

## The Family That Went to War

© 2018 Gordon Smith Author.

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ISBN 978-1-3103780-1-0

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September 2018 update

## Contents

Preface

The Family

Cootamundra

1914 - War Clouds Gather Over Europe

Australia Goes to War

A Family Goes to War

The Troopships

Egypt

Austin Schofield

Arthur Wright

France

Austin Schofield's France

William Power

Austin Schofield 17 July 1916

Thomas Wright

Arthur Wright Back into Action

Thomas Edward Kingston

Austin Power Enlists... Again

A Mother's Lament.

Epilogue

The Fighting Men

The Family

Authors Comments

##  Preface

In 1914 Australia went to war.

Six young men from the same family in Cootamundra, southern New South Wales, volunteered to fight for their King and country. Only 3 returned.

This is their story based on official archives, war records and newspaper reports with some assumptions needed to complete the saga.

This book is dedicated to the memory of them all, including those who stayed home and worked on the farms and in the factories to support the war effort.

The author acknowledges and is grateful for the research materials available from;

The Australian Commonwealth Archives

The Australian War Memorial

Cootamundra Herald and the

Sydney Morning Herald

## 1911

"..... And do you, Iris Anne Evelyn Wright, take Charles Power, as your lawful wedded husband, for better or worse, in sickness and health and for richer or poorer............"

In the country town of Murrumburrah, Charles and Georgina Power from Cootamundra were seated in the front pew of Saint Paul's Church of England. This was for the marriage of their son Charles to Iris Anne Evelyn Wright. (Iris's mother had passed away several years before)

The Prominent stories on page one, of the Cootamundra Herald that morning had read; -

"Mr. Fisher says it will probably be arranged that the Federal Parliament shall sit in the daytime only, leaving the evenings free."

"Coadjutor -Archbishop Kelly succeeded Cardinal Moran by right of succession and is now Archbishop of Sydney."

"The police force in Perth is asking for an increase in pay of Is 6d per 'day on account of the increased cost of living."

As the sun rose on that beautiful, crisp Saturday morning, no one realised that such a day of joy and hope would be marred in only three more years by sadness and loss. Events developing in Europe would have such a devastating effect on the newlyweds. As the wedding party gathered at the little church, all these other matters were far away from everyone's thoughts. Today was a day of hope and joy!

The church, on the top of the hill at Murrumburrah, was bursting at the seams. The family had gathered in this picturesque town from throughout the Cootamundra District, and far away. Uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters, they were all there.

As he was waiting at the altar with his elder brother, Edward (who was his best man) for his bride to arrive, Charles looked around at the seated congregation. In the right front row could see his father Charles senior and mother Georgina at either end of the front right pew. Between them were his younger siblings Wallace, Leslie, Austin, Phyllis, and Thomas. Immediately behind them were his other siblings William, James, Thomas, and Georgina.

The next two pews were occupied by Aunt Eliza and Uncle Randal Schofield along with the cousins Ethel, James, Austin, Randall, Herbert Charles, Henry, and Frederick.

The other side of the church was for mainly Iris's family, – Arthur, Leslie, Thomas, and Dorothy. There was a space left for Albert, who was standing in for Iris's mother who had passed away twelve years prior.

Iris's uncles and aunts and a couple of cousins were in the next few pews but, in the excitement, he couldn't remember their names. He did, however, see Aunt Mary and Uncle Paul Kingston along with their children, James, Thomas, Alice and William, who arrived at the last minute.

His thoughts returned with the arrival of the bridal party. The bride looked radiant! She was followed by the bridal party, comprising Albert Wright, 26 (standing in for Iris's father) Mary Anne Kingston (Matron of Honour), and Alice Power (bridesmaid). The wedding must have had some effect on Albert because; within two years, the young police constable himself would marry his sweetheart, Ellen O'Brien.

The wedding breakfast was a jovial affair with the younger children playing and getting into all sorts of mischief. Most of the younger cousins enjoyed the time together while; the older boys gathered around and seem to see who could drink the most. The older girls had all helped with the food, and it would be true to say that the feast was one that will be remembered for some time.

No doubt the refreshments for the wedding came from Tooth & Company Limited. And being the brewers of White Horse Ale, they were also wine & spirit merchants and being cordial manufacturers.

Charles and Iris made the perfect couple, and in so many of their laid-back ways, they signified the hope of a new nation. Australia was only eleven years old as a nation. Earlier that year, the site procured for the new Australian Federal House of Parliament a few short miles away to the east in a paddock called, Canberra.

### The Family

The Power family were genuine pioneers of the district. Private Thomas Power (son of William Power and Honor O'Donnell) was born about 1805 in Ireland. He married Isabella Hastie on the 19th of Sep 1828 in Manchester, England.

