping with the conditions and to brief his platoons on the new offensive. He spoke quietly to the men and told them that an attack was planned for that afternoon. Joe was listening intently, and as he heard the plan his stomach started to churn, partly from excitement and partly nerves, but everyone else looked calm so he tried not to let his feelings show. He'd only been here twenty four hours, and he was about to get his first crack at Johnny Turk. The attack was timed for late afternoon so the setting sun was behind the Australians, and shining into the Turks' eyes.

'The brigade will form up in full battle order at fourteen hundred hours and begin moving to the forward trenches. At sixteen thirty, an artillery barrage will start, to get the enemy's heads down and to blow holes in the wire between us and the Turks.' Hooper was saying. 'That will go on for one hour, and then the First Brigade will go over the top in several waves in a bayonet charge at seventeen thirty. The Third Brigade will follow them to consolidate. We will provide covering fire from here on the flank, then we will follow them to mop up any Turks who might still be hanging on.'

Joe was disappointed that he wasn't going in the first charge. Someone asked why the 2nd Brigade wasn't in the assault. Hooper answered;

'This brigade has already suffered more casualties than the First and Third combined. Cape Hellas was a worse landing than Anzac Cove, so we now have the highest proportion of new men and have been given a break. But don't worry, there will be plenty of action to go around. I expect that we will have to occupy the trenches and repel any Turkish counter attack.'

The 1st Brigade consisted of nearly 3500 men. Surely that would be enough to overwhelm the enemy before Joe had a chance to give the Turks a good seeing to. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades totalled another 6000 men. It was inconceivable to Joe that the enemy could resist such an attack. The Captain was still talking, and as if to answer Joe's thoughts, he said;

'None of the battalions are at full strength. We have about eighty percent, and some of the others are even less, so every man must do his best. By the time you get to the hill it will be nearly dark. You will soon be issued with some strips of white calico, and I want you to sew a strip around each arm and on the back of your tunic. All our troops will have that marking to help to identify our boys in the dark.'

The butterflies in Joe's stomach were going into overdrive.

'And, each of you should take a few minutes to write a letter home. Keep it in your top pocket, because that is where the burial detail will look for it if you are killed.'

That gave Joe a jolt. He hadn't seriously thought he could be killed. Now he considered it. But no, he didn't feel as though that was going to happen today.

'When you hear the whistles, it will be the signal for the attack to commence. As the First Brigade vacates their trenches the Third will move forward into their positions. Wait here for my signal to advance. I expect that will be within an hour of the first charge. The Sixth and Eighth Battalions will advance with us but the Seventh Battalion will be kept in reserve to fill any gaps in the line.' Joe thought of Les Jones, cooling his heels at the back while the rest of them were having a good old shot at Johnny Turk.

'Bet Les is pissed off at missing this.' he said to Amos.

'Yeah, but he might get a crack at them later if there's any left.' Amos was as keen as Joe to get into the fight.

Joe spent the rest of the day sewing his strips of white cloth onto his tunic, and wrote his first letter since arriving at Gallipoli. The letters he had written on the ship were cheery and full of optimism, and he'd posted them at Mudros. This one was more serious. Joe knew it could be the last his family heard from him so he wanted to let them know that if he didn't come back, he'd done his part to help in the war. He didn't really believe that he would be hurt though, because he'd always been lucky.

The troops had an early meal, and the pre-attack rum ration was passed around. Joe had never drunk rum before, but he accepted the couple of ounces that was poured into his dixie lid and drank it. Then they spent the last hours cleaning and checking their rifles, ammunition, and sharpening bayonets.

Joe's battalion was on the right flank of his brigade's line, closest to the 1st Brigade's trenches just 30 yards to the right. The 1st Brigade troops were crammed in together now, to be ready to go in a concentrated wave when the time came. Most would go over the top, but many would go through tunnels. In the preceding days, diggers had constructed three tunnels forward to within 40 yards of the Turkish lines. Inside each was a step every 5 yards, and above each step, a 'pop hole' to the surface. When the attack commenced, men would emerge from the dozens of pop holes all over no-man's-land as if rising from the grave. At the same time others would come from the firing line, so in the Turks' view, no-man's-land would suddenly be filled with attacking soldiers.

Men were moving around to find their mates so they would go into battle next to someone who, if the worst happened, would be able to tell the family back home how they died. Designated bomb-throwers had their bags of bombs primed and ready to be lit. Joe, Amos and George Smith were side by side, fully kitted out for the attack with rifle, bayonet, 120 rounds of ammunition, two days rations, full water bottles, two empty sandbags, trenching tool, and with their white calico strips sewn roughly onto their uniforms. Carrying platoons would follow to bring up the rest of their kit after the battle was over.

At 1630 hours the first shell landed with a loud, ground-shaking explosion just in front of the Turkish trenches. It was followed immediately by four more, and the barrage was underway. For the next hour, a battery of New Zealand artillery somewhere behind the lines, and warships anchored in the Cove rained shells into the Turkish trenches at the rate of one every two seconds. Most of these shells were specifically designed to explode in the air to inflict maximum casualties, without necessarily causing destruction to trenches that the Australians would use later. Joe sat at the bottom of his trench with his platoon, listening to the thump of the exploding shells and the frequent whistle of shrapnel passing over his head. He could smell the smoke and dirt thrown up by the explosions. No one was talking. Joe felt a bit sorry for the Turks under all that, because he was sure no one could survive there.

Abruptly at 1730 the shelling ceased. The silence was in stark contrast to the noise moments before, and then Joe heard the whistles. His stomach knotted as he heard the first wave of troops climb out of their trenches and start across no-man's land. Leading them were the bomb throwers, in groups of six, whose job it was to toss their grenades into the first enemy trenches. As soon as they exploded, they were to jump into a trench and toss more bombs along its length to clear it of enemy. It required skill and courage but rarely worked smoothly in practice, and few bomb-throwers survived for long.

The artillery opened up again, this time landing their shells beyond the Turkish front line to target their reinforcements. At first there was no gunfire as the Turks took a few seconds to realise that the artillery barrage on their front line was over, leave whatever shelter they had hidden in during the barrage, and man their guns. But then, rifle and machine gun fire erupted all along the front, interspersed with grenade explosions, shouting, and the screaming of wounded men. The noise was deafening. Turkish artillery now joined the battle, targeting no- man's-land that the attacking troops had to cross. Joe fired in the general direction of the Turkish trenches, but aiming was impossible through the smoke. Shortly, they were told to cease fire and prepare to move forward, and in that moment, Joe felt sick. But he recovered quickly, and followed the others to one of the many recesses that were cut into the front wall of the trenches and were stepped up to the surface allowing the troops to quickly climb out of the deep trenches.

The battle raged for another half an hour before Joe heard Captain Hooper call out to get ready. Joe attached the bayonet to his rifle, took some deep breaths, and then it was his turn to climb out of the trench into the smoke and dust-laden air, and run forward into the thick of it. Stray bullets cracked and whined past him, but no one was aiming at Joe. Shrapnel was more of a danger. Shells and mortars were exploding everywhere and red hot metal fragments rained down all over the battlefield as the Turk's artillery responded to the attack. Soldiers were not yet issued with steel helmets and falling shrapnel accounted for many casualties.

Frank Adams was just ahead of Joe and Amos, running forward through the smoke and dirt thrown up by the explosions. As they reached the remnants of the wire entanglement, Joe saw Frank stumble and fall. At first it looked as though he'd tripped, but when he didn't move, Joe stopped beside him, and a second later he saw why Frank had fallen. He had a large indentation on the front of his skull where a piece of shrapnel had stuck him at the hair line. The skin and hair was peeled back and the exposed bone was shattered. Amos paused too, but Frank was obviously dead. They left him and pressed on.

The 1st Brigade had already taken the first line of Turkish trenches, and was now engaged in furious hand-to-hand fighting as the Turks brought more men from the rear to try to repel the Australian troops. Increased artillery fire from the Turks rained down in no-man's-land as reinforcements continued across towards the battle. Others were still making their way through the tunnels, but the shelling had caused partial cave-ins so progress through there was slow.

It was getting dark now but as Joe reached the trench line, he could see bodies laying everywhere. All of them had white cloth sewn onto their tunics. He jumped into the first trench he came to, and landed on a pile of bodies. They were all Turks. The 'crump' of hand-thrown bombs exploding nearby refocussed Joe's attention, and he raised his rifle and watched for any Turks who might appear above the parapet to fire down at him.

Already, men were digging to join these captured trenches with the tunnels they had dug earlier, to connect with the Australian lines. Further reinforcements could then arrive without exposing themselves. Stretcher bearers were going back and forth in the open, carrying wounded men to the rear.

Further forward the fighting was still raging as 1st Brigade soldiers who had bypassed the Turks' front line and directly attacked the less defended communication trenches, worked their way back towards the newly taken Australian lines against the now trapped Turks. Joe's platoon was sent forward to reinforce the men in the next line of trenches. A bomb landed in the trench near Joe, and as he looked at it in detached wonderment, someone picked it up and hurled it back towards the Turkish lines. It exploded before it landed. They were too close to the enemy now for effective rifle fire within the trenches, so bayonets and bombs were the weapons of choice. There was an overpowering stench of burnt flesh and acrid smoke now as Joe and Amos helped to repel the Turks' counter attack.

By 1900 hours, the hand-to-hand fighting had subsided as the Australians had cleared out and occupied the first few lines of former Turkish trenches. Frantic work was under way now to block off the Turk's old communication trenches. That was done initially by stacking bodies like sand bags across the intersections. The bottom of Joe's trench was covered with dead bodies, not all of them whole, and a muddy ooze. It hadn't been raining, and it took Joe a minute to realize what the ooze was. He threw up. It was impossible to move without walking on the corpses, and Joe and Amos were among a detail in his trench assigned to cover them with a layer of dirt until the battle was over. Joe was shaking uncontrollably as he shovelled dirt over the mess of human remains, and was relieved to stop for a rest to gather his wits. He noticed that Amos looking decidedly ill and wondered if he looked the same.

Now the 6th Battalion just along the trench line was tasked by Division HQ to carry out a secondary attack on 'German Officers Trench' to finally silence the mortars that had been inflicting casualties at will for so long. The attack was timed for midnight to coincide with new assaults by the 8th Battalion on the main front. The 8th was delayed in getting into position by collapsed tunnels and trenches, and so the enemy was able to concentrate additional fire on the 6th. Their attack was a failure, and at 0035 the Brigade's Commanding Officer Brigadier General Forsyth sent a message to Divisional HQ;

'Assault commenced but men were mown down by rifle and machine gun fire from Quinn's, Mortar Ridge and Johnson's Jolly. Many were wounded or killed as they were leaving the recesses which they blocked, therefore portions of the second line of the assaulting force could not get out.'

An hour later, the reply from Division HQ was; '6th to be withdrawn, reorganised and again put to the assault. The trench must be taken.' The reorganisation was completed and another attack began. The Brigade Major, Major Jess wrote in the Brigade War Diary:

'The men again emerged gamely, but as the moon had now risen they were barely out of the recesses before the fire again opened up from the flanks and front. Several men got to the Trench but were shot down. Action of all ranks as gallant and brave as could be desired.'

At 0405 Forsyth reported to Division HQ that the second attack had failed, and it was impossible to reorganise without taking the 6th right out of the trenches. At 0415 the reply from HQ was that the CO was to; 'Personally supervise a reorganisation, and attack forthwith.'

Major Jess was despatched from Brigade HQ to assist with the re-organisation, however before it could be carried out, that order was changed to; 'Reorganise and await orders.'

Major Jess recorded that from the initial 6th Battalion strength of 16 Officers and 536 other ranks, they now had 9 Officers and 209 other ranks.

No one slept that night, as nervous excitement and Turkish bombs kept everyone alert. Walking wounded were guided back through the new trenches to the Aid Posts set up in dugouts near the former Australian front line. More serious cases were carried back to the Dressing Stations by stretcher bearers for initial treatment, then down out of the hills to the Casualty Clearing Stations at Anzac Cove. Corpses were either left where they fell, or were stacked like sandbags for protection. George Smith had become separated during the attack, and hadn't yet found his way back to Joe's Platoon in the dark.

During the night, men were sent out to gather up weapons and ammunition from the dead. Joe and Amos decided to find Frank's body and retrieve his letter. It was relatively safe now as the moon was partly obscured by cloud, and it was too dark for snipers to see them. An occasional star shell lit up parts of the line, but as long as they froze as soon as it burst, the enemy snipers wouldn't notice them among the other bodies. They crawled about 20 yards back towards their old lines and soon came across Frank's body. As Joe opened his top pocket to get the letter, Frank moved.

'Jesus Amos, he's still alive.' Joe said in disbelief.

'Bloody hell, look at his head. How could he be alive?'

'I'm telling you, he moved.' Joe said.

Just then, Frank moaned.

'Cripes, we'd better get a stretcher,' said Amos.

Joe soon found a group of overworked stretcher bearers and hurried them over to Frank. They picked him up and started the dangerous 200 yard haul back to the Aid Post. In two hours Frank reached the Casualty Clearing Station at Anzac Cove that was overflowing with seriously wounded men. He was assessed among the most serious and by daylight was having emergency surgery on board a hospital ship on the way to Mudros.

By the first light of dawn, some order had been brought to the new Australian positions, but then the counter-attacks began. The Turks had brought up more reinforcements as expected, and now mounted the same sort of offensive as the Australians had done the previous evening. The horrors of the day before started all over again. It was in this attack that Joe fired his first shot at a live target. After seeing the man fall, Joe forgot his earlier nervousness, and became a soldier.

Early in the morning the 3rd Brigade arrived to relieve the 1st Brigade and the battle continued. Shelling was constant and some were landing close. George Smith was now back with Joe and Amos, and they were helping to repel a furious attack by the Turks when a grenade went off in their trench. George was closest to it, and his left leg was shattered by the blast. Joe and Amos quickly tied a tourniquet around his thigh and called for a stretcher. Once again the overworked bearers arrived and George was carried out through the communication trenches back to the Aid Post. Joe's luck was still holding out, and although he was tired, he hadn't got anything more than a few bruises so far.

At lunch time there was a lull in the fighting, and the troops took some time off to boil a billy and eat some biscuits. As Joe started to relax, an 11 inch shell landed right next to his trench with a massive explosion. The trench collapsed inwards burying several men. As they dug themselves out, two more shells landed close by. No one was seriously hurt, but that part of the trench was now exposed to snipers, and there was no way it could be repaired before dark. Joe and Amos moved along to a less exposed position. Later in the afternoon as shelling continued unabated, a salvo of 6 inch shells landed nearby, and later that night, 'German Officers Trench' opened up on them with heavy rifle fire.

Fearing an attack on the weakened line, the CO dispatched a Company from the reserve 7th Battalion to help Joe's Company. Among them was Les Jones. His platoon took up position just along from Joe's and they waved briefly to each other as they manned the firing line.

'There's Les at last.' said Joe to Amos.

'Yeah.' replied Amos. 'Better late than never I suppose.' Les worked his way along the trench towards Joe. He was just about to speak to Joe when a shell landed close by with a deafening explosion. Joe was covered in dirt and it was a minute before he was able to dig out. As he picked himself up out of the dirt, his ears ringing and wind knocked out of him, he saw Amos and Les doing the same. When they looked around there was a crater where Les had been standing minutes earlier, and the men who had swapped position with Les were gone. Others nearby had been seriously wounded and were being attended to. The three young men looked at each other, took a deep breath, and then started clearing the dirt and rubble off the firing step without a word.

Another attack began as the Turks made a determined attempt to regain their lost ground. More 7th Battalion men arrived to assist, and being fresh, undertook most of the fighting. They suffered many casualties, but held the position. Throughout the day Lieutenant Tubb and Corporal Dunstan repeatedly fended off bombing attacks on their trench, rebuilding the sandbag barricade each time it was blown in by the Turks. Both young men were seriously wounded, while others with them were killed. They were invalided to Australia, and both would later be awarded Victoria Crosses for their work that day. Dunstan would later become General Manager of the Melbourne Herald newspaper.

The fierce shelling went on for the next two days as Turkish counter attacks were beaten off. The trenches were periodically collapsed by near-misses and had to be repaired each night, but by then the worst seemed to be over. Due to the massive increase in troop numbers on the Gallipoli Peninsular in the last few weeks, there was now a fresh water shortage and so it was rationed to half a gallon per man per day for 'all purposes'. Joe and Amos took their turns to work their way down to Shrapnel Valley where the few wells were situated, to carry water back up to their Company's position.

This 'diversionary' battle lasted four days, with desperate hand- to-hand fighting back and forth, with the heaviest work done by the 1st and 3rd Brigades. All the ground captured in the first few hours was held, and at times some further ground was taken, but lost again in the counter-attacks. On Tuesday morning at 0400 hours, a bomb landed in Captain Hooper's trench. He picked it up to throw it back into the Turkish trenches, but the fuse was already burnt down. It went off in his hand killing him instantly and wounding other soldiers nearby. His place was taken by Lieutenant Daniel Luxton, a former clerk in civilian life, who was just four years older than Joe, and had arrived at Anzac Cove at about the same time. Luxton was promoted to Captain soon after this battle. Luxton's older brother was a Captain in the 6th Battalion but had been killed on the 26th of April. The battle ended when the Turks were forced to withdraw to concentrate on the main British offensive further north, and no more reinforcements were available to keep them in the fight. In the quiet after the firing stopped, Joe and many others spent the next few days sorting and identifying bodies before burying them.

At the end of it, the hill was captured and Joe had aged far beyond his years. He was exhausted and feeling ill. He didn't want to appear weak next to men who had been there for months, so he said nothing about it, and soon his battalion was sent rearwards for a few days to rest.

The battle of Lone Pine had taken place in an area the size of a couple of football fields, and resulted in 2273 Anzac deaths. It was estimated the Turks lost more than 4000 men. During the entire Gallipoli campaign, a total of nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to Anzacs. Seven of those were won in just 48 hours of fighting at Lone Pine. One of them went to one of the few surviving bomb throwers. Several senior Officers of the 5th Battalion were recommended for medals including Major LeMaistre, and Private John 'Tiny' Williams was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry, the highest award available to non-commissioned ranks except for the Victoria Cross.

Frank Adams survived his wounds but had lost a large amount of bone at the front of his skull. A few months later he was sent back to Australia and invalided out of the Army. George Smith was evacuated to Mudros where his lower leg was amputated, and he was returned to Australia. Les Jones went back to his 7th Battalion and Joe wouldn't see him again. Amos, like Joe, didn't get a scratch, but they were both physically and emotionally exhausted.

Joe was still feeling ill when he was rostered for sentry duty on the night of the 27th of August, and although he'd had little sleep for days, he again said nothing about being sick. He took up his position at sundown to watch for any Turkish counter attack. The next thing Joe knew, he was being kicked awake by the guard sergeant, and told he would be charged in the morning. Sleeping on sentry duty was a serious offence anywhere, but on active service it was almost a capital crime, and he would have to face a Court Martial.

Next morning Joe had no option but to report his illness, and was sent to the Aid Post, where they decided that he did have a genuine sickness, so the charge was suspended. Joe was sent to the Casualty Clearing Station back at Anzac Cove where he was diagnosed with Gastro Enteritis, and arrangements were made to evacuate him to the Field Hospital at Mudros. On his arrival there he saw his new Company Commander Captain Luxton who was there at the same time suffering from the same illness. The place was crawling with lice, and no one stayed at Mudros a day longer than necessary.

There was no escaping the consequences of being asleep on guard duty though, and during his recovery at Mudros, a Court Martial was convened. But after hearing all the circumstances, it found him 'Not Guilty' on the 1st of September. Joe's ability to avoid the consequences of his actions worked even here. Joe wasn't sent back to Gallipoli immediately, and no one could tell him why. He was given camp duties for a week until one morning the sound of marching men told him something was happening. Looking along the road towards the bay he saw a thousand men loaded down with their equipment staggering rather than marching towards the camp.

The entire Second Brigade had been withdrawn from the peninsular and brought back to Mudros to rest. Joe soon found the dirty and faded 'red over black' colour patches on the stained and torn uniforms of his battalion as they passed. It was a depleted group from those that had marched out five months earlier with a spring in their step and optimism in their minds. In Joe's battalion there were now just 386 men. It was less than half of the original 1000, and they had already received six drafts of reinforcements of about 100 men each time.

Joe rejoined his Unit, and with regular meals and sleep during the next week they were able to recover somewhat. Soon after they arrived Les Jones was treated for rheumatism. That illness plagued him for the next year until he was sent home. The 5th Battalion was now joined by its seventh draft of reinforcements, and the men were fit enough to start a training programme in the mornings followed by organised sports in the afternoons for the next three weeks. The whole brigade was inspected by General Birdwood and Lord Kitchener, the Chief of the General Staff, who addressed the troops, and assured them that they were making a major contribution to the war effort. Joe was still new to these military ceremonies so he was impressed with the pomp and ceremony that accompanied such high ranking officers.

As the brigade was ready to return to the peninsular, diphtheria broke out in the camp and the troops were isolated from contact with anyone else on the island. As a means to assist the men's health it was decided to issue a small bottle of stout daily to each man, and a count was done to ascertain how many would be required. When the return was completed it showed just one teetotaller in the 5th Battalion. There were others of course, but they had consented to register as drinkers so their ration could be given to their mates.

Finally, with everyone fit again, the brigade embarked on two ships on the 24th of October, but due to bad weather at Anzac Cove, had to remain on the ships until the 27th before landing. On reaching the Front, they settled into the now well fortified trench system, just in time for the winter season to start in earnest. Cold rain and sleet for days preceded a major snow storm in November. It was the first snow many of them had seen and their discomfort was offset by the fun to be had playing in the snow.

The Second Division of the AIF had been formed with a similar structure to the First Division, and had been deployed to Gallipoli in August of 1915, doubling the Anzac contingent there. Even with these extra troops, the Generals could see that driving the Turks out of the area was impossible, and that these British and Anzac troops could be better used in France where the casualties were mounting alarmingly without any significant progress. In September, planning commenced to evacuate the 130,000 troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula. Of those, 41,000 were Anzacs.

The evacuation had been going on for weeks when Joe's turn finally came to leave the beach at Anzac Cove. It was all done under cover of darkness so the Turks wouldn't know an evacuation was occurring. The logistics involved in silently moving so many men, a few at a time, onto ships that had to be over the horizon and out of sight by daylight each morning was enormous. It was completed successfully with the last men leaving on the 23rd of December. The Anzacs congratulated themselves on conducting a successful evacuation without losing a man, but the Turks weren't as unaware as they thought. They knew the evacuation was happening and saw no reason to risk further casualties to themselves by attacking. They had successfully defended their Country, and were just happy to see their enemy leave.

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Chapter 5

Footscray - 1915 Back in Melbourne in July of 1915, the news coverage of the Gallipoli campaign was extensive, although not all the details were yet known. Bill and Liz knew Joe was going there, and although they hadn't heard from him since he sailed, there had been no casualty notification. The sight of telegram boys riding around the suburbs on their bikes delivering the casualty notices struck fear into those people who had a family member in the Services.

Dave had been particularly interested in the newspaper stories about the war and kept pestering Bill to let him join, but he was still a month short of his seventeenth birthday, more than a year below the minimum age, and Bill refused to consider it. Since Joe had gone, Dave was spending more time with his mates on the streets of Footscray and had had a couple of minor brushes with the law. Dave wanted to be like Joe, but didn't have the same degree of judgement to know when a situation was going too far. Street fights and occasional stealing from shops meant that Dave was on the way to becoming a petty criminal. Tattoos were becoming fashionable among the young toughs, and Dave had a heart tattooed on his left arm. Liz had tried to discuss Dave's unruly behaviour with Bill several times, but he wasn't particularly concerned, and hadn't tried too hard to rein him in.

In August, as Joe was going ashore at Anzac Cove, Dave knew that the police would soon be coming to question him about his gang's latest escapade, and decided he'd better leave town. He couldn't go to the local recruiting centre at the Footscray Drill Hall, because he was known there. Instead, he went to the Central Recruiting Office at the Melbourne Town Hall, and filled in an application form. He said he was 18 but when he was told he still needed his father's written permission, Dave was not discouraged. He went home to finally settle the matter of enlistment with his father.

At tea time, the family was sitting at the table. Bill was into his second helping of stew, Ellen, now aged 22, was feeding four- year-old Mavis, Liz was sipping a cup of tea and 13 year-old Tasman was mopping up the gravy with a piece of bread. Dave decided this was as good a time as any to break his news. Having everyone present might reduce the amount of shouting he expected to get from Bill.

'Dad, I went to the recruiting office today.'

Bill put down his fork and looked at Dave.

'Oh you did, did you? And what did they say?' Bill knew Dave would have lied about his age.

'They said I just needed your permission.'

'Oh yes? How old did you say you were?'

'I said I was eighteen. My birthday was last week so I just increased my age by a year. Everyone is doing it.' Dave was waiting for the blast.

Bill just said, 'Look son you're still a year too young. There is no way I'll give you permission yet.' Bill had never been a friendly sort of father to his sons, but he still wasn't happy to see them going off to war.

Dave wasn't going to take no for an answer this time. 'If you don't agree I'll find someone to sign the papers for you.'

Bill didn't like being threatened, but he knew Dave would do it. No evidence of age was required, just someone to say he was your father, attest to your age, and you were in. There was no easy means of proving a person's identity, although there was provision on the back of the Army form for handwriting comparisons. No one had a birth certificate or a driver's licence, so it was all done on trust and signatures. Bill just said, 'We'll see about it when we hear how Joe is doing. Your mother and me don't want two sons being shot at, at the same time.'

Dave was determined, especially because he expected a policeman to knock on the door at any time. 'I'm signing up tomorrow. I'll get Harry's old man to sign your name. He'll do it for me.' Harry Blake was a mate of Joe's and part of the group that pushed the limits of social behaviour. He had joined the Army at about the same time as Joe, but Dave had hung around with them before that, and knew Harry's father well. He was a shady character himself, and he'd be happy to help Dave join up.

Bill was about to give Dave a good smack in the ear, but then thought better of it. He could see the inevitable outcome of this confrontation and decided that maybe a stint in the Army wouldn't be a bad thing to teach Dave a lesson. 'Get out of here while I talk to your mother.'

Dave knew he had won the point, and happily sauntered to his room to start packing.

After Dave had gone, Liz said, 'I don't think we should let him go at this age Bill. He still thinks it's all a game.'

Bill wasn't concerned. 'The way he's been carrying on with his mates here, how long do you think it will be before he's in gaol?'

Liz knew what he meant. 'Oh I know he will probably get into trouble, but that's better than being killed.'

'I'm not so sure,' said Bill. 'A couple of years in the Army might teach him a thing or two. I reckon he'll find someone to forge my signature anyway, so I'm inclined to let him go.'

'He still looks too young though,' said Liz. 'The Army might not want him.' She was hoping something could stop Dave going.

'Yes,' said Bill, 'in that case we'll appear to have done our best to let him join, so he won't be able to complain later. I'll go to the Recruiting Office with him and see what they say.'

The next day Bill and Dave were back at the Town Hall. Dave's age was recorded as 18 years, and Bill confirmed the lie. The Recruiting Officer had some doubts about Dave's size and strength, but they needed all the men they could get, so he delayed the final medical examination until Dave showed that he could handle basic training. That would build him up a bit. Bill didn't know they could do that, but it didn't bother him and before he knew it, Dave was in the Army. He was sworn in immediately, given Service Number 3359 and assigned to the 1st Depot Battalion at Seymour for basic training.

As Dave was on the train to Seymour, the battle of Lone Pine had just finished, and it took a few days before the first reports began to appear in the papers. As more information arrived from the War Correspondents, the battle was reported in detail, with vivid accounts of the fierce fighting. The Units involved were mentioned, and Liz had been worried sick when she saw Joe's 5th Battalion was involved, but the dreaded Telegram boy hadn't stopped at their house. No news was good news.

In December when the evacuation of Gallipoli was reported, everyone in the family breathed a sigh of relief. Liz hoped the Australian involvement in the war might be over. George was still working at the Yarraville quarry, and Charlotte had her hands full with Gwen and the new baby, George junior. He was born in November, so she now had two children under two years old. There was still public pressure for fit men to sign up, and those who didn't were looked upon with suspicion by many people. George was weathering the implied criticism from some of the neighbours, but what concerned him more was that with both of his younger brothers now in the Army, he was feeling somewhat ostracised from the rest of his family.

He gave some thought to volunteering, but he wasn't keen to leave his family so he waited. Each day he walked home from work with Harry Yarwood who lived further down Lennox Street. Harry had recently started work at the quarry, and George had to pass his house each day, so they usually walked home together, and talked about the war. Harry was much older than George at 44 years of age, and was nearly too old to volunteer, so he had a good excuse.

There was talk of a national referendum to introduce Conscription, and that would be held sometime in 1916. The Government already had compulsory service legislation that had been introduced to begin the Cadet training scheme for all boys between 12 and 18 years of age. Its limitation though, was that those recruits enlisted compulsorily could not be sent overseas, so new legislation was required.

Dave completed his basic training at Seymour and in November of 1915 he was transferred to Broadmeadows to the 7th Reinforcements for the Second Division's 24th Infantry Battalion. The 24th Battalion had already seen action at Gallipoli, and these reinforcements would soon be sailing to join them. Dave managed to contact his family just before his Unit travelled by train to Melbourne to board the ship, and the rest of the family travelled to Port Melbourne to see the soldiers off.

Dave's batch of reinforcement troops embarked on the Army transport ship 'Commonwealth'. This was a small ship which carried only 500 men, but tons of supplies and equipment for the troops at the Front. They set sail on the 25th of November, and as all the ships before them had done, called at Albany to top up supplies before sailing non-stop to the Middle East. As usual during these voyages, the men were inoculated for various diseases, and so Dave's medical documents came to notice. It was then that they discovered that Dave still hadn't completed his medical examination. Dave knew he hadn't done it of course, but he wasn't going to mention it to anyone.

The medical had to be done, so the Unit's Doctor Anderson examined him at sea on the 12th of December and recorded his description as:

Age: 18 years 4 months Height: 5 feet 5 inches Weight: 140 lbs Chest Measurement: 33 – 35 inches Complexion: Fair Eyes: Blue Hair: Fair Religion: C of E

Dave was really just 17 years and 4 months old, and wasn't as big and rugged as Joe, but still had a tough look about him that fitted with the rest of the gang members he had associated with.

After the usual on-board lectures about foreign customs, personal hygiene and lots of physical training, the ship landed him and the rest of his Reinforcement Unit at Alexandria in early February 1916. The harbour was crammed with ships that had brought the troops back from Mudros and Gallipoli, and were now waiting to take the AIF to France. Dave never made it to the 24th Battalion. They had returned from Gallipoli, but there was now a major reorganisation of the Army getting underway, and new men were being reallocated to depleted Units according to local priorities.

