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Subject: Anzac Day
Replies: 27 Views: 500
shadow27 25.04.17 - 06:48am
This is about my great grandfather:
Roy enlisted in the AIF on the 29th August, 1914, as a private in Company C of the 12th Battalion, regimental number 341. He embarked for Europe on the 20th October, 1914 at Hobart, boarding the ''HMAT A2 Geelong.'' His pay was 5/- per day, with a 4/- daily allowance for overseas service and deferred pay of 1/-.
The 12th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF. Half the battalion was raised in Tasmania, 25 percent from South Australia and 25 percent from West Australia. With the 9th, 10th and 11th, it formed the 3rd Brigade.
The battalion was raised within three weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, West Australia, the battalion shipped out to Egypt. It arrived in early December and Roy was based in the Mesa Camp. It appears from the following letter that Roy's asthma, which troubled him his whole life nearly resulted him in being medically discharged, but that did not happen and he went on to fight at Gallipoli and the Western front. (I have a copy of said letter somewhere) * +
shadow27 25.04.17 - 06:51am
The 3rd Brigade (4,000 troops) was the covering force for ANZAC landing on the 25th April 1915 at Gallipoli and so was the first ashore at around 4:30am. Company B of the 12th landed from HMS Scourge. The 12th Battalion War Diary for April 1915 describes the landing. Lieutenant Colonel L. F. Clarke, commander of the 12th, was killed by a sniper within hours of the landing, at the ''Sphinx'' The battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position. In August it contributed two companies to the attack on Lone Pine. It was the only battalion in the 3rd brigade that did so. The 12th served at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December.
Roy was wounded in both legs at Gallipoli on the 2nd May, 1915. The 12th's War Diary reports that on that day the unit withdrew from the firing line.
After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the 12th Battalion returned to Egypt and, in March 1916, sailed to France for the Western front. Roy returned to active duty with the battalion in February 1916. From then until 1918, the battalion fought in the bitter trench warfare that was the Western Front. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres, located in the Somme valley, in July 1916. After the village was captured by the AIF in July 1916, the next phase involved capture of Mouquet Farm. On Monday 21st August the 12th Battalion launched an attack on German line at 16:00 hours (the 12th's War Diary for August 1916). It was during this action that Roy suffered wounds to his chest, which finally resulted in his discharge from the Army in December 1917. He suffered his wounds in a heroic action that resulted in him being recommended for ''Mentioned in Despatches.'' The action that resulted in Roys recommendation is described in records as follows:
AT POZIERES FRANCE
During operations near Mouquet Farm on 21st August 1916 showed great gallantry and dedication to duty, when two R.E. officers * +
shadow27 25.04.17 - 06:52am
volunteers to go out to a dugout 50 yards from our AID Post to bring in a wounded man. Pte Harvey volunteered and went out with them under very heavy fire to the dugout but the man had died before they got there and on the journey home Pte Harvey was badly wounded.
The two Royal Engineer officers (Howard and Calley) recommended Roy. The family story is that when Roy was in the hospital at the front with his chest injury, King George's surgeon was visiting the troops and assisted in the complex operation, saving his life. Roy was involved in two of the greatest battles fought by the AIF in WW1. * +
shadow27 25.04.17 - 06:55am
Roy recuperated from his injuries at the estate of the Wedgwood family (famous for pottery). The upper class of England saw this as a way of doing their patriotic duty and helping the war effort. Recuperating soldiers would be billeted out to the homes and estates to regain their health and strength. It was while Roy was at the Wedgwood Estate that he met Susan Chalcroft who was working as a domestic servant on the estate. Phyllis speculates that they would have had little time for romance at the Estate. As can be seen from comments in his first letter from an English hospital, the young women of the time socialised with the wounded to boost morale.
When he returned to Tasmania in 1917, shipped out of the United Kingdom on the ''UTS Ulysses'' in February 1917, he became a recruiting sergeant. After his discharge, Roy first worked on the wharves in Devonport as a ''wharfie'' and then became a fisherman, the occupation he followed for the rest of his working life.
Phyllis recalls that Roy, like many serviceman, suffered post traumatic stress (''shell shock'') associated with his war service. He suffered terrible nightmares, roaring and screaming in his sleep but unable to wake. Susan had to wake him. It was frightening for all the children in the house. * +
shadow27 25.04.17 - 06:57am
That's him! * +
shadow27 25.04.17 - 07:39am
My grandfather is more of a mystery, I know he was involved with Kokoda (It's now been 75 years since that conflict) but this is all I can find:
Frederick fought in the army in New Guinea in World War II. Some of his experiences in the war possibly triggered his mental health problems - he was lost in the jungle and there is a story he lived with cannibals until he was rescued. His mental health created a very stressful life for Irene and her children. He died in 1st January 1965.
(The ''cannibals'' were Papuans who had reverted to their headhunting ways - they were friendly to our diggers - headhunting was encouraged by the Allies as a way to push the Japanese out of Papua New Guinea) * +
mz.c 25.04.17 - 07:41am
Handsome devil 
* +
birdy 25.04.17 - 08:48am
I like that Roy got into fishing. 
I love the photo.
Lest we forget. * +
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