He was a member of the 1st /50th (West Kent) Regiment, Queens own of foot. Along with his wife (Isabella) and infant daughter (Jane), he sailed to Sydney aboard the convict ship Hooghly. Shortly after arrival (the 18th of November) at Port Jackson, they departed (the 5th of December) for Norfolk Island to take up his new post.

They returned to Sydney on completion of the posting and raised their family before eventually settling in the Cooma area. Their son Edward John Power was born in 1837 in Sydney. He married Mary Ann Chalker (daughter of Joseph Henry Chalker and Eleanor "Ellen" Kelly) in 1858 in Queanbeyan. He died in 1876 in Adaminaby.

Charles Power (son of Edward John Power and Mary Ann Chalker) was born in 1859 in Cooma; He married Georgiana Belcher (daughter of John George Belcher and Frances Fanny Nancarrow) in 1883 in Cooma. She was born on 18th Sep 1864 in Cooma.

Robert Coleman-Wright was born on 2nd January 1824 in Bristall, Leicestershire, England. He married Elizabeth Bennett on 17th June 1850 in Adelaide. Elizabeth had been born on 1st February 1830 in Uxbridge, Middlesex England. She died on 20th September 1916 at Essendon. Victoria; He died in 1893 at Talbot Victoria.

Gilbert Wright was born in 1857 in Amherst Victoria. He married Annie Case (daughter of Henry James Case and Helen Abdy) in 1886 in Junee. She was born on 10th Mar 1869 in Queanbeyan. She died on the 11th of November 1899 in Junee. Gilbert died at Lake Cargelligo, on the 30th October 1933.

Iris's grandmother (Helen Abdy) was the first non-aboriginal child born in Armadale. Helen was descended from Sir Anthony 1st Baronet Abdy.

### Cootamundra

The newlyweds settled at Cootamundra. By October next year, their family began to grow.

Charles Gilbert Roy Power was the first son, and two years later Edward Charles Power arrived. Eight other children followed on in due course.

The new responsibility settled Charles, and he was no longer seen drinking as often at the Cootamundra Star hotel, and he had steady work with Jack Clarkson. There was one occasion when Charles ran afoul of the law.

The Cootamundra Herald 16th March 1915 reported; -

"Charles Power, jun., was charged with being drunk in Parker. St. on February 6th, 1916, in Cootamundra Court. He was also charged with assaulting Constable Burgess while in the execution of his duty. Mr McMahon appeared for defendant.

Constable Burgess stated: "At about 10.15 on date, in question I arrested Power rears the Star hotel for being drunk; on the way to the police station the accused struck me on the jaw with his fist; I threw him to the ground and tried to hand cuff him; while on the ground the defendant kicked me on the 'wrist and leg; Constable Cusack came to my assistance, and we handcuffed him". He then addressed Mr McMahon, "It was after 10 o'clock; there were a lot of people about at the time; he never denied that he was drunk; he never complained of me twisting his arm, and never tried to pull away; I fell on the ground with accused: Defendant called out to several people in the street to bring a doctor to the station to see if he was drunk."

Constable Cusack deposed "I saw the defendant at the Star hotel about 10 o'clock on 6th Defendant was drunk; while I was coming down to the lock-up with a man named Glanville I saw defendant hit Constable Burgess; I let Grenville go, and assisted Constable Burgess to put the handcuffs on him."

To Mr McMahon: "I was arresting Glanville at the time; I was coming down behind when defendant struck, Constable Burgess; while the constable and accused were in the hotel a crowd of people came around the corner; I never heard defendant call out, 'bring a doctor.!"

Constable Stuart deposed: "Accused was very drunk when brought ' to the lock-up; I had previously cautioned him that evening."

William James Clear deposed: "I remember seeing defendant on the date in question; he was drunk,"

Charles Power, jun., deposed: "I was in town on 6th inst. Constable Stuart did not speak to me that evening before I was arrested; I saw ' Constable Cusack arresting a man;'' I was standing at the hotel door when Constable Burgess caught hold of my hand, and -said, -'You come along with me too'; I asked why? And he said, 'You, are drunk'; while coming along he twisted my arm behind my back; I tried to pull away; 1 did not strike Constable Burgess; his head bumped my hand; I did not kick at the' constable while we were on the ground; Constable Cusack came and cuffed me; I had been talking business to Jack Clarkson for some time, and after that to two ladies."

To Senior-Sargent Suprex: "I was at the Star hotel from 10.30; Constable Stuart did not caution me; I was perfectly sober all the time; I wanted the doctor to prove that 1 was not drunk; I have been locked up before for drunkenness."