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Chapter 6

Egypt - 1916

Joe found himself back in the sprawling tent city at Mudros in time for his 19th birthday in December of 1915. He had to wait there until his turn came to go to Egypt, and on the 8th of January 1916 he arrived at the huge army camp at Tel-el-Kabir 50 miles north-east of Cairo. There he found letters from home waiting for him. The letters brought Joe birthday wishes from everyone, and hopes that he would be home soon. He knew already that he wouldn't be going home for a long time yet. They also informed him that his cousin Joseph, Mary Ann's son, had been killed at Cape Hellas, and that Percy was now with the 14th Battalion. Joe had only met his cousins a few times over the years so the news didn't particularly affect him. He also read that George and Charlotte had a son in November who they named George junior. But the most important news to Joe was that his young brother Dave had just joined the AIF and was in basic training. At the same time, the vague feeling of discomfort in his jaw suddenly became a major swelling. Joe went to the battalion doctor who diagnosed mumps. So while the rest of his mates were on leave seeing the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the bazaars and other sights of Egypt, Joe was in hospital in Cairo. That illness was running through all the Units returning from Gallipoli, and many men were affected. Joe was discharged from hospital on the 29th of January, but then spent a few weeks at a Convalescent Depot before finally getting back to his battalion on the 23rd of February. By now they had moved to a new camp at Serapeum, 80 miles northeast of Cairo beside the Suez Canal, and were nearly ready to leave for France. Joe's Company Commander Captain Luxton was now promoted to Major, and moved to Battalion Headquarters so Joe didn't see him very often after that.

Here a new insignia was issued to the Gallipoli veterans. A brass letter 'A' was to be pinned on the cloth shoulder patch denoting a soldier's Anzac service at Gallipoli.

In January of 1916 when all the Gallipoli troops had arrived in Egypt, and as reinforcements were arriving from Australia, a reorganisation began. The new Anzac Commander was General Godley who was confronted with several problems. He had between 35,000 and 40,000 unattached reinforcements with another 50,000 due to arrive in coming months. Recruiting was running so well in Australia that he could expect another 12,000 men every month. He suggested to the British Commander-in- Chief General Murray, that several more AIF Divisions be formed. To do so, a new command structure was needed and he included a suggested structure in his memo to Murray. Godley was keen to have an all Australian-led Army, but that concept was quietly opposed by the British General Staff, who considered Australian Officers inadequate for the task.

British Staff Officers prepared a report on Godley's proposal for Murray. Their attitude was indicated by their summation that: 'The Australian Training Depot in Egypt has always found the greatest difficulty in producing officers of any value, and non-commissioned officers of any sort at all.' Fortunately Murray took a wider view, illustrated by his reply which said he favoured any scheme that could provide: '... as large and efficient a force as possible, available for a strenuous campaign in France.'

Murray went to Egypt to inspect the troops, and a parade was held at Tel-el-Kabir of the entire First and Second Divisions, some 38,000 men. He decided the reorganisation was to start without delay.

General Birdwood had been the Anzac Commander at Gallipoli, but since the withdrawal and dissolution of that Army he had no troops so he was given the job of reorganising the AIF in Egypt. He would be appointed overall commander of the Australian Corps in France. He began reorganising his men in Egypt into four Divisions, with another Division already being raised in Australia. To equalise the experience levels of each Division, the veteran First Division was simply divided in two, so then there were two half strength Divisions, plus the still intact but less seasoned Second Division. The veteran 4th and 8th Brigades were then split in two and became the nucleus of the new Fourth and Fifth Divisions. The incoming reinforcements from Australia were then spread between them until they were all up to strength. The Division being raised in Australia had already been numbered the Third. The plan was to move the First, Second and Fourth Divisions to France leaving the Fifth Division in Egypt to complete more training before it also moved to France. The Third Division would depart from Australia later, and go direct to France.

Neither Joe nor Dave could see the big picture. All they saw was the apparent chaos as half of the men in their battalions suddenly disappeared and were replaced with new recruits, some of whom had never fired a gun. Joe and Amos were still in the First Division, 2nd Brigade, 5th Battalion, but unknown to them Joe's cousin Percy Grose was transferred from the 14th Battalion to the new Fourth Division, 12th Brigade, 46th Battalion, 'A' Company.

The Light Horse Brigades were not included in the new Divisions, but several of their experienced Officers were transferred to the infantry. Despite popular belief, the Australian Light Horse were not cavalry, but simply mounted infantry who rode rather than marched to the battlefield where they dismounted to fight the same as other infantry. Their horses provided a satisfactory means of moving around the desert, so they were to be left in Egypt to defend the Canal, and prevent any Turkish invasion through the Sinai. Their subsequent famous charge at Beersheba, while spectacularly successful, was an act of desperation to get to grips with the enemy and get water. The lack of enemy barbed wire entanglements allowed the horsemen to cover the open ground quickly, hurdle the front- line trenches and dismount to fight on foot with hand-held bayonets. The Turks had little will to fight here, and a Light Horseman who fell off his horse in front of six Turks, found on getting to his feet unarmed, that all were standing with their hands up waiting for him to take their surrender.

General Murray had noted on his inspection tour that he often saw untidily dressed Australian soldiers lounging around the streets of Cairo, who failed to salute him as he passed. He noted that while he felt that there was no particular discourtesy intended, the lack of military discipline among Australian troops was appalling. He had also heard foolish boasting by some Australian Officers that indicated that they considered themselves superior to the British troops. It was the Australian Government's policy now, that all new AIF Officers would be selected from the ranks and promoted in the field, provided that they met the minimum education and leadership standards. The only exceptions were direct Commissions for Duntroon graduates.

Murray wrote to Lord Kitchener in London about the lack of discipline among the Australian troops, and sent a copy to General Birdwood. Birdwood had established some rapport with Australians at Gallipoli because he had recognised early on that they didn't respond well to the British style of discipline, and so he was more concerned with results rather than method. He would be in overall command of the new AIF in France though, and he agreed that there were potential problems that this lack of discipline might cause when Australians had to fight beside British forces. He took immediate steps to improve discipline by directing that saluting was to be correctly enforced. This practice had been all but abandoned at Gallipoli, and the Anzacs were never convinced that saluting was:

'An honour paid to the King's uniform'.

A British General explained to his Officers that its real purpose was as:

'A constant admission by the men of that subordination and readiness to obey, which are the first essentials of war.'

The imposition of this discipline led to near mutinies in some Australian Units until they became used to it.

It had become apparent during the weeks at Tel-el-Kabir that there were many criminals who had joined up in the expectation of gaining something for themselves, or to escape punishment by Civil Authorities, and who had no intention of ever reaching the Front Line. The Australian Government had a stated policy of not sending troops home for disciplinary breaches, so the field commanders had to deal with these problems themselves.

The First Division's acting Commander, General Chauvel, told his Brigade Commanders that since the men who regularly disgraced the uniform were generally well known to Company Officers, that they should be drafted off to training battalions when the Division left for France. This was a poor decision since the men with the worst attitude would then be training the new reinforcements. Chauvel appointed a Provost Marshall and began a military police force, which in its early days caused more harm than good, until its members learned how to deal with the undisciplined soldiers.

Nevertheless, by late February the reorganisation was going fairly smoothly, except for a serious lack of guns for the new Artillery Brigades. The heavy batteries were each allocated 120 rounds to fire for practice, and those distant shell explosions were the first sounds of war for the newly arrived troops. Also here, they were introduced to the new Mills Bomb that would replace the old lit-fuse bombs that had killed Captain Hooper and many others. These were the first of the hand grenades that would become standard issue for many years to come. The Mills' major shortcoming was that it was relatively heavy, and although a good thrower could toss one 30 yards, the explosion carried somewhat further, so he had to take cover after throwing it. They were in short supply at the beginning, but factories in England soon geared up to make millions of them.

There were now several camps set up near Cairo, with the training units separate from the operational units. Dave arrived at Zeitoun, on the northern outskirts of Cairo where he joined the 6th Training Battalion for a few weeks. From there he was sent on to the 8th Battalion 50 miles away at Serapeum where he was taken on strength on the 24th of February 1916. Now he was in the same Division and Brigade as Joe, but with the two AIF Divisions totalling 40,000 men camped in tents in the desert, it took some effort to find him.

Dave knew he wouldn't be there long before being sent to France, so wasted no time as soon as he arrived, to search the tent lines for the 5th Battalion's group of 250 tents. Rows of thousands of four-man tents were laid out in long lines, securely pegged down in the sand to prevent the afternoon desert wind from ripping them up and depositing them in Cairo. Windbreaks kept the sand from blowing through the tents, but as Dave walked along the lines, the tiny grains continuously stung his skin as the hot wind whipped them up. After finding the sign that denoted the 5th Battalion area and asking a couple of men, he was directed to Joe's tent. Joe was lying on his stretcher as Dave lifted the tent flap.

'Joe? You there?' Dave couldn't see clearly in the comparatively dim light inside the tent after the bright sunlight outside.

Joe sat up at the sound of his brother's voice. 'Dave! Are you here already? I only got the letter saying you were joining up a few weeks ago.'

They shook hands and Joe introduced him to the other three men in the tent. None of them was more than 23 years old. One of them was Amos Madin. Dave sat on Joe's stretcher, and the exchange of news began. The other three were just as interested as Joe in Dave's news from home, and they listened intently.

Dave was keen to find out what it was like at the front, but Joe was more interested in what was happening back home.

'How did the old man let you join up so young? He asked Dave.

'Oh I just kept at him until he gave in. He even agreed to lie about my age,' said Dave with a laugh. 'Now tell me what it's like killing someone.'

'It's not all that much fun Dave. Especially if you know that the other bloke is trying to kill you first. We had a hard fight at Lone Pine, and a lot of the boys got knocked over. It's not like the story books. You only get one chance in this game.' He looked Dave up and down. Dave had put on some weight since Joe last saw him, but he was still a bit on the small side.

'You're not big enough to win a hand-to-hand fight, so I reckon you should get out of the infantry and into the artillery or something. You might last longer there.'

Dave was offended. 'I can handle myself,' he said.

Amos spoke up. 'Listen mate it's not like having a street fight in Footscray. If you lose here you get a bayonet through your guts. That's a bad way to die.'

Dave looked crestfallen, so Joe changed the subject. 'Now, tell me what the papers are saying about all this back home.'

They talked for an hour before Dave had to leave to get back to his Unit's mess tent for his evening meal. By then Joe was up to date with all the news from home, and had given Dave something to think about as far as fighting in a real war was concerned.

Food at the camp was generally good and certainly better than they had at Gallipoli, but water was a problem and had to be transported long distances in large quantities for so many men. The day after Dave's arrival the usual camel train had just reached the 5th Battalion camp with the day's ration, when one of the camels was spooked and attacked a soldier unloading the water casks. The camel was mauling and trampling the man in a rage as other men ran to find a weapon or something that could be used to stop the mad camel. 'Tiny' Williams DCM, by now a Corporal, and called Tiny because of his huge 6 foot 2 inch frame, ran into a tent and ripped the centre pole from the ground, then beat off the camel with it, saving the man from almost certain death.

Days were spent in physical training and route marching to get the men fit for what was to come. Dress standards were largely ignored and shorts and singlets were the order of the day during the week. Sundays were a different story. Prior to church parade in full ceremonial dress, kit inspections were carried out. All personal kit was laid out in the approved fashion with clean weapons, sparkling bayonets, and when beyond the earshot of the inspecting Officer, accompanied by much cursing and profanity from the troops.

Meanwhile in France, a heavy German assault at Verdun had seriously weakened the Allied lines and the British commander there, General Robertson, was desperately calling for reinforcements. The whole Western Front needed to be reinforced so Murray told Birdwood to be ready to move his Army to France in two weeks.

Dave suddenly found himself transferred to the Division's 1st Pioneer Battalion and he wasn't happy. Pioneers were generally tradesmen such as carpenters, blacksmiths, painters and even sign-writers to be used in front line construction work in situations where Engineers and heavy equipment were not required. The work usually involved digging and reinforcing bunkers for Headquarters staff, filling sandbags, preparing artillery positions, repairing roads, laying barbed wire, and anything else that required digging. As Dave would find out it also included burying the dead, and they could still be called on to fight as infantry when required. Even worse, most of the men in this Unit were from New South Wales. Despite his protests he would later find some advantages in this job.

There was immense upheaval in the camps now as final preparations were completed. The 18,000 men of the Second Division started departing for France first, followed by the First Division. The mood of the men was optimistic, morale was high, and pranks were being played by boisterous troops. A train carrying 1000 men was divided in half as someone uncoupled a middle carriage, and the first half was well out of sight before the rest of the carriages were noticed missing. It had to reverse several miles to pick them up.

On the night of the 23rd of March Joe's 5th Battalion boarded trucks for the 100 mile trip to Alexandria. There they boarded the 'Briton', one of the many transport ships that had gathered, and two days later, sailed for the French port of Marseilles. Dave's Pioneer Battalion boarded the troop transport 'Ballarat' and sailed for France two weeks later.

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Chapter 7

Western Front

In March of 1916 thousands of AIF troops were funnelling through Marseilles and heading north towards Belgium. They travelled by train most of the way and marched the rest. They didn't stop in Paris, but continued north towards Armentieres on the Belgian border east of St Omer, and set up their camp. This area was 25 miles behind the current front lines and was considered safe. It was the first point of arrival for new troops, and so it was called the Nursery. A nearby village called La Creche may have had something to do with that name too. The food rations improved here, as their usual menu of bully beef and biscuit was replaced with real meat and vegetables and even bacon. At night, the Australians could see flashes of light on the horizon to the east, and hear a continuous rumble like distant thunder. That was the sound of artillery shelling going on at the Front. St Omer, a few miles west of their camp was the location of one of the biggest military field hospitals, treating thousands of wounded, before sending the serious ones on to England.

In late 1914 soon after the war started, the Germans had occupied this entire area, but had been pushed back by the British, Canadian and French forces during 1915. The Hindenburg Line, a heavily fortified chain of bunkers, machine gun posts and tank traps, stretched from Belgium to Switzerland, and served as a German fall-back position in the event of a successful Allied advance. Although the Germans had now been pushed back from their most advanced positions, they were still occupying territory miles in front of the Hindenburg Line, especially in this part of Northern France. As they gave ground in the face of the Allied advance, the artillery shelling that accompanied the fighting destroyed everything, leaving a desolate wasteland behind. The British Army had lost 60,000 men in achieving their modest advance, but they still had nearly 1 million soldiers in France.

If the Gallipoli veterans thought war could not be worse than they had already seen, they were in for a shock. On the way through northern France they had seen apparently endless lines of wounded men being evacuated to England. The countryside north of Paris was scarred with shell craters and littered with the debris of past battles. Where once forests had stood, now there was nothing but burnt or shredded stumps. The farmland was completely destroyed in some areas, and now looked like a moonscape.

A new form of weapon was also being used here. The French first used tear gas in small grenades in 1914. They were completely ineffective, but the Germans saw some potential and began developing better gasses and better means to deliver them to the enemy. During the next two years they introduced many gasses from bromine through chlorine and phosgene to the most effective, mustard gas. Delivery systems ranged from simply lining up dozens of cylinders at the Front and when the wind was right, turning on the taps, to using special mortar and artillery shells filled with gas.

While gas was effective if it could be delivered in a high enough concentration, it was easily countered, and accounted for a very small proportion of casualties throughout the war. Mustard gas was the most effective because it settled in the soil, and could be stirred up days later by passing troops or horses, causing casualties among men not wearing masks. Both sides used it. Gas masks of various designs were being distributed to the troops as they arrived at the Nursery, but not all were effective, and in the early stages casualties occurred even while wearing masks. Since the prevailing wind was generally from the west, the British mostly delivered gas from canisters while the Germans mostly used shells to land the gas amongst their enemy. The troops were told that some gasses could be neutralised in an emergency by holding a urine-soaked cloth over the mouth and nose. Joe wondered under what circumstances that particular procedure had been discovered.

The weather here was much cooler and certainly much wetter than the soldiers had been used to in Egypt, but winter was nearly over and the snow was gone, so it would warm up soon. Each soldier was issued with two blankets, a greatcoat and waterproof ground sheet, but sleeping close together was the best way to stay warm at night. That sleeping arrangement and the cold damp weather tended to help the spread of infectious diseases like mumps and influenza through the troops. Trenches flooded during heavy rain and working parties from the support trenches spent much time and effort in digging drainage ditches, usually under continuous enemy fire.

Tactics in use were much the same on both sides, move as far forward as possible, dig in, and then defend that ground from the trenches against the enemy's attempts to take it back. Support from artillery was used to harass the enemy, inflict damage if possible, and generally terrorise them to break their fighting spirit. Early in the war, aircraft were used primarily for observation and artillery spotting. Later, hand held bombing was tried without much effect, but ground strafing of troops was effective once the problem of shooting through the propeller arc was solved. Various signalling methods were used to communicate between aircraft and ground troops, using klaxons, lights and coloured smoke. They were never completely satisfactory, so the coordination of air and ground forces was difficult and little use was made of aircraft during assaults. Dog- fighting accounted for many aircraft and pilot losses on both sides, but pilots who survived being shot down by the enemy were generally handed over to their air force, and treated like beaten sportsmen. That would have infuriated the infantrymen who were slogging through the mud and living in trenches, if they had known.

Trenches were initially dug to military specifications with a firing step and dugouts at intervals, and with connecting trenches to the second line. Company headquarters would be in the second line. Shelling generally damaged the trenches to the extent that once they were repaired they then often followed the shell holes in a haphazard fashion. For most of the war the difficulty wasn't in digging the trenches so much as stopping them from caving in as they turned to mud and slush. Barbed wire would be laid along the Front to deter surprise attacks, and part of the initial barrage task was to destroy the enemy's wire. After a battle remnants of wire would be sticking out of the mud in random places, adding to the difficulty of movement for follow-up Units. A successful assault would usually result in the winning side occupying the enemy's old trenches at some stage.

A Division generally fought as one Unit on the battlefield, so its three brigades would either be all at the Front or all resting, training and re-equipping. While in training one brigade at a time would be designated as Division Reserve and be removed from the combat area entirely. Short leave, or a two week furlough given once during the war were usually granted during these periods and soldiers were able to go to England for a break. At any time one or two complete Divisions could be resting miles away from the fighting, and living in billets such as town halls, abandoned buildings, cellars or farm sheds.

During a Division's time at the Front a battalion or two from each brigade would be in the Firing Line, another in the support trenches immediately behind them, and one usually in reserve but ready for deployment at short notice. The reserve battalions usually lived a little more comfortably in dugouts or billets, and the battalions rotated through the Firing Line at about weekly intervals. That routine assumed that they were not attacked, nor mounted an attack.

The civilian population did their best to continue their lives, but were forced from their homes at times as the Front Line continued to shift east and west, though it stayed within about a 30 mile wide corridor until the last few months of the war. Each time it passed their towns though, the accompanying shelling destroyed more of their buildings.

A normal assault against German lines involved quite a deal of planning, and sometimes a rehearsal. The attack would be made by a Division coming out of its rest period, and they often rehearsed the battle before marching to the Front. Prior to the attack, battle dumps would be established for each brigade near the Front, that contained ammunition, grenades, shells, food, barbed wire and digging tools to replenish the advancing troops. The three brigades would be side by side, with each brigade having two of its battalions in front and two in support. The Division's 'Front' was usually just a couple of miles long. In a large attack several Divisions would be similarly arranged to extend the attack front to perhaps 10 miles long.

A day before zero hour Pioneer and Signaller Units would lay tape along a 'Start Line' where the infantry would assemble in battle order as detailed in the attack plan. An Operations Order would have been issued in the days before, detailing where each battalion's boundaries were, so that they didn't cross over each other during the advance. If the assembly time was at night, as it usually was, tapes were laid to guide the following Support Units to the front line. At some time before zero hour, an artillery barrage would commence, to create smoke and dust in no-man's-land that masked the troops' advance, and to cut the enemy's barbed wire.

At zero hour the barrage would creep forward in 100 yard increments every 3 or 4 minutes depending on the expected speed of the troops over the ground. The battle ran to a time table because in the absence of immediate communications, the artillery often had to fire blind, the increases in range being based on their watches. The accuracy of the artillery in getting those ranges right was remarkably good in most cases. At times though, there were friendly fire casualties. The artillery casualties were as often caused by near misses that buried men alive, and in a battle there was no one to dig them out. Untold numbers of otherwise uninjured men suffocated under the mud and dirt. They were simply listed as 'missing'. All but the largest calibre shells landing more than 20 yards away were considered to pose little personal risk as the blast didn't carry that far, and the danger was from shrapnel splinters. Being hit by one of those splinters was just bad luck.

As soon as the barrage started moving, the troops would advance at a walk staying 100 yards behind the barrage until they reached the Objective, which was usually a red line drawn on the Officers' maps, perhaps a mile ahead of the Start Line. There they would dig in and consolidate as the Support Units followed up and mopped up any surviving enemy, took control of captured soldiers, and helped with casualty evacuation. Then they would repair or extend the trenches. If the advance was going well, relief Divisions would come up behind the Front and leapfrog the fighting troops to continue the attack to the next Objective, usually a blue line. That was the theory.

Between major assaults, troops in the Firing Line and reserve trenches conducted raids into no-man's-land to check enemy positions, and sometimes to attack an individual trench to take prisoners. These raids were normally made at night by small groups, but occasionally a whole Company could be involved. Observation balloons were used as artillery spotters by both sides and came in several shapes and sizes. They were tethered to motorised winches and could be raised and lowered fairly quickly, operating at heights between 1000 and 3000 feet, and in winds up to 40 miles an hour. They were very effective, and were thus desirable targets. The smaller balloons carried one man suspended in a basket below the balloon. He was equipped with binoculars, a camera and some form of communications equipment such as a telephone or a wireless set. The balloons were filled with hydrogen, but ordinary small arms fire didn't generally bring them down. Incendiary bullets were a different matter, and strafing from enemy aircraft was the most feared form of attack on them. Balloons were protected by anti-aircraft machine guns, so shooting one down was more difficult than it looked. Observers wore parachutes, but they were not as reliable as they would have liked, so jumping was generally a last resort for observers whose balloon was being attacked.

Communications between units on the battlefield was usually by runner or flares. Red, green and white flares were used in various combinations to signal 'SOS' to the artillery spotters to target an area, or to send a 'Success' signal to Headquarters after achieving their objective. Field telephones were installed between battalion and brigade headquarters, but the wire was usually cut repeatedly by shell fire. Pigeons were only used for long trips to Division HQ which didn't move very often. Radio was in its infancy and when available was usually used between Headquarters Units. Tanks were being deployed as fast as they were built, and they were used in assaults when they were available, but the tactics that had been developed so far were not very effective and the tanks didn't integrate well with the infantry. They were also mechanically very unreliable, so Commanders planning an attack didn't depend too much on tank support.

Mortars were used at short ranges against enemy trenches and strong-points. The Stokes mortar was a 2 inch lightweight weapon firing a cylindrical bomb without any stabilising fins. It just tumbled along until it hit the ground where an impact fuse detonated it. Heavy trench mortars up to 9 inches in diameter inflicted more damage, and because of their effectiveness they attracted enemy shelling, so they were unpopular when situated among troops in the trenches. The most dangerous time for the soldiers, apart from an actual attack, was going into or coming out of the trenches when they were exposed to shelling.

Troops were paid in French money that they could spend in local towns whenever they could get a day off. Those days could only occur when they were in reserve. Each Company had its own mobile cooker consisting of a coal-fired stove on wagon wheels pulled by horses, and at least one hot meal of meat and vegetables was generally available for each man every day. Cooks were volunteers from within Companies, so the standard of cooking varied considerably. Food was plentiful, but getting it to the Front Line troops was always difficult. Bacon, bread and butter, jam and tea were almost always available. During actual attacks men ate the two days dry rations that they carried with them, but once the immediate threat was eased, cooks were expected to have hot food available. Cooks were often preparing meals as they travelled along the roads under shell fire, and after stopping at their designated campsite carrying parties from each Company would be detailed to pick their way across the shell- shattered and often boggy countryside to take the food to their troops.

The Australian Divisions fought the entire war at either Ypres in Belgium at the northern end of the war front, or along the Somme River at about the mid-point. British Divisions were arrayed along the entire front, along with Canadians, New Zealanders, Indians and South Africans. The French fought mostly at the southern end of the line nearest to Paris.

In April, Joe's Division moved from the Nursery to Godewaersvelde a few miles north-east of Hazebrouck in the far north of France, and occupied billets there for advanced training. That training covered musketry, Company tactics, fire and movement, anti-gas procedures, wire-laying and physical training. Steel helmets were now being issued, but there were not yet enough for everyone. The Division's field artillery guns with their limbers and horses were camped nearby. During relocation to a new camp, a battalion's heavier equipment would be carried on the limbers, pulled by up to six horses. During a battle, the field guns had to be able to keep moving forward with the advancing troops, staying about half a mile behind the front, usually targeting the enemy's second line to prevent their reinforcements reaching the fighting. Artillery shells and small arms ammunition were constantly brought forward from the major depots by the Division Ammunition Column operating horse-drawn limbers.

Casualty handling needed as much planning and organisation as the battle itself. Wounded retrieved from the battlefield would be stretchered to an Aid Post for emergency first aid. Each battalion had at least one, and Aid Posts kept moving forward as the troops advanced. Those posts usually had horse-drawn limbers to take the casualties further back to a Dressing Station where motorised Field Ambulances could pick them up and take them to a Casualty Clearing Station. There would usually be two Dressing Stations per Brigade, and two CCS for a Division. At the CCS an assessment of the casualty's required treatment was made, and emergency surgery carried out. The most severe cases were then sent on to a Field Hospital near the French coast for longer term treatment or for return to England or Australia. The major hospitals were at St Omer, Boulogne and Abbeville.

Field Ambulance Units were equipped with Ford and Sunbeam vehicles, and were generally well resourced. Any time of less than three hours to recover a wounded man from the battlefield and have him on the way to treatment was considered quite acceptable, and in most cases that was achieved, but among the thousands of casualties, hundreds of men died while waiting for evacuation. Stretcher bearers were among the most exposed troops and were decorated accordingly. They usually operated in teams of six men, four carrying a stretcher and two for relief at intervals, depending on the state of the terrain they were traversing.

At times a battle would progress so quickly that Aid Posts couldn't wait for transport and had to leave wounded men on stretchers beside a road, with an Orderly if possible, to await an ambulance. If an Orderly wasn't available the procedure was to mark the place with a flag or some prominent marker so a passing ambulance could see them. At times, battles produced thousands of casualties within a few hours so the Medical Corps was earning its pay.

The Pay Corps also had a difficult job. They distributed about 150,000 pounds per month, but getting the money to troops who may be at the front was impossible, so pays were kept until they retired to rest. Then it was a task to determine who was still alive, or to which Units new reinforcements actually went. Acquitting the payroll each month was a complex undertaking.

Moving food and equipment to the Front was another complex operation. The Divisional Train was a Transport Unit that carried a daily average of 30 tons of fresh and tinned food, and general supplies, by horse-drawn wagons or motor lorry between railheads and brigade dumps, mostly at night to avoid enemy aircraft. Thousands of horses also had to be fed and watered. The Unit also coordinated the trains and buses to move thousands of soldiers. Since the brigades were always on the move, it was a busy Unit.

Conditions in the trenches were certainly bad, and although there were many breaks from that particular unpleasantness, there was a lot of relocating of camps. That often involved two days' travelling, marching for miles, usually at night, each man carrying about 80 pounds of equipment, with irregular meals and disrupted sleep. Trains were used for longer moves, and open buses for shorter ones, but there was always that last 10 miles to the Front that the troops had to march. At times of emergency, such a trek could be followed by deployment immediately into the Front Line trenches, and a full frontal assault against the German lines.

The Army's administration continued much as in peacetime, and throughout the war, Officers and Other Ranks were detached from all Units, to attend various specialist courses such as sniping and gas countermeasures. Officers also attended courses on advanced tactics. These courses were carried out either in France or in England. Short leave was given to troops in reserve or resting Units to visit local towns, and once during their service a two week furlough allowed them to go to England. At other times, inter-Unit sports competitions helped keep the troops fit. Parades were held by resting Units for high ranking Officers visiting the Front, and kit inspections were as regular as in peacetime. Personnel records for the 100,000 men in the AIF at any one time had to be kept up to date and Unit war diaries were carefully maintained. The continuous movement of thousands of British, Canadian, Australian, South African, New Zealand, French and Indian troops, either marching, travelling by train or by truck, along with ammunition columns and supply trains, meant that traffic on the roads throughout northern France, especially at night, was very heavy. The weather throughout the year was sometimes hot, but more often very cold and wet, making any movement off the paved roads almost impossible for most of the time. Altogether the war was very hard work for everyone.

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Chapter 8

Fromelles

The 5th Battalion arrived at Godewaersvelde railway station and detrained at noon on the 3rd of April 1916. They were told they were to march to LeSteent'je but no one knew where that town was, so they bivouacked in a field until maps could be found. When they did see a map, the village was found 13 miles back down the railway track near Bailleul. The long march back was punctuated by much cursing from the unhappy troops. As they would later find, a 13 mile route march carrying full kit would become the norm in this war.

This area of northern France on the Belgian border was miles from the current Front but occasionally, heavy artillery shells would land in the area, so there was always some danger, and several men were killed or wounded during Joe's first weeks there. The 5th Battalion's strength at the time they first arrived was 28 Officers and 950 Other Ranks, and newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel LeMaistre was now the permanent CO.

The first three weeks were spent in training for gas attack, grenade throwing, bayonet fighting and musketry. After work each day, leave was granted so the troops could visit the nearby towns. These were mostly undamaged and business was being conducted as usual. The troops soon found the local pubs where they could sample the beverages on offer and practice their long forgotten schoolboy French language on the bemused inhabitants.

On the 27th, Lord Kitchener arrived on an inspection tour with the Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in the Field, Sir Douglas Haig, who inspected the battalion and expressed his satisfaction with their turn out. Kitchener gave the troops a pep talk, telling them what was expected of them. Joe had gained a lot of experience in a short time and by now wasn't as impressed by all the hoopla surrounding these high ranking people. He was equally unconcerned two months later when he heard that Kitchener had been killed when his ship was sunk near the Orkney Islands.

Two days later, the entire 2nd Brigade was ordered to move south-east to the Front Line to relieve the 1st Brigade near Fromelles. Now Joe discovered yet another aspect of warfare that he had been unaware of. Before the brigade moved out, the entire area had to be cleaned up and left tidy for the incoming occupants. A Certificate of Cleanliness was required to be signed off and forwarded to Brigade HQ certifying that all was in order. Any supplies that were to be left behind had to be handed over and signed for by the incoming Units. This procedure would be followed throughout the war, every time there was a changeover of Units at a billet area. Similarly, any equipment left in the trenches had to be signed for by relieving Units.

