Ballarat RSL Sub Branch Inc in Invermay Park | Charitable organisation
Ballarat RSL Sub Branch Inc
Locality: Invermay Park
Phone: +61 3 5332 3300
Address: Midlands - Ballarat RSL Sports & Services Club, 330 Heinz Lane 3350 Invermay Park, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.ballaratrsl.com.au
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25.01.2022 The Avenue of Honour (1917 - 1919) and Arch of Victory (1920) were erected as memorials to the people of Ballarat and the surrounding district who enlisted in W...orld War I. The idea for the Ballarat Avenue of Honour in 1917 was attributed to Mrs W.D. (Tilly) Thompson, a director of a local clothing manufacturer, E. Lucas & Co. A total of 3,771 trees were originally planted in the Avenue between June 1917 and August 1919 one for each soldier, sailor and nurse from the district who served during the First World War. Original criteria for inclusion in the Avenue was a person to have enlisted and resided in the City of Ballaarat or Township of Ballaarat East, although this was later towards the end of the war to include the names of those who enlisted interstate and over seas. The trees were named and numbered, as close as was possible at the time, in the order of enlistment from the Ballarat end, odd numbers on the south side and even numbers on the north. Only exotic deciduous species were used, mostly Elms, Oaks, Poplars and Ash. In 1934 the Bronze Memorial Plaques were added to the Avenue and located at the base of the trees. Each plaque contains a name, battalion and tree number. This concept created the beginning of a cultural landscape peculiar to Australia. At least 128 Avenues of Honour were planted throughout Victoria between 1917 and 1921, the majority concentrated in the Central Highlands. From the beginning, the Ballarat Avenue was grand in concept, culminating in the official opening of the Arch of Victory by the Prince of Wales in 1920. The 500 staff of E. Lucas & Co. (known as the 'Lucas Girls) not only raised the money required, but then proceeded to plant all the trees themselves on weekends. To this day, the Avenue continues to present a vast and memorable leafy gateway to the City of Ballarat, and a grand living monument to those who volunteered for active service. Arch of Victory: Unveiled 2nd June 1920.The foundation stone was laid on the 7th February 1920 by General Sir William Birdwood and the Arch was opened on the 2nd of June 1920 by the Prince of Wales. The Arch is made of bricks, cement rendered. On sunday 13th March 1938, Mr S Walker, President of the Ballarat RSSIA unveiled the Temple of Remembrance which is situated at the entrance of the Avenue of Honour. The temple houses a Book of Remembrance which contains a number of steel sheets upon which have been inscribed the names of every person in whose honour a tree has been planted in the Avenue. On the 7th of November 1954, Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead unveiled two tablets to acknowledge the services of the men and women from Ballarat in the 1939 - 1945 war. Download a PDF list of names sorted alphabetically: http://bit.ly/1EhHlXm Download the excellent Ballarat Council brochure on the Arch of Victory and The Avenue of Honour here: http://goo.gl/FQD1fh From the start of the Avenue of Honour at the Arch pf Victory and the statue of the Grieving Mother, to the end where the Memorial Cairn can be found, it as a truly beautiful commemoration, remembering those from Ballarat who served in World War 1. More on the Avenue of Honour: https://honouringouranzacs.com.au/page/home https://bih.federation.edu.au/ind/Ballarat_Avenue_of_Honour With regards the interpretive signs: https://news.ballarat.vic.gov.au//new-interpretive-signs-h Ballarat RSL Sub Branch Inc #Ballarat #avenueofhonour #LestWeForget #WW1
24.01.2022 We Remember Today - Matron Ethel Gray, Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) seen here in the garden of the Villa Roquebrune. The mansion in the south of Fran...ce had been loaned by Captain and Mrs Wane as a rest home for about 20 nurses at any one time while on leave. The nurses served in many different hospitals including the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2AGH) Wimereux where Matron Gray was then stationed. Photo circa March 1918.
23.01.2022 A popular song of the time, "Sing Me to Sleep," was re-worded by a Ballarat boy who had been severely wounded in action during fighting at Gallipoli. Private P...ercy Bannerman sent the piece home to his sister Lily, of Soldier's Hill, Ballarat. The writer remained, however, anonymous. '...Sing me to sleep where my comrades fall, Let me forget the world and all. Damp is my dugout, cold are my feet - Nothing but bully and biscuits to eat. Chorus: Far, far from Turkey I want to be, Where Turks' bullets cannot pot me; Think of me crouching where cold worms creep, Waiting for someone to sing me to sleep. Sing me to sleep where bombs explode, Where shrapnel's killed our poor old Joe; Over the sandbags helmets you'll find, Corpses in front of you, corpses behind. Sing me to sleep in some kindly way; I'm sick of dry biscuits each day. All my old pals, now at their long rest, But proud to me are they, who've done their best. Far, far from star shells I want to be; Dear old Ball'rat fain would I see. Think of me crouching where cold worms creep. Turks who are waiting to sing me to sleep...'
22.01.2022 A LIFETIME WITH HIM !!!! Willemien Rieken was only 9 years old when she first began laying flowers on the grave of Trooper William Edmond, a British hero ...who fought and died to liberate her Dutch village. From that day, and for 75 years, this amazing woman looked after his grave and kept his memory alive. During WWII, William served with the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron, and took part in the Battle of Arnhem in the Netherlands. Sadly, on September 17, 1944, he was shot in the back by a German sniper and fell to the ground. One of his comrades, Sgt David Christie, rushed to his aid, but nothing could be done to save William. Seconds before dying, he said to David: "Tell my wife I love her". This British hero was then buried, among his brothers in arms, at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. This week, the woman who spent 75 years looking after his grave passed away, at the age of 85. May Trooper William Edmond and Mrs Willemien Rieken both rest in eternal peace. See more
21.01.2022 ORDERING INFORMATION For anyone wishing to order a copy of The Broken Chain - the ordering process is as follows: Contact - ... PrimeGrafix Ph: 1300 307 713 Email: [email protected] Quote the invoice number 00046131 and item name Amanda M. Bentley The Broken Chain Kylie or Frank will then send you a quote for your order. Please note: the purchase of each volume is at cost price. Also this work is a Roll of Honour and those included all died on active service or in the years immediately following the conclusion of the war.
21.01.2022 It has been 75 years since the end of the Second World War, and this Remembrance Day we will be remembering all of those served as part of this conflict. 101-y...ear-old veteran Phoebe Parker was one of the brave women who answered the call to serve, making life long friends and meeting her husband along the journey. When Mrs Parker enlisted in with the Australian Women’s Army Service in October 1942, she quickly established a tight-knit friendship with a couple of other women who she trained with at the Ivanhoe Grammar School for Signals. We had a lot of fun together. Monday nights we used to nick under the fence and go ice skating. Like any solid friendship, they were all in it together. The other girl would be back at the camp and when she knew we were back, she would be out by the fence and would hold the wire netting up enough so we could get back in. She met her would-be husband during her service, all thanks to a trip to the dentist. He was a dispatch rider. We were at Albert Park, and the army dentist was at Caulfield Racecourseand the only driver on the Depot was Graham. And as they say, the rest is pretty much history. The two married in June 1943 and went on and had three children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Graham died 8 years ago. Phoebe served in the Australian Army until her discharge in March 1944 when she was pregnant with her first child. There was nothing bad at all in the Army. It was a good life, and I’d join up today if I had to.
20.01.2022 On the same day that the touring MCC team played its first match against a State side in Australia, another Test was being played many thousands of miles away i...n Korea. And while all eyes in Australia turned to the English Eleven as they first tested their strength, the troops in Korea looked with no less interest to the outcome of the "Korean Ashes", an annual cricket game played between an English and Australian team for a trophy consisting of a brass cup beaten from shell cases. The Korean ashes was won by the Australians. Australian and English troops are shown here grouped around the sign on the oval where a match was played. The sign reads: "The Oval. England v Australia Test Match 16-17 Oct on this ground." South Korea - 28th October, 1954.
19.01.2022 COMMEMORATIVE MEDALLION Acknowledging the significance of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has produced a Commemorative Medallion and Certificate of Commemoration. The medallion and certificate will be made available to every living veteran of the Second World War. While Australia can never repay the debt we owe almost one million Australians who served, this medallion and certificate are a small but meaningful way w...e can thank living veterans of the largest global conflict of the 20th century. Applications can be made online - https://portal.nationalmailing.com.au/DVA/certificate or by phone -1800 838 372. Any Veteran requiring assistance with the application process, please call Sarah at Catherine King's office on 5338 8128.
19.01.2022 The Somme, over a hundred years ago, thousands of young men came from far away to come and fight to help France, a country they knew nothing about and for which... they did so much, a country for which they gave their lives through the worst battlefields of the great war which today, peaceful and silent keep in them the hidden traces of the past but which also keep the bravery and the courage of millions of young men who gave their today for our tomorrow and who rest today under the flowering poppies which are and will always be the symbol of the courage and the sacrifice of all these men whom we will always honor with the greatest respect and today, it is the memory of one of these young boys whom I would like to honor. I wish to present, with gratitude, a very respectful tribute to Private number 3255 Allen Beresford Bourke who fought in the 49th Australian Infantry Battalion and was killed in action 104 years ago, on September 5, 1916 at the age of 19 on the Somme front. Allen Beresford Brouke was born on May 1, 1897 in Ispwich, Queensland, and he was the son of George Brouke and Mary Allen. Allen was educated at Ispwich Boy's Grammar School and before the outbreak of the war he was single and lived with his parents in Waghorne Street, Ispwich, Queensland, and worked as a salesman. Enlisted on August 4, 1915, in Brisbane, Queensland, at the age of 18, in the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcement, he embarked with his unit from Brisbane, on board HMAT A48 Seang Bee on October 21, 1915,and sailed for Egypt where he was disembarked on February 29, 1916 at Zeitoun and was transferred to the 49th Australian Infantry Battalion the same day at Tel-El-Kebir.Four months later, on June 5, 1916, Allen joined the British Expeditionary Force and embarked with his unit from Alexandria, on board the "Arcadian" for France where he arrived on June 12, 1916 in Marseilles. Shortly after, Allen and his battalion were sent to the Somme front and in early September 1916, he fought at Mouquet farm, Pozieres. It was here that on the morning of September 5, 1916, an attack was launched and the 49th Australian Infantry Battalion attacked to take Mouquet Farm, they were supported on the left flank by the 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion.Heroic during the charge through no man's land, Allen was hit by a machine gun bullet which he received in the stomach and was left in a shell hole, unfortunately this attack, which was the second attack carried out by the Australians between September 3 and 5, 1916 was a failure and Allen's body was not found and was declared missing. Later, on September 26, 1916, Mouquet Farm was captured by the British and Canadians and Allen's body was found and identified and reported as "killed in action". 11,000 Australian soldiers fell between August 8 and 3 September 1916.9 attacks were organized and failed, it was one of the worst battles that the Australians knew in the Somme. Today Allen Beresford Bourke rests in peace with his comrades and brothers in arms at Courcelette British Cemetery, Somme. Allen, young and brave, your heart echoed with that of thousands of young men who all answered the call of duty, smiling and proud, courageous and determined, it is all together, united for your families, for your country , under the banner of Australia but ready to fight for all the people and for the fate of the world which, you have walked and sailed thousands of kilometers to come and fight in France which was in agony, destroyed, bruised by so much of violence, disfigured by rains of shells.under the dark clouds of war, young and brave, you did not retreat, in the muddy trenches of the battlefields of the Somme, you have seen and faced the worst horrors and pains caused by weapon-destroying madness who spit death in rains of blood and hailstones of sharp and burning steel that shattered the bodies and lives of so many of your friends, so many innocent young lives, lives lost too soon in the shell holes, in the water and the mud drowning a whole generation of heroes ... Anxiously awaiting the hour of the last attack, eyes on the officers' whistles, hands shaking, legs paralyzed by the fear, your stomach knotted by the fear of living the last moments of a too short life, this day of September 5, 1916, you advanced with courage on no man's land, desolate land, plowed by the bombardments of the artillery , charging the enemy, bayonet forward, it is here that in a last act of admirable courage, doing your duty to the end, you fell with your comrades, on these fields of the Somme which are so peaceful today, it is difficult to imagine the hell that these men went through for us, and yet, when I walk through the fields of poppies, I can feel the presence of these young men, then I sit and I look at these fields, alone, in silence, as if the past were in front of my eyes, I see men come out of their trenches, I see them charging with bravery and falling under the rains bullets, I hear the screams and I can smell the gunpowder in the air, the suffering facing courage, and it is often with tears in my eyes that I get up to tell these men how grateful I am and how much I admire them,and that it is an honor to be with them, to be present for them who gave so much for us, their youth, their courage, their today for our tomorrow, their lives.Gone but not and never forgotten, they will live forever in our thoughts and in our hearts, in the light and the flame of Remembrance, their memory, their stories, their faces, their acts of courage will never be forgotten.These men are our History, not just our past, they always live near us and it is by thinking of them that we build the future by protecting the peace for which they fought and gave their lives. We are all the guardians of their memories.Thank you Allen, with all my heart and know that I will always watch over you and your comrades who rest in peace with you, under the banner of Australia and France, hand in hand, we will never forget you and we will always honor your memory with the greatest respect.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
19.01.2022 Have you heard? We are now open for dine-in. Limited seats available, social distancing a must. Please call 03 5331 4400 or 0475 239 580 for bookings
18.01.2022 On Friday 13th at the AWM Kevin " Dasher" Wheatly was reconized at the Memorial Service. His wife Edna was presented a Special VC made from lead from the battle... field by Camscause Charity Ambassador Dr Brendan Nelson on behalf of Camscause..Present as well was Camscause Patron and Govenor General David Hurley and his wife Linda,and great supporter Richard Rolfe.A big thanks to Camscause partner and VC maker Ron Davis from Battle Field Blue. See more
18.01.2022 Good evening everyone, this evening I am writing to tell you that on Tuesday, as many already know, I will be at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial and at the Sir... John Monash Center and I would like to share with each of you these precious moments and say also that if families wish to see the graves of their relatives, in Villers-Bretonneux but also in the cemeteries of the Somme, I would do all I can for you with a very deep respect, with gratitude by putting all my heart and my energy for you, I already have a few tears in my eyes while writing these few words, but I would like to tell you that it is an honor and a privilege to be with each of you, in a group that has become a real family for me, I want to say thank you, to each of you, I will always be there for each of you. with love and respect See more