Jack Clarkson deposed: "Charles has been working for me lately; I met defendant at the Star hotel, and paid him his wages; he was sober: it was between 9.30 and 10 p.m."

Leo Clarkson deposed: "I saw defendant at the Star Hotel 'about 10 p.m.; he was sober then; I was in there when the defendant was arrested."

Charles was convicted on both charges for drunkenness he was fined 20/, and for assault, he was fined £3. Fourteen days was allowed to pay.

Iris was not impressed!

As Iris's mother had passed on, she also had taken on the responsibility of caring for and guiding her sister and brothers who had also moved close by.

Charles's parents were alive, and all of his siblings lived in the surrounding district. Charles Snr. was away droving a fair amount of the time but his wife Georgina, was a beacon for the family and was always on hand to assist Iris, whenever help was needed

In the Riverina the years of 1911 – 1914 were idyllic. The weather was great, and no one had a care in the world.

Arthur Wright thought he was the head of the family (at least he told his younger siblings and cousins such. He did concede that Albert was older, but as he was in the police force in Sydney, Arthur was the man in charge.)

As the younger boys grew into manhood, they chose their profession with gusto and hope.

By 1914 the world was changing!
1914 - War Clouds gather over Europe

Britain was still regarded as the mother country, as the majority of the Australians at the time were descended from British and Irish convicts. There was nothing more important as the British Commonwealth in the psychic of most Australians of the time, although there seemed to be a distrust of the British hierarchy.

The immediate trigger for war was the 28th of June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo. This set off a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia, and international alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked. Within weeks, the major powers were at war, and the conflict soon spread around the world.

On the 28th of July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia and subsequently invaded as Russia mobilised in support of Serbia, Germany invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, leading Britain to declare war on Germany.

On the 30th of July 1914, a cablegram in secret cypher from the British Government to the Government of Australia informed it that there was imminent danger of war.

On the 4th August, Great Britain declared war on Germany. Australia pledged a force of twenty thousand to be placed at Britain's disposal. Prime Minister Andrew Fisher declared that Australia would support Great Britain in the war against Germany'... .to the last man and the last shilling.

The nation awoke on the 6th August 1914 to read in the Sydney Morning Herald;

"A state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany."

"The Austrians attacked the Servians at Semendria and were repulsed with heavy losses."

"The churches are packed with people praying for the success of the army."

"The Prime Minister officially announced yesterday that war had broken out between Great Britain and Germany."

"With a view to establishing a mobile reserve, it has been decided to mobilise the 8th Infantry Brigade."

"The 16th Infantry Battalion will furnish a reserve for the defence of Newcastle."

"Three thousand professional unionist musicians have offered for active service in Australia. "

"The Governor-General has received a message from the King, expressing his appreciation of the messages from the Dominions."

There was no doubt that life in Australia was going to change!
Australia goes to War

By August 1914 Voluntary recruitment for the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) commenced and the Australian Red Cross was established to raise funds to purchase comfort supplies for Australian service personnel overseas.

The formation of variously named 'patriotic funds' in all States to raise money to send extra food and clothing to service personnel overseas were established

In September the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) seized German New Guinea and nearby German-ruled island territories.

C.E.W. Bean was appointed as Australia's official war correspondent in October 1914.

So much happened so quickly and November saw the first division of the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) sailed from Albany, Western Australia, for Egypt. HMAS Sydney sank the German cruiser, Emden, at the Cocos Islands, Indian Ocean.

For Australia, the war had commenced!

A Family Goes to War

At the outbreak of war, the family boys were:

**Edward Power** , 30, was married to Adele and worked as a general labourer.

**Charles (often referred to as Jerry) Power** , 29, was married to Iris, had 2 children and worked as a labourer

**Albert Wright,** 27, was a police constable in Sydney

**Leslie Wright,** 24, was a grazier and was married to Myrtle

**Austin Schofield,** 22, was a labourer

**William Henry Power** , 21, worked as a labourer with his father

**Thomas Kingston** , 20, was a Tailor's Apprentice

**Arthur Wright** , 19, was an Engineer

**Austin Power,** 16, just started work as a Compositor with the local printer.

**Thomas Wright** , 16, was a Jockey

**James Power,** 15, was still at school

**Thomas Power** , 13, was still at school

**Wallace Power,** 9, was still at school

Austin Schofield was the first family member to answer the call. On Thursday the 17th of June 1915, Austin made his way to Liverpool to enlist (at this stage there were no facilities to join the forces outside the capital cities). He was assigned to the 8th reinforcement company of the 2nd Battalion A.I.F.