The brigade's four battalions formed up in the marching order that would become standard for the rest of the war. Junior Officers rode their horses at the head of each Company, with each CO on horseback leading his battalion. A spacing of 100 yards between battalions and 50 yards between Companies minimised the impact if shells landed nearby. Troops carried all their personal kit, weapons and ammunition with rolled up groundsheet and greatcoat. Heavier equipment was carried on limbers pulled by horses and mules, as were the Company cookers following at the rear of each battalion. The column halted to rest for ten minutes in each hour. Heavy traffic on the roads meant that they marched in column of twos, so a brigade on the march occupied nearly three miles of road.

As they neared Fleurbaix in darkness, they left the made roads and followed boggy tracks and duckboards across the fields. This mode of travel would become very familiar during the next few years as the battlegrounds were churned into mud, and the conflict deteriorated into semi-amphibious warfare.

Joe's battalion, now fully equipped with their new steel helmets, took over the line near Fromelles four miles south of Armentiers. No attack was planned, and this was just a defensive holding operation in this relatively quiet area where the fine art of trench warfare would be honed. As day dawned Joe saw that the trenches were not as deep as Gallipoli, and were built up with sandbags to the correct height. The seasoned troops thought they already knew about trench warfare, but here was a very different set of conditions from those at Gallipoli. Gas had not been used there because of the unsuitable terrain, but here it was so common that a gas mask was more necessary than a rifle. New reinforcements who had joined the battalion in the Egypt reorganisation now learned about parapets, firesteps, loopholes and saps. They learned how to keep the trench clean, and especially not to expose themselves even when all was quiet. The prudence of this advice was graphically demonstrated very early in their front line experience.

On their second day there the troops were incensed when a large placard was displayed in front of the German trenches that said, 'Advance Australia – if you can.' A battalion sniper decided to have a shot at it, and encouraged by Joe and some other men, took aim through a loophole in the sandbag parapet. A moment later he was shot between the eyes by a German sniper who had evidently been waiting for the opportunity. That dampened their spirits for a while.

A major battle was going on ten miles to their north near Ypres where the Germans launched a massive gas attack against British and Canadian positions. After weeks of fighting there, and many casualties on both sides, the lines settled back almost in their original positions.

The trenches were dry now, but it wasn't long before Joe was filthy, and under constant shelling, he could go for days without taking his boots off. Shelters had been dug out at intervals along the trenches, roofed with logs and sandbags, and they offered some protection from rain, as well as falling shrapnel. It offered similar protection for the rats that now swarmed throughout the battlefields as they fed on corpses of men and horses that were awaiting burial. Lice were also a problem, and Joe had to tolerate a constant itch that no amount of scratching could ease.

The shelling was much heavier here than Joe had ever seen, and casualties mounted. In addition to the shrapnel-producing shells he had seen at Gallipoli, the Germans were using heavy calibre High Explosive shells as well. These shells could often be seen flying through the air. The incessant noise and concussion from exploding shells was designed to break men's resolve as much as to inflict casualties, and many men cracked. Most recovered quickly and returned to the fight.

Joe and Amos didn't see much real action, just firing the occasional shot to keep the enemy's heads down, and keeping down to avoid the shrapnel and sniper bullets. They dug their own little indent in the side of their trench to sleep in and provide some extra cover. Lying down to sleep was dangerous in case a nearby shell caved the trench in and buried them, but there was a fatalistic attitude developing among many of the troops. They all positioned sandbags in appropriate places around their sleeping positions in the hope they would give some breathing space in the event of a trench collapse until they could be dug out.

Rats were so numerous here that night time foraging wasn't sufficient for them all to find food and they became bold enough to run through the trenches in search of food in broad daylight. They even took to eating the wicks of the lit fuse bombs, which caused a few casualties through premature detonation, and accusations of incompetence against the Engineers who supplied the bombs until the real cause was worked out. It became a favourite pastime for the troops to skewer some food on a bayonet, fix it to a rifle and aim at the German trenches. When the inevitable rat arrived to take the bait, firing the rifle removed the rat, and if you were lucky, a German as well.

New troops were readily available to replace casualties, and at the end of May when the brigade was relieved, they moved out of the Line to rest back at Godewaersvelde. Joe's battalion strength by then had increased to 32 Officers and 981 ORs. Once back at the billets Joe was able to have a hot bath and wash his clothes. It was so good to get rid of the lice and feel clean again, that the continued danger from artillery was all but ignored. Air raids occurred frequently as German planes dropped bombs, but few hit their targets. Shelling was always the biggest danger.

On the 28th of June Joe was in a working party detailed to unload gas cylinders from the rail depot at Hazebrouck, and transport them to a storage depot nearer to the front line. The Operations Order spelled out in great detail how the cylinders were to be handled, and finished by saying;

'All ranks are warned that in the event of a cylinder being punctured by a bullet or fragment of shell, they will if possible at once get on the windward side of it. Then there will be no danger.'

The Party wore their gas masks during the work, but Joe made sure he always knew which way the wind was blowing.

Two days later a major offensive began 50 miles to the south as the British launched an attack by four British Army Corps consisting of twelve Divisions, more than 200,000 men, on a 30 mile front along the Somme River. General Haig hoped to advance through Theipval and Pozieres to Bapaume, and deliver a decisive blow against the German Army. It turned out to be much more difficult than Haig imagined. After the first day 20,000 British troops were dead and another 40,000 wounded. The Germans had been driven back, but not far enough.

The Australians were now called upon, and the AIF First Division was ordered to pack up and move from Godewaersvelde 50 miles south to the town of Albert, just north of the Somme. The whole region was a farming area, so it was mostly flat and open, except for some wooded areas. Any rise in the ground was a potential observation point, and was aggressively fought for by both sides. Now most of the farmland in a 30 mile wide corridor was pulverised into a muddy mess, pockmarked with shell craters and scarred with trenches from earlier battles, and many of the woods were just burnt tree stumps. Nevertheless, the Operations Order detailing the move warned the troops against interfering with crops by crossing fields, or by picking fruit or vegetables. They were also not to block roads so the local people could still move about.

As the First Division was moving south, the newly arrived and inexperienced Fifth Division was sent to Fromelles for their first turn in the trenches. But then on 19th of July they were ordered to launch an attack against the German line. Their attack was poorly planned through muddy fields that bogged them down, and in just over 24 hours they suffered nearly 6,000 casualties without reaching their objective. Their 60th Battalion was reduced from 15 Officers and 887 men to 1 officer and 106 men. Several others of the Division's twelve battalions were nearly as badly off. The battle was all over on the second day, and the remnants of the Fifth Division were sent to the rear and would be out of action for months while they rebuilt their numbers.

There were rumours that the Fromelles attack had been intended by the British C-in-C as a feint to draw German reinforcements from the Pozieres Sector, and that due to overzealous Australian leadership at Divisional level it had been pressed further than intended. The resulting heavy casualties were a reflection of the lack of resources put into the attack and the lack of support from artillery and relief Units. Despite the rumours persisting, no one was ever brought to account for the disaster.

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Chapter 9

Pozieres

When the First Division arrived at Albert on the 23rd of July they went straight into the front line trenches. An attack was planned for the next morning, and in addition to the Australians it also involved both French and British forces. The British Fourth Army had been trying for two weeks to take the Pozieres Ridge, and suffered heavy casualties without success. They were now dug in and holding a line just short of the town. The fresh Australian First Division was now being called in to help the battered British.

Joe had little time to rest after the two day train and marching trek from Godewaersvelde, because at 0200 hours on the 25th of July his Division of about 15,000 men was at the Start Line in battle order when the Allied artillery barrage opened up. A liberal issue of rum had been given, so the troops were feeling confident of success.

The sound of exploding shells was an almost continuous roar that made individual explosions nearly indistinguishable. At 0300 hours the artillery lifted its range, and the Division began its advance. While moving forward in the darkness and over broken ground, most of the Division became disoriented and only found the town by heading towards the sound and flash of enemy guns. So it was as much by good luck as good soldiering that the town of Pozieres was taken, and the advance continued towards the ridge. But from then on the battle turned bad.

A German strongpoint on the left flank was missed during the advance in the darkness and smoke, and now German soldiers were able to get behind the 5th Battalion and attack with grenades and machine guns. Upon reaching the German lines the troops jumped into the German trenches that were now occupied only by corpses. The Germans arrived in numbers via their strongpoint and attacked along their old front line trench, marked on the maps as OG1. So now Germans and Australians occupied the same trench, fighting each other on a one man front. As each man was killed another took his place. The fight was fierce, with no retreat contemplated by either side. The thirty-six man 5th Battalion bombing team led by Lieutenant Fitzgerald came to the aid of the besieged troops and a grenade war ensued along the trench, which was added to by men in nearby trenches. It was still raging at dawn with the Australians being slowly pushed back. By then all but one of the bombing team was wounded or dead with Fitzgerald being one of the last of his team to die. Here Corporal 'Tiny' Williams DCM, won a second DCM by continuing to throw grenades even though seriously wounded, until he passed out.

By 0700 the situation was critical as there was now a shortage of grenades and ammunition, and defeat seemed likely for the Australians. Men were bringing additional grenades forward but many were hit by shells or machine guns on the way and supplies ran low from time to time. At this time Private Skilbeck took a Lewis machine gun, and under heavy fire, ran to the edge of the German half of the trench where he mounted his gun on the parapet and emptied a 92-round double magazine into the German troops. He then ran back for another magazine and repeated the exercise each time there was a shortage of grenades.

Following a call for assistance, the 3rd Brigade sent their bombing team to help and soon after, a Company from the 7th Battalion and a Platoon from the 6th also arrived. This was a major battle being fought over one trench. It went on until 0900 hours when a trench mortar was finally available. The mortar crew rained bombs into the German part of the trench at the rate of one every four seconds for 15 minutes before the Germans retired from the fight.

The 5th Battalion lost 200 men in that action, and a count later revealed that the Australians alone had used nearly 10,000 grenades during the morning, the majority of them expended around OG1. Skilbeck survived, and was later awarded the Military Medal, but those who watched him thought he deserved much more.

The whole area was now littered with thousands of corpses, dead horses, smashed wagons, entanglements of barbed wire, and innumerable shell craters. Many of the bodies had been there for weeks and the stench was building. Joe saw mutilated bodies half buried in the pulverised mud and soil. The noise of exploding shells was almost continuous, and shrapnel whistled in all directions. The sound of heavy machine guns added to the din. The crack of rifle fire was almost lost in the cacophony, and it was difficult to keep track of the progress of the battle.

The 5th Battalion had become fragmented during the fighting, and Joe's Company was trying to rejoin the main part of the battalion. As they moved forward the troops came under intense fire. They were ordered to dig in until the German positions could be identified. Joe dived into the nearest shell crater with several others. All around him others were doing the same thing. The Company commander asked for volunteers to scout forward to identify the enemy positions, and several men volunteered. This was exactly the sort of mission Joe had decided to avoid, and he didn't volunteer. Six were selected, and they set off under covering fire from the rest of the Company.

They ran forward in short sprints using shell craters for cover, but had gone only 50 yards when one of them was hit by a sniper. Four of them returned to the relative safety of their mates, but Private Hunt stayed and attempted to stop the wounded man from bleeding to death. The snipers concentrated all their attention on the crater he was in, and soon Hunt was wounded too. He knew he had to get back to the others, but wasn't leaving his mate behind. He picked up the wounded soldier in a fireman's carry, and started back. He was staggering over the churned up ground under the weight of his load, and from his own wounds. The rest of the Company maintained covering fire, but with just ten yards to go, a German sniper shot both men dead. Joe's feelings about volunteering were reinforced.

By late afternoon the 5th Battalion had suffered 452 men dead wounded or missing. Men reported missing were usually dead, either blown to bits, buried by the explosions, or having been wounded, being missed by the stretcher bearers in the general confusion of battle, to die from their wounds in the mud. The lucky ones might have been captured, but taking prisoners was not a high priority here.

The 5th Battalion was now at less than half strength after just 12 hours of fighting. During the attack, shelling reduced the already ruined Pozieres into smaller and smaller bits, but Joe's luck was holding, and he was uninjured so far. Major Luxton was wounded, but remained at the Front. His dedication to duty was later mentioned in dispatches and noted by British Commander- in-Chief General Haig.

The First Division had captured the town, but could not advance the last 200 yards to take the heavily defended ridge beyond. That was a strategic observation point, needed by both sides. That night the Australian Second Division arrived to relieve the heavily damaged First, and continued the attack on the ridge for four days.

During that time the First Division retired from the battle to reorganise at Albert. Joe and his decimated 5th Battalion staggered exhausted out of that hell on earth, soaked by heavy rain, heading west through the night and thinking about the men they'd left behind on the sodden battlefield. Joe was feeling very down until someone started singing Three Blind Mice. Everyone joined in and soon spirits were raised again. On arriving worn out at their billets they found the previous occupants were still there and they had to spend the night without any form of shelter in an open field, in the rain, sleeping on the wet ground in their great coats and wrapped in groundsheets.

The Australian Fourth Division and several fresh British Units joined the battle, and after two weeks the Pozieres ridge was finally taken. General Haig then ordered the Allied troops to continue to advance for three more weeks against fierce German resistance and heavy artillery fire.

During the First Division's rest at Albert, while the Pozieres battle was continuing, Joe and Amos had time to look around and consider what they'd been through during the last few months. One night as they lay on their groundsheets in a barn that had once stored crops waiting to be transported to market, Amos decided he'd had enough.

'Joe, I'm getting out of this fucking war. It's not like what I thought when I joined up. The papers said we'd beat Fritz in no time but you can see that's not going to happen. Gallipoli was a picnic compared to this place. Half our bloody Division is gone and we only moved a few hundred yards.'

Joe was surprised by Amos' statement, because he'd been fighting as hard as anyone else, and Joe assumed that they were both in it until the end. 'Yeah, well we aren't going to win this week, but we can't just give up mate.'

'How can we win with bloody Pommy Generals ordering attacks against indestructible Fritz positions? Look at the casualties we've had in the last two weeks. Birdwood is alright, but the ones above him are dills and he has to do what they say. You and me are about the only ones left in the battalion from Gallipoli.'

That was an exaggeration, but it was true that their battalion had lost more than 500 men since they joined it last August. They had seen reinforcements arrive, only to be killed the next day. Joe was aware of his continuing good luck, and Amos hadn't been hurt either.

'Listen mate, we're doing okay. You and me aren't hurt, and if we keep our heads down and don't try to be heroes we should be able to get through it.'

Joe and Amos had decided during their first trip to the Front at Fromelles that they wouldn't volunteer for raiding parties or anything else that took them any closer to the Germans unless the whole battalion was coming with them. Volunteering as a cook's assistant was a better option, but there was no shortage of men for that, and they didn't get a turn too often.

'No Joe, I don't like the feel of all this, so I'm getting out while I can.'

'How the hell do you think you can get out now? You've gotta be wounded or dead.'

'No, I reckon all I have to do is go AWL a couple of times, and they'll kick me out.'

'They'll more likely chuck you in gaol, then send you back here.'

'Then I'll go again.'

Joe could see he wasn't going to win this argument. 'Alright then, I'll wait here and see what happens to you.'

Amos was as good as his word, and didn't come back from his next day off. He was caught, charged, and forfeited pay, but he was prepared for that. He went AWL again, and Joe lost touch with him, as over the next two years Amos went AWL and was charged many times. He was Court Martialled twice and sentenced to 12 months hard labour and a dishonourable discharge. The sentence was later commuted to 3 months and 450 days forfeiture of pay. It didn't stop him though, and he was moved between battalions in an attempt to find a Unit that could settle him down. It didn't work, and he was still going AWL and disobeying orders regularly, until he was finally sent home in 1918, even as the final major battles of the war were taking place, when every able-bodied man was needed. At the end of the war Amos was awarded the same set of Service medals as everyone else, but years later his war service pension was discounted in proportion to the time he was AWL and in gaol. This was a consequence few men knew about when they were carelessly flouting the rules in France. It caused many of them financial difficulties later in life.

After a week of rest and reinforcement, the First Division set out to march back to the battle. On the way they bivouacked for five days at Vadencourt Wood where they were surprised to see King George drive past in a car, saluting them in response to their cheering. General Birdwood also arrived and presented medals to several Officers and Other Ranks.

After five days there they moved on to the Front near Pozieres where the battle was still raging. This time they were in the second line of trenches, where the main task was replenishing ammunition and repairing trenches in support of the troops in the Firing Line. Joe spent the two weeks on fatigue details each night, burying dead horses, and generally cleaning up the mess of human body parts left by the fierce shelling. The work was in the open, so had to be done at night to avoid attracting snipers and machine guns. It was a horrible and almost futile job as by now there was an overpowering smell of decaying men and horses that had been torn apart and then pulverised into a ghastly slush, mixed with the mud. Joe was relieved when his stint was over and he went back to repairing trenches. That work was thought to be safer since trenches provided their own cover, and it seemed much more preferable than the horrific task of scooping up human remains.

Joe and 150 others were detailed to dig new communication trenches near the Front. They would work through the night and finish by dawn. Sergeant Tracey had just been commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after proving himself as a leader in combat, and now Lieutenant Hooper (no relation to the Captain at Gallipoli), and 2nd Lieutenant Tracey were in charge of the working party. Shelling was going on continuously, but there was no particular reason to worry. The bottom of a trench was a relatively safe place unless there was a direct hit. Trench layouts now took the line of least resistance with the diggers just linking old shell holes where possible to minimise digging. As they worked, some shells began landing close by, and Hooper suspended work for a while so the men could take cover. As Joe and half the party took cover in one trench, two high explosive shells landed in the one next to them. Hooper, Tracey and 30 men were killed, and 89 others were wounded.

When the bodies were cleared away and the work recommenced, Lieutenant Grantham and Sergeant Harrison were in charge. The new diggers came under machine gun fire, and Grantham had bullets pass through his gas mask, tunic and putties, without touching him. Harrison was severely wounded and died that night. Grantham was later wounded on six occasions through the war, but survived.

Joe's First Division had already lost over one third of its men in the first phase of this battle, and now three weeks later, it had lost half of those remaining. The attack on Pozieres Ridge was eventually successful, but in the process, 23,000 Australian troops were killed or wounded, equivalent to more than an entire Division. Many of those casualties occurred in the vicinity of Mouquet farm and the Pozieres Windmill, which were both demolished by shelling. It was there that Bill's sister Mary Ann had lost her second son. Percy Grose was killed along with thousands of others on the 8th of August.

On the 21st of August, the remnants of the First Division were relieved, and ordered to move north, back to the Hazebrouck Sector to rest and replenish. They marched out to Albert in heavy rain. Five days later they were back at their old camp near Godewaersvelde. Joe could relax for a while, although there was always advanced training going on to get new reinforcements up to standard. All Joe's mates were gone now, and he decided that there was no point in being too friendly with anyone else. He'd just do what he had to do, and hope that his good luck would continue until the end.

Back to Contents Chapter 10

The Somme

For the next three months, the 5th Battalion remained in the Hazebrouck/Ypres sector, taking their turn at the Front near Ypres for a week at a time, and training and consolidating their positions between times. The town of Ypres was mostly demolished but the open fields to the west of it had recovered from their brief period of battle in 1914, and now showed little sign of damage. Fields were green and poppies pushed their way up through the soft earth. While in training, daily working parties were sent to the Front Line to assist with trench repair. Rostered men were out of bed at 0330, breakfasted and on the march to the Front by 0400 on these cold mornings, arriving at 0600 and working until 1500 hours when they began the two hour march back.

After their experience at Pozieres, the front line here seemed like a peacetime exercise, and trenches were dug to the proper military specifications. There were times though that while digging, they inadvertently exhumed bodies that had been buried a year earlier when the British had driven the Germans back from this area. Casualties continued mounting as artillery pounded the Front almost non-stop, and the occasional heavy calibre round landed in the billet area. Gas shells arrived frequently and Major Luxton was gassed here. He was evacuated to a Field Hospital for treatment.

Lieutenant Colonel LeMaistre was posted back to Australia in September of 1916, to become CO of the Broadmeadows training camp until the end of the war. One of the battalion's Majors would be promoted to his position, and as Major Luxton was still recovering from gassing, Major Walstab was appointed to act in the position. Walstab tried hard to show he was capable of being the permanent commander, but in the process caused some dissention in the ranks by insisting on peacetime style parades. His officiousness would show up during relocation route marches where he insisted that all Companies remain in step, with rifles slung on the left shoulder. Any change of shoulders that was initiated by the leading Company had to be immediately carried on through those following. It just added to the troops' fatigue at the end of the march. Joe was becoming even less impressed with senior officers.

On the 1st of October General Birdwood inspected the troops and presented medals awarded as a result of the Pozieres battle. Then in late October the rejuvenated First Division began moving south again, heading for the Somme Sector. Leaving Hazebrouck they marched for two days until reaching the outskirts of St Omer where they stopped to vote in the Conscription Referendum. Most voted against it. There were no billets available that night and the battalion slept in a field in the open. Officers had the option of accommodation in the town, but decided to remain in the open with their troops. Heavy rain all night did nothing to improve anyone's spirits.

Next morning they hauled their sodden gear another eight miles to the Arques railway station. From there they travelled by train to Abbeville then to St Riquier, arriving at 0400 hours in heavy frost. They picked up their gear again and marched another four miles to billets at Gorenflos. The men slept most of the morning and then spent the afternoon in the town's few drinking establishments. Next morning there was another five mile march to LaFolie to board trucks. They settled down to enjoy the break from marching and travelled through Flixecourt, Belloy-sur- Somme, Longpre, Amiens and on to Dernancourt just south of Albert, arriving at sundown. The trip had so far taken six days, mostly in heavy rain and cold temperatures. The troops were glad to stop, and even the stench of the derelict billets didn't bother them. After resting for the day, early that night they marched ten miles east through Mametz towards the current Front where they would relieve front line troops in rotation. They were now just two miles east of the former Pozieres battle ground.

By now the ground was a quagmire and men and horses struggled and splashed through the mud, at times falling into old shell holes filled with water. By the time they reached the support trenches near Flers they had reached a new low in both discomfort and bad temper. Rain was falling steadily as the troops tried to settle in to their new surroundings. When morning came, Joe looked around to see that the trench he was in was like a trough in an ocean of mud. The only visible obstructions standing above the mud were timber posts holding up the remains of barbed wire entanglements that had been blown apart and repaired innumerable times. Three hundred yards away was the remains of the first tank that he had seen. It was standing like a beached ship in the mud and provided a convenient target for German artillery to practice on. Shell holes mostly filled themselves in as the mud slid back into them. Here they met West Indian troops engaged in futile work to rebuild the roads.

After three days in the support trenches they began the short but arduous night-time slog to the Front to relieve the British Worcester Regiment in Bull Trench, loaded down with the equipment they would need for two weeks in the Front Line. Each man carried his personal kit in webbing pouches plus 225 rounds of ammunition, two grenades, two gas masks, two empty sandbags, a trenching tool, dry rations for two days, groundsheet, blanket and rifle. They struggled forward in the dark trying to stay on the taped line, getting lost at times, and crawling through the mud at others. If a man fell in the mud several others had to stop to help him get on his feet again.

They were now at High Wood, an elevated and once lovely green and leafy area that overlooked Bapaume and Gueudecourt. The wood was now reduced to just bare stumps, and the boggy ground was churned by the shellfire that accompanied the battles that had gone on here. The remains of smashed equipment still littered the muddy fields. This area had seen some of the fiercest fighting between British and German troops, and the bodies of 20,000 men were buried in the area.

For the next two weeks Joe endured shelling, rain, cold and mud. It was so wet the trenches just collapsed in little muddy avalanches adding to the already knee-deep slough at the bottom. There were no dugouts; they just collapsed under their own weight. The delivery of food to the men was almost impossible for days as horses sank to their bellies, and the one mile trek to the Front was beyond them. One bright note in the period occurred when new insulated 'hot boxes' arrived for the first time. Now food could be kept at least warm while being delivered to the front line trenches.

Joe's only compensation was the thought that the Germans in their trenches less than half a mile away were suffering just as much. Even shelling wasn't a problem as the mud cushioned the explosions. One day the biggest aerial battle of the war took place above the troops as about 80 aircraft swooped and zoomed above them in a deadly contest. It appeared to Joe and his mates that the Germans won that fight. During their time there the battalion lost 29 horses, some due to shellfire, but most of them drowned in the mud.

When they were finally relieved, the sleep deprived, mud-caked and bedraggled soldiers, some without even a rifle or equipment, and others suffering from painful 'trench feet', were staggering along the road towards a billet area near Dernancourt, when they met a British Guards Brigade marching towards the Front. The British were spotlessly turned out and marched smartly to the music of their regimental band. The contrast between the two groups was so stark that Walstab issued an order that his men were to 'buck up'.

Two weeks later after cleanup and rest and an issue of new clothing, it was their turn again at the Front. Reinforcements were arriving steadily so Joe's battalion remained at full strength. Winter was coming and the weather was getting even colder and wetter, making life in the trenches utterly miserable. Mud was knee-deep and just wading along the trench used more energy than a route march. Sleeping was almost impossible since there was nowhere to lie down. Joe tried leaning against the side of the trench, but as he dozed he slid down into the mud. Just standing still caused a slow descent into the knee-deep mud and required a lot of hard work to overcome the suction to get out of it. Joe looked after himself, wrapping his boots and legs in cut-up sandbags and tried to stay as dry as possible, so he didn't suffer from trench foot and scabies as many others did.

There was no way that clothing could be washed anywhere near the Front, so a clothing exchange was set up at Abbeville, and all Divisions ferried dirty clothing there to be swapped with clean. Baths were set up in reserve areas near the Front to allow resting troops to clean themselves up. In warm weather the Somme River was suitable for swimming and bathing, and troops washed their own clothes when they could. Winter was a different story, and it was a miserable time for everyone.

During December of 1916 Joe turned 20 years old. The 2nd Brigade was now designated Division Reserve. They had been issued with new clothing and weapons and had moved well out of the trenches, spending Christmas and the worst of the winter in billets at Vignacourt twenty miles from the Front. Joe was able to take leave in the local towns, where the French girls were very friendly. He had his first sexual experiences there, and was careful to follow the medical lectures, so unlike many men, he didn't acquire any of the now prevalent venereal diseases that were becoming a concern to Army doctors.

In February of 1917 his battalion was again camped near the Front in the Albert Sector, and had not taken part in any assaults for five months, although they took their turn at the Front every couple of weeks, and the incessant artillery caused casualties each time they were anywhere near the front lines. The entire area was now covered in snow and slush, and life was even more uncomfortable for troops in the front line trenches. Mud was still knee deep everywhere, making the simplest tasks nearly impossible, as suction made walking a supreme effort. It was so cold that a steaming mug of tea could have ice on the rim. It didn't help to be told later that this was the coldest winter for 30 years. The Germans were suffering just as much and the war came to a stop for several months except for the never ending shelling that left black holes in the white snow until the next snowfall covered them.

Shelling was so frequent that Joe could now tell where a shell was going to land from the few seconds of warning noise that preceded it. The exception was the 'whizz-bang' high velocity shell that arrived with just a one second warning. Gas shells didn't explode, they just 'popped' and leaked out their contents behind the front lines. One shell landing with a 'plop' was probably a dud, but two or more landing without exploding was assumed to be a gas attack, and masks immediately became top priority. Major Luxton was again gassed during one of these attacks and was evacuated to England for treatment. At times though, the ground was so wet and soft that even high explosive shells just didn't explode at all.

Joe knew that the entire Australian First Division had been in the Albert Sector in October and November, and so the Pioneer Battalion wasn't far away, but Joe and Dave hadn't seen each other, and Joe was wondering how his little brother was getting on.

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Chapter 11

First Pioneer Battalion

Dave's Pioneer Battalion left Egypt in March and arrived at Marseilles on the 1st of April 1916, disembarked the next day and travelled north by train for four days. No one knew where they were going. Even the battalion CO Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson didn't know what was happening. While on the train he wrote in his diary;

'Travelling north, destination unknown.'

They arrived at Godewaersvelde at 0300 hours on the 5th of April, and camped beside the railway line. But at dawn they were ordered to Rouge Croix. The CO had no maps and no idea where that place was. He wrote in his diary;

'No guides. No Staff Officers. No stores.'

They eventually found their way, and were directed to billets, which were in fact damaged farm buildings. The CO was still unhappy, describing the billets as;

'Unsanitary, dirty and overcrowded.'

These would prove to be some of the better facilities they experienced during the next three years.

By May, the battalion had relocated to the Front near Sailly and began digging drainage trenches and erecting huts for the Medical Corps. The troops were unhappy, and since most of them were new recruits with little military, let alone combat experience, they hadn't yet learned to take orders that didn't suit them. Discipline was difficult, but the CO made a considerable improvement by making an example of Private Thornley who was charged with several counts of insubordination, disobeying commands and resisting arrest. The three years gaol awarded after his Court Martial served to bring most of the men to the realisation that they were not civilians any more, and that this was a theatre of war where the consequences of misbehaviour were severe. Any remaining doubters were convinced two weeks later when Sergeant Miller was charged with desertion and sentenced to be shot. That sentence was later commuted to 5 years gaol.

By the 22nd of May Dave was feeling ill. The mumps that had been raging through the troops finally caught up with him, and he was transported by Field Ambulance to the military hospital at St Omer. He had just left when the Germans made a strong attack on the 11th Battalion's Front, severely damaging their trenches. The Pioneers had to work for two days to repair them under constant shell fire, suffering many casualties.

When Dave returned three weeks later, the Pioneer Battalion was about to move south to the Albert Sector with the rest of the First Division, to take part in the attack on Pozieres. Dave and several others were summoned to the Headquarters dugout and told they were transferred to a new Unit. The AIF Mining Corps had been formed, based on the success of a similar Unit in the British Army. It had nothing to do with the sort of mining Dave was familiar with though. This Unit's mission was to tunnel under enemy trenches, lay mines, and blow them up. Within the Mining Corps there were explosives experts and tunnellers. Dave went to Number 2 Tunnelling Company. As the rest of the Division headed south, Dave and the other tunnellers stayed at Godewaersvelde.

Mines came in three basic types, Offensive, Defensive and Tactical. The first was meant to kill the enemy, the second was used to destroy enemy tunnels, and the third was used to raise the ground to provide firing positions, screen troops or obstruct approaches. The explosive used was ammonal, a mixture of ammonium nitrate, TNT and aluminium powder. It was a stable mixture that needed a strong detonating source to ignite it, but then it produced an extremely powerful blast.