18.01.2022 On This Day 07 September 1943 THE WORST AVIATION RELATED DISASTER IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY: USAAF B-24D 42-40682 "PRIDE OF THE CORNHUSKERS"... Just before 4.25am the Pride of the Cornhuskers, a USAF B-24D Liberator bomber, took off from Port Moresby's Jackson landing strip. Moments later the plane, which had a wing span of 33.5 metres and would have weighed just less than 30 tonnes with a full fuel and bomb load, crashed into a convoy of Studebaker trucks (drivers from 158 Transport Company) being used to ferry Australian soldiers from the 2/33 infantry Battalion to Dakotas to join the battle for Lae. For reasons unknown, when the Liberator took off at 4.30am it failed to gain sufficient height and hurtled towards the men on the ground. Witnesses yelled of the impending danger but there was no time to take evasive action. The port wing was sheared off when it struck a tree on the downward slope, across the other side of the creek. Like a wounded bird, the huge bomber came crashing down onto the hillside near the Durand marshalling area spewing forward a wave of burning aviation fuel. Five lorries were hit by flying wreckage and engulfed in the resulting fire which turned night into day. The confusion is understandable given the indescribable violence of the impact. The Liberator had been carrying four 500-pound bombs and was fuelled up with almost 12,000 litres of high-octane avgas. Three of the bombs exploded in the blaze that erupted immediately after the impact. Machine-gun ammunition, mortar rounds and hand grenades being carried by the soldiers who were in full battle kit, rifle and Bren gun ammunition ''cooked off'' as the fires progressed. Injured and casualties - 15 were killed instantly, 44 died of their injuries, and 92 were injured but survived. Some casualties died three days later due to the severity of the injuries. LEST WE FORGET. Below youtube link is of the 70th anniversary commemoration - AWM https://youtu.be/YH8QW2F3c3o
17.01.2022 Army continues to support communities that support us. #OurPartners from the Everyman's Welfare Service have busy been visiting #OurPeople at checkpoints along... the Victoria and New South Wales border. From their Brew Trucks, the service has been delivering food and drinks to soldiers stationed along the border. We’d like to say a big thank you to the team at the Everyman’s Welfare Service for their continued support. : Everyman’s Welfare Service
16.01.2022 Ballarat's Kerby Brothers Noble Victorious Champions Kerby When James and Annie Kerby christened their fifth son Noble Victorious Champions it was perhaps the m...ost outlandish and extravagant of all their children’s names. So unique was his name, the University Registrar, Mr A. W. Greig, later said that in his 26-years in the service, it was the oddest ‘pre-nomens’ he had encountered. It is not at all surprising that the boy quickly divested himself of the extended name and became known simple as Noble. Born at Mount Pleasant on 22 September 1899, Noble was the youngest child of James Macklam Kerby and Annie Brennan. According to sources, he was named after the British Forces holding the Siege of Mafeking during the Boer War. Colonel Robert Baden-Powell, who commanded the Mafeking force, was more than responsible for Noble’s name, he also had an inadvertent hand in developing his character. When the young lad was old enough, he joined the local Boy Scouts and, in May 1910, he was awarded the Boy Scouts Badge (2nd Class). He was also an active member of the Ballarat Town and City Mission. Noble received his primary education at the Mount Pleasant and then the Humffray Street State Schools. While he was a student at Humffray Street, Noble took part in an essay competition arranged in connection with the Ballarat Public Library jubilee. He took out 3rd Prize behind two of his classmates, Vera Fisher and Doris Thomas. A bright student, Noble graduated to Ballarat College. In February 1916 it was announced that he had passed the Junior Public Examinations in five subjects. After graduating, Noble was indentured as a clerk to local real estate agent, auctioneer and accountant, Thomas Ryan Jones, of Lydiard Street. Because of his age it was always going to be difficult for Noble to join the AIF but it didn’t stop him trying! Unfortunately, he also had poor eyesight that required corrective spectacles and that was what put a stop to him enlisting earlier. Having finally turned 18, he tried again in early 1918. This time he was accepted and signed the necessary paperwork on 19 January. Interestingly, his mother, who gave her consent stated ‘my husband J. M. Kerby is not in Australia’, however on 4 February 1918, James Kerby then signed a note to the Defence Department, ‘I hereby give my consent to my son Noble V. C. Kerby to join the AIF’ Not missing an opportunity to boost the war effort, the Prattle About People column in the Melbourne magazine Punch published the following: ‘A fine record of patriotic effort has been established by the family of Mr. J. M. Kerby, well-known in Ballarat East as a one-time mining manager. Two of his sons, who donned khaki for King and country, have made the supreme sacrifice on the field of battle; a third has had the misfortune to lose an eye through a bomb explosion; another is still on active service in France; and his fifth, and youngest, son, who has just turned eighteen years, recently enlisted and went into camp. The traditions of a family like this will no doubt provide a glowing page of history for future generations to ponder over’ In completing the medical examination, Captain L. Ruscoe Steele recorded that Noble was 5-feet 8-inches tall and weighed a relatively slight 136-pounds. This was reinforced by Noble’s chest measurement of just 29-inches. Fortunately, he was able to fully expand his chest a reasonable 3-inches. Like his brothers, Noble had a dark complexion and black hair. Strangely, Captain Steele made no mention of Noble’s eyesight, even though the boy admitted that a previous rejection for the AIF was due solely to this problem. He did note that his eyes were blue in colour and that he had a tattoo on his right forearm N. V. C. Kerby which had possibly been done in case of death or injury on the battlefield. Noble was also the only one of the Kerby brothers who had no military training. He had been exempted from the compulsory service as set out by legislation introduced in 1909. Following an extended time training in camp at Broadmeadows, Noble was finally given orders to prepare for embarkation. Back in Ballarat at the end of May he was afforded a series of special farewells by groups he had special connections with. The Town and City Mission Sunday School, where he taught a class of boys, organised a suitable Sunday afternoon. The following Tuesday, the Boys’ Club, of which he was president, presented him with ‘a suitably inscribed’ silver pencil. Noble then presented a side drum to the Mission Scouts on behalf of a concert party, and the Boy Scouts then reciprocated by giving him with a fountain pen. The common theme when describing Noble Kerby, was that he displayed ‘splendid qualities of character and disposition’ and he was ‘loved by all the young folk.’ Noble embarked from Melbourne with the 3rd General Service Reinforcements on 3 June 1918. Two days later, after docking in Sydney, he transferred to the RMS Orontes to begin the journey to England via Tahiti and the United States. Fortunately, we have letters that Noble wrote to his mother during the crossing to describe his experiences. The Official Censor had intervened and removed some place names. ‘You will receive the letter I posted in Tahiti some weeks before this, but as the memory of the island is still fresh to me, I will give you a detailed account of our sojourn there. One day (I may not give the date) we were told that _______ would be reached next day. Next morning, first thing everybody was looking ahead, and in the distance could be seen some mountains. As we got nearer the view was splendid, and on one side we saw a splendid waterfall. This island has not very many inhabitants, as it [is] so mountainous. ________ was on the right of the island, and the view was glorious. Coral reefs were all round, and the island itself was a mass of mountains covered with green. We picked up the pilot and our hearts- were in our mouths when we saw what a small passage there was for our boat. On each side were sandbanks, in places just above the sea, and the channel was very narrow. However, once we were through, the bay was very smooth. We pulled into the wharf, which was crowded with people, mostly natives. We received a great welcome, very different from at New Zealand, where a guard kept everybody away from the wharf. Native boys dressed only in loin cloths, dived for pennies. Someone would throw a coin in the water, and the natives would all dive for it, and in the clear water we could see their legs, and arms moving under the water, and up they would come, one with the coin. Soon after we arrived, we were marched to the square in the town, and received a lecture on our behaviour in the town; then we were marched out to the beach, and all went in for a swim. After the swim, we marched back to the town, and were dismissed. On the march, and, in fact during all our stay there, we received more oranges, bananas, and cocoanuts than we could eat. After we were dismissed two mates and myself went for a stroll about the place. We got a basket of bananas, and started on one of the side streets before the crowd came. As we went we straggled a bit, so that Jenkins was a little in front of Hill and myself. A buggy with two girls in passed us, and Jenkins introduced himself, and they invited him into the vehicle. He got up, and after about half a block they turned into a house. We followed and trotted in. The two girls and their mother were very nice, and started our collection of souvenirs. After a bit we proceeded up the road. A little further up we got into conversation with a young lade, who invited us in to her house, and we went right into "some" family I can tell. There were three generations of them. As I was the only one that could speak French I had somewhat of an advantage over the other two. First thing we were treated to some lemonade and biscuits and then we spent a very pleasant afternoon. The people were very nice, and were one of the first families on the island. One brother is a lieutenant just returned from France after three years' fighting, during which he has obtained two decorations, one the Legion d'Honneur, which is equal to the British V. C. He is in charge of the fort on the island. Another brother is the main and I think only doctor on the island. Another was in charge of the coaling of our boat, another was the owner of the biggest shore on the island, and still another has several plantations. About 4 o'clock one of the brothers took us out to one of his plantations in his motor. It was about 10 miles out from the town, and the road we travelled, on account of the mountainous nature of the interior, was next to the sea, and kept twisting and turning in horse-shoe bends. It is a marvellous piece of engineering, and the road itself is well made, so that the car managed to travel at some pace. On our return we had dinner. Only the adults were at the table, and including ourselves there were 25 people. After dinner we had a bit of a sing-song, and one of the daughters had a lovely voice. All the men and one of the ladies could speak English. Next day I struck guard, and was on duty till 6 o'clock, though only four hours below deck. When on deck it was rather cruel having to look at the wharf and not be to be allowed off. At 6 o'clock we got off duty and buzzed round the town eating ice-cream and other indigestible articles till it was time to return to the boat. Next morning we were inspected by the French Governor. First thing we turned out in full equipment, and marched round a bit and nearly melted away on account of the heat. After that we formed up in the square, and had our "legs pulled" a bit about how good our behaviour had been. After the inspection we marched to their racecourse, where the South Australians beat the Victorians at football. On the football ground we met Monsieur Raoulae, our host of our first day on shore and he asked us to get three more chaps so that there were six of us. He had a lovely car, a sixty horse-power six-cylinder Oakland, and he took us for a drive from the football ground all round the town, and then out to a plantation of the brother's. When we returned he took us to a cafe and "shouted" supper for the six of us. After supper we strolled round for a bit and then went on board. Next day we got off and met Monsieur Raoula on the wharf. He introduced us to Monsieur Frogier, who has a stamp collection, which he showed to us. The collection is valued at over 12,000 (not dollars). He has one stamp for which he paid 125, and another for which he also paid 125. One stamp he had was the only one of its kind in the world, and so it is priceless. He gave me two very rare stamps that I am enclosing herewith. Next day there was no leave for anybody, but we were marched out to a good swimming place and had a bit of a picnic there. I borrowed one of the native canoes and we paddled about for a bit until the blessed thing tipped up, and then we had a little bit of unexpected swim. Next morning we left and the wharf was crowded with natives and French people, who gave us a most enthusiastic send off. From the arrival to the departure the treatment we received at ________ was altogether different from that at __________where we never once heard a cheer, and everything was charged for at exorbitant prices, where-as at _________ what we did pay for was very cheap, and it was very little we paid for because everybody gave us everything that we wanted. The majority of the people are natives, but a few English, Americans and Australians. As usual, when we got out of the town we could see the tidy vegetable gardens of the Chinese, who seem to be all over the world. The island is very healthy, and there are no snakes and very few insects. It seemed funny to see the land crabs. They live in holes in the ground and went for their life whenever anybody came along. Their holes covered the place; in places there was one every six inches. The native women are nearly all diseased, but otherwise the place has no sickness whatever. The natives gave us lots of beads and necklaces made of shells, and I am sending you some; also a few karri shells and cats eyes. The _______ people gave the coal free, and also provided the labor of loading, so you can see that they are very patriotic. In 1914, on my birthday, 22nd September, a German gun-boat came in the harbor and sunk a French gunboat, and then blew the town to smithereens, so that the people there have received their baptism of fire. It is hardly credible that in spite of the way the town was blown up only two men were killed. Today we saw a lot of flying fish. They were only small ones, but they flew a fair distance. The first one I saw was out of the water and at first I thought it was a sparrow. Yesterday we passed a big boat, but not near enough for us to see the name of it’ Once again, Noble wrote to his mother giving a view of Australian soldiers in the United States that is one of the most illuminating written. ‘The day after writing my last letter to you we were told that we were expected to arrive that day. In the Pacific we could see for miles all round, but in the Atlantic there is always a sort of haze that prevents you seeing beyond a mile or so. Early in the morning we could hear a siren, going, and after a bit the light-ship Ambrose came into sight. She burning oil fuel, in other words kerosene, and when we were about half-a-mile away the smell of the kerosene was terrible. After passing the Ambrose we pulled into New York harbor. On the way we were several times inspected by aeroplanes, and there were also a couple of big balloons fixed to ships by long ropes for purposes of seeing that there were no submarines about. The basket for the men looked about, the size of a pinshead, so you can imagine that they were very high up. On the way in we were passed by a convoy going to England. It looked fine to see the line of ships stretching as far as you could see each way. There were eighteen transports, all packed with troops and two cargo boats; they were guarded by a couple of destroyers, and about thirty submarine chasers. You might not understand exactly what a submarine chaser is. You see a submarine is no use if a boat sees it, unless it can torpedo the boat, well a torpedo goes about 60 miles an hour, and is about 4 feet under the water. The chasers are motor boats about twenty feet long, and carry only one small gun each; they can go like mad and race any submarine, and if a torpedo is sent at them, they can dodge it on account of their being so small and having such great speed. When they are next to a boat they look like a, dog-kennel against a big house, and in the rough sea that we are now going through they disappear from sight every wave. Well, we pulled into New York harbor and anchored opposite Coney Island, about two miles from the shore. The water was very dirty, and did not give us much of an opinion of the sanitation of New York. It was cruel to be so close to land and not get ashore, as it was 35 days since we had been ashore at Tahiti, and we were all heartily sick of being on the boat. As the ferry boat went past the captain of it very decently ran it very close to our boat, and the sight of the beauties on board made us all long for leave more. Next day we still stopped there and some girls came out in a canoe. All the chaps hung over the sides watching them with all eyes, as they were the first women, except the