Seven days later the 24th of June William Power was to enlist with the 8th reinforcement company of the 1st Battalion A.I.F. He was given the regimental number of 2893.

Arthur Wright was the next to enlist. On the 9th of August, he joined the 11th reinforcement Company of the 1st field engineers.

The following day Austin Schofield embarked on the troopship, HMAT Runic A54 for Gallipoli.

Ten days later (on the 18th of August 1915) young Austin Power was down at the newly opened recruitment office at Cootamundra. With his brother and two cousins already enlisted and with the opening of a recruitment office at Cootamundra, Austin decided to quit his job as a compositor with a local printer and enlisted.

He was sent to the 12th reinforcement company of the 4th Battalion A.I.F., outside of Liverpool where he was to commence his training.

Austin was only 17½ when he enlisted, and it took his mother (Georgiana) by shock when she found out a couple of weeks later what had happened.

She drew her breath and drafted this letter on the 28th of September requesting that the Army releases him from military duties due to him being underage.

Cootamundra 28/9/1915

Dear Sir, I am sorry, but I must object about my son Austin Power being in camp on active service as he is under the age of eighteen. He was seventeen last August, and I don't see how the doctor passed him as he is a cripal(sic) in one foot – through burns when a child and has been treated for a ?????? and has been under a doctor for the last two years for a weak heart. I know that every boy should go that is of age, and I have one son gone and a son-in-law, a brother and two nephews, so I want you to give Austin his discharge and if you would oblige and don't tell him that I objected as he would be very much upset. Just tell him that he is not fit for the army as I am sure he is not, and I must object to him going until he is eighteen. You will oblige.

Yours Sincerely

Mrs C Power Cooper St.

It is interesting to note that during that period; the army did not ask for date of birth. Instead, all they asked was his age and where he was born. By 1917 this had changed and, on the enlistment, papers a new line, asking for date of birth, was added.

On the 7th of October, the army discharged him, and he returned to Cootamundra. Because he had left his job, he had to find new employment. His family left Cootamundra in 1917 and moved to Marrickville and Austin became a glass worker in the local area.

William Power completed his basic training at Liverpool before he joined His Majesties Troop Ship A8 Argyllshire. It set sail for Egypt on the last day of September. Arthur Schofield had already left eight weeks prior on the HMAT A54 Runic.

### The Troopships

Whenever a troop ship, with any member of the family, departed, Constable Albert Wright always attempted to see his brothers or cousins sail off to war. Iris often joined him and where possible, spent time with them before their sailing.

Troopships travelled in a convoy with battleships for protection. Submarines were now an added threat, so convoys had to adopt new formations and changing patterns to elude the enemy.

The ships that were used for transport were owned by steamship companies (they were requisitioned by the government who paid a daily rate for them). Others were former German cargo ships, seized at the beginning of hostilities.

They were specially outfitted by the government to meet their new wartime role. This included increased numbers of berths; often in cargo holds. Conditions on board were cramped, to say the least. The lower decks were hurriedly fitted out with mess tables and hammocks and resembled large overcrowded barrack rooms.

Their quarters were all the way forward in the first hold. Having to sleep in hammocks William was pleasantly surprised to find they were very comfortable. It was his first experience of a hammock as it was with most of his comrades.

Shipboard life comprised drills, exercise sessions, games and sports that were all taken in shifts along with guard duties, and even meal times.

Weekly Sunday services were held on the deck. It was during one of these services they were told the on-board death of one of the soldiers from illness.

A funeral service was held aboard the Shropshire, and the whole convoy of ships stopped out of respect.

It occurred to him how a vastly different experience of death in wartime was. They knew nothing about visions of death that most of them would face in the coming months.

## Egypt

After what became a long and arduous voyage, they disembarked at the port of Suez in Egypt, where they caught a troop train. He wasn't particularly looking forward to a train

Like most, he had the impression that Egypt was a barren desert. To his surprise, as he watched out of the window on that hot, dusty day, he saw miles and miles of corn also a lot of dates. Naturally, there was no air-conditioning on the train, but, a strong breeze help makes the trip comfortable.

Their destination was a camp at Tel-el-Kebir (about forty miles northeast of Cairo.)

During the Gallipoli landings and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War, Tel-el-Kebir was a training centre for the 1st A.I.F. reinforcements. Within the camp, there was also No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, and eventually, the site of a large prisoner of war camp.

About forty-thousand Australians camped in a small tent city at Tel-el-Kebir. The camp stretched for six miles.

A military railway was eventually constructed to take troops from the camp to their vessels in Alexandria and elsewhere for embarkation to Gallipoli landings and later to the western front.

The Tel-el-Kebir village was described by an Australian soldier in 1916 as, a "very dirty little place with a few dirty shops in it."