A team of tunnellers would start by sinking a shaft at least 20 to 50 feet deep, then digging towards the German lines. In the clay soil of this part of France, they could sometimes make up to 10 feet a day. The diameter of the tunnels was usually about four feet, but galleries were dug at regular intervals where a man could stand up straight, or rest between digging periods. A final large gallery at the end of the tunnel would contain the explosive. Mine layers would position huge amounts of explosive under the enemy trenches, ready to blow at an appropriate time. They had to do everything as quietly as possible so as not to alert the Germans who maintained a listening watch whenever possible, just to detect these approaches. German tunnellers were doing the same thing, and there was a separate underground war going on that few people knew about. Additional men had been attached to the Tunnelling Companies to get the job done in this area before winter set in, and Dave was one of them.

Dave spent July to October mostly underground in no-man's land, first near Armentieres, then Bailleul, then further north near Poperinge digging trenches and bunkers that could be used later. Shelling caused casualties from time to time and his Unit lost an average of two men each week through direct hits or cave-ins caused by near misses. The Mining Companies had two hundred infantrymen attached for protection, but due to the irregular nature of the work, parades were rarely held and Dave got well out of the habit of that aspect of military service.

The Australian Mining Companies cooperated with the British Mining Corps, and by October a plan had been devised to lay a string of 25 mines along a 10 mile line roughly north/south between Ypres and Messines, under the Messines Ridge. The ridge was the only high ground in the area that could be used for observation, so it was vigorously contested. Dave's Company was now tasked to drive a tunnel under Hill 60, a strategic observation post at the northern end of the ridge near Zillebeke just south of Ypres. The hill had been fought over and occupied by both sides at times, since the beginning of the war. Several shafts would be dug, so a major cave-in or discovery of one by the Germans would not compromise the plan.

The Hill 60 shafts were named 'Berlin A', 'B' and 'D', and 'Anzac'. Throughout October and November Dave worked underground, and by the end of the month his tunnel was completed except for the final gallery that would contain the explosive. It was hard physical work as well as being stressful. Tunnels were shored up with timber, but cave-ins occurred from time to time when shells landed on top of them, and tunnellers had to be dug out by their team mates, or by trained mine rescue teams. When the job was finished the explosive placed under Hill 60 was 55,000 pounds of ammonal. The total in all the tunnels along the ridge was over one million pounds. For strategic reasons they were not fired at the time, and would remain in place for nine months without being discovered by the Germans.

The extra men could now be sent back to their units while the original Tunnelling Companies maintained the shafts and dug defensive listening tunnels to ensure the Germans never got close enough to discover the main shafts. At the end of his part in the Operation, Dave was returned to the Pioneers. Winter wasn't far away, and the ground would become either too soggy to dig, or freeze rock-hard.

Immediately upon rejoining his old Unit Dave was brought back to military reality when he was selected for a Guard of Honour as General Birdwood visited the battalion and presented medals awarded to members as a result of the Pozieres action. Dave had seen none of that battle, but heard all about it from those who had been there. Then the Pioneer Battalion moved south with the rest of the First Division to a camp outside the village of Longueval eight miles east of Albert, and was settled in by the beginning of December. The nearby Delville Wood had been the scene of a major battle in July between the Germans and a South African Brigade of 3,300 men. The South Africans held the wood until they were relieved, but by then there were just 143 men left able to fight. This area was now miles behind the Front, and Dave's job here was to rebuild the shell-damaged roads and the railway line to facilitate the passage of Allied troops and supplies to the new Front.

The work was hard and the weather was cold. Snow had started falling intermittently now, and working conditions were worse than anything Dave had experienced in his life. At least on their occasional days off Dave and his mates could go into Albert, have a beer, and meet the local residents. Albert was damaged, but businesses were still operating and local people thought that now that the Germans had been forced back, the worst was over. Dave had turned 18 back in August and had spent his birthday in a tunnel somewhere under German trenches. Now it was nearly Christmas and he was determined to have some sort of celebration.

He'd already met some of the local girls, and his hormones were telling him it was time to become fully acquainted with the pleasures of sex that he'd so far only heard about. He'd had some practice with girls at Footscray, but those events had never finished with actual sex. Dave had sat through Army lectures from time to time, on personal precautions and hygiene relating to sexual activity, and condoms were freely available if he asked for them. So far he hadn't had any opportunity to need them.

It wasn't long though before Dave and his group of mates found a similar group of French girls, and paired off. Dave's girl was a little older than himself, and she'd obviously had some experience. The Germans had been here and although she didn't speak English, she knew some key words in several languages learned from her previous liaisons, and Dave quickly realised he'd struck gold. After an hour of small talk that was severely limited by their lack of a common language, she took Dave home to her little room. It was cold outside, and the room had no heating, but there was a warm looking bed.

Ten minutes later Dave was learning a whole new range of skills that no amount of soldiering could teach him. The girl lived by herself in this small room in the town, and whenever he had time off, Dave would cadge some extra rations from a friendly cook and have a meal with her, followed by a couple of hours of increasingly satisfying sex, along with basic language lessons, before having to get back to camp by the deadline of 2300 hours. He was always able to find a lift either in a truck or a horse-drawn wagon that would take him most of the way. The traffic on the roads was always very heavy as British, Canadian, Australian, South African and New Zealand Divisions were continually moving up to the front and relieved Divisions returned to rest. Most movement happened at night to avoid enemy observation.

A few days before Christmas of 1916 Dave and his girlfriend were following their now familiar pattern, and after the usual vigorous sex, they fell asleep. Dave didn't wake until dawn. He knew he would be in trouble unless he could get back into camp without being seen, and be on parade at 0800 with everyone else. He borrowed a bike and pedalled as fast as he could back to the camp. Unfortunately it was nearly full daylight as Dave hid the bike in the bushes and tried to scale the wire that surrounded the camp. He was seen by the guards, and after fronting the guard commander, was charged with being absent from duty from 2300 hours the night before.

The new battalion CO, Lieutenant Colonel Henderson, heard the charge, and not having any acceptable excuse Dave was found guilty. He was awarded eight days forfeiture of pay, and then returned to duty to dig in the frozen ground with the rest of the battalion. He decided to be more careful in future, but at the first opportunity, he rode the bike back to Albert, and the regular visits continued. In February the battalion moved camp to Mametz only three miles from Albert, so now Dave could walk there any time he could get a few hours off.

He tended to go to town by himself now. His mates had made their own arrangements with their girls, and their days off didn't always coincide. It was a short walk to town, and Dave couldn't wait to get there at every available opportunity. He was enjoying his sexual experiences, and had no intention of missing any chance to further them. He was late back to camp several times, but friendly guards let him in without any problems. By the end of January 1917, the battalion had constructed a light railway, prepared deep bunkers, and repaired duckboard walkways in the surrounding area. They were nearly finished their work in this area, and Dave knew they would have to move on soon. He decided on one last major session with his girlfriend because when he moved he knew he'd never see her again, and who knew how long it would be before he found another girl like her.

His working party was staying overnight in a temporary billet in Albert on the 11th of February 1917, and Dave thought it was an excellent opportunity to have that final fling. After the day's work the party was given time off until 2300 hours, and Dave left the billet immediately. His mates knew where he was going and would plead ignorance if he hadn't got back by 2300 hours. He arrived at her house twenty minutes later.

He had been warned after the first charge that any future absences would be severely punished, so Dave was careful to make sure he could get back to his party during the night before any of the NCOs missed him. Most of them were ok, but the ones who aspired to become Officers were to be avoided. They were always a little too officious and took every opportunity to enforce the rules. Pioneer Units suffered far fewer casualties than the infantry, so promotions were slower and more competitive among the NCOs. Their temporary billet had no surrounding wire, so Dave didn't expect any problem getting back into his partially wrecked building, and he wasn't the only one coming back late. There was plenty of movement in the town as Army Units passed through either going to or coming from the Front. A few extra soldiers on the street should not be noticed.

At 0100 hours, Dave thought he'd better not push his luck any further, so he said his goodbyes and headed back. It was just bad luck that as he approached the billet he ran into Sergeant Harris who was taking the opportunity to demonstrate his dedication to duty by accompanying a roving piquet patrolling the billet area, on the lookout for stragglers.

Dave was charged as he expected, but was sentenced to only fifteen days loss of pay, so he was happy with the outcome. Two weeks later the Pioneer Unit was on the move again, and Dave's first sexual escapade came to an end. It would not be his last.

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Chapter 12

Footscray - 1916

In Australia, the public's perception of the war started to change late in 1916. The casualty statistics kept on increasing with no noticeable gain in occupied territory, and certainly no end in sight. Recruiting was decreasing steadily from its high point twelve months earlier, and there was some industrial trouble as Trade Unions opposed women taking over traditional male jobs while the men were away. There was now talk of a referendum to introduce Conscription to maintain the required recruiting levels.

George and Charlotte had previously ignored the innuendo from some of their neighbours, who couldn't see why George hadn't enlisted. Even when he told them he had been classed as medically unfit before the war started, they refused to accept that as an excuse. George looked fit enough, so they thought he should do the honourable thing and at least apply again. To make things harder for George, Harry Yarwood applied to join, and he was nearly 45 years old.

Faced with this pressure, as well as the knowledge that his two younger brothers had been in the thick of the Western Front battles, George decided to apply. He wouldn't tell Charlotte yet because he was sure he would be rejected again, and there was no need to have her worrying unnecessarily. He filled in an application form on the 21st of August and waited until he was called up for a medical examination. After waiting a week, he knew it couldn't be much longer, and he was starting to feel bad about not telling Charlotte, so he decided he'd better tell her what he had been doing. She was feeding young George when he broke the news.

'Lottie, I think I'd better at least apply again or I'll never hear the end of this. When Joe and Dave get back they'll always be making smart remarks about me, and no doubt telling exciting stories about their battles. The damn neighbours look at me as if I'm deliberately dodging this too.'

Charlotte had always opposed him applying. 'George I don't care what anyone says. I don't want you to go. Joe and Dave are single men, with no responsibilities. You have a wife and two kids. If anything happens to you, I'll be left with nothing, and have to spend the rest of my life depending on other people for help.'

It was the same argument that she had always used, but this time George wasn't having it.

'Other men with families have gone over there, so that excuse won't count for much when this is all over. There's going to be a referendum soon and it will probably pass. I'd rather volunteer than be called up.'

'You should be exempt anyway with two brothers already over there.' Charlotte knew that families with several brothers could be excused from having all of them in the Army together.'

'Yes, but I don't live with them now, so I'm not sure if that would apply to me. Anyway, I'm not going to use that as an excuse.' said George. 'I still don't think I'll pass the medical anyway, but at least I'll have done my best.'

Then he dropped the bombshell that he had been holding back.

'Lottie, I've already applied to join up, and a letter should arrive any day now telling me to go for another medical.' Charlotte dropped the spoon she was holding. The clatter as it hit the plate frightened the baby who started to cry.

'What? You did that without telling me?' She was shouting now. 'How could you do that? You've seen the lists of casualties in the papers and you've already lost two cousins. I'm sure if you go I'll never see you again,' she wailed. The baby wailed too.

'Calm down. I don't expect to pass the medical, and if I do I'll ask for a job here in Melbourne. There must be something I can do here, even if it's at Broadmeadows or Seymour. At least it will look as though I'm doing something useful.'

'You did this without telling me,' she repeated. This was the first time since they were married that George hadn't conferred with her about a major decision. She was devastated, and relations were frosty from then on.

As it happened, the letter arrived two weeks later, telling George to present himself at the Footscray Drill Hall for a medical examination. Charlotte was still unhappy, both because he might be going away and because he'd done this without telling her first. They had hardly spoken for two weeks.

'What about your job? What if they employ someone else and you don't join the Army? What then?'

'I've already told the boss I won't be there tomorrow while I go to the recruiting place at Footscray, and he said he'd wait to see if I get in before he hires anyone else.' He could see the tears in Charlotte's eyes, but George wanted to be seen to be doing the right thing.

The next morning George went by train to Footscray and walked 300 yards to the Drill Hall. It was Thursday the 21st of September 1916. There were still quite a few men there waiting to enlist, but not the long queues there had been in the early days of the war. Upon reaching the front of the line, George immediately declared his previous 'unfit' medical assessment, and waited.

He had to wait a couple of hours before he saw the doctor, and had time to talk to some of the other waiting men. They talked about the war, but their understanding of what they were getting into was based on the somewhat sanitised newspaper reports that painted a positive picture, and highlighted the heroic deeds of some individuals. Letters from France were censored, so although the prospective recruits had some idea of life in the trenches they had no real idea of the conditions they would experience in battle. There was a general optimism among the men in the queue, but the feeling was not quite as euphoric as the men who had joined at the beginning of the war. George still believed that he would be rejected, so he was feeling braver than he would have been if he had been sure of going.

By now, the fairly stringent medical standards that had applied at the beginning of the war had been lowered to ensure that as many men as possible could be enlisted. This time George was assessed as fit, and was told to come back tomorrow to start the enlistment process, and he could expect to be in the Army within a week. George was surprised that this was happening, and even faster than he had imagined. He went home in a daze and broke the news to Charlotte.

George tried to calm her, but she was inconsolable. That night they both slept badly. The next morning though, Charlotte was calmer, and had apparently decided on her own strategy to get through this traumatic period in her life. She started packing. George could see the determination in her face, but wasn't sure what she had in mind. When he asked what she was doing, she replied,

'I'm not staying here by myself. I'm going to live with Mum. If you don't come back, at least I'll have some support.'

Charlotte's mother Margaret lived in Somerville Road not far from George and Charlotte. Her house was fairly large and she took in boarders to help the family income. Charlotte knew she would get a bed at her mother's house even though some of her younger brothers and sisters were still living there. It would be a squeeze, but they would look after her and her two children. She never considered moving in with Bill and Liz, even though they had more room since Joe and Dave had gone. She just knew she wouldn't get on with Liz if they had to see each other every day. She had also formed a suspicion that the relationship between Ellen and Bill wasn't quite normal.

On Friday George was in a queue again. The waiting men were given the Attestation paper and told to fill in the front page. When his turn came, the Recruiting Officer, Lieutenant Ritter, checked off all George's answers and took the letter from the Area Officer explaining why George hadn't served in the Cadet Corps. Everything was in order, so Lieutenant Ritter told him to come back on Monday with his bags packed, to be sworn in, and he would be on his way to Seymour that afternoon.

George was home again by early afternoon and went to the quarry to let the boss know he wasn't going to be coming to work anymore. He spent the rest of the day looking at his own belongings and deciding what to give away in case he never came back. He didn't seriously think anything would happen to him though, because he didn't intend getting too close to the enemy if he could help it, and if he was careful, he should be able to get through the war. He said as much to Charlotte, but she kept saying,

'I just know this will be the last I see of you.'

George couldn't see what Charlotte was worrying about. Money would be tight though, so perhaps that was her real concern.

'You know that the Army will pay you while I'm away don't you?'

George tried to shine a positive light on the situation.

'Yes, but I've spoken to other wives. Your whole pay will be just a miserable six shillings a day and one shilling of that is deferred until you get back, and it really isn't enough to live on. You get nine shillings a day now, how do they expect families to live on five shillings? Even if you send me all your pay, after I've paid the rent, there will be hardly enough to pay the bills and feed us.'

The Stone-cutters Wages Board had controversially given huge pay rises to its members just recently and now, even as an unskilled labourer, George was being paid nearly one pound per week above the basic wage. He hadn't yet asked how much he'd be paid in the Army but he knew that joining up meant a pay cut. He was surprised that she had worked this out already. Charlotte couldn't see any positives in this situation, and George knew he would need some money to spend on leave over there, so hadn't intended allotting all his pay home. He didn't mention that to her.

'Well if you live with your mother you should be alright, she will probably need you anyway. Between my pay and your brother's, you should be able to make ends meet. You can leave the kids with her and get a job yourself if you need to.'

Charlotte hadn't considered working herself. It hadn't been usual in her family for the women to go to work, but the war had created many vacancies that were now being filled by women. The Trade Unions still opposed women taking on men's jobs, but had modified their opposition provided that the women were paid less than men. In fact the 1907 Judgement in the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Court that set the first Basic Wage had set women's wages at just under half of a man's. The judgement said that the Basic Wage was meant to be enough to:

'...support the wage earner in reasonable and frugal comfort.' George had hoped for more support from Charlotte, but it looked as though she had already decided that this was going to be the end.

On Sunday they took the train to Footscray to break the news to Bill and Liz that another son was heading to the war. Bill and George sat in the lounge room while the women went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Ellen put the kettle on and Liz and Charlotte sat at the table. Liz was surprised that George had been accepted, but was mostly interested in Charlotte's intentions, and more particularly where the grandchildren were going to live. When she said she would live with her mother, Liz wasn't happy. There had never been any social interaction with the Bennets because the two families seemed to be completely opposite in almost every aspect of their upbringing. It was still a puzzle to both families how George and Charlotte had got together in the first place.

'I hope you'll still be able to bring the children around to see us now and then.' Liz also knew she wouldn't get on with Charlotte if they were both living under the same roof, but having the kids visit regularly would be a good arrangement.

'Well,' said Charlotte, 'George expects me to go to work, so I might not be able to come around much at all.' The previously suppressed disrespect that Charlotte had always felt towards Liz was rising to the surface.

'Look if it gets too much for you, we can have the kids live here,' said Liz as nicely as she could. 'Mavis is only a couple of years older than Gwen, so I'm sure they would get on well. Ellen and I will be able to look after young George too.'

Charlotte was still slightly repulsed by the idea that Ellen's illegitimate child Mavis was being raised as Liz's daughter, and didn't want her children absorbed into this odd family. She would have been even more repulsed had she known who Mavis' father was. She took Liz's inference about her being unable to cope as an insult.

'I'm sure my mother can look after them perfectly well thank you.'

'I'm just offering,' said Liz soothingly, seeing the potential for family problems arising. She didn't much care if Charlotte never came around, but she did want to see the grandchildren.

Ellen was two years older than Charlotte, and had also picked up on Charlotte's so far unspoken dislike of herself. But Ellen had no desire to upset anyone, so she just said,

'Tea is ready.'

When they were all together in the lounge room, only the war, and George's potential part in it was discussed. No one wanted him to go, but it was too late now. When it was time to leave, Liz, Charlotte and Ellen knew that relationships in this branch of the family would never be the same again. Both Bill and George thought it would all sort itself out, providing that George came back safe and sound.

George was given Service Number 457 and marched in to the huge Seymour training camp on Monday afternoon. He was immediately assigned to the reinforcements for the 6th Machine Gun Company. At this stage of the war, each Brigade had its own machine gun Company consisting of 16 Vickers machine guns, and each gun had a crew of six men. The Company that George would join after training was part of the Second Division's 6th Infantry Brigade, and they were currently at Ypres in Belgium.

Once George was in the Army, Bill decided he should contribute to the war effort too, and left his quarry job to work at the Maribyrnong Ammunition Factory. He began assembling artillery shells, and continued to do that job for the rest of the war. There was some shift work involved as the factory operated day and night, and travelling on the tram late at night during winter wasn't much fun, but he felt as though he was doing something to help.

In October the Conscription Referendum was held. The troops serving overseas were given a vote, and almost all voted against it. They reasoned that they didn't want to be in the trenches with their lives depending upon men who didn't want to be there. In Australia it was a close vote, and caused significant social upheaval as supporters of both sides argued vigorously for their beliefs. But in the end it was defeated and there was no Conscription. Too late for George, he was already in the Army.

George soon found that they would be doing most of their training overseas, since there were not enough Vickers guns spare for training in Australia. After the basics of learning to march and salute, just a month after joining the Army, George found himself among a thousand reinforcements for various Units, aboard the Transport ship 'Ulysses' heading for England. They spent Christmas on the ship and disembarked at Plymouth on the 28th of December 1916.

The troops were transported to the big military training camp at Perham Downs on Salisbury Plain, about 20 miles from Stonehenge. Here were facilities for all sorts of training from small arms to heavy artillery. Accommodation had been upgraded from tents at the start of the war to timber huts now two years later, but the weather hadn't improved. It was cold and windy on a good day, and cold and snowing on a bad day. The troops called it Perishing Downs.

George settled in to begin his training, and wrote to Charlotte. He told her he expected to be sent to France within a few weeks. Relations had improved once he was in the Army and she had time to adjust to her new circumstances. Charlotte found a job as a cleaner to help her mother's financial situation, and began writing regularly to George. She even took the children to a photographic studio and sent a postcard with their picture to George, with the message that they hoped he would return safely.

Back to Contents Chapter 13

Bullecourt

In January 1917, the Acting 5th Battalion Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Walstab, was confirmed in the position and many of the troops were not happy. They were in billets at Meault just outside Albert, and due to come out of their rest period. Joe knew that some extravagant Operation would be planned to cement Walstab's position as soon as they got anywhere near the Front. He hoped he wouldn't be part of it. Walstab may have felt the need to prove himself because Major Luxton had already been twice mentioned in despatches for 'Distinguished and gallant services in the field', and had just been awarded a DSO. The Distinguished Service Order was awarded to Officers for 'Distinguished services during active operations against the enemy.'

As February began, the battalion moved up into support trenches at Flers, and sure enough Lieutenant Colonel Walstab issued an Operations Order for a major raid on German positions. The Order was three pages long, and covered every detail from the purpose of the raid to the equipment to be carried, and the clothing to be worn. The objective was to;

'Kill or wound the enemy garrison, secure prisoners and secure information about the German Line.'

The raid would be carried out at night by four Officers and 103 Other Ranks. Jumping off trenches would be dug half way to the German lines, and they would also provide cover for the party on the way back. Due to snow on the ground and a clear sky with some moonlight, all personnel would wear improvised white smocks. Greatcoats would be worn until reaching the jumping off trenches, where they would be left. A short artillery barrage would open just before the raid to destroy enemy wire entanglements. The raiding party would break into three sections, go through the wire and enter the enemy trenches. Designated bomb throwers would carry 10 Mills bombs each. Four stretcher bearers would accompany the raid, and two buglers would sound a note to recall all Sections at the end of the raid. Lieutenant Griffiths was appointed OIC of the raid, and was to personally check that no member carried any identity disks, papers, letters, pay books or have any marks on his clothing that might give any information to the enemy. Nothing was left to chance, and this raid seemed meticulously planned. Joe's Company wasn't involved, but it was a big raid and everyone knew about it.

Any special operation was followed at its conclusion by a narrative report by the CO on the action and outcome, which was then sent to Brigade HQ. After this raid Lieutenant Colonel Walstab wrote in his report:

'...raiding party was held up by enemy wire and only one section succeeded in entering enemy trenches. Our casualties, 2 Officers wounded, 8 ORs killed, 40 wounded, 3 missing.'

The objectives were not met, no prisoners or intelligence were secured, and by suffering 50 percent casualties it must have been considered a complete failure. The battalion moved to the Front Line a few days later, and spent two weeks in the trenches, but no more special operations were undertaken.

For the next month, determined fighting by all Allied armies slowly but surely pushed the Germans back. The Australian First and Second Divisions were heavily involved throughout, regularly taking their turn at the Front. The weather was still cold with snow on the ground, but Joe's battalion suffered few casualties during that period, and it appeared that the Germans were making a fighting withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

A few weeks later the 5th Battalion was again camped near Albert. Lieutenant Colonel Walstab was awarded the DSO and posted to a training Unit in England. He was replaced by Major Luxton DSO, who became the new temporary CO. Morale improved immediately, as Luxton had been with them since Gallipoli, and everyone knew he had been doing his share of the hard work. He had been wounded once and gassed several times, but still found time to get to know most of the men in the battalion. Luxton was tall, with a thin dark moustache, and was seemingly well groomed at all times, despite the difficulties of living in dugouts. He looked every bit the type of Officer depicted in recruiting posters.

In April the battalion again moved forward, past the scene of the February raid and on towards the new Front near Bapaume. Luxton was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and became the permanent 5th Battalion CO. Despite leading the unsuccessful raid in February, Lieutenant Griffiths who had proved himself in other operations, was promoted to Captain and awarded a Military Cross. The battalion was now camped in dugouts just east of Bapaume. The worst of the winter was over, but a cold wind still swept across the open fields and occasional snow falls made it uncomfortable for the troops.

The Germans had retreated to their fallback Hindenburg Line and those heavy fortifications were expected to stop any further Allied advance. However, the Canadian Divisions had just fought and won the battle of Vimy Ridge 20 miles north of Bapaume and 5 miles north of Arras. The Battle of Arras fought by British troops was starting, and the next designated objective for the Australian Divisions was just a few miles to the north of Bapaume, at Bullecourt. This town was a main bastion of the Hindenburg Line. The Allied Front Line trenches facing Bullecourt were currently occupied by the British 62nd Division with the Australian Fourth Division on their right. An attack on the Hindenburg Line would be led by the Australians with the British in support.

From January to April of 1917, Dave's Pioneer battalion had followed the advancing troops, as the Front moved east. They were harassed by shellfire, but the only enemy they saw were dead. Their days were spent cleaning up the mess left behind by the fighting. They worked to repair roads, bridges, trenches and dugouts. They buried dead men and horses, unloaded ammunition from trains and loaded it onto trucks or Ammunition Column horse-drawn limbers whenever required, to help get it to the front line troops. They moved camp every six weeks or so, but were always gradually moving east. In between periods working on the roads they were given refresher training in infantry tactics and musketry in case they were called upon to fight at the Front.

By the beginning of May the Pioneer Battalion was camped at Bancourt just outside Bapaume preparing for the Bullecourt Operation to begin. Dave knew Joe wasn't far away, but everyone was too busy for leave to be granted, so they didn't see each other. Infantry battalions were rehearsing for the attack and there was much activity as Units moved back and forth.

Some excitement occurred when a German aircraft appeared overhead flying at about 3000 feet, apparently observing the preparations. There was a massive amount of small arms fire aimed at the aircraft, and soon it was seen to spiral down and crash-land behind the Australian lines. The 19 year-old German pilot was shot and wounded while trying to escape, and the troops ran to the plane looking for souvenirs. It was estimated that some 25,000 rounds were fired at it by the 5th and 6th Brigades and several machine gun companies, but upon examination not one bullet hole was found. It had come down due to engine failure.

Back in January in England, George spent two months at Perham Downs learning the workings and operation of the Vickers gun. The Vickers machine gun was a development of the very good Maxim gun that had been around for 30 years. It was mounted on a swivelling tripod and was carried in parts, to be assembled on the spot at a designated firing position. The major improvement over the Maxim was the addition of a water tank around the barrel that provided sufficient cooling for the gun to be fired virtually continuously. It could fire 10,000 .303 rounds in an hour, then the barrel had to be changed, taking two minutes. Its range was anything up to 4000 yards. A rubber tube ran from the cooling jacket to a water tin, so that as the water around the barrel heated up it overflowed into the tin and as it cooled, water was sucked back out of the tin. A feature of the Vickers gun was that it could be aimed at a specific point such as a road junction or enemy trench during the day, and 'locked on' to that range. Then at night when the enemy troops were moving, even though they couldn't be seen, the gunner could lay down very effective fire on that position. Other modifications were made to reduce overall weight, and now the Vickers was a very effective weapon in the field.

The crew of six was made up of the gunner who normally fired it, a feeder to ensure the ammunition belt fed in straight, two loaders to manage the ammunition boxes and refill the belts, and two others to carry additional ammunition. All of them had to qualify as gunners, so anyone could fire it in an emergency. Each gun was protected by a section of riflemen, and usually, one Lieutenant commanded four guns.

At the end of his course, George was transferred to the reinforcements for the Fourth Division, 4th Machine Gun Company that was nearly ready to leave for France. Before they departed though, he came down with a bout of flu brought on by the cold weather. He was in hospital for two weeks, and was well looked after by the nurses. George hadn't seen a woman up close since he left Footscray in September, and some of the young nurses looked very attractive. He'd already heard stories of soldiers with girlfriends in the nearby towns, and it was said there were plenty more girls available in London. He felt badly about thinking like that, but he had seen some horrifically injured men in the hospital, and knew he could die without ever seeing Charlotte again.

There had been several letters with photos of the kids from Charlotte since he arrived in England, and it was clear now that she had got over the initial shock of his enlistment and had decided to forgive him for his lack of consultation. She was living with her mother, Gwen and George junior were both well, and it looked as though everything would be back to normal when George eventually got home.

By the time George left the Convalescent Depot and was available for deployment, the 4th Machine Gun reinforcements had gone. He was sent back to his original group, and earmarked for the Second Division, 6th Brigade again. That brigade was made up of the 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Battalions as well as the 6th Machine Gun Company. Sections of the Machine Gun Company were spread between the four battalions. They were currently occupying dugouts just east of Bapaume.

On his way to the Front, George had to wait for transport at Folkstone, and again at St Omer, and it took nearly two weeks for him to get to his Unit. When he was finally taken on strength on the 6th of May, the weather was warming up and the entire First and Second Divisions were heavily involved in the Second Battle of Bullecourt.

The Australian Fourth Division had already made an unsuccessful attack on the German fortifications in the First Battle of Bullecourt on the 11th of April. British General Gough was in command of the battle and was convinced that tanks could be used instead of the traditional artillery barrage to break through the enemy wire. Australian senior Officers expressed doubts, but they were overruled. As it happened most of the tanks broke down and the rest were put out of action by enemy fire. The Fourth Division was defeated, suffering 66 percent casualties that put them out of action for months. The Second Division took their place as they withdrew.

The Front was still in its original position near Bullecourt on the 15th of April, but with Joe's battalion in the reserve trenches half a mile behind, when a major attack was launched by four German Divisions against the Australian front. The fighting was furious but the Germans' advance was held up until the Australians' ammunition ran out, and they were forced to retreat to re-arm.

Almost immediately the Australians counter attacked, surprising the Germans before they could consolidate, and took the village of Lagincourt. Heavy rain started to fall as Joe's battalion was called forward to reinforce the line at Lagincourt. Here they found deep well-constructed former German bunkers furnished with lounge chairs and beds, and stocked with various beverages. The only detraction from this desirable piece of real estate was the large number of German corpses already partly eaten by hungry rats. Following this successful counter attack, the German front line was pushed back and it then ran from Bullecourt to Queant.

Now a new battle plan called for an assault by the British 62nd Division against the town of Bullecourt, with the Australian Second Division on its right, again directly attacking German fortifications. Once successful they would turn north and encircle Bullecourt. As they did that the First Division near Lagincourt would protect their right flank from the expected German enfilade fire from the village of Queant.

After a week carrying out night time patrols in the rain, sleet and strong winds to gauge the German positions, the 5th Battalion moved back to the support area again to await the real assault that was still to come. For the next two nights the Germans saturated the area with gas, causing some casualties and disrupting sleep for everyone. That was followed by a day of heavy shelling that inflicted more casualties. Although they hadn't been in the firing line, the 5th Battalion suffered 30 casualties for the month.

The new assault was planned to start on the 3rd of May and lessons should have been learned from the previous debacle. Artillery was included in this plan but once again tanks were integrated, with equally bad results. The battle went back and forth for several days as Australians took ground and Germans counter attacked.