nurses on board, that we had seen for over a month. Next morning, about 6 o'clock, the anchor came up and we moved up to Brooklyn. On the way we passed a couple of American submarines and a lot of shipping. Every way we looked were ships, not little ones either but all bigger than our own boat and nearly all camouflaged. We pulled alongside a pier at Brooklyn. The water was filthy, full of all the dirt imaginable, and it smelt like it looked. Alongside of us was a ship, on the side of which was painted in letters about 12 feet long, 'Belgian Relief.' It had come from Belgium loaded with sand for ballast as it is not allowed to carry any cargo or it could be called a ship of war as America, is one of the Allies. As she had just been emptied of sand she stood higher than our ship, but when she left a few days later she was so loaded with flour and necessities for the Belgians that her docks were only a foot or so above the water. After we had tied up we fell in expecting to get leave, but were told that only 25 per cent, would get it. I tried to get leave as a member of the crew but was too late for the first day although I got leave as one of the crew every day afterwards. I can tell you it was pretty hard to lie alongside and not get on shore, and the smell of the water and the meat made it worse, in fact, the doctors said that they would not be responsible for the health of the men if cooped up any longer. As I told you in my last, letter I have the job of electrician's mate on board. I got leave and went into Brooklyn. To go into New York there were three ways by tram, by subway (which is a tram running in a tunnel, which goes under streets, houses, everything), and by the elevated railway (which is a tram running on rails about 60 feet above the street). I went in by elevator. When I arrived at New York it was rather amusing the way I was stared at. If I stood on the kerb, I had crowd round me in about half a minute, and although it was all very well being the centre of admiring groups it got rather irksome, and I got rather tired of it. I always thought that the Americans were highly educated, but the questions that they asked me made me think otherwise. One man came up and asked us if we spoke English. Another wanted to know who the King of Australia was; another wanted to know if "Aussy" was one of the Allies; another if we belonged to U.S.A. One woman asked me why it was that we were allowed to go round without a guard. She thought that the name on our shoulders was Austrians, but the best of the whole lot was when one man, in all seriousness, asked me where Australia was. After moving round a bit I decided to go out and see the statue of Liberty. I went out on a ferry boat, and the sight was worth going out to see. The statue is that of a woman holding a torch in one hand, and the size of it can be guessed when I say that fifty people can stand in the torch that she holds and about 120 can stand on her head I was only allowed up to the pedestal on which, it stands, as no one is allowed in the Statue itself for the duration of the war, but the pedestal itself is a master of building, and the statue is wonderful. It is made of copper, and was presented to America by France. Returning from Liberty, I endured a little more examination and, questioning from the crowds, without which I could not move. A Mr Barclay spoke to me for a bit, and invited me to his house, where I spent a very pleasant evening. I got lost on the way back, as I forgot where the boat was, and the wharves extend for about 20 miles. However, I managed to find my way back at about 1am. Next day a couple, of mates and myself went in by the elevated. We went out to Coney Island, which is like Luna Park at St Kilda, only about 20 times the size. Needless, to say we spent a very decent time there and returned at a more respectable hour than the night before. Next day Bill Trahair, a Ballarat boy, and myself went into the Y.M.C.A., where we met an American sailor named Charley Olsen, who has had nine years’ service in the American navy, and has been in action several times. Although he would not talk about himself, I found out later that he has couple of medals. He gave us a good insight of the Americans, and some of their ideas seem peculiar. In the restaurants he would not even sit at the same table as a sailor or soldier who had not been overseas, and I watched, and saw that the other overseas men behaved the same. They seemed to have a contempt for those who had not done their bit. At a restaurant where we had dinner, we met a Canadian sergeant, who, after we had been talking to him for some time, casually pulled a V.C. out of his pocket. I might say that everything we had and everywhere we went was at his expense. He took us to the New York Aquarium, of which I enclose some details. In the afternoon we went to a game of baseball, and spent the evening at a social given in the Y.M.C.A. He told us that there was no need for us to walk anywhere, because anyone who had room in his car would only be too glad to take us as far as we were going and as a matter of fact he stopped several cars, which ran us round a bit. He stopped a motor waggon on which had a roll of laths inside. The driver told us to sit on the laths. Next day being Sunday, we went to church, and after church were dismissed. Three of us walked into the middle of the road, stopped the first car that came along, and told them that we wanted to go to Coney. We bussed round Coney for a bit, pulled up another car and came back. In the evening we were the guests of a millionairess whose son has been killed, and who is doing all she can for soldiers. Next day I could have gone on leave, but I stopped in so that I would be able to get out with Bill Trahair next day, but I made a mistake, as no leave at all was granted the day following, although in the evening we were marched to a social given by the Knights of Columbus. Next morning, we pulled out into the harbor and left with our convoy. If I were to give details of the convoy the letter might be destroyed, and it would serve no good. Now after the way we were treated in America, I intend to do all in my power for any American sailor or soldier I may come across. New York itself is very hard to describe. It is big, and I think that is about the best I can say about it. The shops are not arranged so tastefully or so convenient as those of Melbourne, and the prices of everything, especially fruit, are exorbitant. Did you ever hear of apples and pears at fourpence each three for a shilling? The people (talk of nothing but of what America has done in the war and what she intends doing. I can tell you it made me feel rather wild to hear a Yankee say, 'Waal, I guess that now we are in the war we'll soon win it,' adding as an afterthought, 'Of course, with the help of England, you know.' I told one chap that at any rate it took them four years to wake to the fact that there was a war on. It will not be long now, ten or twelve days, before we reach England' By the time Noble landed at Liverpool on 11 August 1918, the war was reaching a dramatic final climax. He marched into the 9th Training Battalion at Fovant the following day and was allotted to reinforcements destined for the 39th Infantry Battalion. However, a bout of illness saw him almost immediately being admitted to the Hurdcott Hospital. After recovering, there was no apparent effort to transfer him to active duty and he was to remain in England until the Armistice. Motor Transport duty gave Noble the opportunity to serve during the mopping-up activities as Europe returned to peace. He sailed for the continent on 28 January 1919 and performed duties in France, Belgium and Germany. At one point was also in charge of a unit of Chinese Labour Force. Noble returned to England on 26 May 1919. Like his brother, Roy, he was then given leave to undertake non-military training as a motor mechanic. The youngest Kerby brothers sailed home together on 8 October onboard the transport Devon. They experienced a dual Welcome Home at the Ballarat Town and City Mission in the company of a large group of locals. Early in 1921, Noble married Ivy Lawson. Ivy, whose maiden surname was Burton, was born in the small English town of Padiham in Lancashire on 12 December 1889. She had married before the war and arrived in Australia with her young daughter, Hilda, in 1919. In all, 1921 was to be a pivotal year for Noble Kerby following the marriage to Ivy, he and his brother Eddie, and Mack’s widow, Annie Kerby, in partnership with Royal Kerby, made applications on 17 March for blocks of land under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. The trio were successful in obtaining a combined 2,117 acres of adjoining land on the Mount Bute Estate at Linton. The highlight of the year came on 11 November 1921, when Ivy Kerby was safely delivered of a son, Colin. He was to be their only child. Noble’s career as a grazier was relatively short-lived. The lease was cancelled on 24 October 1923 for non-payment of rent and the block was taken over by former member of the 8th Battalion, George Holding. The following year, Noble and Ivy had relocated to St Kilda, where Noble worked as a motor mechanic. It became apparent that he was employing his considerable intelligence in far more complicated areas, when in 1926 he made an application for Letters of Patent for a device that controlled the rebound of springs on an automobile. In 1931, during the midst of the Great Depression, Noble became involved in a particularly complex court case involving the non-payment of fines for driving unregistered omnibuses between Melbourne and Coburg. Over several months he amassed what was at one point said to have totalled more than 2000. He was imprisoned at Pentridge and was facing a total of 8-years in gaol, when he nominated as an Independent candidate for the House of Representatives by-election in Melbourne Ports electorate. Interviewed at the watchhouse, Noble said: 'I am going on with my campaign in Melbourne Ports. I could have been in another State to-day, and the police would never have got me. But I preferred to stay in Melbourne and stand for Parliament at the first opportunity. I am standing against the injustice of sending men to gaol because they try to earn an honest living. One of my friends a cripple is in gaol now for offences under the Bus Act. He is doing two years I have to do eight years’ He continued to outline his political stand. ‘Nothing will stop me and my friends from going on with the fight against injustice in Melbourne Ports. I am sure that the electors will stand by me, and by supporting me, cast a vote for justice [I am] opposed to the continuance of State Parliaments, and [am] an advocate of a system of unification. [I am] a vigorous opponent of the sugar agreement, the Patterson butter scheme, bounties, and everything that pertains to the increased cost of living’ When the by-election was held on 19 December 1931, Noble received a paltry 129 votes and by March of 1932 he was still in gaol. There were 24 warrants of commitment against him for the non-payment of fines, which totalled 680, considerably less than the 2000 initially stated. The period of imprisonment ordered by the warrants attracted three years and six months imprisonment and Noble would have to remain there unless the fines were paid. There was nothing available to indicate whether the fines were paid or when Noble was released from gaol. A new phase of his story came soon after. In 1939 the Kerby family took over the running of the famous St Kilda Pier Kiosk. Noble was also said to have substantial timber interests in New Guinea, and he relocated his family to Rabaul. They were living there, with Noble and Colin commanding schooner merchantmen around the Islands, when World War II was declared. Noble enlisted on 5 November 1942 and served with the Royal Australian Engineers holding the rank of lieutenant. Returning to Melbourne towards the middle of 1943, Noble threw his hat into the political ring once again, this time he was endorsed as a candidate for the newly formed Ex-Servicemen’s and Women’s Political Association. However, once again he was soundly defeated and felt quite bitter about the seeming lack of support. ‘Apparently soldier candidates were not wanted in Parliament, but only to continue fighting for the country’ Noble, Ivy, their intrepid son, Colin, and his wife, Judy, who was a former Tivoli dancer, poured their energies into the pavilion at the end of the St Kilda Pier. They opened a dance floor and extended the property to include accommodation upstairs. Noble also kept a troupe of performing seals. Both Noble and Colin were accomplished deep sea divers, and often had to rescue people from the waters around the pier. Suicides off the structure were also common enough that it led to the Kerbys naming it Morgue Landing. In March 1951, Noble courted further controversy by staking a claim for an undersea brown coal mine in Hobson’s Bay. ‘According to Mr. Kerby, at least six people in Melbourne have become converts to his plan to mine brown coal from the sea bed. Over the week end, he says, they offered him a total of 30,000 to finance the scheme. One well-known Melbourne businessman offered, to put up 25,000. Five other citizens offered 1000 each. But Mr. Kerby rejected all the offers. "I am not interested in offers of any sort," he said. "I shall finance the project myself." Mr. Kerby intends to spend 12,000 on exploratory work if he can get permission from the Mines department and the Ports and Harbors branch. Inventors also plagued Mr Kerby at the week end. One offered him a system of tunnelling into the sea bed using movable doors, a second had a new under-water airlock, a third wanted to harness the tides to provide power, and another showed a method of transporting coal by barge directly from mine to user. Mr Kerby has obeyed a Government order requiring him to remove from the Bay piles staking his 550-acre claim, which were considered a danger to small ships. Ten local fishermen under Mr. K. Williams, of St. Kilda, pulled them out on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning with a block and tackle fitted in a 29 ft. launch. But Mr. Kerby says the claim Is still legally pegged. His solicitor, Mr. J. McCaffrey, who has had talks with the Ports and Harbors branch, believes he is covered by a mining lease regulation stating that an area shall be marked "as far as circumstances permit.’ At the same time, Noble also poured himself into another controversial area making his own home-brew near beer and selling it on a Sunday at the kiosk. They brewed a recipe for light English ale and in just one day sold a 38-gallon cask. Initially it was believed he was beyond the reach of the Excise and Duty branch because the kiosk, being at the end of the pier, was outside any municipal boundary. The alcohol content was also believed to be erring on the right side of the law. However, at the end of the month both the brew and very expensive equipment were seized during an Excise raid. Noble still believed firmly that he had acted within the law, and pursued the case to the Supreme Court, but the fine of 25 was upheld. Not to be dissuaded, Noble brought his own equipment back at a Customs auction and vowed to reduce the alcohol content and once again sell his pier beer. Already known for being colourful and eccentric, Noble then announced that he was planning a round-the-world trip sailing the former naval training ship, Cerberus, which he and Colin been converting and fitting out as a 70-foot square-rigged schooner. Noble was quoted as saying that difficulties with the coal mine was delaying their departure, but the boat could be sailed single-handed and would carry several people. His ability to speak fluent French was also said to be a decided advantage in undertaking such a voyage. ‘I always wanted to go round the world. And now I am going, the way I want tounder sail and in my own little ship’ It is not known if they sailed the ‘little ship’ around the world, but Noble and Ivy certainly travelled to Europe the following year. Noble spent three months working in English breweries to study their methods. When he and Ivy returned home, Noble had two aims: to bring home some English hops and 10 of farthings to give to their friends. It was alleged his request for so many farthings ‘broke a bank’ who didn’t have enough coins on hand. Official regulations also prevented him bringing back the hops. Back on the pier, Noble was still looking for new ventures. In January 1953 it was announced that he had proposed a 15,000 plan to rebuild the St Kilda Baths that had been wrecked by a storm. He proposed that in return for 30 years lease-free from the St Kilda City Council he would finance the repairs himself. Noble wanted to see a real community centre on the site, however, the Council believed it was an ‘unnecessary luxury,’ and the baths were never restored. At 9pm on 4 April 1953, Noble spotted a fire out on the bay. The fire was a distress signal from a disabled 30-foot launch. Before long the boat was being dashed by choppy seas against the end of the pier. Noble called the police before he walked about 100-yards in complete darkness along a 9-inch wide section of pier structure. A senior constable followed him and the pair, balanced on the slippery pier edge, caught lines from the launch and then inched their way back to the solid section towing the boat behind them. Five lives were rescued that night. Given just how much Noble Kerby had packed into his life, it was therefore quite surprising to realise that when he died at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on 12 December 1957, he was still just 58 years old.