Initially, everyone thought that Egypt was a stopping point on the way to Gallipoli but, there was an air of uncertainty. Now there was a long period of waiting.

Extensive basic training was the order of the day. Here everyone was taught all that was needed to become an efficient fighting machine. Although it was more organised than the training provided in Australia, it was still rushed. Individual unit training had been consolidated and progressed quickly into collective training at battalion and brigade-level.

Training exercises (marches, drill and musketry practices) followed. As the standard of the exercises was somewhat limited and lacked realism, meant that commanders did not benefit from handling their troops under battlefield conditions. Marksmanship was high on the agenda as was physical fitness.

They were introduced to the weapons they would be using. The 303-inch Short Magazine Lee Enfield rifle and long sword bayonet, while periscope rifles were also used. They also used manufactured hand grenades and rodded rifle grenades, both of which had been in short supply at Gallipoli (necessitating the use of improvised jam-tin grenades).

Infantrymen used 1908-pattern webbing. A large pack was issued as part of marching orders. Machine-guns initially included a few Maxim, or Vickers medium machine-guns. The Stokes light trench mortar was issued to replace a range of trench catapults and smaller trench mortars, while at the same time; it was also used in a battery at brigade-level to provide organic indirect fire support. Also, individual soldiers were trained in the use of a range of personal weapons, including knives, clubs, knuckle-dusters, revolvers, and pistols.

Artillery included 18-pounders which equipped the field batteries. There were 4.5-inch howitzers used by the howitzer batteries along with the 8-inch and 9.2-inch howitzers which equipped the heavy (siege) batteries. The 9.45-inch heavy mortar equipped a heavy trench mortar battery, while medium trench mortar batteries were equipped with the 2-inch medium mortar

For six days a week, it was endless training, lectures, and drills.

One day in most weeks they were given some love. They were about forty miles from Cairo. It took about one and a half hours on the train, the fare was 1 piastre each way in was 2nd class, while 1st class costs two piastre each way. One Piastre is worth two and a half pence. No need to add they usually travel 2nd and would go third if they had it.

The Cairo Luna Park was a trolley park in Heliopolis, Egypt. Open from 1911 to the beginning of 1915, the Cairo Luna Park was the first Western-style amusement park in Africa and the first in the Middle East. On the 19th of January 1915, buildings and grounds were converted into an auxiliary hospital at Luna Park for the duration of World War 1; the hospital was closed on the 10th of July 1916.

During the war, the A.I.F. gained a reputation, at least amongst British officers, for indifference to military authority and indiscipline when away from the battlefield on leave. This included a reputation for refusing to salute officers, sloppy dress, lack of respect for military rank and drunkenness on leave.

Indiscipline, misbehaviour, and public drunkenness were reportedly widespread in Egypt in 1914– 15. Several A.I.F. personnel were also involved in several civil disturbances or riots in the red-light district of Cairo during this period.

Australians also appear to have been overrepresented among British Empire personnel convicted by court martial of various disciplinary offences, especially absence without leave; but, this may at least be partially explained, by the refusal of the Australian government to follow the British Army practices of applying the death penalty to desertion. The New Zealand and Canadian armies followed the British practice.

Instead, Australian soldiers received prison sentences, including hard labour and life imprisonment, for desertion and for other serious offences, including manslaughter, assault, and theft.

Additional minor offences included drunkenness and defiance of authority. There were also examples of Australian soldiers being involved in looting while the practice of "scrounging" or "souveniring" was also widespread.

One of the potential problems for young soldiers was the boredom along with the unknown future that was waiting for them. A lot of the young men were from small rural communities, and so there was a restraint on behaviour when mixing with young women.

Being let loose in a strange country with plenty of spare cash, some fell for the temptations that always seem available in this strange environment. A disease that the soldiers couldn't tell their mothers about was rife.

Another popular must see was the Pyramids. It was only about a half hour's run from Cairo by train. William was surprised to see on one of the train platforms etched into a seat, "Austin Schofield was here 1915." It made him feel good that although he hadn't caught up with him. At least his cousin was sharing some of the same experiences he was.

After the excursions, there was always more training. This included subjects like first aid, hygiene in the field and etcetera.

As they had a very fine hospital there, they could meet a lot of the wounded from Gallipoli. It left them with a mixture of in-trepidation and excitement. They wanted to get on and fight the war, and yet, they became aware possibly for the first time the dangers and horrors that were ahead of them.

They had been out on a lot of route marches, and surprisingly most of the men somewhat enjoyed themselves. (Naturally, they would never dare to mention that to any of the superiors.) They were taken out among the cornfields. The roads were very well made & they had trees growing on either side, so it makes it cool. However, when they passed through some of the native villages; they wished they hadn't any sense of smell.