During the battle the 6th Brigade, including the 6th Machine Gun Company, was in the thick of it and had made a major advance into the German lines, but the brigades on either side had not been able to keep up, and the 6th was left at the tip of a long finger of allied ground and was in danger of being cut off. They held their ground despite enormous losses and at one point during the battle the remains of several Companies from two battalions who had lost all their Officers were being commanded by a corporal. They were relieved on the 10th of May by the arrival of the Australian Fifth Division. The battle continued until the 17th of May when both sides had fought themselves to a standstill, but the ground was held. The weather had cleared during the battle and it was so hot now that the machine gun sections found they had to guard their guns to stop parched infantrymen from drinking the water from their cooling tanks.

George and some other reinforcements were kept at 6th Brigade Headquarters until the battle was over. During that time the location of HQ changed several times, and George and the other new men helped with the moves. Here George was issued with his Company colour patch, a red diamond over crossed machine guns.

As the remnants of his brigade arrived back from the Front, the extent of casualties became apparent. The 6th Brigade had started the battle well below its established strength of 4000, with only about 2,200 men, and had suffered a further 1,187 casualties. It would be a long time before it was an effective fighting force again as reinforcements arrived and needed to be brought up to combat readiness. George, being one of the reinforcements, was allocated to Number Two Section, and settled in to his new life as a soldier.

The 6th Machine Gun Company's Transport Section had lost a number of horses during the Bullecourt battles and good replacements were hard to come by. It was fairly common for troops who came across a good looking unattended horse to take it and leave a hack in its place. Sometimes though, the abandoned hack would find its way back to its Unit, thus drawing attention to the foreign animal that had taken its place.

One such incident occurred one night when a poorly performing horse named Harold had been deliberately smuggled into a British line and swapped with a good looking British horse. Once let go, Harold 'homed' like a cat and beat the soldier with his new British horse back to the 6th Company lines. The soldier hit upon an idea to solve the problem and took Harold back to the British Unit then hung around acting suspiciously near their horses. A British Officer bailed up our soldier and accused him of trying to steal a horse, took his name, and confiscated Harold. Harold wasn't seen again.

During the battle the First Division had been on the right flank drawing fire from Queant. The action there was lighter, but the shelling was the most ferocious they had yet seen anywhere. During the battle Joe's 5th Battalion suffered 19 killed and 50 wounded. Three men were recommended for Military Medals. Captain Griffiths MC was killed by a shell as the battalion was being relieved, and a measure of the troops' respect for him was demonstrated by his Company's insistence that they carry his body back to Vaulx-Vraucourt for a decent burial.

Following the Bullecourt battles, where the Australian casualties totalled some 10,000, the First, Second and Fifth Divisions were allocated a rest period. 'A good long rest' as General Birdwood told them.

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Chapter 14

The Long Rest

By the 20th of May 1917 George's 6th Machine Gun Company was billeted at Warloy in an area that had seen no shelling, so the undulating fields were green, and trees still had all their leaves. 'Resting' in Army terms meant that the working day started at 0800 hours and continued until 1700 hours six days a week, with Church parade on the seventh day. The troops spent their time cleaning and overhauling weapons, receiving new inoculations, having dental checks and lectures on all sorts of things from tactical use of the machine gun to personal hygiene. Promotions were made, to replace losses.

The 6th Machine Gun Company had performed well in the Bullecourt battle, but at times had trouble keeping up with the fast moving infantry, both advancing and retreating. The Brigadier wrote in his report of the battle to Division HQ that the lighter Lewis machine guns would have been better, and the Vickers would be more effective if used from a fixed position. It wasn't long before this lesson resulted in every battalion having its own Lewis gun Sections, and they were found to be effective against aircraft as well, provided the aircraft was flying below 3,000 feet, so Lewis gunners were often designated for anti- aircraft duties.

Vickers guns were then usually allocated to 'indirect fire'. Batteries of guns would be arranged to cover an area of enemy- held ground up to maximum range, and given a pre-set program of fire that swept the ground at intervals. The ranges were worked out before hand so that the guns' inclinometers could be adjusted to land bullets in any area up to one and a half miles away with an accuracy of better than 30 yards. They didn't need to see the enemy so they could be sited on the 'dead' side of a ridge out of sight. With up to 12 guns firing at once at a rate of one belt of 250 rounds every two minutes, the area could be effectively saturated with bullets. The enemy was so far away that bullets arrived well before any sound of the guns warned them, and they could not even be sure where they were coming from.

During an assault the gun sections would be divided into batteries with specific missions. A Creeping Barrage battery would operate to the same range and timetable as the artillery. Another would be designated SOS battery and could be signalled with flares by troops being held up by enemy positions to fire on specific areas without ever seeing their target. Another battery could be allocated for harassing fire on targets of opportunity. In the absence of specific requests the guns maintained indirect fire, and elevated to increase their range in accordance with the artillery timetable.

George eased into the Unit among the men who had been through more combat than he could imagine. He was number six man in his gun crew and was just an ammunition carrier at this stage, until he had some experience in combat. Nevertheless he was able to practice firing the gun during training, and discovered he was a reasonably good shot.

From 1700 hours each day the troops could relax, and it didn't take long for the Company to notice that they were billeted next to a brewery. It was a small family operation with two 500 gallon vats of beer in a barn and only separated from the troops by a brick wall. A reconnaissance of the building revealed that a vent high up in the wall was a weak point through which an assault upon the vats could be mounted.

The smallest man in the Company, Nobby Pollock, was boosted up through the vent carrying one end of a long rubber tube that would otherwise have been cut up and used in cooling hot machine gun barrels. Once inserted in the vat the siphoned beer flowed unchecked into outstretched dixies. The procedure was repeated nightly without arousing the owner's suspicions.

It was during this period that Private Lindsay became famous for inventing the 'Hindenburg shandy'. Taking one of the cook's largest cooking bowls he poured one bottle of red and one bottle of white wine into it and then filled it with beer. The purple liquid was said to possess a kick like a mule. Once the word got around, men came from everywhere to sample the brew. Arguments surrounded who was able to drink the most, but finally the title went to Sergeant McGaffin's horse which consumed four gallons. The fate of the horse is not recorded. Weeks later when the owner detected his loss the Company had moved on, but the culprits were tracked down and their pay was docked to compensate him.

Meanwhile, the First Division's brigades were spread across the countryside in billets from Henencourt to Dernancourt, with Joe at Henencourt Wood and Dave's Pioneers at Dernancourt. These areas had also been spared from the ravages of war and everyone settled in for a good break.

At the end of May as the troops were arriving at their rest areas, a British artillery barrage had started with an intensity that no one had heard before. Two thousand three hundred heavy guns pounded the German positions along the Messines Ridge 30 miles north of the rest camp. It went on for three weeks. The rumble of the artillery was most audible at night and comments were made that 'someone was copping it'.

On the 7th of June at 0300 hours, the troops were sleeping when Dave woke up suddenly and it took a minute to work out what was wrong. Then he realised the guns were silent. It was the quietest he had experienced since being in France. Dave wondered what was going on. Could the war be over? That seemed impossible. The fierce barrage that had been going on for weeks indicated that a new assault was imminent. The Germans would be aware of that too, and would have deployed all their local reserves to the Messines Ridge to repel the expected attack. Now that the guns had stopped, it should mean that the Allied assault would begin. Many others had woken too. George was still getting used to the sounds of war, so he slept lightly and any change in noise was enough to wake him. By now Joe could sleep through a barrage so didn't notice anything and slept on.

Dave listened for any sounds of field artillery but nothing happened for ten minutes. Then a rumbling vibration shook the ground. Dave jumped up and went outside. Dozens of other men were doing the same. The sky to the north was dark, but as one rumble subsided another would erupt. The rumbling noises just kept coming, and Dave tried to count them. He wasn't sure how many there were but the ground shook as if an earthquake was occurring. The troops were discussing the sound and what could have caused it, when the sentries reported that they had seen massive flashes over the horizon several minutes earlier. No one could offer an explanation.

Henencourt wood was on top of a slope that formed an amphitheatre where many hundreds of spectators could sit and watch the happenings on the level ground at the bottom. The 5th Battalion's rest period entertainment started with a concert by some troops on a stage constructed at the bottom of the amphitheatre, followed by a boxing competition. Later, inter- brigade sports competitions began, with Australian Rules football drawing the biggest crowds. Soccer and rugby were played but got little support, while the cricket enthusiasts were hampered by a lack of equipment.

Mail from Australia was waiting for them and leave was available to visit other Units so the occasion was used by relatives and mates who hadn't seen each other since arriving in France to catch up. So it was here that Joe, George and Dave all met for the first time since leaving Australia. They met at the amphitheatre and after much back-slapping and greetings, settled down to compare stories.

'Did you hear all that rumbling the other morning?' asked George. 'I didn't think it was anything special, but everyone who's been here a while said it sounded odd'.

'I didn't hear a bloody thing.' Joe had been told about it, but couldn't offer any explanation.

Dave had been wondering for days. 'When I was in the Tunnelling Company we dug a tunnel under Hill 60 up near Ypres. There was a rumour that there were other tunnels being dug but no one would tell us for sure. The Engineers were going to fill the tunnel with ammonal and blow it up. There might have been a whole lot of tunnels set off at once. I wonder if that's what it was.'

Joe wasn't convinced. 'Nah. We wouldn't hear it here, it's too far away.'

They would find out later that the mine that Dave had helped to lay at Hill 60 near Zillebeke was detonated along with 18 others along the Messines Ridge on that morning, in preparation for a British attack. All 19 massive blasts went off almost simultaneously along the Ridge, and the sounds of those explosions woke the British Prime Minister in London, and were heard in Ireland. The devastating blasts caused 10,000 German casualties within a few moments and allowed the subsequent British assault to overrun the German lines with far fewer casualties than they would otherwise have suffered. Ironically, many of the troops in France didn't notice the exploding mines above the roar of nearby exploding shells that were part of their everyday life.

The decision to detonate the mines had been made the day before, and at that briefing British General Plumer had said;

'Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography.'

Many of the craters left by those mines are still visible in France nearly 100 years later, and are designated war grave sites. For various reasons five of the original 24 mines were not detonated, and remained in place. One was found by the Germans, but the records of the exact positions of the others were lost, and they were not able to be found after the war. One of them went off during a thunderstorm 38 years later in 1955. Luckily the area was still open farmland and the only casualty was one cow. The other three are apparently still there in the French countryside.

The three boys compared their experiences so far, and this time it was Dave's turn to tell George what it was like in a battle. So far George hadn't been nearer than two miles to the fighting, although he'd seen plenty of shells exploding near him. He showed the others his photos of Gwen and young George that Charlotte had sent him.

'Probably lucky you missed that last stunt at Bullecourt George. I heard your brigade got a pasting.' Joe had seen little of it himself, but news of the casualty count had spread quickly.

'Not my fault I missed it, I was held up for weeks waiting for transport, then they kept me at Headquarters til it was over.' As always, George had taken Joe's remark as an implied criticism.

Joe ignored the retort. He was past caring about family squabbles. 'The war isn't over yet so there'll be plenty more like that I reckon.'

'Yeah, I'll be cleaning up the mess you blokes leave behind for months yet,' said Dave.

'Serves you right', said Joe. 'Anyway it's better than being there when the mess is being made. Just about everyone I joined up with is gone'.

'You always were a lucky bastard,' said Dave, 'Anyway I thought you'd have been at least a Sergeant by now.'

'Nah you gotta be up the front and volunteering for raids to get promoted. I'm not sticking my head up to get it shot off.'

George saw an opportunity to get square for the perceived slight against himself. 'Maybe you could go straight to General. They don't seem to get hurt much.'

Joe let the jibe go, but he'd seen enough of George for now. 'The footy's starting. I'm off to find a good spot.'

Their reunion was over. They all watched the match, and then went back to their Units.

The next two months were spent in training to bring the new reinforcements up to standard. Troops were encouraged to aspire to higher ranks, and to make or update their Wills. Despite the almost ideal living conditions there was no relief from the lice that still resided in uniforms and caused uncomfortable itching. It was here that a new long service and good conduct insignia was introduced. An inverted chevron on the forearm sleeve of the tunic was given for each year of service with good conduct. General Birdwood wandered around talking informally to the men, and seeing that they were as happy as circumstances allowed. They had just received news that a large shipment of mail had been lost due to enemy action. Birdwood was still popular with the troops and more than one was heard to say, 'He should have been an Australian.'

All Units were taken, one battalion at a time, to see a demonstration of a new weapon that was about to be deployed. It was known then simply as liquid fire, but later was called a flame thrower. It could be carried and used by a team of two men, or mounted on a vehicle or tank. The troops watched as the stream of fiery liquid shot across the ground for 30 yards setting fire to everything it touched. The general consensus among them was that it was worse than gas.

At the end of July the Long Rest was over, and everyone was ready for action. The AIF Divisions packed up and started moving north towards Hazebrouck yet again.

On the way all Units paused at Mouquet Farm near Pozieres and took part in a special memorial church parade to remember the thousands of men killed there one year earlier. George knew his cousin Percy Grose had died there, but like Joe, had only met him a couple of times before the war. It was mid-summer now, so the weather for most of the time was pleasant, but with rain now and then. During the parade General Birdwood presented medals won in the Bullecourt battles.

By now George had taken part in advanced attack training across open ground and in wooded terrain, and undergone gas drill. He'd also seen aerial bombing, mortar and artillery demonstrations, and taken part in advanced musketry and machine gun practice.

This training also served to retrain all troops in a more open type of warfare than the trench-based tactics that had been used up to that time. The Germans were the first to realise that setting up strong-points at strategic places that could be effectively defended, was a better alternative than being bogged down in trench lines. The British then had to change tactics to counter the new German dispositions.

The new tactics were outlined in a memo from Army Headquarters to all Units. It described the reasons for the change, and said;

'...that the fighting is now of a more open nature, and that trench warfare and trench to trench attacks are becoming things of the past.'

The 5th Battalion went into billets at Godewaersvelde that were by now well established and reasonably comfortable. More reinforcements arrived and the battalion was fully manned with 52 Officers and 1,043 ORs, the most they had had for years.

George's 6th Machine Gun Company reached Wardreques near St Omer and went into comfortable billets, where they would stay for six weeks. Between on-going training periods, the troops spent their time visiting St Omer, or playing two-up and crown and anchor, and listening to British Army bands playing music in the parks. While camped here, the entire Company was photographed for its war records.

The surrounding area was thick with crops ready for harvest, and despite orders to the contrary George's Section mounted repeated night time raids upon the crops to supply their cook with fresh produce. A visiting British Officer noticed the fresh vegetables and accusingly asked the cook where he got them.

'They're on issue. Dunno where they come from,' answered the cook.

'That's odd we haven't had anything like this for months.'

Defiantly looking the Officer in the eye the cook said; 'Well, they're on issue here.'

Faced with such determination the Officer dropped the matter.

When Dave's Pioneer battalion arrived at Hazebrouck, it was his turn for leave and he was given two weeks furlough. He had always thought that he would use that time when it came, to find Joe, and maybe George. But having already seen them, he decided to go to England. Most men went there to get away from the war, but Dave was after a girl. Almost any girl would do, and when he was issued with his leave pass and ration card, he knew he had the means of getting one. Rationing was in force in England, but soldiers were often invited to stay with families, and shared their ration cards. Dave hoped to share their daughters as well.

His plan must have worked to some extent, because on the 30th of August 1917, Dave presented himself to a Military hospital in London with a dose of venereal disease. He was sent on to the specialist 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford a few miles from Perham Downs. That was the beginning of a new adventure for Dave, and he wouldn't return to France until May of 1918, nearly nine months later.

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Chapter 15

Ypres Early in September 1917 the Australian Divisions moved towards the Front just south of Ypres, and it was clear that a big Operation was being planned. The fields were filled with artillery guns of all sizes and descriptions, with stockpiles of shells everywhere. Battle dumps were being established for each brigade from whence resupplies would be sent to the advancing troops. A brigade's dump typically contained 350,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 14,000 grenades, 5,000 mortar rounds, as well as flares, sandbags, water, wire, picks and shovels and rations. Men's greatcoats, groundsheets and other personal items were also stored until after the battle. Joe had already discovered that following most battles these dumps were a treasure trove of food and clean uniforms, left by owners who never came back for them.

The battle dumps and closely camped troops presented good targets for enemy aircraft, and they attacked day and night. The anti-aircraft Lewis gunners were kept busy, and British aircraft engaged the Huns in dogfights, so little damage was done on the ground. The battalions of the First Division were now taken, one at a time, to Reningelst to see a scale model of the upcoming operation. This was a new innovation in military tactics and was not universally endorsed by Senior Officers. Showing the troops the difficulties they were about to be asked to face was thought by many to be unwise.

Nevertheless, the scale model of the battlefield, spread out over three acres of ground, proved of immense interest to the troops, and much discussion went on among them about the best ways to approach the battle. These discussions continued for days after they returned to their billets, and the whole exercise was considered very worthwhile. Soon after this, a full dress rehearsal of the beginning of the assault was conducted, and by the end of it all ranks knew exactly what was supposed to happen. Joe's First Division now moved across the Belgian border to Zillebeke near Ypres.

To the north, the Third Battle of Ypres had been going on for weeks as the British Fifth Army under General Gough attacked the German lines east of Ypres near Passchendaele. The battle hadn't achieved any significant advance and had produced heavy casualties. Now General Plumer commanding the British Second Army, to which the Australians were attached, devised a new strategy to make attacks on a wide front but with limited objectives that could be consolidated and held against the traditional German counter attack. Then another advance would be made a week later. The tactic was called 'bight and hold'.

The first Operation, as modelled and rehearsed at Reningelst, was planned to begin on the 20th of September just southeast of Ypres along the Menen Road. The Australian First and Second Divisions would lead the attack with the Fourth and Fifth Divisions in support. All Divisions' Machine Gun Companies now came under the command of the Corps Machine Gun Officer, and their 256 guns were deployed in support of the attack. They were divided into groups and designated for specific tasks. The Barrage Group of 48 guns would maintain indirect fire on the enemy trenches using the artillery time table. The SOS barrage group of 48 guns would target the area 400 yards beyond the final objective to harass German reinforcements. The Special Targets Group of 20 guns would respond to flare signals from the infantry to hit German strong- points. Sixty guns in the Mobile Group would be divided between battalions and follow the infantry for close support, with 80 guns kept in reserve.

At 0600 hours on the 20th the First and Second Divisions would begin the attack to advance the Front Line by about 1000 yards. Battles had now become almost second nature to Joe. He'd been in so many that he could hardly remember which was which. But the events of that day made it memorable for him.

On Joe's portion of the front, which was on the far right of the Australian Sector just north of the Menen Road, the attack would take him through Glencorse Wood to the battalion's first objective, a red line on the map passing through Verbeck Farm, then on to the second objective, a blue line from Black Watch Corner to Lone House, 300 yards apart. The Second Division was on the left of the Australian Front. On the far northern limits of the assault, George's Gun Section was allocated to the Barrage Group and would begin firing when the artillery barrage commenced.

The weather was awful, with heavy rain that saturated the ground. Pioneers had already laid duckboards across sodden ground to allow the troops to reach the Start Line. Joe's 5th Battalion would begin the advance on a 150 yard front that would pass through Glencorse Wood. As they made their way towards the taped Start Line during the night, silence was strictly observed, and no smoking was permitted. Several platoons got lost in the rain and confusion of tapes until the rain eased early in the morning, and they only just reached their designated start positions as the artillery barrage opened at 0540 hours. As soon as the shells started exploding smoking was permitted, and everyone lit up to have a quick smoke before they moved forward at 0600 hours.

Despite the mud, the advance in Joe's sector started well. German morale was low, and many surrendered at the first opportunity, although some others fought to the last man. Captured concrete pill-boxes were found to contain plenty of coffee and cake, so the German Army was not starving. Shelling was still causing the majority of casualties on both sides, and eager Australian troops advancing too fast were sometimes catching up to, and being hit by the friendly barrage.

A troublesome German machine gun post on the right flank was rushed and captured by 22 year-old Sergeant Farnington, single- handedly destroying the gun position and taking nine prisoners. He was shot in the chest during the skirmish, but survived and eventually returned to his civilian job as a pastry chef after the war. The 7th Battalion's advance was also held up by a German machine gun post. Joe's Company commander Captain Moore saw what was happening and called upon some of his men from the 5th Battalion to outflank and then rush it. Sergeant-Major Collins rallied the troops and Joe had no choice but to go with them. After fixing bayonets they worked their way around beside the gun emplacement and then all ranks rushed forward firing as they ran. The Germans returned fire briefly, but then decided that surrender was the best option. When the dust and smoke cleared two machine guns, a German Officer and 15 men were captured. Joe had gone through it all, the mud being flung up by exploding German shells, and machine gun bullets and the smoke from Australian shells that were providing some camouflage to the advancing troops. He was untouched by stray bullets zipping past, and was now just a bit surprised to find he was still in one piece.

Another memorable moment came for Joe a few minutes later as his platoon again took prisoners at a machine gun post at Verbeck Farm. Five Germans stood up and raised their hands in surrender. As Captain Moore approached to take them prisoner, one of them dropped and fired the machine gun, severely wounding Moore. The German then jumped up and raised his hands again. The enraged soldiers killed the gunner, and then shot the other four as well. Moore died an hour later at the Aid Post. Joe had been in action for over two years now, and was well used to seeing men die all around him. He'd become fatalistic about his own safety, but seeing that German's treachery was a salutary lesson that served to remind him to keep his wits about him.

The battalion suffered heavy casualties but reached its second objective during the morning and dug in, although as soon as a trench reached more than two feet deep, it started filling with water. The fighting died down as the Germans had now been forced back to their reserve lines and would be regrouping. Food and newspapers were brought forward under continuous shelling, and someone distributed the dozens of cigars they had found in a German pillbox. The 5th Battalion had taken about 300 prisoners, and the overall attack was a success, despite casualties in the battalion being 11 Officers and 262 ORs.

In the late afternoon, the German counter-attack began as expected, and SOS flares were fired along the Front to signal the Division's artillery and machine gun groups to increase fire on no-man's-land. The fire was effective and the Germans were unable to mount a sustained attack. After two days the Germans gave up their attacks and the Front settled down in its new position.

As for the machine guns, George's Barrage Group of 24 guns situated in their well-sandbagged pits nearly 1000 yards behind the Front, fired 300,000 rounds during the assault without seeing the enemy. It was a valuable contribution though, and soldiers returning from the battle congratulated the machine gunners as they passed on the accuracy and effectiveness of their fire. They reported seeing the enemy fall as if shot in areas where no shells were bursting. They couldn't understand why until they saw the machine gun emplacements later.

The 6th MG Company suffered 27 casualties, all from shrapnel. The success of the machine guns used in this way later led to the formation of machine gun battalions under Divisional instead of brigade control.

After the battle of Menen Road, the 5th Battalion's list of recommendations for medals included Sgt. Farnington for a Victoria Cross, but the award was later downgraded to a Distinguished Conduct Medal. It was becoming increasingly difficult to win a VC in this war because of the volume of heroic deeds being done in each battle. It had become apparent to the troops that you had to die to be eligible. Seven Officers were recommended for Military Crosses and 23 ORs for Distinguished Conduct Medals and Military Medals.

Two weeks later, the British Second and Fifth Armies prepared another major offensive involving the entire Front in the Passchendaele Sector. When the battle plan was issued, the attack was to be mounted by a total of twelve Allied Divisions comprising some 36 brigades of 140 battalions, totalling 120,000 men along a 7 mile front. In a line stretching south from the British, Canadian and New Zealanders nearest to Passchendaele, was the Third Australian Division, then the Second and First Divisions. The Fourth and Fifth Divisions had been fighting at Polygon Wood and were now in reserve. Their camps were a few miles behind the Front.

The machine guns were organised in a similar way to the Menen Road battle, and George's 6th Brigade was just east of Hell Fire Corner, ready to take part in the same offensive. Hell Fire Corner just outside Ypres had the reputation of being the most dangerous place on the Western Front. It was constantly occupied by one or the other sides, and so was shelled by the non-occupants continuously throughout the war.

For this Operation the artillery barrage had commenced two weeks before zero hour, and all was in readiness for the attack to launch at 0600 hours on the 4th of October. The 6th Brigade's first objective was to advance and take the Broodseinde Ridge, the red line, as the overall assault moved forward. Its second objective was to establish a new front line, the blue line, in the valley another 500 yards forward. Four Vickers gun crews allocated to the Mobile Group accompanied each battalion, and George found himself in one of the four crews under Lieutenant Wright, attached to the 24th Battalion for this attack. Their orders were to follow the infantry over the ridge, set up their guns on the eastern side of the Becelare – Broodseinde road, and suppress enemy field guns in the valley to the east. It was known that the enemy had built up its own troops in the area, and a strong counter attack could be expected. The 22nd and 23rd Battalions would lead the 6th Brigade and were packed closely together at the start because there was a lake blocking their path. After zero hour they were to pass the lake and then spread out to the normal battle formation. It was raining steadily, and just as everything was ready, a German artillery barrage started in the 6th Brigade Sector. It was the usual prelude to an attack, and it was apparent that the Germans had coincidentally planned an attack in that Sector for that morning. Their barrage landed well behind the front line of troops but inflicted 20 percent casualties on the supporting 21st and 24th Battalions.

There was no time to change the plan though, and at 0500 hours the Allied barrage that had been going on for weeks along the Front, suddenly intensified. The increased noise was a surprise to many who had joined these Units since the last major offensive at Bullecourt. One Officer wrote in his diary that;

'No single explosion can now be heard, but just a roar. Surely the lid has slipped off Hell'.

At 0600 hours the barrage crept forward, and the entire 7 mile line of troops started to advance.

It wasn't long before the 22nd Battalion ran into the German troops, also advancing, and a vicious fire fight began. Nevertheless the outcome was never in doubt and by 0730 hours the battalion had taken their section of the ridge, capturing hundreds of prisoners. The reserve 24th Battalion with George's gun Section was to come forward to help mop up any remaining enemy and then leapfrog the 22nd and go on to the next Objective. The artillery programme called for a 71 minute halt at the red line to allow for the mopping up.

Seeing the battle going well, the 24th with George's machine gun Section moved up too early, and then had to wait nearly two hours at the red line before they could continue forward. Lieutenant Wright told the gunners to spend the time digging some cover in case of shelling. They had just made some reasonable cover for themselves when the German artillery found the range to the new Front, and pounded it heavily. George's crew had no targets so their gun wasn't mounted and they just had to endure the shelling until it was time to move. George decided that waiting in a trench, not knowing if the next shell was going to blow him to bits was worse than a charge directly at the enemy. Despite the heavy shelling none of the gunners was hurt, and they were all very happy when the clock ticked over and they could advance towards the enemy and get away from this barrage.

The 21st and 24th Battalions now took the lead and began their advance on time as the friendly barrage lifted, but as they crossed over the ridge the German barrage fell on them. George's crew and the other three crews dived into old shell craters and set up their machine guns. Their position commanded a view for miles across open country and the enemy could be seen massing for a counter attack. The gunners opened fire at near maximum range and began mowing down the enemy troops as they advanced in the open. George was busy opening ammunition boxes to keep the feeder supplied, but was able to see what was happening. This was the first time he'd seen the effect his gun had on the enemy. He was amazed at the effectiveness of the machine guns among the relatively closely packed German soldiers. He lost count of the number of men his gunner wiped out before the first box of ammunition ran out. By then the Germans were in retreat, and George had to gather up his ammunition boxes again as the gun was broken down to be carried forward with the rest of the battalion's advance.

During the second pause to assemble the guns, their presence was seen by the enemy, and since machine guns were so deadly, they attracted immediate fire to prevent them becoming operational. George was protected to some extent by a mound of earth thrown up by some previous artillery shelling, but he kept his head down as he opened the boxes again, and bullets cracked past. Mortar rounds landed nearby blowing mud over everyone, but despite the shrapnel whizzing around them, they loaded the gun and opened fire. The fire was immediately effective in keeping the enemy in that area pinned down. The artillery and mortars kept coming though, and soon they found their mark. Two Gun Sections on the left were hit, and Lieutenant Hitchcock and eight men were wounded. The two undamaged gun crews assisted the wounded men to retreat back over the ridge to safety. George wasn't hurt.

The German artillery had shortened its range now and shells were falling among the advancing troops. Along with the German fixed machine gun emplacements, it was inflicting many more casualties than enemy rifle fire. The Allied barrage was still creeping forward, but was too slow, and many excited Australian troops got ahead of it. That caused more friendly fire casualties. Nevertheless, the 22nd reached their objectives and took 200 prisoners along the way. That presented a problem in releasing troops from the fighting to escort them back to the holding area. In the end the prisoners were made to carry wounded Australians back with them, which eased the load on the stretcher bearers.

Soon there were so many German prisoners that they were left to make their own way to the Australian holding compounds, unescorted if they were in small groups, or with one guard for bigger groups. Most carried Australian wounded with them. The Germans generally seemed happy that for them, the war was over. Once again captured pillboxes yielded an assortment of goodies such as wine and cigars, and during the advance towards their second objective many of the troops were adding their own personal contribution to the smoke screen.

By nightfall the 21st Battalion had suffered heavy casualties including all but three of its Officers, and were somewhat disorganised. Lieutenant Wright detached himself from the Machine Gun Company and went to the infantry to help. Lieutenant Blenkarn took over George's Section. Now it was a case of holding the Line against the expected counter attack. German shells again found the range and plastered the new Front. Early next morning the Germans began an advance and someone along the line from George put up the SOS flares. That was the signal for the friendly artillery to target that area, which they did with such precision and intensity that no Germans got through it.

In Joe's sector, the 2nd Brigade had met only light resistance and had taken their objectives quickly, though not without casualties, and then dug in and stayed there until relieved on the 8th of October. Lieutenant Colonel Luxton was again wounded but remained on duty. Rain was incessant and by then the entire area was a bog. The battalion moved back to a rest area called Vancouver Camp near Vlamertinge.

German bombers flew over the camp on most nights causing little damage, but disrupting sleep. One morning however, a plane was finally hit by nearby British anti-aircraft batteries and was seen to spiral down near their lines. When about three hundred feet above the ground, the pilot was seen to jump out, and having no parachute, beat the aircraft to the ground by at least a second. Hundreds of British soldiers ran to the wreckage to grab souvenirs. One man who was early on the scene was heard to complain about the pilot. 'E might 'ave had the decency to land on 'is back. E's broke 'is watch somethin' awful.'

Later that week the battalion lined the road as thousands of Canadian troops marched past headed for the Front, to attack the Passchendaele Ridge. **

After its heavy engagement, the 6th Brigade held its line for two days until it was relieved, and then returned to the relative safety of the support area to rest. The men were exhausted, and yet only the next day, they were told that they were to take part in a new attack with the British 66th Division against Keilberg Spur as part of another attempt to capture the Passchendaele ridge. There was no time to organise an effective machine gun indirect-fire plan, and the replacements for losses during the previous battle were late arriving and to make things worse they had no rations. By now the ground was almost impassable from continuous rain, and just getting to the front line was beyond many men. Completely worn out, 20 percent of the infantrymen became stretcher cases before they ever reached the Front. Right from the beginning this assault looked like being a disaster.