14.01.2022 A turn of phrase that was widely used in Australia during the Great War referred to doing your bit. As one young Ballarat soldier remarked, ‘They say a man ...does his bit by enlisting. I'm rather in favour of saying that he does his 'big lump'’ In too many cases, men, like Pat Ryan, pushed themselves further than just doing their ‘bit’ and well beyond expectations. Born at Smythesdale, 20-kilometres south-west of Ballarat, on 9 March 1883, Patrick Francis Ryan was the fifth child of pioneer farmer, Patrick Paddy Ryan, and Ellen Madden. The couple had seven children in total and Patrick was their third surviving son. The children’s ancestry was entirely Irish their father was born in Limerick, as was their maternal grandfather, William Madden. The connections to Ballarat and district began with the birth of Ellen Madden, who was born at Smythes Creek. Young Pat began his education at the Smythesdale State School. He then completed his formal studies at the Christian Brothers’ College in East Melbourne. After leaving school, Pat began his working life as a clerk in his uncle’s legal management firm, J. P. Madden and Company, of Melbourne. However, in the time leading up to the beginning of the Great War, he had abandoned city life and become a station hand in New South Wales. After deciding to do his bit, Pat presented himself at the Sydney recruiting depot on 18 September 1914. He was sent to Rosebery Park Camp, where his medical examination was carried out by Captain Spencer Dunn the same day. His height and weight, at 5-feet 8-inches and 10-stone 7-pounds, were unremarkable. His chest measurement of 39 to 42-inches was an indication of considerable upper body strength. The medical officer also noted several distinctive marks, including a scar on his chin from an old bullet wound and the little finger on his left hand, which had previously been broken. His religious faith was recorded as Roman Catholic. Two notable pieces of information on his enlistment papers was the lack of any military training being over 30-years-of-age, Pat had fallen outside the compulsory scheme introduced in 1911. And he chose to name his mother as his legal next-of-kin, his father having died some years earlier. Immediately upon passing the doctor, Pat was assigned as a trooper to the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment; he received training at Rosebery Park, Rosehill Racecourse, and then the large Liverpool Camp on the outskirts of Sydney. Then, on 1 October, he was made provisional corporal with B Squadron. In late November, the regiment moved to the Holsworthy Camp and remained there until embarkation on 21 December. Detachments from the regiment were spread across various troopships, whilst the main core of the regiment embarked onboard HMAT Suevic from Woolloomooloo Wharf. They cleared Sydney Heads at 3:45pm that day. After passing through the Suez Canal, the troops finally arrived at Alexandria on 1 February 1915, and, after disembarkation was completed, they immediately entrained for Cairo. Settling into Maadi Camp, training quickly became the order of the day, and Pat and his fellow lighthorsemen soon became accustomed to the sand in everything! They were also kept on their toes, with orders coming through at the beginning of March to be ready to embark at short notice. By this time, Pat had begun to prove his worth to the regiment in a leadership capacity, including controlling the guard on the pumping station and the stationary hospital, performing police duty, and acting as regimental orderly corporal. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant on 5 March. With the mounting casualties coming out of the Gallipoli Campaign, the Light Horse Regiments were deployed to the peninsula as dismounted infantry. Pat left Alexandria onboard the transport Lutzow at 3:30pm on 16 May. They arrived at Cape Helles just two days later. The following day the regiment landed at ANZAC Cove under shrapnel and sniper fire. Late in September, when the 6th Light Horse was in the trenches of Lone Pine, Pat Ryan, commanding the regimental bomb throwers under heavy fire, kept the catapults going for 48-hours without a break. This act of outstanding bravery would result in him being awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He continued to perform in an outstanding manner through to the end of the month, being personally responsible for securing the forward frontline trenches for this work he would be recognised by General Sir Ian Hamilton with a formal Mention in Despatches on 11 December. Shortly before being evacuated from Gallipoli, Pat Ryan was transferred to a trench mortar battery and appointed battery sergeant-major. He arrived back in Alexandria with his new unit on 3 January 1916, in time to receive congratulations for the awarding of his Distinguished Conduct Medal. The month of March was to prove a pivotal time for Pat: on 12 March he was commissioned to the rank of second-lieutenant and transferred to the 2nd Infantry Battalion at Serapeum; then, on 22 March he boarded the transport Ivernia and sailed for France. In April, he attended Trench Mortar Schools at Renescure (near Hazebrouck) and Berthen (near Bailleul) for instruction before being seconded for duty to a light trench mortar battery stationed at Outtersteene. Back home in Smythesdale, Pat’s mother received a letter from the Base Records Office, which contained an extract from the London Gazette dated 11/1/1916. 'His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned Award for distinguished service in the Field, with effect from 1st January 1916, inclusive: Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal No 212 Sergeant P. F. Ryan, 6th Light Horse Regiment. The above has been promulgated in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No44 of 6th April 1916' On 11 May, Pat was formally presented with the ribbon for his DCM. Then, on 26 June, he was promoted to full lieutenant. This was followed with a promotion to captain on 16 April 1917, after he had resumed duty with the 2nd Battalion. Throughout the first half of 1917, Pat spent significant time at various schools of instruction. He was with the 2nd Battalion throughout two weeks of bitter fighting during the Second Battle of Bullecourt (3-17 May), but was able to enjoy leave to the United Kingdom in June. However, immediately upon returning from his break, he was admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance suffering from acute gastritis. He was transferred to the No8 General Hospital in Rouen on 26 June, where he as admitted suffering an elevated temperature. A contributing factor to his physical decline was revealed to the medical staff he had been ‘blown up by shell concussion during the fighting at Bullecourt, and had suffered considerable abdominal bruising as a consequence. Having been diagnosed with what was believed to be a duodenal ulcer, the decision was made to invalid him to England. He embarked on 8 July onboard the Hospital Ship Panama and was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, later the same day. Pat spent two months at the 3rd London, before being transferred to the 5th Australian Auxiliary Hospital for officers at Welwyn in Hertfordshire. His medical case sheet revealed that Pat had experienced haematemesis (vomiting blood) after being severely bruised in the upper gastric area by the shell blast. The ‘distinct tenderness over [the] duodenum’ was, in fact, not being caused by an ulcer, but by damage caused by the explosion. He’d not had any previous history of gastro-intestinal problems, but he was now displaying clear signs of internal haemorrhage. Although Pat continued to slowly improve, he was still experiencing bouts of vomiting and abdominal pain brought on by seemingly simple things like the ‘excitement of watching a cricket match.’ His general weakness appears to have contributed to a fall on 13 September 1917, when he dislocated his left little finger. Medical notes from 17 September showed that Pat was definitely far from well he was suffering badly from constipation, and complained of attacks of pain after eating, followed by occasionally vomiting. He was unable to walk more than a few hundred yards, and was not sleeping well. A Medical Board convened in London three days later concluded that Pat Ryan was permanently unfit for general service due to the strain and stress of military service. He was to be repatriated home to Australia where he could undertake light duties for a period of six months. In the weeks before his departure onboard the troopship Beltana, Pat spent time at Cobham Hall in Kent as a guest of Lord and Lady Darnley, who had opened up apartments at their stately home to provide respite for wounded and sick officers. After arriving back in Sydney on 10 December 1917, Pat was subjected to multiple medical examinations. By 5 January 1918, he was feeling ‘perfectly fit,’ and was once again able to eat anything he liked. The doctor at the 4th Australian General Hospital, Randwick, passed him fit and considered 'all this trouble arose after being blown up' He was then seen by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir U. L. Maitland on 11 January, who ordered an x-ray he was happy to pass the young officer fit to return to duty if there was no sign of abnormality. On 16 January1918, a Medical Board was assembled at 4th Australian General Hospital, and found that, 'he is not suffering from duodenal ulcer and that there is no reason why he should have another attack of haematemesis. He can eat any kind of food without any inconvenience - he has not any pain after meals. The x-Ray report had shown no abnormalities and detected no signs or symptoms of a duodenal ulcer or haemorrhage. It was recommended that Pat Ryan be returned to duty. The decision was deferred, however, as there were still concerns as to his fitness and a further report was asked for. Despite his apparent return to full health, on the 17 January 1918, his appointment with the AIF was terminated. Taking advantage of the break from the army, Pat returned to Smythesdale to visit his mother and catch up with other family and friends. It soon became clear that Pat Ryan was not content that he had done his ‘big lump,’ and was determined to return to the front. He re-enlisted at Sydney on 19 February 1918. His medical, conducted at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, showed that his war service had had a distinct impact on his physicality and his eyesight. Nevertheless, he was passed fit for duty, and went into camp at the Recruit Depot in Liverpool the same day, oddly, as a private. A transfer to the Showgrounds Camp within a few days also coincided with an advancement in rank to acting company sergeant-major with reinforcements to the 1st Infantry Battalion. At the Kogarah Congregational Church on Tuesday 7 May 1918, Patrick Francis Ryan married Emma Agnes Dot Curtis. The ceremony, which was conducted by the Reverend William Touchell, was celebrated quietly and only attended by immediate family members out of respect to Patrick’s brother, Will, who was at the front, and Dot’s brother, Percy, who had returned after being severely wounded at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. ‘The bride, who was given away by her father, wore a becoming frock of grey silk poplin and ninon and a cream panne velvet hat and white ostrich feather boa. In place of a bouquet she carried the bridegroom's colours, and wore his gift, a diamond ring. Miss May Curtis attended her sister, in a cream costume, and cream velvet hat. She also carried the bridegroom's colors, and wore his gift, a dress ring. Mr. Frank Delaney was best man. Supper was served at the residence of the bride's parents’ The couple had anticipated spending their honeymoon at the magnificent Barron Falls on the Atherton Tablelands, but Patrick had received orders to embark the very next day, so the trip was cancelled. Bidding Dot goodbye, Patrick sailed from Sydney with the 3rd General Service Reinforcements onboard RMS Osterley. The Osterley, a passenger ship from the Orient Line, made good time to England and they docked at Liverpool on 10 July. Patrick immediately marched into the 14th Training Battalion at the Codford Camp on Salisbury Plain. Before being allotted to reinforcements for the 54th Infantry Battalion (although he was destined not to join this unit), Pat was finally restored to commissioned rank on 24 July. He sailed for France via Folkestone, on 20 August. Six days later he rejoined his old unit, the 2nd Battalion, at Morcourt, where the men were resting having just come out of the line at Vaulx-Vraucourt. On 30 August, Pat was detached for duty with the 1st Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery. He returned to the 2nd Battalion on 16 September; two days later he was dead. According to the commanding officer of the unit, Pat was killed during an attack east of Jeancourt; he was hit in the throat by a small piece of shell, ‘death being instantaneous.’ Corporal William Urquhart, who had gotten to know Pat Ryan well during his time with the 1st LTMB and ‘thought a lot of the captain,’ went looking for the officer’s body. ‘I went out of my way to find him and came across him lying dead on a hill. I left him after a time’ Private John French offered more details as to events of that morning in September ‘They hopped over about 2-3am. The Capt was killed outright on the tape line when with his [C] Coy just before the hop-over and immediately after the barrage opened. Cpl John PEILE (from Taradale, Victoria) was killed with him. I was with my gun about 60 yards away and saw the shell explode, and when passing along I saw the Capt lying dead on the ground. The Padre of the 2nd Battalion buried the Capt in a Military Cemetery at a place some distance back to which he was taken by the transport. The objectives were captured that day. The Capt was the most popular Officer imaginable and was simply worshipped by his men’ It was intriguing that, in spite of Pat Ryan only wearing the two pips of a lieutenant, it was clear that all his men saw him with his former rank. There was also the possibility that he had indeed been restored to his full rank, but the paperwork had not gone through official channels. Captain-Chaplain P. F. Dwyer, attached to the 2nd Battalion, buried Pat’s body in the 1st Australian Divisional Cemetery at Hesbécourt the day after he was killed. He placed a cross over the grave. Hearing of Pat’s death, a Miss A. Keith, of Sturt Street, Ballarat, wrote to Base Records seeking the address of his widow. 'My reason for writing to know the address of the latewidow is that I may correspond with her. He was a friend of ours, but she is a stranger and we feel owing to her loss we would like to know her' There was also an enquiry from the Public Trust Office in Sydney regarding the possibility that Pat had been awarded a ‘French decoration.’ The Trust had been advised of this by ‘one of deceased's brother officers.’ It was the letters from Dot Ryan, however, that showed how difficult it was to process such enormous grief. ‘I would feel greatly relieved if you would let me know the reason of Headquarters not being able to furnish the name of place a soldier may be killed at. I received citificate (sic) of death of my late husbandstating he was Killed in Action 18th Sept at _____ than in brackets (no record available). Well, that being the case, how do they know he is killed. They must receive information from somewhere, it has made me begin to doubt his death now. I have shown the citificate (sic) to ______ & they all agree with me that it's strange. Do you think there is any mistake, perhaps he is "Missing or a Prisoner of War," I've felt all along it can't be true & this news makes me feel stronger on the point I know through a letter from my husband dated Sept 14th that he was back in his old rank again as Capt & had only been there a few days when his General sent for him & asked him to take command of his old Battery, 1st LTMB. Then on top of that a chum of his, an Anzac on furlough, called to see me & tells me the same thing & I asked him if he had 2 or 3 stars up. His reply was, 'Oh "3". You know he had his old rank again as soon as he joined us & was only with us when he took command of his old Battery' On 18 January 1919, Dot wrote to the Commandant of AIF Headquarters in England. ‘Just 4 months ago I received a cable through the Defence to say my dear husband had been killed in action on September 18th 1918, I've not heard anything further till Saturday last I received a letter from the Defence with copy of certificate of Death, but the mystifying part of it is it said Record of place of death not available, both my father and brother (a returned Anzac) say the same as myself: if they cannot tell me the place he was killed how do they know he is dead. I felt I could rest no longer without making some kind of enquiry from Headquarters London. First of all, the cable of his death said Lieut P. F. Ryan 2nd Bn Killed in Action 18th Sept. Well, that seemed alright as far as correctness went, but since then I've had three different officers returned invalided and they have called on me and one not knowing the other had told me anything, told me that he had been reinstated in his old rank at Capt. I might here tell you that Mr Ryan left Sydney with the 6th Light Horse in 1914 as Cpl. He gradually gained promotion in the ranks till he became Capt. Through sickness and being gassed he was invalided home and came home as Adjutant to Col Vaughan on the Beltana. 1917 as you know he was admitted to Randwick Hospital, and was discharged as unfit for further service, however, about a month after he wanted to go back again and he re-enlisted and sailed from these shores as a Pte in May last. I have received letters from himself telling me he was made Lieut on July 24th and then in letters from France he tells me he was only back with the men when his General sent for him and asked him to take command of his old Battery, 1st LTMB. He goes on to say I was indeed proud to be once again in command of my Battery, so in further address all letters as Capt P. F. RYAN DCM 1st LTMB, etc. I hardly think Mr Ryan and these officers returned would tell me he was once again Capt if he was only Lieut. Now not knowing the place of death I am in great doubt and nothing but full details from you will convince me that he has really gone to the Great Beyond. Do you think it possible for a mistake to occur? Perhaps only being with the 2nd Bn for only those few days then sent off quickly to the TMB they may have just concluded he had been killed. The authorities here have only granted me a Lieut's pension, which I think is very hard indeed on me to think he had gone through all he had then to be so brave to enlist again as a Pte to be taken so soon from those he was so dear to is too cruel for words. I would feel greatly indebted to you if you could furnish me with further details, also if you could be the means by any way of me being granted a Capt's pension1/15/0 weekly is very small for one who has lost all that is dear to her on earth' In reply to her letter, the officer at Base Records stated quite coldly, that ‘it was not army practice to furnish the NOK with place of death and that there was no reason to doubt the accuracy of the report’ Dot also wrote a number of letters to Base Records regarding her late husband’s decoration on 10 February 1919, 'Could you please give me any idea at all how long I will have to wait before I will receive the deferred pay & DCM belonging to the late Capt P. F. RYANsurely his DCM is at hand ere this considering he gained it when only a Sgt in 1915. It is his wife writing & I am very anxious to have this for I will treasure it more than words can tell' Then, when she had received no reply, Dot wrote on 2 April 1919, 'I think it's very hard that a widow of a man who done so much for his country is kept so long without his deferred pay, DCM, etc' This appears to have finally triggered a response from Base Records, and she was able to provide them with her answer on 19 May regarding the presentation of his Distinguished Conduct Medal. 'I want no public show, thanks, so kindly post same under Regis. Cover to me to above address. As Thursday next is to be a great day here the arrival of the Aust Fleet & Anzac Day celebrations I would dearly love it to be my day too, the day to receive my dear Hubby's decoration' Dot also received a formal letter of recognition. 'It is with feelings of admiration at the gallantry of a brave Australian soldier who nobly laid down his life in the service of our King and Country, that I am directed by the Honourable the Minister to forward to you, as the next-of-kin of the late Lieutenantthe Distinguished Conduct Medal, which His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to award to that gallant soldier for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty while serving with the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force. I am also to ask you to accept his deep personal sympathy in the loss which, not only you, but the Australian Army has sustained by the death of Lieutenant Ryan, whose magnificent conduct on the field of battle has helped to earn for our Australian soldiers a fame which will endure as long as memory lasts' She wrote several letters regarding the return of Pat’s personal effects, including one dated 22 April 1919, '[I] do not seem to get any further ahead with things, nor do I become enlightened. A few weeks back they sent me a sealed envelope with rcpts, letters, etc, of no value at all for which I had to sign a slip to say I had received them, while the very things I am anxious to have are held by the Defence. To say the least of it I consider it a consummate cheak (sic) on the Govt's part. Amongst his belongings is a S. Lum W Watch [silver luminous wristwatch], which I gave him for his birthday & I might say I am very anxious to have same above all other things. I've had a deal of letter writing both in receiving & replying since his death & yet things are at a standstill. I've not received deferred pay, medal (DCM), or anything else. I've lost all that is dear to me on this earth when I lost him & now I seem as though I'm to have my sorrow added to by the dilly dallying about of settling up things' When the parcel of effects finally arrived it contained sundry papers, postcards and letters, various shaving items, an aluminium cup and a Sam Browne belt. There was also a damaged wristlet watch, but it is not known if it was the birthday gift from his wife. There was seemingly no end to the sad reminders for Dot Ryan. On 16 January 1920, she was advised that her husband’s remains had been exhumed and re-buried in Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension. Then in May 1920, she was forced to relive her earlier concerns. ‘I am greatly worried through receiving news from an anonymous soldier telling me that my dear husband is not killed, but that he is in an Asylum in England. I received word to say he was killed in action 18th Sept 1918 from the Military, surely there can be no mistake. I would be greatly relieved if you could find out anything for me. I doubted it myself for some time, for the Military could not tell me where he was killed & that to me seemed strange, but as time has gone on so long now, I have reconciled myself that my dear one has paid the supreme sacrifice & now I have this news. Will you kindly make no end of enquiries & relieve me of this terrible suspense & uncertainty’ The reply, when it came, left no room for doubt. 'I regret to state there appears no reason to doubt the authenticity of the report that your husbandwas killed on action on 18/9/18 during the attack East of Jeancourt, and is now buried in Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension 6 miles East-North-East of Peronne. As you state you have received advice to the contrary from an anonymous writer no action can be taken in the matter, and you are advised not to foster hopes coming from such unreliable sources. Any statement made by a returned soldier in such an instance should be embodied in the form of a Statutory Declaration and signed by him in the presence of a Justice of the Peace. Where such evidence is forwarded to this office, and if deemed warranted, further investigation is made' In 1967, Dot applied for a Gallipoli commemorative medallion. She mentioned in the course her letter that her brother had also been an ANZAC and that he had died from his war injuries at Concord Repatriation Hospital some years earlier. She had never remarried
14.01.2022 I think this explains the Poppy. Stay safe everyone.
14.01.2022 It’s always good to be able to connect a story into an enquiry in this case, a yellowed photograph of a memorial tree outside a house in Ballarat elicited que...stions about its location. This is the story behind that tree. John Joseph Hannaford Williams was born in Ballarat in 1889. He was the eldest of eleven children born to Charles Francis Williams and Mary Ann Brayshaw. The extended Williams family was also in Ballarat by this time. This included his Somerset-born paternal grandfather and namesake, John Hannaford Williams. On the other hand, Jack’s mother, who was also born in Ballarat, was a happy mixture of Yorkshire and Ireland her father hailed from Leeds and her mother from Cork. Jack’s early years were spent in Ballarat North, with the family living at 3 Holmes Street adjacent to Grenville College and Malin’s sauce factory. He was educated nearby at the Macarthur Street State School and was a member of the congregation at the Anglican Church St John’s Soldier’s Hill. After completing his formal schooling young Jack joined his father at W. C. Thomas & Sons Flour Mill in Armstrong Street, where he worked as a packer. He also joined the 7th Infantry Regiment and received a year of military training. Seeking new adventures, Jack left Ballarat and moved to Tasmania where he worked as a copper miner at the North Mount Lyell Mine at Zeehan. He was ‘below’ ground during the disaster of 12 October 1912, when an explosion and subsequent fire ripped through the mine. ‘NINETY-THREE MEN ENTOMBED. A disaster, which may involve great loss of life, has occurred in the North Lyell mine, Zeehan, Tasmania. Shortly before noon on Saturday a fire broke out on the 700 feet level, owing to the blowing out of a motor pump, causing ignition of the chamber house, which was lined with King William pine, an exceedingly inflammable wood. In the chamber was a quantity of bagging and oily waste cotton, and this appears to have first caught fire. The flames set the pine ablaze, and this in turn set fire to the mine timber, which is exceedingly dry on this level. The large timber set fire to the ore, and rapidly a disastrous mine fire developed, causing the utmost dismay and fears for the safety of a large number of men who were working on the day shift in the various portions of the mine’ Although it was later said that the fire itself was not particularly dangerous, ‘the smoke it produced and the oxygen it consumed stole the breath from the trapped miners’ lungs and ultimately took their lives.’ Many who made it to the surface later succumbed to lung damage caused by the toxic smoke and fumes. In total, 45 men died in the disaster. There were a number of Ballarat men working at the mine at this time at least two were killed. Fortune smiled on Jack Williams on this day, however, and he avoided injury. When war was declared Jack left Queenstown, where he was living, and journeyed across Tasmania to Pontville army camp outside Hobart, where he enlisted on 20 August 1914. His obligatory army medical examination was conducted at nearby Brighton on 24 August. The medical officer recorded Jack as being 5-feet 9-inches in height; he weighed 152 pounds and had a strong chest measurement of 34 to 38-inches. His brown eyes and black hair, plus a scar on left thumb, were also noted. After successfully passing the doctor, Jack was posted to D Company of the 12th Battalion on 31 August. When the First Contingent sailed from Hobart on 20 October, Jack was onboard HMAT Geelong. In preparation for the proposed landing at Gallipoli, troopships slowly dispersed from Egypt. The 12th Battalion sailed from Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on 2 March 1915. Unfortunately, the idea of not drawing attention to the planned invasion was a distinct failure, and the massing of shipping at Lemnos clearly telegraphed the Allies intent. The 12th Battalion was in the vanguard of the landing at ANZAC Cove on 25 April, with the men leaving HMT Devanha at 4am and making their way to the beach in barges through a hail of Turkish bullets. Confusion controlled so many aspects of the first few days of the campaign. Days bled into one another and it was often difficult to be sure on what date events actually happened. The 12th Battalion bivouacked at the upper reaches of Monash Gully on 28 April. At some point between the 28 and 30 April, Jack suffered a bullet wound to the forehead during fighting along the ridge. Given the nature of his wound, John was immediately evacuated to the beach hospital and then transferred to the Hospital Ship Mashobra. The ship was making its way back to Alexandria with multiple casualties, when Jack died of his wounds on 1 May 1915. He was buried at sea later the same day. Given the nature of his burial, there was sadly no grave for his family to visit. After the war, when collective minds turned to memorialisation, the name of Jack William, along with those of more than 4,900 of his comrades, was added to panels of the Lone Pine Memorial. In his Will, Jack had requested that all his property and personal effects be sent to his mother in Ballarat. She eventually received two small parcels that included all the items her son had carried with him - three religious books, postcards, his Testament, identity disc, a souvenir, purse and belt such a few meagre tokens to represent a life. To mark his service and sacrifice, a tree was later planted in the Ballarat Avenue of Honour for Jack Williams. However, there was a second planting in the now lesser known Ballarat North Soldiers and Sailors Avenue of Honour.** That particular memorial, which was planted with oak, elm and plane trees, was split across a number of streets. The section where Jack’s tree was planted was in Lydiard Street, between Gregory Street and the New Cemetery. *His younger brother, Charles Francis Williams, also enlisted and served with the 23rd Infantry Battalion; he was wounded at Poelcappelle during the Battle of Passchendaele on 9 October 1917. **information provided by Michael Taffe