The flies there were everywhere. They could not lie down or have a meal in peace.

The local children always followed them trying to sell whatever they could, be it souvenirs, cool drinks, or food.

## Austin Schofield

Two days before William's detachment arriving at Suez, Austin Schofield landed at Gallipoli after coming from Egypt and joined the main body of the 2nd battalion.

Austin's arrival on Anzac Beach was not as bad as he had been expecting. It was a fine day, and there was only light artillery shelling. There was the constant noise of rifle fire with an occasional burst of machine-gun fire in the distance. He reported to battalion HQ and was assigned to a company. From here he was shown around and introduced to the men he would be living with for some time.

They seemed a decent bunch, although; their appearance was not as sharp as those on the parade grounds back in Egypt.

The first days were not that fearful. Austin spent the first two days in the rear trenches, and it wasn't until the third day he was to occupy the front trench. There was sniper fire, and mortar rained down continually. Although two soldiers were wounded, it would be Monday before Austin saw his first death. This was an awaking to him, as the poor fellow was less than 10 metres from him. He heard the mournful screams, and he could see him slip away as the medics did all they could do for him.

Still, it was better for him than for those who ventured out of the trenches into "No man's Land." This was the area between the opposing armies. Often the bodies of those who were wounded there (from both sides) would lay there for days as it was impossible to retrieve them while under fire. The bodies would rot, and in the heat of the day, the stench wafting over the trenches was sickening. If that weren't enough, those observing at the trenches through the trench periscopes would see the rats gorging on the flesh of their fallen comrades. Thankfully, every so often a local truce was called so both sides could retrieve the fallen dead.

If he had not been sure before Austin now knew that this was deadly combat, he had got into. Nothing like shooting rabbits outside of Cootamundra and nothing like camping overnight beside the Murrumbidgee River.

Austin had difficulty eating that night.

Their primary diet consisted of bully beef (a type of canned meat), hard biscuits, some tea and sugar and some jam. Small quantities of bread sometimes came through, with bacon and cheese also being made available at times. Vegetables were scarce. In the early days, the men resorted to eating 'Julienne,' which was flaked and dried pieces of various vegetables in a tin. 'Maconochie's' was a tinned meat good that also contained some potato and other vegetables.

Away from the front line, there were army cooks, and it was always a welcome break to be well behind the lines just for the variety of food. These breaks came very seldom, and everyone made the best of them.

On Sunday the 14th, the battalion was moved out and relieved the 9th & 12th Battalions at a ridge called "Black Hand." This was by far a lot closer to the enemy lines than their previous position had been.

When they took up position, there was an observation post that had only been constructed the previous night by the 9th Battalion. The Turks must have thought that it had something to do with the heavy artillery bombardment that started that day a couple of ridges away.

With this in mind, the Turks concentrated all their fire toward the new structure, and in a short time, they found their range and completely demolished it. Austin was impressed by the Turks concentration on such a target that was, in reality, a small and insignificant piece of infrastructure.

Because most of the men around him had a civilian background working outdoors on farms and therefore, they did not feel too discomforted by the heat, it was the freezing blizzards and frost that removed the soldiers most from their comfort zone. Most of them had previously spent their days under the Australian sun.

Most of the men that had been at Gallipoli for some time had only the clothes which had seen them through the warmer months. By the time snow began to fall, and the north wind began to blow, often these clothes and boots were worn out, and the men not on duty found themselves having to huddle together in dirty old blankets. It was not uncommon for the men who were on duty to freeze to death at their posts. Others needed to have their toes or feet amputated because of severe frostbite.

In one of the few letters he sent home, Austin made the following observations about the skill and competence of the officers above him. He wasn't disheartened; he was only making the observations.

"Within the 1st Division, of its initial 631 officers, 607 only had little previous military experience. This was largely through service in the pre-war militia, where there had been little to no formal officer training. In addition, there was a small cadre of junior officers who had been trained for the permanent force at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Their numbers were very small and at the outbreak of the war the first class had to be graduated early in order for them to join the A.I.F. (being placed mainly in staff positions). Other than small numbers of Duntroon graduates, from January 1915 the only way to be commissioned into the A.I.F. was from the ranks of enlisted personnel. While the A.I.F.'s initial senior officers had been members of the pre-war military, few had any substantial experience in managing brigade-sized or larger units in the field because training exercises on this scale had rarely been conducted before the outbreak of hostilities. This inexperience was contributing to tactical mistakes and avoidable casualties during the Gallipoli campaign."