The artillery barrage started at 0515 hours on the 9th of October, but without the intensity of the previous attack. In fact this time it looked quite ineffective. The weather had cleared up for a while, and the flooded ground was draining quickly, but then the rain started again. At 0600 the advance commenced. George's commander this time was Lieutenant Campbell.

The 23rd Battalion, now reduced from its normal 800 to just 123 men, approached Dairy Wood but was immediately hit by enemy machine guns from Daisy Wood on their right. Within minutes there were just 70 men left. Nevertheless they cleared Dairy Wood of the enemy and dug in. The 21st Battalion advanced between the two woods and drew fire away from the decimated 23rd Battalion, but they suffered heavy casualties too.

The following machine gun sections moved up and assumed that Daisy wood had been cleared, so they started through. Almost immediately German snipers picked off several men, and then a friendly artillery shell fell short on George's Section and killed Lieutenant Campbell and four soldiers, and wounded nine more. George was left with just two other uninjured members of his gun crew, five riflemen, and no Officers. Their gun was destroyed and all they could do was take cover in old shell holes to await rescue.

The situation was confused, and with few reinforcements available, relief Companies couldn't find the Units they were supposed to relieve. Shelling was so severe that seasoned men cracked. Lieutenant Wright, in charge of another one of the gun sections later wrote;

'....we were all dazed and ducking involuntarily at every burst and shaking at every sound, waiting for our 'issue'... no one would give me authority to retire, yet it was senseless to stay there. By morning all of us were on the verge of collapse. Needless to say we never fired a shot.'

Finally some order was brought to the situation and the remnants of George's gun sections were found and sent back to rest. The company's casualties for this battle totalled 32, while for the brigade it was 416. These were in addition to the casualties at Broodseinde a few days earlier. Not one shot was fired by any of the machine guns during this battle. Due to the mud, horses couldn't be used and casualties had to be carried by stretcher bearers, knee deep, all the way to the CCS, two miles behind the battle.

This battle was only partially successful and the casualties were heavy. In accordance with Army policy few medals were awarded for any battle that resulted in less than full success. George's machine gun company was reduced from 8 Officers and 78 men to 6 Officers and 46 men, and had lost half of their Vickers guns. George survived without injury. They moved out of the Line to reserve billets to reorganise. Here they were issued for the first time with newly developed tracer bullets, with one in five being inserted in the feeder belts. On the 7th of November the machine guns were again deployed in support of the Passchendaele attack.

Following their brief rest period the 5th Battalion moved out of Vancouver Camp on the 22nd of October, headed again for the Front. They marched in heavy rain, ankle deep in slush along the Menen Road then turned north-east to the Westhoek Ridge near Zonnebeke, and went into the reserve trenches. After a week there they advanced to the Front Line trenches. They had to use duckboards to cross the sodden ground, but the German artillery knew the range to an inch and pounded the walkways day and night.

The Germans changed tactics slightly now, and gas shells were interspersed with high explosives so that they were not noticed. Many casualties occurred over the next few days, mostly blindness from the insidious effects of the gas. Few deaths occurred from these incidents, but many men were out of action for weeks while recovering.

The 5th Battalion troops now occupied trenches next to the Canadians and were able to watch their attack on the Passchendaele Ridge. The night-time battlefield took on a whole new appearance now as tracer bullets flashed across the sky, adding to the red shell bursts. The Canadians initially advanced about 400 yards, but were pushed back by a German counter attack. They regrouped and attacked again, this time pushing the Germans right off the ridge and beyond the village. That victory on the 10th of November finally ended the Passchendaele Campaign that had started in July.

The 5th Battalion was relieved a week later and was allocated a rest period well behind the Front. They marched most of the way and travelled by truck the rest of the way westward through Cassel and Arques to the unspoiled green fields near Desvres just a few miles from the coast. The weather was wet much of the time, and getting cold as winter set in, but the troops appreciated the rest. The cold was mitigated by many coal-fired braziers issued to the troops, and supplemented by extras that they made from petrol tins. The ration of coal was insufficient to fuel all the new braziers, so men supplemented their issue by pilfering from the passing coal wagons that were heading towards the Front. The rest period was very comfortable for all concerned.

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Chapter 16

Bulford - 1917

The Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford was situated in an isolated area on Salisbury Plain, and consisted of rows of huts set out in standard military formation. It was well away from major cities, the closest town being Tidworth, a small village. It was nearly as busy as the hospitals treating the wounded. It specialised in contagious diseases but the majority of its patients were suffering from venereal diseases. The staff consisted of 14 Officers, all doctors, and over 200 Other Ranks medical orderlies and nurses, under the Command of Colonel Smith.

Brothels were legal in France, and many young men from Australia were taking advantage of this facility whenever the opportunity arose. Despite the availability of condoms and repeated lectures on personal hygiene, a fair proportion of those men contracted one or another of the several prevalent contagions.

The incidence of infection increased as the war went on, so Bulford gradually became a VD hospital. The average number of patients was around 1100 at any one time, and the average stay was around six weeks. Gonorrhoea was the most common complaint, with syphilis not far behind. Between them they made up about three quarters of the patients. Syphilis patients had the quickest turn around, staying less than two weeks until their first stage symptoms disappeared. There was no cure for those men and so no treatment was given.

Since there was no military detention area in England that could provide VD treatment, soldiers under detention for various criminal or military offences and also suffering from VD, were brought here for treatment. After that, the prisoners would be returned to the detention barracks. Soldiers returning to France would go to a Convalescent Depot such as Parkhouse for a week or two, then to Folkstone, and across the Channel to their Units.

Many of those men who had been identified earlier in the war as being in the Army for their own reasons rather than to fight the enemy, came through Bulford. They managed to spend a large part of the war in and out of hospitals, and the easiest way to qualify for a hospital bed was to contract VD. The discomfort of the disease and its treatment was a small price to pay for at least six weeks of safety and rest. Dave wasn't one of those men when he arrived on the 30th of August 1917, but he adapted quickly after he saw the relatively pleasant conditions. It was safe, the food was at least as good as he'd had in France, and there was plenty of amateur entertainment put on by the inmates to amuse him. Gambling was against the rules so the card games that Dave got involved in had to be carefully run so as not to be noticed by the medical staff. It was definitely better than digging ditches with the constant danger of being blown up.

On the 18th of September Dave was sitting in the sun outside his Ward hut, catching the last warmth of summer before winter started again, when a bus arrived with a new batch of inmates. As they stepped out of the bus Dave recognised his cousin Billy Anderson. He was the son of Aunty Charlotte, one of Liz's younger sisters. Charlotte and her husband Jim lived at Mount Egerton, so Dave had only met Billy a few times. Billy was two years older than Dave and had been a blacksmith briefly, before he joined the Army in April of 1916. He was now serving in the 7th Battalion.

Billy also had a dose of the clap, but he didn't want to stay in this isolated hospital any longer than necessary, so he took his medicine and was cured in a couple of weeks. Before he left, Billy and Dave arranged to go rabbit shooting at Mount Egerton after the war. They had done it once before when Dave and his family visited for a few days in 1913, and had enjoyed hunting the rabbits. Another day like that was something for them both to look forward to, and this arrangement seemed like a good idea at the time. They promised to catch up after the war, and Billy left Bulford at the end of September.

Dave's treatment lasted somewhat longer than average because he managed to avoid taking the oral medicines whenever there was a lapse in supervision by the nurses. After he'd been there for two months, the doctors started to wonder why he wasn't getting better, and his medications were more closely monitored. He was finally declared cured on the 14th of November, and sent to Parkhouse just a few miles south of London to await transport to France.

During his stay at Parkhouse, Dave managed to get himself a day off and immediately visited a well-known house of ill- repute. As always Dave never knew when to stop, so just a week after leaving Bulford, he was back there dealing cards again. The doctors gave him a stern talking to about the health risks of repeated infection, but Dave wasn't much interested in medical theory. He was happy to be out of the fighting for a while longer.

By now several huts had been converted to recreation rooms for the patients, and all patients had to be out of the Wards during the day so that less coal was needed to keep them warm. However, the CO then decided that fires in the recreation huts could not be lit before 1600 hours. That meant that Dave was cold all day and he wasn't happy about it. At the same time a new area was set up and segregated from the main hospital to cater for the prisoner-patients.

Dave's treatment was monitored from the beginning this time, and his recovery was coming along nicely as far as the doctors were concerned. Dave wasn't ready to go anywhere though, and he started being uncooperative and having to be told several times before he carried out instructions. Finally on the 20th of January 1918, a particularly cold day, he outright refused to take part in the regular daily exercise period, and was charged with;

'Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, refusing to leave the ward when ordered to do so, and disobedience of hospital Standing Orders in being in the ward after 10:30 am.'

Dave was sentenced to 168 hours detention, which he spent in isolation but still under treatment at Bulford, and as soon as that was finished, he was discharged and marched out. Dave was familiar with the procedure now, and before he reached Folkstone he reported sick with yet another dose of VD, and so on the 8th of February he was back at Bulford.

Perhaps he should have realised that things would be different the third time, and his stay there was very closely supervised. No cards, no entertainment, no fun. He took his medicine and finished treatment in just the usual six weeks. The doctors told him that if he wasn't already sterile, another bout would do it. Dave had no interest in marriage or kids, so sterility could only be an advantage in any future liaisons. But he'd had enough of Bulford now and the personal guard they assigned to escort him all the way from Bulford onto the ship at Folkstone really wasn't necessary.

Dave was back with the 1st Pioneers just east of Hazebrouck on the 22nd of May. They were rebuilding roads and trenches, and although well behind the Front, had suffered 30 casualties during the month. Now there was a new enemy though, as influenza started appearing, and that month 58 men from his battalion went to hospital, sick with 'flu.

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Chapter 17

France - 1918

When the new year started, George's 6th Brigade was in the Front Line at Warneton ten miles south of Ypres. Shelling by both sides was going on day and night. The weather was miserably cold and very wet, and the battalion commanders were reporting that their men were exhausted and unfit to fight. George's Machine Gun Section was guarding the northern end of their allocated sector with the other guns of his company at fixed emplacements along the brigade's front. It was the middle of winter and when it wasn't raining it was snowing.

The gun crews were rotated frequently, but George spent quite a bit of time in an isolated gun emplacement with his gun crew, and suffering the cold somewhat more than most of the brigade. Extra rations of hot soup were brought out to them during the night, and while it was welcome, it didn't help to warm them up much. On the 14th, despite light snow falling, a major aerial battle took place above their position as RAF and German pilots tried hard to shoot each other down.

By the 18th of January George had scabies, and was sent to the brigade dressing station for treatment. This highly infectious disease is caused by a microscopic mite living on the skin. George's clothing had to be fumigated or replaced, and treatment applied to the rashes on his skin. He remained in isolation and out of the cold weather until the 24th, but then went back to normal duty. When he arrived back at the Front, the rest of his gun crew were still talking about the Germans they had shot the day before.

Four German soldiers had been walking down the road towards George's camouflaged gun position, apparently thinking they were behind their own lines. The gunners watched until they were just 30 yards away, and then called out to them to surrender. They ran instead, and the Vickers opened up. Three were killed, but the fourth managed to put up his hands in surrender before the gunner got to him. He was taken prisoner, and was happy to tell his captors that he and the others were new replacements who got lost looking for their Unit.

Two days later it was fine and sunny, and General Birdwood arrived on an inspection tour of the trenches, and to present medals to several men for previous battles. While there, everyone watched another major aerial dogfight overhead, during which an enemy plane was shot down.

In March the 6th Brigade came out of the trenches and went right out of the operational area to billets at Lottinghen near Boulogne, for a rest and more training, much of it on the firing range. The infantry were able to average a very satisfactory 11 rounds per man per minute in rapid fire practice, up from 8 per minute six months earlier. The month went by, and inter- battalion sports were conducted over several weeks.

By April the weather was improving but it was still cool, and George along with hundreds of others, watched the grand final of the brigade's inter-battalion Aussie Rules football match. That was the last thing George saw for some time. The next day he was so sick that he was evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station with an extremely high temperature. He was sent immediately to the hospital at Rouen, and by the 16th of April was in a military hospital at Edgbaston Birmingham in England, suffering from a severe case of Pleurisy. The lung problem that had kept him out of the Cadet Corps was now catching up with him. It was a hard time for George, each breath causing pain, and the coughing causing even more. The treatment was rest, and the taking of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Notification of his illness was sent to Charlotte on the 10th of May, followed by progress reports indicating George was improving, until he was sent to a Convalescent Depot in mid June. He would stay there for a few weeks before rejoining his Unit.

Following the rest period at Desvres, Joe's 2nd Brigade had spent some time in extensive advanced training that covered observation techniques, aircraft identification, map reading and compass use at night. In between lectures there were physical training and sports days. It was a reasonably quiet time, and Joe was able to enjoy his 21st birthday in December. After Christmas, they were sent back to the Front, this time near Comines on the Belgian border. Two weeks in reserve, then two in Support followed by two in the Front line constituted the tour of duty, and when it was over at the end of January they went back to rest in huts at Lokre.

Inter-unit sports were held, and Joe was picked to play in some of the football matches. The weather was very cold now, and the troops again took to pilfering extra coal for their braziers from the passing wagons. Once the thefts were discovered an Order was issued threatening dire consequences for anyone caught near the wagons. The troops took that threat very seriously, and from then on pilfered coal from wagons that were much further up the road than before. The heat from the additional braziers had an unfortunate effect when a hut caught fire, and the resulting inferno reduced it and the ones on either side of it to ashes before the fire was extinguished.

Leave was being granted now, and Joe missed the football final because he was on furlough in England from the 12th of February to the 3th of March. Dave had just been released from hospital and was on his way to France via Folkstone, but Joe didn't know that. Joe was more careful than Dave, or perhaps just lucky again, and any sexual experiences he may have had in England didn't result in unpleasant consequences.

By the time Joe returned to his Unit, the break away from daily death and destruction had given him something of a reality check, and he started to realise that he had been in the thick of battle for nearly three years without getting so much as the flu. He'd seen thousands of men killed and lost all his friends. The war seemed to be endless and he started to worry that his luck must eventually run out. It prayed on his mind more than ever before. He was a veteran of this battalion, one of the very few who had been there since Gallipoli. He'd seen more combat than most of the Officers, and yet he was still a Private.

Other men like Athol Croskell had joined the battalion later than Joe, but were natural leaders and were promoted in the field. Croskell had been a farmer at Cranbourne south-east of Melbourne before the war, and was 30 years old when he joined in late 1915. He was a big man and commanded some respect just by his appearance. He joined the 5th Battalion in October 1916 as a Private, had already risen to Sergeant, and had won a Military Medal during the battles at Glencorse Wood. He was now Joe's platoon sergeant.

Joe's lack of promotion stemmed from his attitude to authority. His parents had little enough respect for rules and regulations, and none for social conventions. This outlook had passed on to Joe, and reinforced his genetic predisposition to rebel against rules and regulations. He had only met his grandfather Joseph a couple of times that he could remember, and he was an old man then, but young Joe could see that his grandfather had been a tough man in earlier times. Joe never knew that old Joseph had actually been sentenced to 10 years for assault and robbery in Glasgow, but had he known, it wouldn't have surprised him.

Once in the Army, Joe never sought promotion and his demeanour never made him stand out as a potential leader. He just did what he had to do, rarely volunteering for anything, and never for anything dangerous. The initial excitement that he felt in joining the Army to do his bit had long since worn off, and now it was just a daily grind to get through and survive until the next day, when it all started again.

When 1918 began, the Front looked little different from its 1916 position. It stretched from Passchendaele near Ypres, through Messines, Armentieres and Arras, passed just east of Amiens through Villers-Bretonneux, and then turned east to Reims and Verdun. Winter had reduced the amount of fighting as troops on both sides just dug in and tried to survive the cold weather. However, when the weather cleared and spring arrived, the Germans launched a major Offensive to take back all the ground they had held in the first months of the war in 1914. It was codenamed 'Operation Michael'.

At dawn on the 21st of March, Operation Michael opened up with a massive artillery and gas barrage against the British along the 40 mile Front from Arras through Bapaume to St Quentin. That was followed by an infantry assault that pushed the British line back 30 miles in a few days. The Germans had retaken all the ground they had lost in the previous two years including Pozieres, Mouquet Farm and Albert. The Australian Third and Fourth Divisions at Hazebrouck were dispatched with all haste to the Amiens Sector to help the British. Amiens was a major road and rail hub, and was a strategic Objective for both sides. The Australian First and Second Divisions were to remain at Hazebrouck for the time being, until the situation at Amiens became clearer.

In Joe's Sector, not much happened for a few weeks, then the whole 2nd Brigade moved to new trenches in the Front Line just north of Hazebrouck. They were ordered to hold that line against an expected imminent German attack.

Joe was manning the Firing Line with the rest of his platoon during the night when British artillery shells began falling short and landing nearby. The soldiers jumped down from their firing platform to take cover in the nearest dugout. A newly promoted 2nd Lieutenant, who was still trying to prove his worth, ordered them back to the platform.

'You men get back up there. This could be an attack.' Joe's attitude to the army had been declining for months and he'd had enough of these former sergeants who he considered had snivelled their way to Commissioned rank and were now trying to laud it over the real soldiers.

'That's our own artillery, mate. We'd better stay here until they adjust their range.' No one else moved. There were murmurs that indicated support for Joe although no one actually spoke out. They knew Joe was right.

'Don't back-answer me Private, just get up there and do your job.'

Joe's breeding surfaced and his temper rose. 'Why don't you do something useful and get that artillery sorted out.' His tone was definitely un-military. More murmurs of agreement.

The young Officer saw the challenge to his authority and decided to act decisively. 'Get up there or you're all on a charge.'

Still no one moved, and Joe couldn't help himself. 'Fuck off, Sir.'

Just then a shell landed in the trench around the bend. Four men were buried alive, and several wounded. Joe felt justified in his stand, but the Lieutenant was going to prove his authority, and next day wanted to charge Joe and the others with mutiny. Now again Joe's luck may have saved him. Lieutenant Colonel Luxton had just returned to the battalion after acting as temporary Brigade Commander for the second time. Luxton knew Joe from the Gallipoli days, and knew his general experience and ability, and knew he had been correct in his assessment. But discipline had to be maintained, and he had to support his new 2nd Lieutenant. Normally mutiny under fire would have been a Court Martial offence with the death penalty a possible result, but he didn't want that to happen. Joe was a steady, reliable, if uninspired soldier, and one of the most experienced men in the Unit. After talking to the Officer concerned, Luxton suggested that the charge should be:

'Using obscene and threatening language to his superior officer.'

Joe was duly found guilty, was fined 15 days pay, and the Lieutenant was satisfied with the outcome. If this charge had been heard by someone else Joe may have received a much harsher penalty. Notwithstanding that, Joe's attitude to the Army, to Officers, and to the war in general, declined even further.

In the first week of April, fifteen German Divisions started an assault to capture Amiens. They soon captured Hamel and then Villers Bretonneux, but were stopped from further advance near Dernancourt by the Australian Fourth Division's 36th Battalion. It was during these battles near Villers Bretonneux that the German Flying Ace the Red Baron was shot down.

George's Second Division was immediately despatched from Hazebrouck, south to Dernancourt to help the Fourth Division repel the German attacks. The Fourth Division was having a tough time. Its depleted 12th and 13th Brigades, now totalling only about 4,000 men, faced two German Divisions of about 25,000. The Australians held up the German advance long enough to allow the Second Division to arrive to relieve them, and by then Joe's First Division was also on the way south to try to repel this massive German attack.

Joe's Division travelled south overnight by trains from Strazeele to Hangest-sur-Somme and marched 12 miles east to Pont Noyelles, arriving at their billets on the 10th of April. But by then the Germans had launched an attack on New Zealand and British troops who had remained at Hazebrouck, and the next morning, the whole First Division was ordered back to Hazebrouck. They had to immediately turn around and march back to the rail head, then retrace the previous two days travel to arrive back at Hondeghem and de-train at 0300 hours on the second morning, then march straight to the Front. At 1700 hours that afternoon they were ordered to attack the German lines. Everyone was very tired and the thought of going into battle just now filled Joe with dread.

Now an unusual set of circumstances occurred that everyone in the 5th Battalion would remember for years. The Germans had broken through the portion of the line manned by Portuguese troops, and then widened the gap against the British on either side. Now they poured through the gap and advanced about twelve miles on a twelve mile front. The British fell back in disarray and the going was so easy that the Germans stopped, thinking it must be a trap. Artillery shelling from both sides was now suspended due to the uncertain positions of all armies.

'A' Company of Joe's battalion was sent out to the southeast of Hazebrouck to find the enemy while the remainder marched to LaMotte-au-Bois. This lone Company ran into the retreating disorganised remnants of several British battalions who warned them that the Germans were coming in their thousands. One of those battalions consisted of just nine men, but that small number probably wasn't due to casualties. 'A' Company borrowed some extra Lewis guns from the British and continued forward as ordered. Somewhat nervously they approached a wood, and upon beginning a search, found several other 2nd Brigade Units already digging in and determined to hold the line. They joined them and spent a sleepless night waiting for an attack that didn't come, then in the morning they set off to find the rest of their 5th Battalion.

Meanwhile the previous day, the rest of the battalion had run into hundreds of LaMotte people fleeing the reported German advance and carrying all their belongings in wheelbarrows and carts. On arrival at LaMotte the Australians found the town deserted but intact, and nearby little farms were profusely stocked with poultry and animals. Taking over the town buildings as billets, the 5th were soon gathering fresh eggs, milk, bacon, pork and fresh vegetables. When 'A' Company cautiously approached next morning, lest the enemy had taken the town, they were guided by the aroma of a feast the like of which no one had seen since the war started. The military situation remained unclear for several days and the 5th very comfortably occupied the town until new orders were received. The German attack never came and when they moved out of their earthly paradise they were feeling better fed and rested than they had for years.

The 2nd Brigade moved to Thieushouk and the battalions were told to remain on standby, which meant one Company at a time was on guard, and the others could rest. When Joe's Company's turn came to be on guard, shelling started landing uncomfortably close to the brigade's ammunition dump. Joe was well away from it, but saw the explosion as a shell landed in the middle of it. Private Thomas Bratt was the man actually guarding the dump and was just six yards from the blast. Everyone dived for cover, expecting the whole dump to go up, but when the big explosion didn't occur they cautiously looked up, and saw Tom Bratt patrolling the dump with rifle at the slope, as though nothing had happened. Bratt's cool demeanour was noted in the Unit's war diary.

During their tours of duty at the Front during April, several German attacks were repulsed by the brigade. In the last week of the month, the 5th Battalion used gas several times when the conditions were right, and by the 1st of May, Luxton reported that they were in complete control of the Front in their Sector. They had suffered many casualties, some of them from enemy gas, and several killed by friendly artillery falling short, but morale was reported to be high, and the German assault had been stopped. May was a relatively quiet month with the brigade in reserve much of the time, so there was plenty of time for sports days against the rest of the battalions. The 5th Battalion won the football, and the 7th won overall in the athletics events. During their spells at the Front, several minor raids were carried out against the German trenches, and most inflicted casualties and took prisoners. On the 16th, a German reconnaissance plane flew along the trench line and was hit by Lewis machinegun fire, forcing it to crash-land behind the German front line. The 5th Battalion suffered 67 battle casualties for the month, and 132 more from influenza that was sweeping through the ranks. As a result of the individual skirmishes and capturing of prisoners that took place in these raids, several Officers and eight ORs had been recommended for bravery awards. By now, Lieutenant Colonel Luxton had distinguished himself as an Officer of the highest calibre, and had been appointed as a Companion in The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, or CMG. This was an Order of Knighthood normally available only to full Colonels and Brigadiers 'for services to British interests abroad'. He was then 27 years old.

Action during June was similar to May, but with increased raiding parties from both sides probing the lines to find weaknesses. Joe's D Company was ordered to mount a patrol through no-man's land starting at 2200 hours. These were normally voluntary, but Joe hadn't volunteered for anything since he'd come back from leave in February, so he was asked by his platoon sergeant if he'd take a turn, to spread the workload. Sergeant Croskell MM was not a man to be trifled with, and against all his self-preservation instincts, Joe agreed to volunteer. Lieutenant Kay, Sgt. Croskell, Joe, and four other Privates set out to check on enemy dispositions.

The entire area was farmland, with some wrecked buildings scattered about, and some crops of corn and peas still doing their best to grow in the fields. The corn was two feet high and the peas about one foot. The night was dark and there was no shelling going on as they moved forward. They had been warned to avoid deep shell craters for cover, because mustard gas tended to collect in them, and could be dangerous for up to a week. They crept silently along, the only weapons they carried were pistols, and two men also carried bayonets. All personal identifying marks were left behind.

They had been out for three hours and been close enough to the Germans to hear talking from their trenches, which Lieutenant Kay marked on his map as future mortar and artillery targets. Kay signalled to his men that it was time to return, and they started back towards their own lines. Just then a flare lit up the sky a few hundred yards away. The patrol dived to the ground among the corn and waited for the flare to burn out. Before it did however, several more flares were fired, one of them right above the patrol. They couldn't move without being seen, but they were safe if they stayed still, down among the corn.

Joe watched the surrounding corn getting brighter as he kept his head down and suddenly realised a flare was coming down on top of him. It landed at his feet and he could feel the heat still coming from it as it sizzled among the corn. Within a few moments the corn started to burn. This was going to be a disaster. If the fire caught hold they would have to move, and they would be lit up like targets at a shooting gallery.

Joe tried to smother the flames with his boots without exposing any part of himself above the corn. More flares were coming down and it was starting to look like daylight. Joe was having no success, and his feet were getting very hot. His woollen puttees were doing their job protecting his legs, but it was soon obvious he'd have to move. As the flames spread, Lieutenant Kay called on the patrol to run.

As soon as they moved, rifle fire started, and a few seconds later a machine gun opened up. Joe's right boot was smouldering but he took off as fast as he could go. Bullets zinged past, but he made it to some cover behind a wrecked barn. Joe looked around and saw Kay fall under a hail of bullets. Two of the others were hit, but kept going. Sgt. Croskell reached the barn and took stock of their situation. Kay was obviously dead, so the priority was to get the wounded men back to their own lines some 300 yards away. The shooting had eased off so they headed back, keeping the barn between themselves and the machine gun. Sporadic firing still occurred, but now their own troops knew something was wrong and trench mortars started throwing shells into the German lines, and that silenced them. The patrol got back without further trouble, but Joe's foot was hurting.

When he was able to get to a dugout where there was some light, he looked at his boots. The right one was burned through, and when he got it off he found his foot severely burned with blisters already formed. He went with the other wounded men to the Aid Post, where an initial dressing was applied. Before dawn Joe was picked up by Orderlies from the 3rd Field Ambulance and transported ten miles to the Number 2 Casualty Clearing Station at Blendeques just south of St Omer. There he was assessed as needing specialist burns treatment and next day was sent on to the burns unit at the General Hospital at Boulogne on the French coast.

His burned foot was classed as an 'injury' so there was no notification to his Next of Kin. In fact he was required to show that the injury was not self-inflicted. Sgt. Croskell's report on the action was accepted, and Joe's Service Record was updated with a note saying he was not to blame for his burns. Joe left hospital a month later on the 6th of July and spent three weeks at the Convalescent Depot at Le Harve. He didn't get back to his Unit until the 1st of August.

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Chapter 18

Final Battles

On the 1st of June 1918 the Third Division's Commander, General Monash, was promoted to command the Australian Corps replacing General Birdwood who was promoted to command a British Corps. Birdwood had commanded the Australians from the start, and had become popular as a hands- on leader by often visiting the men in the front line trenches. Now that Monash had taken over it was the first time all the Australian Divisions were commanded by an Australian, and morale was high.

Monash had previously proposed a new approach to the way attacks were mounted. He wrote:

'...the role of the infantry was not to expend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to wither away under merciless machine gun fire, not to impale itself on hostile bayonets, but on the contrary, to advance under the maximum array of mechanical resources in the form of guns, machine guns, tanks, mortars and aeroplanes...'

Now that he was in command, this idea was to be tested at Le Hamel. Monash used four Brigades of his Australian Corps, and was allocated 60 new British tanks. He arranged strafing in support of his troops by the Flying Corps, which had never been done before in conjunction with an assault. That however, prevented the use of artillery during the battle. America had recently entered the war, but their soldiers had no field experience. Monash was asked, and agreed, to take on ten Companies of American troops, who were dispersed through the Australian battalions to gain battle experience. The United States Army's General Pershing had been in France since early in the war to look at tactics and to devise relevant training programmes for his troops in America. They were now starting to arrive in France, their apparently limitless numbers almost making up for their total lack of experience. Pershing initially wanted his troops to take part in Monash's attack, but at the last minute tried to withdraw them. Monash told him it was too late, and they were now part of the plan whether Pershing liked it or not.

The usual detailed battle plan was drawn up, which included estimated times to complete each stage along the way towards capturing the strategic high ground near Le Hamel. Monash's plan timed the entire battle to last just 90 minutes, and it would start without any preliminary artillery barrage. The battle commenced on the 4th of July. The fighting was furious, but when the smoke cleared the objective was captured. It had taken 93 minutes and resulted in half the casualties normally expected in a frontal assault.

At the end of his eight weeks break recovering from his burns, Joe was even less keen to go back to the Front. The hospital was full of severely wounded men being patched up enough to survive the trip across the channel to England to get full medical treatment, and then a ticket home. Joe thought the war showed no signs of ending soon, and he had the feeling that his luck was running out. He hadn't heard from Dave or George and letters from home only indicated that they were still in the fight somewhere. After Le Hamel news of the successful operation spread among the troops and it seemed to many that the war had definitely started going the Allies way. The Australian Third and Fourth Divisions along with the British Fifth Army had made major advances near Amiens, and Villers Bretonneux. When he rejoined his Unit some optimists in Joe's platoon were starting to think the war may be over in a few months, and even Joe started to think positively and gave some thought to what he might do after the war. Anything in civilian life would seem boring after the last three years that he'd spent under almost continuous artillery, machine gun and rifle fire. He'd had some close shaves, but apart from the burned foot and plenty of bruises, he was in good health.

On the 3rd of August Joe's 5th Battalion was relieved from its support role by the British Hampshire Regiment in the Strazeele Sector near Hazebrouck. Along with the rest of the First Division it was ordered to proceed immediately to a new position 70 miles to the south near Aubigne, to be in position by the 9th of August, and ready for a major attack on the German lines. At 2130 hours that night, the entire 2nd Brigade was packed and formed up, each man carrying all his personal kit and weapons. To reach their new position they had to travel 20 miles west to St Omer, and board trains to travel 70 miles south to Amiens, then march east to the Front.