13.01.2022 In commemorating the darkest day in Australian history the Battle of Fromelles it is particularly important to remember that not all the 5533 casualties of ...the 19 July 1916 survived to be old men. The damage sustained on the battlefield during that 24-hour period would continue to echo through the years. Many local families were directly affected by the disastrous charge at Fromelles. Nearly 30 young men from Ballarat and district died during the fighting or in the immediate aftermath. Others had their lives changed forever. These included Bert and Victor Todd. Ballarat-born couple, George Charles Henry Todd and Sarah Jane Wilson, raised a family of ten children in their home at 80 Nicholson St (now number 704) in Soldiers Hill. Their fourth child, Albert Henry, was born on 23 May 1895. His brother, Victor John, was born nearly two years later on 23 February 1897. The Todd children were students at the Black Hill State School, which was just a short walk away from home. On Sundays the whole family worshipped at the small weatherboard church of St John’s Presbyterian, in Peel Street south. Victor also became involved in the Young Men's Club at the church where he took part in impromptu speech-making and lively debates. The death of their father, George Todd, on 24 July 1913, was not unexpected. Although only 48, he had been ‘ailing for some considerable time’ with phthisis miner’s complaint. Both Bert and Victor had learned at an early age, however, that the children were expected to be a support to their mother. By this time, Bert held a good job as a plasterer, having secured an apprenticeship with neighbour, Joseph O’Neill, and Victor was working as a painter. Like many of the Todd family, Victor grew into a tall, well-built young man being 6 feet in height, which was several inches taller than the average Australian male of that period. Bert was slightly shorter, at 5-feet 9-inches, but weighed a substantial 168-pounds. In the few short years between school and the outbreak of the Great War, both boys served with the Senior Cadets attached to 70th Infantry Regiment, with Bert continuing on into senior ranks. It was seen as a crucial grounding for young men who were to make up the Australia Imperial Force. Bert and Victor were particularly close, and so it was that the pair enlisted together at Ballarat on 21 July 1915. As Victor was still only 18 years-old and Bert just 20, they both required their mother’s consent to join the AIF. It must have been a terrible wrench for Sarah, knowing that she was sending two of her sons to war. A poor chest measurement, which was seen as a lack of physical fitness, was one of the main issues for rejection for volunteers, however, neither Bert or Victor had any difficulty passing their medical examinations. Bert had a base measurement of 34-inches, but he could expand the girth a further three inches. Victor, whose youth has to be taken into account, measured just 32-inches, but he, too, could achieve an easy extra three inches on taking a deep breath. Both boys had fair complexions, but Bert’s eyes were blue and Victor’s brown. Their hair, too, was of a different hue Bert had chestnut coloured locks, whilst Victor’s had none of the reddish colour and was noted as just brown. After training at Seymour Camp, the brothers were assigned to the 14th reinforcements for Ballarat’s 8th Infantry Battalion on 16 December 1915, and given consecutive regimental numbers 4605 and 4606, with Victor first in order. The pair embarked from Melbourne on 29 January 1916 onboard HMAT Themistocles. It was a particularly bad trip for Bert, who was said to have been terribly seasick for the entire voyage. They eventually arrived at Port Suez a month later on the last day of February. On 1 April, Bert and Victor were transferred to the 58th Infantry Battalion after having spent time with the 2nd Training Battalion at Ferry Post. The pair finally embarked for France on 17 June, sailing from Alexandria to Marseilles onboard the transport Transylvania. According to the Australian War Memorial, ‘Having only arrived in France on 23 June, the 58th became embroiled in its first major battle on the Western Front at Fromelles on 19 July. The battle was a disaster. The 58th had the dual role of providing carrying parties and a reserve force. The reserve force (approximately half of the battalion) was ordered to attack late in the battle and was virtually annihilated by machine-gun fire; as a whole, the 58th suffered casualties equal to almost a third of its strength. Despite the grievous losses in its battalions, the 5th Division continued to man the front in the Fromelles sector for a further two months’ Both Victor and his brother Bert fell during that disastrous battle. Victor was the first to fall - he received a severe gunshot wound to the chest. Having seen his brother go down, Bert continued on and was himself wounded later the same day, suffering machinegun bullet wounds to the chest and arm. Given up for dead, Victor was, according to his family, eventually found by members of the Salvation Army and brought in to the 8th Casualty Clearing Station, where he was admitted on 20 July. Bert was admitted to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station the same day. Both Bert and Victor were evacuated to England Bert was the first to be stabilised for travel and sailed from Calais onboard the Hospital Ship Dieppe on 22 July. He was admitted to the 3rd Southern General Hospital in Oxford. Just a day later, Victor was carried onboard HS St Denis outside Boulogne. He was then taken south to Kent and admitted to the Shorncliffe Military Hospital, near Cheriton. They would eventually be reunited at the No1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. Whilst Bert was eventually able to return to active duty (but not until 28 June 1917), Victor was again never fit enough to serve in the firing line. Although Sarah Todd was informed of her son’s having been wounded in action she received the generic letter regarding a casualty ‘not stated as being serious, and in the event of further information coming to hand, you will be promptly notified’, it was clear that she was aware Victor had been the more seriously hurt. Her concern was evident in a letter written to Base Records on 2 November, ‘I see a letter in Tuesday Courier where a man in France had wrote to his wife saying one of the [boy’s] Todd had died of wounds and on making enquiries I found that he meant one of my boys as mine had both been wounded, but I have had no word. I was told if I wrote to you that you would make enquiries for me as I am greatly worried over it so if you can find out I will be greatly obliged to you. The one I think it is Pte V. J. Todd C Company 58th Battalion’ Victor had not died, however, and, following a month at Lady Northcott’s Convalescent Home, at Eastwell Park, Ashford, he was finally well enough to return to the No2 Command Depot at Weymouth. His health was not helped by consecutive illnesses: a short bout of diphtheria in November 1916, and pleurisy and pneumonia in May 1917. He was discharged to Monte Video Camp at Wareham, where he was reunited once again with Bert. After a relapse, Victor was found to be afflicted acutely from the damage to his lungs. A medical report, dated 23 June 1917, disclosed that he had had fluid drawn from his chest and was still suffering from a cough and generalised weakness. He was also very emaciated. As the doctor observed, he ‘looks thin and anxious.’ The ruling was that Victor was to be discharged as permanently unfit and his incapacity was total. Bert returned to France on 8 June. The time leading up to Bert heading overseas was the last time the brothers were to see one another. Victor, on the other hand, was soon back in hospital. He was admitted to the Sidney Hall Military Hospital in Weymouth, on 26 June, where he was to remain for a month. Victor sailed home to Australia on 27 July 1917. It was a long, slow voyage, and the Demosthenes did not dock in Melbourne until 24 September. He was admitted to the No5 Australian General Hospital in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, on 8 October with ‘gunshot wound to chest [and] post pneumonic debility.’ The details were far more graphic: He was suffering pains in right chest, which were worse on coughing; he was short of breath and the cough was particularly bad at night; he was still losing weight and looked thin and anaemic. There was dullness with diminished breathing sounds at the base of his right lung. On 18 October, Victor was admitted to the Military Sanatorium at Macleod, where he underwent investigation for tuberculosis. All tests came back negative. It was then seemingly concluded that the issue was the combined damage done first by the bullet wound and then by the pneumonia. After three months at Macleod, Victor returned to the No5 AGH. Although he said he felt better, and had gained weight, the chest x-ray showed the true nature of his condition his right lung was almost totally incapacitated and there was also damage to a third of his left lung. It was finally concluded that Victor should be discharged as medically unfit and that for at least six months he was totally incapable of earning a livelihood. He was discharged as medically unfit on 12 February, 1918, a mere eleven days before his 21st birthday. Meanwhile, Bert had found a measure of success with the 58th Battalion. On 24 August 1917, he was appointed to the rank of lance-corporal. Further promotion to corporal and appointment to lance-sergeant followed on 4 October. The 58th Battalion was near Villers-Bretonneux on 6 August 1918 when Bert was gassed. This time it was Bert who was evacuated to England onboard the St Denis. He was admitted to the 4th Southern General Hospital in Plymouth before once again returning to Harefield Park. Effectively for Bert Todd the war was over. Family anecdotes say that, due to the terrible seasickness that he suffered on his first crossing of the Indian Ocean, Bert could not face the return trip to Australia. He had also met a young woman, who he intended to marry and it was clear she did not wish to leave England. Bert received a further promotion to company quartermaster sergeant at Tidworth on 1 August 1919, but it soon became apparent to the authorities that he would be seeking a discharge in the United Kingdom. On 10 November 1919, at Newbury in Berkshire, Bert married Frances Maud Leech. His request for discharge included the following information: ‘I am being financed to establish a large contracting business for the purpose of benefiting the housing problem in England, and as the building trade is in such a big demand over this side I consider I am benefiting myself considerably’ His discharge was granted and he and his wife settled in the town of Reading in Berkshire. By 1939 he was running a shop selling floor coverings. They eventually retired to Brighton, where, after a long and happy life, never having returned to Australia, he died in 1983. Meanwhile, in Australia, on 22 July 1918, the engagement between Victor Todd and Selena Mary Bray had been announced. The young couple married later the same year and they made their home at 109 Crompton Street in Soldiers Hill. Even though he was eventually granted a total disability pension, something he was forced to fight for, Victor attempted to resume a normal life. His efforts as a traveller (door-to-door salesman) were doomed to failure, however, with his severely limited lung capacity leaving him tired and weak after half a day’s work. He would have to pack up his case and return home to Lena. The birth of their first child, Joyce Edna, on 12 August 1919 must have been one of the brightest moments in Victor's short life. It is easy to see in the portrait of him holding his baby girl that he had been vastly changed by the experience of war and yet there is a definite look of happiness in his brown eyes. His chest injuries saw him visit the MacLeod Sanatorium in Melbourne on many occasions. But he never fully recovered from his experience at Fromelles. Victor died at Ballarat on the 17 June, 1921. He was buried in the Ballarat New Cemetery and his place is marked by the Commonwealth War Graves. Although his death was directly attributable to war service, Victor had missed the cut off for the National Roll of Honour by 78 days. He was just 24 years of age. Lena, who had been pregnant with Victor's second child, Bernard, at the time of his death, eventually remarried and moved to Newcastle, New South Wales, where she established a new family. His daughter Joyce, lost touch with her Victorian family and some sixty years would pass before they were reunited and she would see photographs for the first time of her soldier father. The then 81-year-old remembered vividly the taunts from other children who refused to believe he had died. Information gathered by Victor's family gave Joyce the opportunity to learn and be proud of the special young man who had been her father.
10.01.2022 oooooh my god, oooooh my god, I have an appointment with the director of the Sir John Monash center in Villers-Bretonneux on Tuesday September 8th at 2 pm.Appar...ently an Australian minister saw my work and they want to reward me for what I do, I don't know what to say and I have tears of happiness in my eyes See more
08.01.2022 Yesterday a special ceremony was held to re-plant a tree on the Avenue of Honour for Ballarat soldier Private Frederick Rawlings. In attendance were Rawlings fa...mily members, the Arch of Victory-Avenue of Honour committee and City of Ballarat staff. Frederick Rawlings was lost at Fromelles in France in 1916. Read his history below and the fascinating story of his bible's journey back to Ballarat. . . . . Frederick Rawlings was born in Ballarat and attended the Wendouree State School. He was a 28 year old draper’s assistant when he enlisted in July 1915. He joined the 31st Battalion and on the night of July 19/20 1916 he took part in the ill-fated charge at Fromelles in France. Australia lost almost 2000 men killed that night. Frederick Rawlings was initially reported as ‘missing in action’ but no trace of him was ever found and eventually he was deemed to have been ‘killed in action’. With no known grave, his name was listed on the Australian Memorial at VC Corner Cemetery just outside the village of Fromelles. Interestingly he went into battle carrying a New Testament that carried a note requesting that should anything happen to him to please return the Testament to his fiancé in Humffray Street Ballarat. In 1935, 19 years after his disappearance, that Testament arrived in Ballarat. Presumably it had been souvenired by a German soldier but then, many years later, he or his family decided to return it to Australia. In 2008, burial pits containing the remains of Australian soldiers were discovered at the edge of Pheasant Wood near Fromelles and a subsequent DNA matching program led to the identification of Frederick’s remains in 2010. He is now buried at the newly created Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery at Fromelles. His brother Sydney Rawlings served with the 6th Battalion and was also killed July 7th 1918. See more
08.01.2022 We Remember Today - 2nd Lieutenant Walter Fisher of the 7th Battalion, one of eight brothers who joined the AIF. He enlisted on 25th September, 1914 and returned to Australia on 20th March, 1916.
06.01.2022 Families and friends of the 39th - The annual 39th Battalion's Memorial Day, Kokoda Day, at The Shrine in Melbourne scheduled for 9th August has been cancelled... due to ongoing Covid restrictions. The 39th Association is currently negotiating with The Shrine management to live stream a wreath laying in the Shrine's Crypt. See more
05.01.2022 Only a few hours to Rememberance Day 2020.To be honest to the Baird Family every day is Rememberance Day, not a day passes we don't think of Cam.The light at t...he end of that tunnel is no brighter than 7 years ago.We continue our life trying to look forward and be positive,it's still a tuff ride.In a few hours we will lay a wreath for the Fallen at the Currumbin RSL. Our thoughts then will also extend to all whose familys in our position. We thank all who have served, and those still serving and hope we can continue to live free and safe in this great country. " LEST WE FORGET" See more
05.01.2022 Last Australians KIA in Vietnam On the 21st of September 1971, five soldiers from D Company 4RAR were killed in action during an assault on a heavily defended b...unker system at the Battle of Nui Le. These five soldiers were the last Australians to be killed in action in Vietnam. Today, we pause to remember 5718195 Private Brian Belikan (21) 3799449 Private James Duff (22), 56226 Private Keith Kingston-Powles (24), 3798081 Private Ralph Niblett (22) and 5718122 Private Roderick Sprigg (21). All five men were serving with D Company 4RAR on Operation IVANHOE in the Phuoc Tuy Province at the time of their deaths. On the 21st of September, 11 Platoon was assaulting the enemy bunker when the lead sections were hit by heavy sustained automatic fire from several mutually supporting bunkers. Privates Beilken and Sprigg were killed instantly during the opening engagement by heavy machinegun fire, whilst Private Niblett was struck in the chest. Despite medical attention by the Section medic, he died shortly after. Private Kingston-Powles bravely attempted to returned fire with his machinegun before being killed a few moments later. Private Duff’s section was withdrawing to form a defensive position with the remainder of the platoon when he was struck by an enemy RPG, killing him instantly, and wounding several others. These five brave men were the last Australians to be killed in action in Vietnam. Lest we forget.