There was an uneasy feeling about the whole camp, and as winter was almost upon them, there were a lot of rumours and guessing. Most of the Australian diggers thought in unison that the "Poms had no idea on how to run a battle" and if the decisions were left up to the Australian commanders, things would go a lot smoother.

Little did they know that during the same time they were guessing, and the rumour mill was in full swing, a conference was taking place in Madras. Kitchener and other leaders were recommending to the British Government that the entire Gallipoli Peninsular be evacuated.

Very few commanders on the peninsular knew that the conference was taking place and even then, only the three corps commanders and their chiefs of staff knew the subject matter.

Orders arrived forbidding the landing of further supplies of food. No engineering stores were to be brought ashore, except those required for the repair of the piers on the beach, and other works of similar urgency and all plant or machinery of no special value were to be withdrawn.

As the diggers in the field knew nothing of this, it was war as usual.

Shelling constantly all day and night.

Rifle fire every few minutes.

Continual broken sleep.

While on the front line there was no such thing as meal breaks or rest time. They had to catch a few minutes sleep whenever they could and try to use their rations whenever there appeared to be a lull in the fighting.

The medics were constantly scurrying as they conveyed the wounded to the rear lines and yet, there seemed to be an unusual serenity as the mules with the water came through the trenches. There had been a shortage of water due to damage to the pipes bringing the water ashore from the water barges in early October (freshwater was shipped from the island of Lemnos). The capacity for water storage was around eighty thousand gallons (approximately three hundred and fifty thousand litres), but by October 11th the storage had reduced to around twenty-four thousand gallons.

This created a critical shortage, and the daily ration per man was reduced, from one gallon each to a half gallon per person. It is important to remember this was for cleaning, cooking as well as drinking.

On the 27th of November, there was an enormous rainstorm followed on the night by a short snow blizzard. This compounded by forty-eight hours of freezing wind. Rain at Gallipoli proved to be yet another climatic challenge for them. Torrential rainstorms flooded the trenches and made the battlefields resemble dams of mud. The rain was not as much of a problem for the Turks as their trenches were always situated on higher ground than those of the ANZACs and therefore were not prone to flooding.

Waterproof capes and wellington boots were issued to the diggers actually in the trenches on duty. A small issue of rum was made, but for most Australians, the sight of the first snow was the real antidote to the cold. Snow was not a complete stranger to Austin because although not in the snowfields it was only two days ride to Cooma from his home in Cootamundra. There had also been rare small snowfalls around town.

Some of the trenches nearby were flooded by the first rush of fast flowing streams created from the storms. Austin later heard that some of the members of his unit had drowned in these trenches.

At one stage some of the front-line trenches were temporarily abandoned and were only held by means of patrols. Austin thought that the Turks would have taken advantage of this, but to his amazement, they didn't. He even saw in the nearby flooded creeks the bodies of dead Turks and mules being washed down in the torrent.

The fighting continued throughout December, and although he did not know, the evacuation was well underway. The evacuation was to be in 3 stages.

During the preliminary stage, the numbers were to be reduced as if it was a purely defensive winter campaign. The troops would not be aware of anything different, and they would have no notion of a complete evacuation was shortly to take place.

During the intermediate stage, the force and materials would be reduced until all that remained would be enough to defend the positions for a week against a full attack. Even then the utmost secrecy was required, and therefore that left had no idea that an evacuation was imminent.

The war continued for Austin and his comrades. It was shelling, day and night. Sleep interrupted by machine gun bursts. Only Bully beef and biscuits for 3 meals a day.

Austin lost track of how long he was on the front line. He yearned to be relieved and sleep in a tent at the rear and have good hot meals prepared by the battalion cooks.

The final evacuation was to take place on the nights of the 19th and the 20th.

Austin's group were given their final orders. They were to keep their positions during the evacuation on the first night. Then, every 20 yards, one rifleman was to stay in place and fire regularly.

Periscopes were to be propped up, and every effort was to be made to create the impression that the trenches were still fully occupied.

Those who were to be evacuated made their way to the beach silently. Smoking was prohibited.

In areas where the Turks had a clear view, small groups were ordered to lounge around as if they were taking breaks.

Austin was to go on the second night.

When it was time to finally abandon the trenches, Austin was to help set up some remote firing devices to fire some rifles to keep the illusion that the trenches were occupied. Some rifles had a string tied to the trigger and a candle burning until it reached the string. The rifle would then fire.

Fires in the trenches were stoked up so they would burn all night. The food was left cooking, so the smells of food would waft over the enemy lines. It seemed an irony that the food that they detested would finally be used for good purposes.