Leaving Hazebrouck they marched eight miles in the dark until they arrived at pre-arranged billets at Lynde half way to St Omer at 0230 hours on Sunday the 4th. Traffic was still heavy on the road as British units moved to and from the Front. That day and the next were spent cleaning equipment and weapons, and early on the 6th they marched another eight miles to St Omer, where they boarded waiting trains at 1130 hours. A Division needed about 50 trains to move all the men, horses, field artillery and other equipment. Men were usually able to ride in covered wagons, and horses were transported in open cattle wagons. Lewis guns were mounted on wagons for anti-aircraft defence.

Joe was on train number 31 until 2030 hours that night when they arrived at Longpre Station beside the Somme River. Leaving the train, they formed up and marched to Bettencourt, five miles away, which the leading Units reached at 0030. The last ones arrived two hours later. They set up a temporary camp and after some sleep spent the day resting. But by nightfall they were packing again, and at 2200 hours they boarded trucks for the 12 mile drive to Camon just outside Amiens. There were delays that Joe couldn't understand, and that short trip finished up taking more than four hours. They got off the trucks at 0230. But there was no rest yet. Again they formed up and marched for half an hour to pre-arranged billets. From 0300 to midday on the 7th, Joe managed to get some sleep. They were about 10 miles from the Front here, and the constant rumble of artillery was now just background noise that seemed to be a normal part of his life.

The break wasn't long though, and the troops were formed up again at 1600 hours ready for a six mile march to Aubigne. Luxton was trying to save his weary troops from unnecessary hardship, and so this was a leisurely walk of four hours. All the villages they passed through had been demolished and the road was littered with dead bodies of men and horses, and smashed wagons. Large groups of German prisoners were under guard beside the road along with captured artillery pieces. At the end of the trek, the troops dug in where they stopped, and for a couple of hours Joe slept again. His foot was giving him some trouble now. The burn had healed, but the new skin was still soft and the forced march had caused it to blister. He had time to get some treatment, and with a dressing and clean socks, he was ready to go when the battalion was ordered straight to the Front at Bayonvillers. To reach it they marched through the now liberated Villers-Bretonneux, then east about five miles to the Start Point.

Some concern was being felt at Brigade Headquarters about the fitness of the men for this attack. Later, in his report of this Operation submitted to Division HQ, the Brigadier said;

'These battalions had by this time been marching for five hours in very hot weather along extremely dusty roads and across rough shell broken country with only the usual 10 minutes halt in each hour and no spell for their midday meal. They had covered a distance between 10 and 11 miles and moved straight into the attack without a spell on the forming up line. They had in addition only had two nights rest in the previous eleven.' This was a big push along miles of Front Line with British Brigades in the north, and Canadians in the south. The 2nd Brigade AIF was in the centre. The battle plan in this Sector followed standard procedure. At 1430 hours on the 9th of August, the Brigade would mount an attack around the south of Harbonniers, supported by tanks, and preceded by a creeping artillery barrage. The 8th Battalion would be on the right flank, with two Companies in front, and the other two 200 yards behind them. The 7th Battalion would be on their left in a similar formation, and they would lead the attack. The 5th and 6th Battalions were held in reserve, following 1000 yards behind the leading battalions, ready to move up if required.

The plan was very detailed and briefings were conducted right down to Company level so that;

'Every man would know what was expected of him.'

Joe reckoned he had been around long enough to know what was expected without these Officers needing to tell him. This was just another in the series of endless battles that had seen countless men die and be replaced, only to have the replacements die too. Joe was one of the very few Privates left in the 5th Battalion who had been there at Gallipoli three years earlier. Most of the others who had been there and were still alive were NCOs or Officers by now.

It was mid-summer and the weather had been fine and hot for days, so the ground was dry, making the attack easier, but Joe's 2nd Brigade was not able to get into position on time, so the advance was commenced by the 15th Brigade troops who were already in the front line trenches. The 2nd Brigade would have to catch up and go through the 15th to continue the attack. At the last minute the artillery barrage was cancelled so the troops would advance with just tank support. At zero hour the troops started to move forward at a walk. Retaliatory shelling started from the Germans, but wasn't effective, and the advance was unchecked. The tanks were once again late, so the attack wasn't going to plan right from the start. Joe's brigade soon overtook the 15th Brigade and continued forward.

Joe's battalion passed Harbonniers, and wheeled north-east to follow the 7th. Their strength at the start of this attack was 27 Officers and 593 ORs. The tanks that should have been with them were now coming up behind. Just then a series of red flares burst above the German lines. That was the SOS signal from their front line troops signifying they were under attack and needed reinforcements and additional artillery support.

The battle commenced with fierce fighting all along the Front as the Allied advance ran into heavily defended German positions. In the Australian Sector, two hours into the attack, a weak point was created in the 7th Battalion's line as casualties mounted. By now all the tanks had been put out of action, the 7th Battalion's left flank was exposed to enemy machine gun fire, and they were taking heavy casualties. German aircraft also arrived to harass the troops with bombing and strafing attacks.

Joe's Company from the 5th Battalion was sent forward to plug the gap beside the 7th at 1630 hours, and others were despatched later as more weak points developed. The battle became a confused mess of individual skirmishes as small groups of soldiers on both sides were cut off from their main Units. Shelling increased as more heavy guns targeted the area.

Joe could see through the smoke and dust that one of the 7th Battalion Companies was pinned down by a machine gun for a few moments, before an Officer and six men suddenly ran forward throwing grenades and firing rifles in a determined attack. They overran the machinegun post without casualties, and took four prisoners. It was the sort of heroic act that Joe had always tried to avoid due to the high mortality rate that usually accompanied such deeds. In this case it was successful and the main line was then able to continue the advance.

At 2200 hours, with the battle still raging after eight hours of continuous action and with no re-supply, Joe's Company Commander Captain Burke sent a message by runner to Battalion HQ: 'Urgent. Must have ammunition tonight.'

That critical situation was eased when they captured a German machine gun complete with enough ammunition to keep fighting. By midnight the Germans had retreated and the fighting gradually stopped. Joe could relax in an old German trench and eat the food that was being rushed to the Front from the mobile cookers at Battalion HQ. He managed some sleep, but he was awakened before dawn, and his Company was withdrawn to its proper position with the rest of the 5th Battalion, which had so far been resting, but were now being ordered into the battle starting with a fresh attack at 0800 hours.

Joe's Company was left in reserve for the initial attack on the 10th of August, to give them a chance to recover from their previous day's heavy engagement. The action was less intense in this battle, with the Germans apparently suffering severely from the earlier battles. Nevertheless the fighting continued through the day, and once again friendly shelling fell short at times adding to the casualties. By the afternoon Joe's Company was brought forward into the action, and the fighting continued into the night. The 5th Battalion suffered 100 men killed or wounded that day, including four Officers. One of those killed was Captain Burke.

The following day, D Company was still in the Front Line consolidating the ground captured the previous day. Joe was repairing and digging new trenches under continuous shelling. He was very tired, but unhurt. The overall Campaign was going well, and the Allied line had moved forward significantly in the last five days. There would be a pause now to regroup before pushing forward again. In the preceding days the 5th Battalion had lost 219 men or one third of their strength.

On the 15th of August the 2nd Brigade was relieved by the 132nd American Regiment who would hold the line while the Australians regrouped. The 5th was now allocated a rest period, so they formed up and marched four miles northwest to Cerisy. They were only 6000 yards behind the Front, and were still within artillery range, but their camp was next to the Somme River and the troops were able to swim, and clean their clothes and equipment. On the 18th of August, the entire 2nd Brigade moved four miles west to Hamelet where the battalions carried out exercises with tanks, in the hope that they would eventually prove useful. Improved tactics had been worked out to integrate them with the infantry for maximum effect, but they were slow and easy targets, so didn't last long in an attack.

The troops were starting to feel optimistic as the Allies had by now regained all the ground lost in April and May during Operation Michael. The Germans were clearly suffering huge losses, and even though their own reinforcements were drying up, the Australians were starting to talk about the end of the war being in sight. By now General Monash had been knighted by the King. He was the first soldier knighted on a battlefield for 200 years.

Another big attack was scheduled for the 23rd of August, to maintain the momentum of the previous advance. Joe's battalion along with the other three in the 2nd Brigade, now refreshed rested and reinforced, marched towards the front again, this time near Proyart. They marched in column of twos in battle order, so they carried no extra kit. That would be brought up later by carrying parties from the reserve Companies. Even Joe was feeling optimistic again, and marched out at 2015 hours on the 21st with the rest of his Company, keeping 100 yards behind the Company in front to minimise injuries if a shell landed nearby. Shelling was still going on sporadically, but was well wide of the road they were marching on.

The battalion arrived at the support trenches half a mile south west of Proyart just after midnight on the 22nd of August, where they relieved the 53rd Battalion, and settled in to rest for 24 hours before the scheduled attack on the 23rd. The darkness was broken by artillery flashes over the horizon to the east, and the occasional red flash of an exploding shell in the open farmland they were occupying. There was no way the enemy could see them but these trenches had been occupied for days now and the Germans knew that, so they were still targeting them from time to time.

As dawn broke on the 22nd, the shelling intensified as the German spotters could then see where the shells were landing. The weather was fine and warm, with just a few clouds in the sky. Despite the odd shell landing nearby, this was going to be one of the better days that Joe had seen since coming to France.

Joe was detailed along with several others to carry breakfast from the mobile cookers to his Company troops. This was one of the few duties he didn't mind doing, even though there was an extra element of danger in being out of the protection of the trenches. The cookers were surrounded by sandbags and were relatively safe from all but a direct hit, but it was the 200 yards from the trench to the cooker and back that was dangerous. Joe had done this dozens of times in the past three years, and after reaching the cooker he took up his share of the load and headed back to the trenches.

The whistle of the approaching shell gave Joe two seconds warning that this one was going to land very close and he had to get down. The rest of the carrying party also recognised the danger and they all dived for the ground. Joe hadn't reached it when the concussion blew him sideways and knocked the air out of his lungs. He didn't remember hearing any noise as the shell exploded, but he felt as though he had been hit by a truck. He lay still for a minute to gather his wits, and realised he could not hear anything other than the ringing in his ears. Just as he became aware that he had survived a near direct hit, the pain began.

Joe was on his stomach and rolled slightly to look at his legs. They seemed to be twisted at a very unnatural angle. A dark stain was quickly spreading through his trouser legs, and it took a few seconds to dawn on him that he'd been hit. He found that his left arm didn't work either, so now he was helpless and laying in the dirt. A confused odour of dirt, cordite, burnt flesh, and bacon reached him as he closed his eyes and lay still.

Joe was vaguely aware of several men rolling him over, but he didn't care. There was a lot of pain, and he was losing a lot of blood and it occurred to him that he might die. What had happened to that luck that had been with him all his life? Sleep seemed a good option now, and the faces of the men crowded around and staring down at him faded as Joe let himself slip into the painless, dreamless depths.

Eight men had been hit by the explosion as they carried the food bins towards their trench positions. Two died instantly and the other six needed emergency first aid and evacuation to proper medical attention. Because of the impending attack, the Australian Casualty Clearing Stations were still in the process of moving up closer to the Front, and were not operational. A British CCS was covering for them for those few hours that morning.

While Joe was unconscious he was carried by stretcher to the Regimental Aid Post and was given emergency first aid to stop the bleeding from his shattered legs. Thirty minutes later two Sunbeam motor ambulances from the 14th Field Ambulance arrived and transported all the wounded six miles to the Advanced Dressing Station at Hamel. Casualties from the earlier battles had been processed and sent on, so the medical teams here were having a quiet day until Joe and the others arrived. There was no delay before Joe was examined and the decision made to get him to the CCS, so he was on his way within minutes. That probably saved his life. A similar injury during a major battle would certainly have been fatal. Perhaps he was still lucky.

The nearest operational CCS was the British 53rd another six miles away at Vequemont. The road was in good repair so it was a fast trip. The jolt as his stretcher was placed on the examination table brought Joe back to some level of consciousness, and then the pain hit him again. A man in a clean white apron gave him an injection of morphine, but it had no immediate effect. He heard himself yell as he was lifted and the stretcher removed. He was vaguely aware of someone cutting off his trousers and the arm of his tunic. He was covered in dried blood. When his wounds were cleaned and a more complete examination made, the doctors found that he had a compound fracture to his left leg, and much of the flesh and muscle had been stripped from both legs. His left arm was also badly lacerated, and his condition was assessed as critical.

The decision to evacuate Joe to a General Hospital was immediate. He was placed in a Ford ambulance, and suffered a painful 30 mile drive to Abbeville. Four hours after being wounded, Joe arrived at the hospital. Two doctors looked at his legs, and a Nursing Sister hovered nearby. He couldn't hear much, everyone seemed to be whispering. But he heard one doctor say something about amputation, and he didn't want to hear any more. The thought of being a cripple for the rest of his life was worse than death. He would be a burden to his parents and useless to everyone else. Joe decided he would die.

Meanwhile at the Front, the battle began as scheduled and the 5th Battalion was again advancing, for the first time in three years without Joe, in that major Allied attack that would push the Germans all the way to the Hindenburg Line and bring about the end of the war. The battalion again suffered heavy losses, but Sgt. Croskell survived and won a Bar to his Military Medal. He would go back to his farm at the end of the war.

Dave had returned from Bulford, rejoining his Pioneer Battalion on the 1st of June 1918 after being absent for nine months. By now they were at the Somme, and had been at the Front for months. As Dave arrived they were heading out of the operational area for a rest. Dave settled in to the resting routine immediately. But just two weeks later the battalion was warned to be ready for a move back to the Front, and a few days later they were in billets at Villers Bretonneux, with most of the battalion employed salvaging equipment left behind from the earlier battles. Dave's Company was detailed to bury dead horses.

From there they moved on to Hamel to clean up the mess left after Monash's spectacular success on the 4th of June. By then the Front had moved miles further east as the Allied armies drove the Germans back. Shells still harassed them from time to time, and several casualties occurred during the month, but it was nothing like it had been the last time Dave had been in an operational area.

Recruiting was reduced to a trickle now, and the First Division that had started the war with 20,000 men was now considered to be fully manned if it had 12,000. Infantry battalions were operating with around 400 men, down from the 800 to 1000 they had at the beginning. The Pioneer Battalion was different. The debris and general mess left by the war had to be cleaned up, and now Dave's battalion had nearly 1,200 men.

Nevertheless the final battles were still going on at the Front, and casualties were still mounting. So, early in September, 96 men from the Pioneers were transferred to the 6th Infantry Battalion which was in reserve a few miles east of Hamel, and was down to just 12 Officers and 389 ORs. Lieutenant Colonel Luxton CMG DSO had been transferred from the 5th Battalion to command the 6th Battalion now, and Dave was one of his 96 new men. They arrived at their new battalion at 1700 hours in heavy rain, and were divided between the Companies. Dave wasn't keen to get any nearer to the Front, but it looked as though they would be moving up very soon whether he liked it or not.

The day after they arrived, the new men were paraded to the battalion doctor who inspected them all for venereal disease. VD had become a significant problem and despite the frequent lectures given to the troops on how to prevent it, the incidence was rising. Dave hadn't had any opportunity to pursue his favourite pastime since leaving Bulford, so he knew he was clear.

The 5th and 6th Battalions were now camped side by side, so at the first opportunity, Dave went looking for Joe. It wasn't long before he found Sgt. Croskell and for the first time heard that Joe had been wounded. Dave spent some time trying to find out what happened to Joe, but all anyone knew was that he was still alive when he was sent to the Casualty Clearing Station. Before he could get any more details the battalion was on the move.

The Second Division was in action too, and George had returned from hospital in mid-August after his pleurisy was cured, just in time to join in the big final push towards the Hindenburg Line. General Monash proposed to take Mont St Quentin with just two under-strength brigades of the depleted Second Division. His plan was received sceptically by the Fourth Army Commander General Rawlinson who doubted that the plan could be successful, but Monash insisted, so it was approved.

George was now number two man in the crew, and they were on the move. Gun crews were now reduced to five men, as replacements dried up. On the 26th of August George spent a night in the same trenches near Proyart where Joe had been wounded four days earlier, but he didn't know that.

Next morning George's machine gun sections moved with their battalions northeast to Chuignolles where they entered the fight to take Mont St Quentin. The battle was fierce and confused. George's gun section was switched between the 21st and 23rd battalions during the push, and whole battalions were swapped between brigades at times to help take specific objectives. Two days later they were at Feuilleres on the river, where the Germans blew the bridge. They came under fierce artillery and machine gun fire from the German-held towns of Halles and Clery-sur-Somme on the German side of the river, but fought on to Omiecourt. That bridge was also impassable. They retired to Feuilleres and two days later with that bridge repaired, three depleted battalions of the 5th Brigade crossed the Somme to attack Clery. Soon after that the Omiecourt bridge was also repaired and the whole Division crossed the river. Now the battle to take Mont St Quentin and Peronne began in earnest, and despite the infantry battalions being severely under strength, they were taken on the 1st of September. By now everyone was exhausted. Even the horses hauling ammunition and field guns were too tired to walk.

This victory was militarily stunning. Congratulatory messages flooded in to Monash, with Rawlinson writing that;

'The capture of Mont St Quentin by the 2nd Division is a feat of arms worthy of the highest praise.'

After the war when he had time to reflect on the entire conflict Rawlinson wrote that the taking of Mont St Quentin was;

'The finest single feat of the war.'

** As George and his Second Division rested, Dave was in the Support Line east of Peronne, and on the 18th of September, when the First Division again attacked the remnants of the German positions, supported by tanks, the 5th and 6th Battalions were held in reserve and were not called upon to fight. The objectives were taken after fierce fighting and many prisoners were taken. During interrogation the German soldiers divulged that some of their Companies in this Sector were down to 30 men, just one quarter of their normal strength.

During the month, a copy of a despatch from German General Ludendorff was found on a captured Officer. It set out his observations and reasons for the 'defeat of the Second Army'. That document was dated 11 August 1918, and showed that a sizeable portion of the German army was defeated well before the Allies knew about it. Joe had been wounded a week later, as the demoralised Germans were making a fighting retreat to the Hindenburg Line. Already, men who had signed up in 1914 were being withdrawn from their Units and were getting ready to return home. Now it was obvious to everyone that the war was nearly over. Armistice terms were already being discussed between Allied political leaders, and would soon be put to the German government to officially bring the war to an end.

Nevertheless, fighting continued as the Second Division now moved forward to take over from the Fifth Division after its breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line. American troops were also providing some relief to hold the Front as the Australians reorganised for the next attack on Montbrehain seven miles north of Mont St Quentin. The attack would be led by the 21st and 24th Battalions along with the 2nd Pioneer Battalion who were added to make up for the under-strength infantry. The attack started on the 4th of October.

George's machine guns were again split between the battalions and several casualties occurred as artillery targeted the assembling troops. The Germans were somewhat disorganised and groups were seen moving across the countryside apparently unaware that they were being observed. A few well-placed bursts from the Vickers set them straight. As the infantry moved forward George's Section of two guns under Lieutenant Wilkinson accompanied the Pioneers on the right flank. The attack was moving well until they came under intense machine gun fire from a railway embankment. The German guns were situated on the railway line, where the trains were not running for the present, and firing down the valley. That pinned down the entire right flank which held up the whole assault.

Wilkinson worked his way around to the right to reach the railway line then followed the line through a cutting towards the embankment. As he reached a bend and looked along the line he could see a large battery of German machine guns set up on the embankment 200 yards away. He couldn't count them because they were in a line along the track and firing to his left down the valley. Wilkinson went back and signalled for George and the others to bring up their guns. Soon they had their two Vickers guns set up and trained on the line of German soldiers. This was a machine gunner's dream; a significant target in enfilade, at point blank range.

Lance Corporal Marsh and Corporal Barrand were the two gunners. On command from Wilkinson the guns opened fire and in two minutes sent just under two full belts each, about 800 rounds, down the railway line. When the dust settled the infantry came up and found fourteen enemy guns had been destroyed and about 80 of the estimated 100 Germans were killed or wounded.

The battle continued throughout the day as the Pioneers advanced against occasional strong opposition from German machine gun posts that caused casualties at times. At 1600 hours Wilkinson was wounded in the leg and was carried out. George and his team remained in action until later that night when they were relieved by a Company of American machine gunners.

Two days later George was back in the battle when Montbrehain was taken. The Second Division was by then the only Australian Division still fighting as the others had already been withdrawn. In those last days, George's machine gun company suffered two Officers and three ORs killed, and three Officers and 15 ORs wounded and it was the last Unit of the Second Division to be relieved. They didn't know it then, but no Australians would re- enter the fighting in this conflict, and the 6th Machine Gun Company had just fired the last AIF shot of the war.

Back to Contents Chapter 19

Footscray - 1918

It was just after 11 o'clock on Saturday morning, the 7th of September 1918 as the telegram boy turned his bike into Talbot Street. Some of the residents were out and about, and saw the boy. They paused and watched. The Allan family was the only one in this short street who had sons in the war now, so they knew where he was going. The boy rode up the street towards the railway line and stopped outside number four. He propped his bicycle against the fence and opened the gate.

Liz heard the gate squeak, and wondered who would be calling in at this hour. It was too late for morning tea, and no one just dropped in at dinner time. Earlier, Ellen had taken Mavis and walked to the shops. They weren't back yet, and Tasman and Bill were nailing some palings back onto the fence in the laneway at the back.

Liz looked through the front window as the lad reached the verandah. Her involuntary gasp was punctuated by the knock on the door. She'd imagined this day for years now, but it was still a shock. This had to be about Joe or David, because any notification about George would go to Charlotte. She didn't want to open the door, but she knew she had to get the news sooner or later. She opened the door and the lad silently held out the envelope. He'd done this many times and had found it best to say nothing. Everyone he visited knew why he was there. Liz took the envelope and watched as the lad closed the gate, got on his bike and rode away. Then she looked at the envelope and broke down.

She was sitting in a lounge chair still holding the unopened envelope when Tasman came in.

'What's for dinner Mum?'

There was no response, and he was about to repeat the question when he saw the envelope. He ran back outside.

'Dad!'

Bill was putting his hammer away. 'What is it?'

'I think the telegram boy has been.'

'Oh Jesus.' Bill forgot his hammer and hurried inside.

'What's happened?' he asked Liz.

She handed him the envelope, and he was trembling slightly as he ripped it open. It was from the Base Records Office at Victoria Barracks, dated the 6th of September 1918, addressed to Bill, and said simply:

'Dear Sir

I regret to advise you that Private J Allan has been reported severely wounded.' He read it out loud for Liz and Tasman. 'Well at least he's still alive.'

'How bad is it?' asked Liz. 'Where is he now?'

'It doesn't say. It says they have no further details but they will let us know if more information comes in.'

Liz was very worried. There was no indication of how he was wounded, but at least he was still alive when the notification was sent. She had heard of other telegrams like this and knew there would be a follow-up letter with some details in a week or two. There was no point in asking the Army for more news now, they simply wouldn't have any.

Tasman's eyes were red but he didn't say anything. He just went to his room. A few minutes later Ellen and Mavis arrived back from the shop. Ellen could see that something was wrong as soon as she saw her mother. Bill handed her the telegram and she read it.

'I'll go and put the kettle on.' Ellen always put the kettle on when she didn't know what else to do.

They sat at the table all afternoon drinking tea and talking about this news, and wondering what it was going to mean later. Was Joe still alive? If so was he going to be crippled? There were already plenty of men on the streets with missing limbs, and quite often, asking for money.

'Charlotte will be bringing the kids around next weekend, what should we tell her?' Liz asked. 'I don't suppose we'll know any more by then, but we should tell her that he's been wounded. She will probably worry about George a bit more, but she won't thank us later if we haven't let her know what's going on.' Bill replied.

Charlotte did bring the grandchildren around on the following weekend, and she knew there was something wrong as soon as she saw Liz.

'What's wrong? You look as if you haven't slept for a week.'

'I haven't. We had a telegram last weekend that said Joe has been severely wounded.'

'Oh my goodness!' Charlotte never used bad language. 'Where is he now?'

'We don't know yet. The details haven't come, but we should get a letter soon. We are hoping he will be alright. Have you heard from George lately?'

'I had a letter a couple of weeks ago and he seemed alright. He's been in hospital in England with pleurisy but he was over that and was just about to go back to France. He didn't mention Joe or David, but he was in Belgium when he got sick and he thought they were somewhere near the Somme. There has been heavy fighting at some place called Villers Bretonneux; do you think that's where Joe would have been?'

'I don't know. The lists of wounded men in the Argus seem to go on forever. It must be awful over there. I just hope he isn't crippled but I suppose we'll have to wait for the letter.' Charlotte did worry more about George from then on, and prayed every day that he would come back safely. Little Gwen and George junior were quite happy, and not missing the father they never remembered. Charlotte didn't tell them about him fighting in a war. It wasn't something they could understand. She immediately wrote to George to let him know that Joe was wounded, and to be careful. She knew he would be, but it made her feel better to write it down.

It was nearly three weeks before Bill and Liz heard any more, but a letter finally arrived. Once again, it was from the OIC Base Records, Victoria Barracks, dated 24 September 1918. It was just a form letter with the blanks filled in, and didn't really give them any more details, but at least Joe was still alive. It just said:

'Dear Sir

I now beg to advise you that Private J. Allan has been admitted to 2nd Southern General Hospital Bristol England, on 6/9/18, suffering from gunshot wounds to arm, legs, fractured fibula. Assessment; severe.'

The word 'severe' caused Liz more anxiety, and she still wasn't sleeping well. Bill immediately wrote to Joe asking for more information and then to Dave and George to let them know what was happening.

The family spent another two weeks worrying about Joe and trying not to think the worst. Then, on the 3rd of October, another letter arrived advising that Joe was: 'progressing satisfactorily'. That was a major relief to everyone.

On the 18th of October the Melbourne Argus published a list of casualties from the August battles, and following the long list of those killed or dying of wounds, Joe's name headed the list of hundreds of wounded.

Four weeks later, the war ended.

On the 10th of December Joe's condition was notified to Bill as: 'convalescent'.

That notification from the Army was followed by a letter from Joe himself, giving them some details, and assuring them that he was going to be alright. Now that the war was over, censorship of letters ceased, and soldiers could tell their families where they were. Joe corrected the misinformation they'd been given that he had been shot, and told them about the shell. His legs had been pinned back together and it looked as if the bones would knit properly. He'd lost a lot of muscle and flesh though, and his legs were going to look a mess for the rest of his life. His arm was recovering, albeit with ugly scars, but would be almost completely useable. He was learning to walk and although he would always have a slight limp he was doing well and was in the long queue of wounded men waiting for a ship to bring them home.

Letters from Dave and George also assured the families that they were fit and well, but they had no idea yet of when they would be coming home. The dockworkers in England were starting industrial action that could delay shipping.

Back to Contents

Chapter 20

Coming Home

During October of 1918 the whole Australian Corps had been withdrawn from the conflict and sent to the Abbeville region to rest. They had done much of the heavy work alongside the British Divisions during the last three months, and they were now replaced by American Divisions. It was intended that they rest for three months before returning to the Front, but the Armistice was signed a few weeks later, on the 11th of November, and the war was over. Most of the 1914 men were already gone when the shooting stopped and there was a hollow feeling among the ones remaining. There was no fanfare, no final victory parade, no immediate thanks for a job well done. The war just stopped. Units that had forged a wonderful fighting tradition simply faded away as members were drafted out according to length of service, and began returning home. As each Unit shrank, the remaining troops were absorbed into larger Units for ease of command.

Now that the fighting had finished, the Quartermaster was king again, and accounting became the top priority. Serviceable weapons and equipment had to be cleaned and returned to stores. Military training went on to keep the troops busy, and some vocational training was also attempted to help them settle into civilian jobs. After all they had been through during the last few years the ending seemed somehow disappointing.

In November Dave and George were both camped at Abbeville, waiting to find out how they were going home. Coincidentally they both reported sick on the 23rd of November and each arrived at the Field Ambulance Station at the same time. There they met for the first time since the long rest period at Henencourt. After initial backslapping and handshakes they sat down to catch up with their various experiences since then.

'You heard about Joe?' Dave asked George.

'Yeah I had a letter from Dad a few weeks ago saying he was in Bristol, but nothing since. Do you know where he is now?'

'I think he was sent to a Convalescent Depot somewhere, but I haven't heard which one. We could ask for leave and see if we can track him down.' Dave was keen to see his older brother.

'Yeah,' said George thoughtfully, 'but you would be going home pretty soon. They're drafting off blokes in order of their length of service. You won't want to miss the boat.' George wasn't as keen to see Joe, since he knew he would be regarded as some sort of hero within the family. That just enhanced the irritation that George had felt for years about his brother's apparent ability to come out of any situation looking like a winner. Dave now had second thoughts too. 'I've been having some foot trouble after all the damn footslogging lately and I think I'll see about that first. If I get sent to England I might be able to find Joe then. How long do you reckon it will be before you go home George?'

'At the rate they're going now it could be six months yet. I suppose Joe will be first home, and by the time we get there he'll have told all the stories and no one will want to hear from you and me.'

Dave noted George's feelings towards Joe. 'We all have different tales to talk about so they will want to hear them all. I won't be able to tell them my best stories though. I bet Charlotte will be pleased to see you anyway.'

'Yeah I suppose I'd better write to her again. I haven't written for a few weeks. I'll be pretty fruity by the time I get there, and I want her in a good mood.'

'You don't have to wait that long you know mate, there are plenty of skirts here to pick from, and they are all willing. I've had plenty of good roots in the last couple of years.'

George moved uncomfortably. 'I thought about that, but it doesn't seem right. She's been looking after the kids and waiting for me, so I'd better do the right thing.'

'Well, please yourself, but you'll never get this chance again. Unlimited fluff is not something to ignore mate. No one will ever know.' Just then a nurse appeared and called Dave in to see the doctor. George waited a little longer with his swollen and very sore big toe, and was taken to see another doctor. After having it treated and dressed he looked around for Dave, but a nurse told him that Dave had just left for the hospital at Rouen and would probably be going to England. George was sent back to his Unit.

Dave didn't go to England immediately, but stayed at Le Harve to recover from his sore feet. He managed to fit in a couple more sexual liaisons there, and then went to England and on the 26th of February he boarded the 'Euripides' for the trip home. By then Joe was already back in Australia.

George stayed in France, and between the ongoing training that was used just to keep the troops occupied, he was able to look around the local towns, and meet the people. It was just as Dave had said. There was no shortage of girls willing to do anything for nothing more than a bar of chocolate. George held out for a while, but eventually the temptation was too much and he gave in. He was careful though, and didn't overdo it as some others did. The guilt soon faded since there was no way Charlotte could ever find out, and so he spent the last month or so in France quite happily, but was still looking forward to going home.