04.01.2022 The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted 2020 in so many ways and we have all had to adapt to new and different ways to do things. This year both our ANZAC and Poppy Appeals have had to be re-imagined to comply with the necessary restrictions. Our Sub Branch relies heavily on the funds raised from these two annual Appeals to assist with the ongoing welfare and support of local veterans and their families. Prior to 2020, Volunteer Token Sellers would be out and about ...selling tokens to the general public. The health and well-being of these volunteers is of the utmost importance and to that end, changes have had to be implemented as to how/where badges and poppies can be purchased. HELP NEEDED!! For the 2020 Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal, the Ballarat RSL is seeking assistance from any businesses that are willing to have a box of poppies at their premises for their customers/clients/staff to purchase from. Please phone Appeals Officer, Suzanne on 0423 179 766 to register your interest, or the RSL Office on 5332 3300 for more information. Your help will be very MUCH appreciated! N.B. Photo of Appeals Officer, Suzanne Jordan and Sub Branch Secretary, Maurie Keating taken prior to social distancing and face mask regulations.
04.01.2022 A Catafalque party from the Royal Australian Air Force's 29 Squadron prior to the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain commemoration, held in Hobart, Tasmania. 13th September, 2020
03.01.2022 Today, it is with great gratitude and deep respect that I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 311 Joseph Owen Evans who fought in the ...26th Australian Infantry Battalion and who was killed in action 104 years ago,on August 3, 1916 at the age of 27 on the battlefields of the Somme. Joseph Owen Evans was born on October 31, 1888 in Charters Towers, Queensland and was the son of Joseph Evans of 18, Bartley Street, Brisbane,Queensland. Before the war,Joseph was single, worked as a labourer and lived in Logan Road, Dunellan , Brisbane, Queensland. Enlisted on March 13, 1915 at Murwillumbah, New South Wales, in the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion, B Company, he embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on May 24, 1915 for the Gallipoli peninsula where he served and suffered from jaundice and was evacuated to the military hospital in Heliopolis, Egypt. Joseph then embarked from Alexandria, Egypt on March 15, 1916 for France where he was disembarked in Marseilles on March 21, 1916 and joined his unit on Somme front. Unfortunately, four months later, on August 3, 1916, while he was part of a working party in Pozieres with twelve of his comrades to build a sap under the command of Sergeant John McGuiness, the Germans opened fire with their artillery who wounded seven of the twelve men and killed Joseph who received near him a very large explosive shell. Today, Joseph Owen Evans rests in peace in Pozieres British Cemetery with his comrades and brothers in arms. Joseph had a sister who wrote these few words for him which were published in the Brisbane Telegraph on November 1, 1916: "Though far from home and kindred, And friends who wished him well, His memory is with us, And will for ever dwell. And whilst the sad years vanish, His name we'll oft recall; And proudly we will cherish His photo on the wall." As the years pass, Joseph, your memory, never fades, with respect in our hearts and in our thoughts, you will always be honored, under the sun that lights your name on your white grave, your name and your memory will live forever, in silence, in Remembrance.Of those battlefields in which you fought, today only the scars reminding us every day of your sufferings, your courage and your sacrifice, today, the poppies bloom on the old trenches, on the shell holes, in these fields in which silence reigns, the whistling of bullets and the infernal noise of shells has disappeared but your memory and the memory of your comrades, of all your brothers in arms will never fade.Today I walk in your footsteps, I walk through the ranks of your graves as one of the keepers of your memory to understand, to know who you were and what you have done for us and to transmit the story of each of you who rest in peace here, in the fields and the peaceful and flowery cemeteries of the Somme which will never forget, you who were young and whom the war has broken, your memory will be cherished with the utmost respect to make you live again, through us, all united to protect the peace that you have paid with your life. We will always be grateful to you. Thank you for what you have done for us Joseph, you will never be forgotten.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them.
02.01.2022 There are multiple reasons most people from Ballarat would instantly recognise the name of F. W. Barnes as one of the oldest funeral directors in the area, th...e company has been responsible for caring for people during the most difficult moments of their lives. As with all family businesses, there is always a story one that ultimately makes you appreciate the history behind the name. As was typical in early settlement days, businesses would often multi-task and that was certainly the case with the Barnes family when they settled in Learmonth during the late 1850’s. Thomas Barnes, newly arrived from Hampshire, England, became a storekeeper in the town. From the shop he also ran a timber yard and bakery, as well as working as a carpenter. But it was as the district’s undertaker that he was to become most well-known. When he was of an age to join his father in the business, his eldest son, Frederick William Barnes, also took on the occupation of undertaker. F. W. Barnes married his first wife, Agnes McCubbin, in 1885. Their first child, Elizabeth Winifred, was born at Learmonth in 1888. This was followed by the birth of their only son, Douglas, on 19 April 1890. In typical English tradition, the boy had been named for his paternal grandmother, Frances Henrietta Douglas. Doug, as he was to become universally known, was still only a toddler when tragedy struck the family his older sister died suddenly from influenza on 10 October 1891, when she was aged just 3-years and 6-months. A third child, also named for F. W.’s mother, Frances Henrietta, arrived in 1893. There were to be no further children Agnes was probably already suffering from the illness that would eventually kill her. She died from consumption (tuberculosis) at Learmonth on 25 July 1898. Doug was to learn the meaning of grief from a very early age. By this time, young Doug had become a student at the Learmonth State School. He was a bright and popular boy, who evidently did particularly well at his studies. In 1901, F. W. Barnes married his second wife, Annie Agnes Collier, daughter of a Welsh engineer. Not only did she assume the role of stepmother to 11-year-old Doug and his 8-year-old sister, she produced two daughters of her own Winifred Mary on 17 June 1903 and Marjorie Ethel on 25 April 1906. It seems that her task in caring for Doug was certainly an easy one he was obviously a biddable child, industrious and very likeable. Given that he was awarded the prize for Best Liked Boy by the school Board of Advice at the Learmonth State School in December 1902, it was clear that he was well liked by both his peers and the adults around him. After graduating from Learmonth State School, Doug continued on to the Ballarat Church of England Grammar School. Meanwhile, F. W. was branching out further as an undertaker and embalmer. The firm of Charles Morris and Sons was well established in Ballarat and arranged funerals from several funeral parlours in the city. A family friendship between Thomas Barnes and Charles Morris resulted in F. W. moving into Ballarat where he took over the parlour at 21 Raglan Street south. He worked in conjunction with the manager of the Morris business, Hugh Laughlin. During this time the Barnes family lived behind the parlour in Raglan Street. In June 1913, after purchasing the rival Ballarat business of Jordan and Tippett in Armstrong Street south, F. W. struck out on his own. Having completed his education, Doug joined his father in the new firm and advertisements for F. W. Barnes and Son began to appear in newspapers across the State. Doug had also developed a wide range of interests outside his working life. Ballarat had a particularly strong interest in military matters, and Doug joined the Old 7th Regiment as a private in 1908 when he was still in his teens. When the Universal Service Scheme was introduced in Australia during 1911, the re-organising of militia units soon followed. Ballarat went from one regiment of infantry to two the 70th and 71st. Doug Barnes was commissioned as a second-lieutenant with G Company of the 71st Infantry on 29 October 1913 and served as the unit’s signalling officer. Like many of his contemporaries, Doug was a member of the Masonic Lodge (St John’s branch) and he also joined the Ballarat City branch of the Australian Natives Association. At the same time, his Scottish ancestry engendered an interest in the local Caledonian Society and a love of singing. He became a member of the congregation at St Andrew’s Kirk, the large Presbyterian church in Ballarat’s main street, where took on the roles of honorary secretary of the Ballarat Presbyterian Fellowship Union (and the St Andrew’s branch), as well as being assistant secretary for the St Andrew’s Young Men’s Society. Volunteering was clearly part of the Australian ethos, and it was only a matter of time before Doug enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. At the outbreak of war, he was placed in charge of the mobilisation depot in Ballarat. He then formally applied for a commission on 27 March 1915 his routine medical examination revealed him to be 5-feet 9-inches tall, a slim 10-stone 7-pounds in weight, with a strong chest measurement of 34 to 37-inches. On 1 May, Doug was promoted to the rank of lieutenant with the newly raised 23rd Infantry Battalion. Just a week later, he embarked from Melbourne with headquarters staff of the 23rd onboard HMAT Euripides. During the trip to Egypt an informal group portrait was taken of more than 30 of the battalion’s officers these included George Morton, Eric Brind, Matthew Baird, Bill Brazenor, Duncan Beith and John Pascoe all military leaders from Ballarat. Sitting on the deck in the front row, with his legs crossed, was Doug Barnes. Due to a significant gap in Doug’s service record, little is known of his experiences during the remainder of 1915. He did cable his father around 10 August, saying that he had been ill with a fever, but had ‘made a splendid recovery’ and was once again with his unit. He had also been promoted to the role of commanding officer of the signalling corps of the 23rd Battalion. The 23rd Battalion embarked for Gallipoli at 6am on 30 August. The transport Haverford carried the bulk of the unit (including the headquarters staff), whilst B Company was onboard HT Southland. The ships sailed from the Egyptian port of Alexandria and carefully made their way across the Mediterranean and into the Aegean Sea. During the voyage the men were inoculated against cholera. On 2 September, just 30-miles from the Greek island of Lemnos, shortly before morning inspection, the Southland was struck be a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-14. Unfortunately, it is not known which ship Doug Barnes was travelling on, but he certainly witnessed the events and experienced the adrenalin-charged aftermath. If, as is likely, he was onboard the Haverford, he arrived at Lemnos at 5pm later the same day. Two days later, on 4 September, the 23rd Battalion boarded the steamer Partridge to continue on to Gallipoli. It was an uneventful voyage, and they arrived at ANZAC at 9:30pm. By 11pm they were all safely ashore, and the men then marched through to Rest Valley where they camped for the night. The men reached Lone Pine on 6 September. For the remainder of their time at ANZAC, the 23rd Battalion was either garrisoned the trenches at Lone Pine or in reserve at Brown’s Dip. Doug was to serve throughout this period as signalling and communications officer to the battalion. By 28 January 1916, Doug was back on duty at Tel-el-Kebir, northeast of Cairo. For the trip to France, the battalion was once again split up this time across three transports: City of Edinburgh, Caledonia and Lake Michigan, sailing on the 18, 19 and 20 March respectively. It is not known on which ship Doug made his way across the Mediterranean, but, given his Scottish leanings, it would seem to have been providential should he have sailed on the Caledonia. The battalion also made their way to the north of France in piecemeal fashion finally all together once again on 29 March in the small commune of Wittes near St Omer. It wasn’t until 10 April that the 23rd finally moved into the trenches, occupying the right section in the vicinity of La Croix Marechal near Fleurbaix. On 16 June, the battalion was in the line at Rue-du-Bois. The Australian artillery had been active along the German frontline trenches, resulting in a retaliatory bombardment of some 80 shells. During one of the explosions, a piece of shrapnel hit Dough Barnes in the upper part of his left arm. He made his way to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station, where his wound was dressed before he was transferred by ambulance train to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux on the coast. Although the wound was deemed mild, it was still severe enough to warrant Blighty Leave. He embarked for England on 19 June onboard the Hospital Ship Newhaven and was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, later the same day. Following treatment, Doug was transferred to the 5th Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Digswell House, Welwyn, on 5 July. He spent a further seven weeks in hospital before he was finally discharged on 25 August. Doug was able to enjoy a leave pass before reporting to the No1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 14 September. Just five days later he was on his way back to France. He passed through the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot at Étaples on his way to rejoining the 23rd Battalion in billets at Ypres on 25 September. His return was greeted with promotion to the rank of captain. During his time away, Doug had missed two tours of action at Pozieres in July and August. The battalion arrived back on the Somme in early November this time at Flers. Conditions had already begun to deteriorate, with snow on the ground and temperatures almost beyond endurance. Towards the end of the month, with the battalion having suffered multiple casualties, relief came and the men moved back to Dernancourt. Doug and his men spent Christmas 1916 in the trenches at Trônes Wood. As the New Year dawned, the 23rd came out of reserves at Needle Trench for a well-earned rest. Doug, however, was ill. He reported sick to hospital on 4 January 1917 and was admitted to the ANZAC Casualty Rest Station suffering from gastro enteritis. Following a transfer to the 2nd Red Cross Hospital in Rouen, Doug was once again on his way to England. On 15 January he returned to the wards of the 3rd London General. A month passed before Doug was well enough to be transferred to Cobham Hall convalescent home for Australian officers in Kent. An historic manor house, Cobham Hall had been opened up expressly for this purpose by Lord Darnley and his Australian wife, Florence. It was the ideal place for men to regain their strength. It seems that Doug’s illness proved persistent and he required further treatment at the military hospital at Fort Pitt in Chatham, before returning again to Cobham Hall. By the time he was finally discharged on 25 April 1917, Dough had been under treatment for nearly four months. He marched into the No1 Command Depot at Perham Downs the next day. For the remainder of the war, Doug was employed in training troops heading across to the Western Front. On 7 November he was posted for duty as Officer Commanding the No2 Overseas Training Brigade at Sandhill Camp, Longbridge-Deverill, near the village of Sutton Veny. His work brought Doug to the attention of the General Officer Commanding the AIF Depots in the United Kingdom. On 26 November 1917, he was recommended for the Order of the British Empire ‘for services in the war.’ The decoration was slightly downgraded to the lesser Member of the British Empire and awarded to him by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 7 February 1918. By 26 August 1918, Doug had been boarded as permanently unfit for general service, although he was still fit for home service. At the end of the war, Doug was one of those granted 1915 Leave an early return home. He sailed to Australia on 21 December onboard the transport Mamari. He arrived in Melbourne on 4 February 1919. His appointment with the AIF was then terminated on 29 March. Given Doug Barnes’ experiences at ANZAC and on the Western Front, it is not difficult to understand that he came home immeasurably changed. However, he immediately resumed working alongside his father in the family undertaking business, and he quickly attempted to fill his life with activities and positive community involvement. In July 1919, Doug performed the role of adjutant in organising the Peace Day celebrations held in Ballarat. Then, in October, he acted as steward for the Royal South Street Society’s Highland Day. He also found time to become involved with the Ballarat Anglers’ Club. On 29 December 1919, Doug was elected as honorary treasurer of the Ballarat and District Caledonian Society it was remarked at the time that he was ‘a most valued addition to the council.’ His personal hands-on approach saw him direct multiple concerts around the district over the ensuing years, with the society raising significant funds for various charitable institutions. By 1924 he was president of the group. Celebrations for Burns Night, held at the Ballarat Town Hall on 24 January 1920, prompted Doug to recall the occasion when King George had awarded him the MBE. ‘The young officer had gone to the Palace to receive his decorationfrom the hands of King George, and he was the first Australian to appear before His Majesty to secure this dis-tinction. "Where did you come from queried the King, and Captain Barnes answered, "Bal-larat, Victoria. Captain Barnes went on to say that His Majesty took him by the shoulders und addressing the assemblage said he well remembered Ballarat with its beautiful wide streets, gardens and statuary, also his visit to the Lake and Gardens, and the magnificent statuary there and finally the welcome accorded him at the City Hall. His Majesty added that he was delighted to meet and decorate a boy from the City which he remembered so well’ The burgeoning automobile industry resulted in the development of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria; in 1923 Doug Barnes was elected as secretary to the Ballarat branch. The club would often organise special events, including outings for the children of Nazareth House. The same year, Doug was named as president of the Ballarat Pipe Band. In September, he was part of a Scottish welcome and mayoral reception at the Ballarat Railway Station when the great entertainer Sir Harry Lauder arrived to fulfil his concert engagement in the city. For four years from 1922 to 1926 Doug was the Honorary Secretary of the Community Singing Society in Ballarat. During this period, the group raised significant amounts for charity Doug also continued serving with the newly numbered 8th Battalion at a reserve level in Ballarat, and took part in annual camps as a staff captain. As a returned serviceman, Doug also became a prominent member of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (forerunner of the RSL), and held the position of president of the Ballarat branch during 1929 and 1930. This was during a period of great change around the annual ANZAC Day commemorations and the manner in which they were held. Doug Barnes had very clear ideas on the subject, as expressed in 1929. ‘Why should the returned men of the country districts flock to the metropolis to swell the city crowds?" This question, raised an animated discussion at a meeting of the sub-committee of the Ballarat branch of the R.S.S.I.L.A., held at the Institute on Thursday night. The business on hand was the arrangement of detail in connection with the ceremonies of ANZAC Day. The point at issue was stressed by the president, Mr. Douglas Barnes, who said it was time all country branches of the League made a stand and realised their duty to the fallen comrades of their own local districts, and their responsibility to the dependants and relatives of those comrades, and organised appropriate ceremonies in their own town. The inevitable consequence of this centralisation of observances in the metropolis was that all local celebrations fell short of the dignity and the sacredness that might be theirs, because of the absence of those who should take the foremost part-their own returned men. This state of things should not be. The men of Anzac came from Victoria, not from Melbourne alone. In past years probably one-half of the thousands who took part in the ANZAC Day march in Melbourne were from the country, and by their presence they made the success of this march one on which Melbourne folk and their daily papers loved to dwell. How much longer was ANZAC Day to be centralised for the- benefit of the metropolis, and the impoverishment of the services in the districts from which the bulk of the Victorian members of the AIF were drawn? A couple of years ago when Royal visitors were in Melbourne a large parade was desired to do them honour. Then the country branches of the league put forth every effort to make as good a show in the capital city as they had made in the fighting ranks of the AIF, and it was evident they succeeded. But that was a special occasion. Not so, however, last year, nor was it this year. Geelong, Bendigo, and the Ballarat branch decided, last year, not to be represented in the Melbourne celebrations, and of this action and the other activities in their respective districts much has been said in commendation. Geelong had already been severely criticised by "the powers that be" in Melbourne, probably because they dared to advertise their attitude in the metropolitan Press, but with Geelong the executive officer of this branch rejoiced at the growing feeling of dissatisfaction that existed amongst the country "diggers" at the continual centralisation of ANZAC Day and like celebrations. Surely the time had come to call a halt, and it behoved all returned men to stand by their branches in their home. town. By so doing they would assist to refute the reflection which is cast on the country parts of the State in the assumption that the capital was the only spot in which to hold a parade, a celebration, or an imposing service. The pleas of great reunions, meeting of old friends, renewal of old friendships which were broadcast from the metropolis must be faced with the stern truth that if the spirit of ANZAC was to be kept alive in the breasts of young Australia the remembrance of ANZAC was to be made the duty of every part of the State, and not be the particular privilege of Melbourne. The local service must recall the local dead, and at the same time it must recall with gratitude the local returned and living. The sacrifices of those who "will never return" must be employed to build up the spirit of nationhood, of loyalty, and of self-sacrifice which alone could make a nation great. Let them then resolve that in future they would make every effort to see that at least ANZAC Day ceased to be an excuse to drag our returned men (and very often, too, their dependants with them) to swell the crowds in Melbourne. Let all earnestly support the local function, because, after all, in however humble a guise the outward celebration might be, the true recognition of ANZAC Day was for each group of the community to assemble around its own memorial, and there render homage to the immortal memory of those who sought not fame, but in seeking to render service, found a deathless name. These sentiments were supported by other executive officers, and all were united in the opinion that every effort would be made to put into effect the principles enunciated’ It is due to men like Doug Barnes that we now celebrate ANZAC Day in the form we know so well. Possibly the only sore point in Doug’s life was a fracture in his relationship with Miss Doreen McLean, of Drummond-street, Ballarat. Doreen was an art student at the Ballarat School of Mines; the pair had become acquainted through Caledonian Society functions. Clearly, they had planned to marry, but when Doug procrastinated, Doreen unexpectedly took legal action, issuing him with a writ through her solicitor in December 1927, claiming damages of 2,000 for ‘alleged breach of promise to marry.’ It seems that nothing further came of the situation, and the couple eventually repaired their relationship and, in 1937, they were married at Toorak. On 13 June 1940, F. W. Barnes was sitting in a hair dressing salon in Lydiard Street, Ballarat, when he suddenly collapsed and died from a heart attack. His father’s death left Doug as principal owner of their now well-established company. Throughout the war years and into the 1950’s, Doug continued as Ballarat’s pre-eminent funeral director and the name of F. W. Barnes became synonymous with thoughtful care of grieving families. Around 1960, Leslie Royce Lillingston, a long-time friend of Doug Barnes, joined the firm. When it came time for Doug to retire, having no direct descendants of his own, he passed the business over to Les Lillingston. Doreen and Doug’s home for their entire life together, was at 8 Lyons street north one of Ballarat’s most beautiful Art Deco style houses. They were still living there when Doreen died on 21 July 1975. Doug continued to live in the Lyons Street home until he was nearing the end of his life. He died at Ballarat on 21 June 1987 at the grand age of 97-years one of Ballarat’s oldest Great War veterans and one of our finest community contributors. The firm of F. W. Barnes, funeral directors, continues to this day.
01.01.2022 We Remember Today - Corporal F. Doyle of the Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company, AIF, shown here wearing his winter clothing. Circa 1917.
01.01.2022 THE CONNECTIONS ARE EVERYWHERE Public servant and director of the Australian War Memorial, John Linton Treloar, had more than a passing connection to Ballarat ...and district. He was born in Port Melbourne on 10 December 1894, the fourth child of William Henry Treloar and his wife, Jane Freeman Caddy. Whilst his ancestry was purely Cornish, both John’s parents were born in Ballarat and district William Treloar was born at Linton and Jane Caddy was born in Ballarat East. His maternal grandparents, Michael and Mary Caddy, remained in Ballarat until their deaths in 1910 and 1925 respectively. John Treloar was educated at the Albert Park State School where he showed outstanding athletic ability in a variety of sports. A talented footballer, he caught the attention of VFL scouts and was invited to train with the South Melbourne club. Taking his father’s advice, John delayed a football career and took a position as a staff clerk with the Permanent Forces under the Defence Department in 1911 as a 16-year-old. It was during this period that he established an important and ultimately ongoing connection with Cyril Brudenell White. After enlisting at the outbreak of the Great War, on 16 August 1914, John was posted as a to Divisional Staff bound for Gallipoli. He landed at ANZAC late in April 1915, but was evacuated from in September 1915, after falling seriously ill with enteric fever and suffering internal haemorrhage. The illness resulted in him being invalided home to Australia. Having made a full recovery, John resumed duties at the Broadmeadows Camp on 16 February 1916. He had gradually worked his way through the ranks and soon received his commission as a lieutenant in the No1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps. His great organisational skills were put to good use as the squadron’s equipment officer. In August 1916, John returned to Egypt, before transferring to the Western Front as confidential clerk to Brudenell White at 1st ANZAC Corps Headquarters. In May 1917 he was transferred to the War Records Section as officer in charge, organising the records, and beginning what would ultimately become a life’s work and passion. ‘'Treloar works enormously hard', Charles Bean observed, the 'Section is simply his creation. He tries to read and criticise every unit war diary'. A 'fair-haired, pink-cheeked youngster with very new captain's stars on his shoulder straps', Treloar represented Australia on the Imperial War Trophies Committee’ On 1 November 1918, John Treloar was promoted to the rank of major; four days later he married Melbourne girl, Clarissa Maud Weir Tallie Aldridge, at the Notting Hill Wesleyan-Methodist Chapel in Lancaster Road, London. By this time, he had already been awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his work. John Treloar’s notable achievements following the end of the Great War have provided us with extensive and valuable records and a museum of world standard. Co-ordinating a large staff comprised of former soldiers, he began to classify and archive the records and documents pertaining to the AIF. This work took 14-years to complete and provided researchers and historians with ‘an archival record of remarkable detail and accessibility’ that is still in use today. It was as the driving force behind the establishment of the Australian War Memorial, however, that John Treloar will be best remembered. He was to be the director of the AWM from 1920 to 1952. ‘Treloar worked a six-day week and, when moved from Melbourne to Canberra, lived in rooms next to his office: only his strict observance of a Methodist Sunday and his passion for watching cricket interrupted this régime. Treloar's 'boyish ingenuous face and simple direct address' gave little indication of his shrewdness and alertness of mind. Shy and reserved, he pursued his goals with inflexible purpose. In a period of uncertainty during the Depression, a trust fund provided crucial financial support: Bean recorded in 1929 that the fund was 'entirely due to Treloar's brain and effort'. When Bean's multi-volume Official History of Australia in the War encountered difficulties in the 1930s, the war memorial took over publication and distributed it through a government order scheme, another of Treloar's innovations’ John and Clarissa Treloar also raised four children two sons, Alan and Ian, and two daughters, Joan and Dawn with Clarissa playing a major role in the upbringing as her husband devoted long hours to his work. ‘Appointed head of the new Department of Information in September 1939, Treloar became officer-in-charge of the military history section at Army Headquarters, Melbourne, in October 1941 and began to lay the foundations for the collection of World War II records and relics. As a lieutenant-colonel and liaison officer, he worked with the Department of Information, the War Memorial Board and the 2nd A.I.F. in the Middle East. With the section absorbed by army public relations, record gathering was a shadow of that done for World War I’ One of John Treloar’s lesser known achievements during this period was the publication of Christmas books for the troops, including "Active Service", "Soldiering On" and "Jungle Warfare." The war years were long and hard for the Treloar family. The eldest of the siblings, Alan, served for over five years with the 2/14th Infantry Battalion. A Rhodes Scholar, Alan reached the rank of captain. Joan was a corporal with the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service, serving in an administrative capacity in Melbourne military hospitals. Ian Treloar, a warrant officer with 112 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, was killed in action during the attack on Sicily on 7 August 1943. His aeroplane was struck by anti-aircraft guns and crashed, killing everyone onboard instantly. For the most part, Clarissa was required to deal with much of the anxiety on her own as her husband was away in Canberra. After the war, John returned to the War Memorial, where he began the process of collating a WWII collection. He continued to work extraordinarily punishing hours, preferring to work alone and refusing to delegate. He was described as both aloof and complicated, and his ‘boyish ingenuous appearance and almost monastic seclusion at the memorial’ meant he was often underestimated. Those who knew him well realised he was both shrewd and persistent and was possessed of an ‘impish wit.’ When John Treloar died suddenly from an intestinal haemorrhage in Canberra on 28 January 1952, it was believed that his exhausting workload was a mitigating factor. The possibility of weakness caused by his battle with enteric fever in 1915 appears to have been overlooked. In a perfect tribute to John Treloar’s contribution to the AWM, the street that circles the building, was named Treloar Crescent. His legacy to the country, however, is incalculable. So, when next you think of the contributions of Ballarat and district to the Great War and beyond just remember: those connections really are limitless!
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