** The repatriation of soldiers was disrupted by the dock workers strike in England in December of 1918. Ships were left stranded at various ports, and only 3000 men a week were being brought out of France. Joe was eventually sent to Liverpool where the 'Lancashire' was granted priority to sail with 1150 men, most of them invalids.

In Melbourne the arrival of troop ships was advertised in the Argus and car owners were asked to volunteer their vehicles to transport the troops from Port Melbourne to the city. The first troops returning were welcomed by crowds lining the streets as they were driven in those civilian vehicles from Port Melbourne to Flinders Street, then via Elizabeth, Bourke and Swanston Streets, past the Melbourne Town Hall where the Mayor and other dignitaries were waiting, and then across Princes Bridge to the AIF Depot in Sturt Street South Melbourne. Families were assembled there to welcome them.

The men had spent a week in quarantine aboard the ships before they were allowed to land, to stop the importation of the Spanish flu that was now spreading around the world. The flu got a hold though, and caused many deaths among the population over the next year. Most men would return to their pre-war occupations, but some would have difficulty readjusting to civilian life for psychological reasons, and others would be forever affected by physical problems.

Bill, Liz, Charlotte and all the kids were among the crowds at the AIF Depot when the 'Lancashire' troops arrived on the 2nd of February 1919. Joe was able to make his way through the crowd unaided, but with a walking stick, and was mobbed by the family. Liz and Ellen were in tears, and even Charlotte was pleased to see him.

Joe had been in the Firing Lines in nearly every major AIF campaign of the war, at Lone Pine, Pozieres, Bullecourt, the Somme, Ypres, Menen Road, Passchendaele and Amiens and in many lesser battles. He had been in continuous action for over three years and was wounded just two months before the war ended. During that time, total Australian casualties were 62,000 killed and 150,000 wounded. The First Division which had started with about 20,000 men had suffered over 50,000 dead and wounded. Joe had remained a Private throughout his service, but he had certainly done his bit.

The family didn't have long to welcome him though, because Joe still had to go to hospital for an assessment before he could be discharged, so it would be a few weeks yet before he was back home for good. His legs were a mess, with much of the flesh and muscle gone, replaced by deep and ugly scarring. He was discharged as 'Permanently Unfit' but with 'No Disability' on the 31st of March 1919. That assessment would prevent Joe receiving a disability pension in later years.

The family did it all again three months later on the 25th of May when the 'Euripides' arrived, and Dave ran across to them as if he'd just come back from holidays. Bill noticed how much he'd grown since he left, and he looked fit enough to do a man's work in the quarry. Dave had some leave, but then like everyone else he had to go to the Demobilisation Depot at Seymour and was finally discharged nearly two months later.

Once back home, Joe and Dave related some of their experiences about the war and answered the incessant questions from family and friends. But there were certain aspects never mentioned to outsiders that only the men who'd been there knew about. The Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia had been formed in 1916, and the Footscray Branch formed in 1919. That was where the real war stories were told. Ex-Sergeant Farnington DCM later became Branch President and held that position for many years.

Both Joe and Dave went back to live with Bill, Liz, Ellen and Mavis at Talbot Street. The two men now had to earn a living, and so Dave went back to the quarry with his father, while Joe looked around for work that he could do in his restricted physical state. He then worked as a stone mason for a while.

George was still in France, but finally in July of 1919 his turn came, and he was told to be ready to march out to LeHarve. From there his Unit went to England to await their ship. There was some leave granted during the week there, and most of the troops took advantage of the many girls who offered themselves. By now George had pretty much fulfilled that part of his life's plan that was ruined when he had to marry Charlotte, and was well past any guilt feelings. He had also become somewhat careless about some of his liaisons.

It was about then that he first noticed a raised and weeping sore. It wasn't painful, so he just kept it clean and covered, and hoped it would go away. He didn't want to be left behind in a hospital when his Draft left for Australia. The pre-embarkation medical examination was designed to remove anyone with infectious diseases before they contaminated everyone on the ship. Clothing was fumigated or replaced and a thorough physical check was made. George's sores had just healed and he managed to slip through without anyone noticing anything wrong.

At last a former German ship, 'Chemnitz' became available, and George and the rest of his Draft settled in for what he expected would be a good trip home. It was an enjoyable voyage for three weeks, until he started to feel sick. He assumed it was some sort of seasickness, although he had never suffered that before. After waiting a day or so, rashes appeared so he reported sick to the Army doctor on board.

After a short examination the doctor told him to sit down. 'You've been playing around haven't you son?'

It took a moment before George worked out what he meant. 'Um, well, we had a bit of a party just before we left England.'

The doctor looked at George over his glasses. 'And you had some sores not long after that didn't you.' This wasn't a question. 'Did you report sick anywhere?'

'No, they went away. I didn't think it was anything to worry about.' The doctor shook his head slowly as he read George's file.

'You're married aren't you?'

George wondered what that had to do with anything, but the doctor didn't wait for an answer.

'You have syphilis young fellow. Stage one was the sores, and stage two is this sickness and rashes. You will feel better in a couple of weeks, and then you just have to wait for stage three.'

George went white. This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd been careful. How would he explain it to Charlotte? George swallowed. 'Can you cure it doctor?' he asked in a shaky voice.

'No son, there is no cure. With treatment we can keep it quiet for many years, but eventually, unless there is some medical discovery, stage three will kill you.'

George was less worried about dying than having to tell Charlotte. The 'Chemnitz' would be arriving in Melbourne in a few days, so he didn't have long to think about what he would do. He was now told he'd have to remain in the Army until his condition was stabilised and non-infectious. That could take a few months. After that he could go on for up to twenty years before any further symptoms showed up. George wondered if he might be able to just pretend that he had the flu, and not tell anyone. The Army wouldn't tell anyone without his permission, so it seemed like the best option. Somewhere in many years time he knew he would have to own up, but anything could happen in the meantime, and there might even be a cure. Joe and Dave would already be home and they would never tell anyone about that aspect of the war, so George decided to keep it to himself and hope it would all sort itself out in time.

Since the 'Chemnitz' carried many walking wounded who would need further treatment, she would be met by ambulances when she docked in Melbourne. After its quarantine period the ship tied up at Port Melbourne on the 5th of September 1919 and by then Charlotte was getting really impatient. She had prepared the kids for the arrival of their father, although neither of them remembered him. Bill, Liz, Tasman and Dave had come to meet him as well.

George was feeling better now that the Stage Two symptoms had subsided and had come up with a story to say he was sick and might have to spend some time in hospital before he could come home. He'd had pleurisy, and by now the Spanish flu was spreading throughout the world as soldiers went back to their home countries. Perhaps everyone could be led to assume that George had it.

By the time the 'Chemnitz' arrived ten months after the war finished, the public's adulation for returning soldiers had been satisfied and there were no crowds lining the city streets any more. There was no motorcade past the Town Hall and it was just the families who were waiting for them as they were driven directly to South Melbourne. At the Depot George found Charlotte and the rest of the family among the crowd, and it was a happy reunion with hugs and kisses for her and the kids. George had been away for nearly three and a half years. Gwen was five and a half years old now, and young George's fourth birthday was in a few weeks. They hung back shyly from this man they never remembered, and young George kicked up a fuss when his father tried to pick him up. Charlotte tried to soothe him but he hung onto her dress.

Finally they gave up and Charlotte said, 'They'll get used to you quickly when you come home. When do you think that will be?'

George didn't want to go into all this, but he had to have some sort of excuse. 'I have to go to hospital for a while, so it might be a while before I get home.'

The whole family looked surprised, and Charlotte was the first to ask, 'Why? I thought you were over that pleurisy.'

'Ahh, yes, but there's some sort of complication that they want to keep me in hospital for a while to look at.'

George glanced over at Dave, who looked faintly amused and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Charlotte was puzzled. 'Joe and Dave had to wait a couple of months for discharge, so I was expecting to wait that long. Surely you will be fixed up by then?'

George didn't want to get any further into this conversation. 'Oh, well then it will be okay by then I'm sure. But now I have to go straight to the hospital. I don't know if you'll be able to see me for a while.' If Charlotte came to the hospital she would see him in the VD ward.

Again Charlotte was confused. 'Why wouldn't I be able to come and see you? They've let you come and talk to me now, what's the difference?'

George was getting flustered now, as his ill-conceived story was already unravelling. 'I have to go now, but I'll let you know what's happening as soon as I know.'

Again George glanced at Dave. He knew Dave had guessed what was wrong. George gave Charlotte and the kids another kiss, said goodbye to the others, this time avoiding eye contact with Dave, and hurried off towards the ambulances that were waiting for the rest of the walking wounded. Charlotte watched him go and felt very uneasy about all this. It wasn't the way she imagined it would be when George came home, and she decided to find out what was going on. She left the Depot to take the kids home to her mother's house.

In fact it was Dave who followed George and found that he would be taken to the Army's 5th General Hospital in St. Kilda Road. Dave went there that afternoon without telling anyone, and found George settling into the infectious diseases ward. He was allowed a short visit, and was shown into the long ward with ten beds along each wall. George saw Dave come in, and waited to see if Charlotte was behind him. 'Don't worry mate, I'm on my own, but I don't know how you expect them not to find out. If you take the medicine you'll be out in six weeks, but it will be hard to hide it that long. Maybe you should just be honest and hope everyone understands. I had three doses. You're unlucky you got it just before you came home.'

George slowly shook his head. 'Charlotte will never understand, and forgiveness is out of the question. I have to hide it from her.' Then George dropped the bombshell. 'I won't be finished with this in six weeks Dave, it's syphilis.'

Dave looked shocked. 'Oh shit! What the hell did you do?' There was no need for George to answer, and it took only a moment for Dave to work out the consequences for his brother. 'Mate, I don't know how you're going to hide this. You're going to need treatment for years. You're right about Charlotte too. She'll never forgive you.'

'Yeah, thanks for the encouragement you bastard.' George had hoped Dave might be able to think of a way out of this mess. Instead he'd just confirmed George's worst fears.

After some more discussion during which Dave tried to be supportive, he left to go home knowing that George's life and his marriage were both going to change for the worse. They hadn't come up with any way of hiding the truth, and George agreed that Dave could tell Liz and see if there was any way of breaking the news gently to Charlotte. In Talbot Street that night, Dave waited for a time when Tasman had gone to bed and Ellen was talking to Joe in the kitchen. In the lounge room Liz was darning socks and Bill was reading a newspaper article that reported that the Spanish Flu had killed at least 12,000 people in Australia alone, but seemed to have peaked, and should now fade away. Dave had thought about how he would bring up the subject of George's illness, but in the end decided that he might as well just get on with it.

'Mum, I found George today. He's in the Army hospital on St Kilda Road.'

Bill looked up from his paper. 'Oh good, does Charlotte know?'

'I haven't seen her since then, and I'm not sure I want to.' Dave didn't really want to be around when Charlotte heard the truth. He went on, 'George has syphilis.'

The shocked expression on his parents' faces was about what he expected. Liz recovered first. 'My God! How the dickens did that happen?' Then the real question hit her. 'How is he going to tell Charlotte?'

'He's hoping you might think of a way of telling her.'

Bill ran all the possible scenarios through his mind. 'There won't be any easy way of telling her. She's going to be shattered.'

Liz couldn't think of anything either. 'We'll have to be with her when she finds out. Perhaps we can ease the shock. I can imagine what her family will say too. They'll never speak to us again.' Ellen finally spoke her mind. 'Well they haven't spoken to us since the wedding so that won't matter.'

Next day, before Liz could make contact, Charlotte was on her way to Victoria Barracks in St Kilda Road to find out where George was being treated. By lunch time she was at the Army hospital just a few hundred yards away, and waited an hour for the afternoon visiting period to start. She found George's ward, and followed the other visitors in when the Sister opened the doors. George saw her, and his heart sank. This was not going to go well.

He was right, and just ten minutes later Charlotte walked out in tears. Her upbringing did not allow any room for forgiveness in this situation, and she had already told George not to bother coming home. George knew his marriage was over, but had no idea what he would do next. He knew that Charlotte's family would support her, but he could expect no attempt at reconciliation from any of them. There could be no divorce either. That was as taboo to Charlotte's family as infidelity. He was still worrying that evening when Bill and Liz arrived for the evening visiting period.

By the time they left, George at least knew he had a bed at Talbot Street, and an assurance that his family would support him until he was on his feet again. The question of what would happen to Gwen and George junior would come later.

George underwent several drug treatments during the next three months in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the bacteria in his bloodstream. It had been found that a cure could sometimes be effected if the drugs were administered at the first sign of symptoms. Even deliberate infection with malaria was tried on patients after some medical reports indicated that it killed the syphilis. If George had reported sick when the first lesion appeared, his life might have been different. Now it was too late.

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Chapter 21

The Twenties

Late in 1919 General Birdwood arrived in Australia to tour the country for several months. His visit was very well received by the former troops and by the public. Returned men were released from their jobs on full pay to attend public appearances during his visit. Birdwood was later appointed an honorary Field Marshall in the Australian Army.

Gradually, Australia recovered from the effects of war, and soldiers returned to normal lives. Telephones and motor cars were becoming more common, and a new form of mass entertainment was catching on. Moving pictures had been around for a few years, with the first purpose-built cinema appearing in Bourke Street in 1909, but now picture theatres were being built in every suburb. There was opposition to this new form of entertainment though, and in December 1919 the Argus reported from the Victorian Parliament that:

'An animated discussion on present-day picture shows was initiated in the Legislative Council yesterday by Mr. Richardson, who moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the question of picture films which were doing irreparable injury to the minds of the rising generation. He asked what good could come out of the exhibition of pictures of the backwoods life of America, with the saloon, the drunken women, and often the half dressed women. Juvenile crime was increasing at a great rate and much of it was traceable to the pictures.'

Charlotte didn't visit George again, and severed contact with his family. By February of 1920 George had come to terms with his situation, and made a new Will. Then in March he was released from hospital, and days later, was discharged from the Army as an invalid. He moved back in with his parents at Footscray.

That month a Vurlow family reunion was to be held at Mt. Egerton so that all the branches of the family could get together after many of the boys had returned from the war. Liz's brothers and sisters would bring their families from near and far, back to their home town where their mother Susan still lived. Susan Vurlow had lived at Mount Egerton since the gold mining days of the 1860s, when bushrangers roamed the countryside. She was the eldest of fifteen children, most of who had already died either from disease or accidents over the years. She was still in good health, though not as active as she once was, so she looked forward to family visits.

Susan had nine children, although five had already died, but there were over thirty grandchildren and many more great grandchildren. It was something of a roll call to see who had survived the war and who had not. Bill and Liz took their three boys plus Ellen and Mavis by bus to Mount Egerton. Others came from Ballarat and Wonthaggi for the get-together. Dave was looking forward to that rabbit shooting expedition with his cousin Billy Anderson as they had arranged when they were at Bulford together. There was still a general euphoria hanging on from the end of the war, and it looked like being a great week.

When everyone had arrived the ex-soldiers were the centre of attention telling something of their experiences, but Dave and Billy immediately headed off into the hills with their .22 calibre rifles to shoot some rabbits for a barbeque. Less than three hours later Billy was dead. He had leaned his loaded rifle against a log while he picked up a dead rabbit, but the rifle slid off and discharged. The bullet hit him in the head and he died instantly. Dave, being the only witness, was questioned closely by the police, but weeks later at the inquest the Coroner decided it was an accident. The tragedy had ruined the reunion though.

Back at Footscray Charlotte stayed with her mother for a while longer, but she had to make more permanent arrangements to support herself and look after the children. She took Gwen and moved into another house in Nicholson Street Footscray, and started looking for a job. It was obvious that she couldn't work and look after the kids at the same time, so young George was left to live with Charlotte's mother and her youngest son Harry who was George's uncle, but just a couple of years older than George.

Young George was always properly looked after, but never had a stable home. He saw his mother occasionally in the early years after the breakup but was never close to her. She started working as a barmaid and during that time had a number of men friends. She often went to Luna Park with them, and appeared to be having a lively social life. She started drinking as well. Young George was never told anything of his father as he grew up, as the Bennets kept their distance from the sinful Allan family.

Regular airmail and passenger flights had been operating between Melbourne and Sydney since 1914, using racecourses as landing grounds. Now, it was seen that properly designed airports were required, and Essendon airport opened in Melbourne in August of 1922. Mascot airport opened in Sydney six months later. On the 31st of December 1922 the standard working week for Victorians was reduced to 44 hours. There were many more women in the workforce now, but despite some attempts to have them paid the same rate as men, there was still Trade Union opposition. In 1923, the Industrial Court once again upheld the Union case and rejected the concept of equal pay.

Qantas began operations, followed by many other small airlines, most of which would not last long. The Melbourne Sun newspaper commenced publishing. The Federal Parliament still sat in the Victorian Parliament building in Spring Street, as they had done since 1901, while the Victorian Parliament sat in the Exhibition Buildings. Work to build Canberra as the National Capital started in 1923. Footscray was expanding to the west, and new housing and industrial development to the south was linking Footscray with Williamstown. Telephones were now common in business, but there were still relatively few in private homes, and public telephone boxes on street corners were widespread around the suburbs.

In 1924 radio broadcasts began in Melbourne from 3LO and 3AR. Listeners initially could only buy radios preset to one station. They were not popular though, and soon, amateur enthusiasts modified their radios to tune any station. Licensing regulations were changed to permit the sale of free tuning radios, new stations started up, and radio broadcasting caught on. Only five years later an even more advanced method of communication came to Melbourne when television was demonstrated for the first time in Australia in December of 1929.

In 1924 Liz started having health problems again, and after several visits to doctors, was eventually told she had cervical cancer, and she would probably live only another year or so. It was a shattering blow to her since her grandfather had lived to 85, her mother was still relatively healthy at 80, while Liz was just 62. She had held the family together after George and Charlotte separated, so perhaps the strain had contributed.

Bill Allan was now 64 years old, and suffering increasing respiratory difficulties as the years of accumulated dust from the mines and quarries clogged his lungs. The whole family was still living together, and they moved to a bigger house at 160 Buckley Street Footscray because they had outgrown the Talbot Street house.

The family traditionally visited Liz's 82 year old mother at Mount Egerton once or twice a year, and Liz decided to make one last bus trip to see her mother and break the news of her cancer. Bill would come as always, and George decided he'd go as well. George's illness wasn't generally known to people outside the immediate family, and his split from Charlotte was assumed to be a result of wartime stress. It was November of 1924 as they boarded the bus at Footscray for the 90 minute drive to Mount Egerton. They would stop at towns along the way that had been established back in the gold mining days as resting places for the gold diggers heading to Ballarat.

After the bus passed through Bacchus Marsh, Liz watched as she always did when travelling on this road, for the tree that marked her birthplace. Her mother had pointed it out to her years ago, and she liked to see that it was still there each time she passed by. The tree hadn't been planted to mark her birth, it just happened to be growing at the place where the bullock wagon stopped, as Susan went into labour on their way to the hospital in 1862. Liz was born in drizzling rain soon after, on a canvas tarpaulin under the wagon.

The tree was still there, much bigger now than the first time she had seen it, and it was comforting to see that something of what she remembered as the good old days remained. There were no bullock wagons now, at least on the main roads. Cars were much more common, cutting the travel time from Melbourne to Ballarat from a full day by horse and cart, to just a couple of hours.

They only stayed at Mount Egerton for two days. Susan had already lost her husband and five of her nine children, and although she didn't see her remaining children often, just knowing they were keeping well was a comfort. Now she was distressed to find her eldest daughter would die soon. Apart from her children, Susan had also lost several of her fourteen brothers and sisters in recent years, and she wondered if longevity was a good thing. Susan knew Bill had his lung congestion but that was a common illness with miners, and to be expected. Bill and Liz didn't mention George's condition though, since there was no need to upset Susan any further.

Bill and Liz wanted to get back home to get their affairs in order, and give Liz whatever treatment there would be available. She had already been told though, that pain relief was about all that could be done. She wasn't suffering too much at the moment, but the cancer would progress fairly quickly and she could expect to spend the last few weeks in hospital. By 1925 Bill had retired, George and Joe were still working in quarries, but not together, while Dave and Tasman worked as labourers on building sites. By July Liz was in the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and in August, she died. She had been the lynch-pin of the family over the years, holding it together in the absence of strong blood ties. Now the boys started making lives of their own since Bill didn't have the same ability to retain control of the family. His authoritarian approach to raising the boys had lost its fear factor after the war, and they were now taking no notice of his opinions or advice, even though they continued living together. The only exception was George, who had seen his own future ruined, and thought that staying with Bill was his best option. Ellen also had little future, with no husband to provide for her, and with Mavis to raise. She decided to stay with Bill and look after him in his old age.

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Epilogue

By 1929 the boys knew that Bill and Liz had never actually married and so they had all been illegitimate at birth, and that Mavis wasn't their sister, at least in the conventional sense. Bill's relationship with Ellen had also become known to them, and they were disgusted by it. Liz's death caused a gradual disintegration of the family, as Dave and Tasman moved out on their own. George, Joe, Ellen and Mavis stayed with Bill for a few years, but in 1929 Joe married Daisy Christie, and they moved into their own place in Footscray.

When the economy started a downturn in 1928, many workers lost their jobs and soup kitchens served meals to long queues of people to see them through the Depression. George also moved away to get employment in the quarries that kept working. It was a hard time, but Bill, Ellen and Mavis survived, and life was back to normal by 1932.

Tasman was working as a garage attendant and part time mechanic at the corner of Geelong Road and Barkley Street Footscray in 1931 when he married Rhoda Bailey. They had a daughter Sally the same year. Dave married Olive Wilson in 1935 and they lived in Hopkins Street Footscray, but it looked as though his exploits during the war had indeed left him sterile, and they never had any children.

Gwen and George junior were also growing up, and attending Catholic schools. George still lived with his uncle Harry and Charlotte's mother at West Melbourne, and went to St Mary's School in Victoria Street just 200 yards from home. He stayed with them for all of his childhood, moving to Frankston for a time, until Margaret became too old and ill. They were living there when she died in 1934. George moved back to Yarraville a couple of years later. By then his mother Charlotte was working as a barmaid at the Oxford Hotel in Swanston Street.

In 1935 Gwen was 21 years old, and married a taxi driver. She immediately had their first baby named Beverley. Less than 18 months later, she had a second baby named John. The family was struggling to make a living, and so when Gwen became pregnant again in March of 1938, she decided to have it terminated. There was no legally acceptable reason for that, so she couldn't have it done in a hospital, and had no option but to go to a 'backyard' abortionist who provided the service on a table in a spare room in his house. The procedure at first went smoothly, but within 24 hours, Gwen began to get sick with septicaemia. She was taken to a hospital, but it was too late. She died on the 4th of June at the age of 24.

When he left school at age 13, George worked on a fruit cart, driving with his employer around the streets of Yarraville behind an old horse, selling fruit and vegetables door to door. He always had enough to eat during the Depression, but actually got sick from eating too much fruit and not enough meat. George grew up without real parental support and advice. He'd floated aimlessly along with no real plan or ambition, and no one to keep him focussed on a goal. He knew his father was terminally ill, that his sister had died, and his mother was busy working, socialising and getting on with her own life. There was no contact with his uncles, Joe, Dave and Tasman, because he never went to their house. Old Bill didn't encourage visitors so he kept away. He did see Mavis from time to time, and they became friends.

George had to pull out of an electrical apprenticeship without finishing it when he moved to Frankston, and then worked as a labourer. Sport was his greatest interest, and by 1937 he had become well known in the Yarraville VFA football team. He was asked to train with the Footscray senior VFL team in 1939, and it looked as though he'd be running out with them in the 1940 season. Football was an amateur sport so he wasn't going to make any money from it, but it gave him some purpose in life. He played district cricket in summer and played with and against many men who later went on to play Test cricket for Australia.

In 1938 George was 23, and had been living with Charlotte's extended family for more than 17 years. He hadn't seen his mother very often during the past 10 years, as she socialised with many men, and felt that he had been abandoned as a child. Now he was so upset by his sister's death that he never spoke to his mother for the rest of her life. Charlotte tried to mend the rift many times over the years, but young George would have none of it. George tried to keep in touch with his sister's kids for a while, but visits weren't encouraged, and after a short time Gwen's two children never had any more contact with the Allan families and grew up without knowing any of their Allan cousins. Beverley would die early as well, in 1962, aged only 27, but John was still living in Victoria in 2009.

Joe and Daisy had three children, but the eldest, William, died in 1937 at the age of six. In 1939 their two girls, Rose and Margaret, along with Tasman's daughter Sally, and George's son George junior were the only grandchildren in the family, although they hadn't all met each other. Dave saw little of his brothers, and Joe never spoke about any of his family to his daughters. Tasman hadn't been to the war, so he felt left out of things, and he gradually drifted away too. Despite all of them living in Melbourne within a few miles of each other for the rest of their lives, they never socialised. This branch of the Allan family that had begun with old Joe arriving as a convict 100 years earlier, disintegrated as his descendants lost touch with each other.

Bill was getting on in years at 79, living on his old age pension and was still suffering with his respiratory problems that should have finished him off years earlier. He was being looked after by Ellen who was 47, and had never found a man to marry. Mavis still lived with her and they supported each other financially. Mavis herself hadn't found a man, and at the age of 28 was getting past what was considered the marrying age. George senior was 45, and stage three of his syphilis was starting to become apparent, so he had recently moved back to live with them.

In 1939 war clouds were gathering again in Europe, and George senior now started work at the Maribyrnong Ammunition Factory as his father had done more than 20 years before. His illness would soon flare up and put a stop to that. When World War II started, George Junior joined the Army, and went to Puckapunyal near Seymour for basic training, where the Commandant was Brigadier Daniel Luxton CMG DSO. Luxton had been a Stockbroker since 1920 and rejoined from the Reserve Officers list when this war started. Unknown to George, his Uncle Dave also joined up, again lying about his age, this time reducing it by four years, to enlist again in the Pioneers.

Charlotte organised a farewell Bennet-family dinner for George at a city hotel just before his Unit went to North Africa in 1939. She felt sure he would want to see them all before he left, and she hoped it might help mend the rift between them. She spared no expense on a seven course banquet for twenty people, but her son didn't show up.

George was on active service near Bardia in North Africa when his grandfather Bill died from 'miner's phthisis' in November of 1941 aged 82. It was a long life for someone who had suffered with that type of lung congestion. By then George senior was also in hospital as the final stage of his illness took hold. Charlotte heard about it and visited him in hospital soon after he was admitted, taking her sister Ethel and ten year old niece Patricia for moral support. The old hospital treated terminally ill and mental patients, and the facilities were sparse. Even the lift that the visitors took to the second floor was powered by the lift operator hauling on a rope. The adults spoke for a while, but Patricia didn't hear what was said. If there was any reconciliation, it was never known outside that room, but perhaps an indication of the conversation can be deduced from the fact that Charlotte never visited again. When George was given some more experimental treatment later it was Joe who was called upon to give consent. The treatment was unsuccessful and George finally suffered a stroke and died in December of 1941 aged 47. The medical terminology for his cause of death was 'General Paralysis of the Insane'. A cure for syphilis was discovered two years later.

After her husband died Charlotte was finally free to marry again, and almost immediately married an Italian wine merchant. They ran a wine bar in Swanston Street opposite the Oxford Hotel, next to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Charlotte hadn't had a happy life and gradually succumbed to drink. She was always beautifully dressed and groomed, and smelled of perfume with an occasional hint of gin. She suffered poor health for the last ten years and died in 1955. The rift with her son continued until her death.

Dave went to North Africa in 1941 but was discharged from the Army when they realised he was past the maximum age. He died in 1961 just short of his 63rd birthday.

Tasman died in 1965 aged 65.

George junior finished the war after a colourful period of service that saw him promoted through the ranks to Warrant Officer, then after a couple of periods of being AWL and two Court Martials, demoted through the ranks to Private again. He died in 1970 just before his 55th birthday. The only family members he'd kept in touch with over the years were Mavis and some of his uncles and aunts in the Bennet family. Joe's inherited attitude to officialdom was reinforced by his military service during the First World War, and from the time of his return to Australia he wanted no more to do with anything military. He never went to the RSL, or to any memorial events. When annual Anzac day marches began, he went fishing. His answer to his daughters' questions about why he wouldn't march was always, 'I did enough marching during the war'. He never approached the Repatriation Department for any sort of pension, and his family suffered financially. Despite his war wounds, Joe spent his later life working in a steel mill at Footscray and saw both of his daughters grow up and get married. He was a great supporter of the Footscray Football Club, and was ecstatic when they won the VFL Premiership in 1954. Between football and fishing, Joe had a happy life up until his wife died in 1971. By the time Joe died in 1975 aged 78, his extended family was so depleted and disconnected that there was no one in his family circle who even knew the names of his parents to enter on his death certificate. His daughters had met Dave, Ellen and Mavis years earlier but had since lost contact. They never knew that George, Charlotte and their children ever existed until contacted during research for this book.

After Bill died in 1941, Ellen never married or had any more children, and continued living with her daughter Mavis who finally married an Australian Naval Officer in 1949. Ellen was almost blind by 1970, and died in 1980 aged 88. Mavis herself never had any children, and died in Melbourne at the grand old age of 94 in 2005. ####

Back to Contents Bibliography Forward with the Fifth A.W. Keown (The story of five years War Service 5th Inf. Battalion AIF) In Good Company W.A. Carne (Being a record of the 6th Machine Gun Company AIF)

Other References Unit war diaries 1915-1918: Second Brigade Fifth Battalion Number two Tunnelling Company First Pioneer Battalion Sixth Brigade Sixth Machine Gun Company Twenty First Battalion Twenty Second Battalion Number One Australian Dermatological Hospital Bulford First, Second and Fourth Australian Field Ambulances Service records: 2107 Joseph Allan 3351 (WW1), VX56608 (WW2) David Allan 457 George Allan Melbourne Argus Newspaper online Other books by Barry Allan, at Smashwords.com

Sophia Grantham aka Kezia Tregilgus The true story of a young woman twice convicted in England and transported to VDL aboard the convict transport ship Rajah in 1841. After her release and marriage to a seaman known as 'Handspike Jack' Tregilgus, they became successful in business and were pioneers in the early settlement of the Queensland outback. They founded the towns of Taroom and Rolleston by building the first hotels, and then moved to Rockhampton where Kezia ran bushranger-friendly hotels until her early death in 1872.

Black Sheep and Gold Diggers Richard Venvill was sentenced to seven years for his part in the Swing Riots in England in 1830. He was Pardoned in 1836 and helped settle the Port Philip District of Victoria. Joseph Allen was a Glasgow street hoodlum whose ten year sentence was cut short by a Political Pardon when his convict ship arrived in Melbourne in 1846. He soon became one of the first Police Detectives and then was among the discoverers of gold at Blackwood near Melbourne. The book follows them individually through their convict years, the settlement of Port Philip, the foundation of Melbourne, the gold rush and other historical events that affected their lives. Back to Contents