Austin was in the second last group to leave their posts. At exactly 02:30 they made their way to the beach. The given routes had been scouted and timed from every position to the departure point. The route was to be out of sight of the Turks. They travelled along the 4.7 Road, through the Beach Sad, along Shrapnel Gully to Anzac Gully. At precisely 03:15, they arrived at Milo Pier where they boarded the lighter that then took them to the waiting ship.

Austin did his part in the deception, and although it was so serious, he quietly enjoyed it and thought it was all a good lark. He was fascinated by the ingenuity of the Australian soldiers to devise so many time delayed or automated firing systems. He doubted that the British Generals could be that clever.

By daybreak, the beach was deserted, and the ships carrying the troops were over the horizon. The deception worked so well that one of the destroyers left patrolling the beach area reported constant rifle as well as artillery action from the Turkish lines, over the abandoned ANZAC trenches.

Austin's group was transferred from the lighter onto the SS Campanello. They were then taken to Mudros on the island of Lemnos.

While at Mudros the battalion was re-assembled, and all the appropriate checks and balances were made, so that accurate reports could be sent to division HQ. Although the weather on Lemnos was atrocious, it was a relaxed atmosphere knowing that there was no enemy fire to watch out for.

On Thursday the 23rd they boarded the HMT Huntsgreen and set sail for Egypt.

Christmas day was a strange affair. Austin had been used to having his family around him and enjoying a hot Christmas feast even though the temperature was close to 100º F. At sea, it was an ordinary meal, and the temperature was closer to 40ºF. Even then there was a feeling of good will. Although the chaplain was a Church of England minister, he felt that the way the service and communion were structured it did not interfere with his Roman Catholic upbringing.

Back home in Cootamundra, the family had gathered at Charles and Iris's home for a large family Christmas dinner. By now Iris had two children of her own, Gilbert, who everyone called Roy (aged 4) and, Edward, who everyone called Charlie (aged 2) It was a pleasant day, although there were a lot of prayers for the family members now overseas. They did not know at that stage exactly where due to the time mail took as well as the need for wartime secrecy. They were sure that the three of them would probably be at Gallipoli. In fact, Austin was at sea returning from Gallipoli to Egypt while William and Arthur were in Egypt not far from each other.

On Tuesday the 28th of December, Austin disembarked from HMT Huntsgreen at Alexandria. The following day they went by rail to Tel-el-Kebir and back to the camp he had left seven weeks earlier. He reflected on the journey how in only 7 short weeks, he had gone from a civilian in uniform to a battle-hardened soldier.

## Arthur Wright

Arthur Wright had arrived in Egypt on the 11th of December from Sydney on the HMAT A72 Belatana, after serving 7 days punishment for being absent from duty. He also arrived in camp at Tel-el-Kebir. Arthur, like so many of the Australian diggers, he had a wild sense of humour so on Christmas Day he earned himself another 1 day's punishment for "Committing a nuisance in camp lines."

This would mean that on New Year's Eve 1915, William Power and his cousins Arthur Wright and Austin Schofield would all be at Tel-el-Kebir.

Arthur had by this time understood of just how the engineer's role in the war effort was different from the infantry, artillery, and the light horse. Sappers (as they were known), were essential to the running of the war. Their responsibilities included constructing the lines of defence, temporary bridges, tunnels, trenches, observation posts, roads, railways, communication lines, buildings of all kinds, showers, and bathing facilities, and other material and mechanical solutions to the problems associated with fighting in all theatres. They were to make it possible to cross the muddy and shell-ravaged ground of the Western Front. He was looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead of him.

Over the next few months, many opportunities presented themselves for the three cousins to share time together. It also gave Arthur and William a chance to learn from Austin's experiences on Gallipoli. Austin's descriptions enlightened them both, and they learned two things.

(a) The importance of mateship, along with the emphasis on protecting each other.

(b) They also learnt all about the horrors of war, the screams of agony from the wounded, and having to see your friend's dying of fatal wounds in the trench next to you. The feelings of helplessness and anger also enter into your life.

They, however, were also able to share a lot of laughs and each other's company.

In the meantime, back in Australia, on Wednesday the 5th of January, another cousin, Thomas Edward Kingston had enlisted at Goulburn, and three weeks later Thomas Wright enlisted at Bathurst.

Austin's unit was to remain at Tel el Kabir throughout January and February. The time was spent in training for a different type of trench warfare, the areas where more attention was needed.

In mid-February, they all handed in their bayonets and were issued with the new long (1913) bayonets. The training was relentless, and there was a strong emphasis moved on physical fitness.

Arthur Wright's training was interrupted with a stay in the hospital for treatment of ringworm.

For William, by the 13th of February, the shape of the future was beginning to be formed as he was absorbed into the newly formed 53rd battalion

As both the 53rd and the 69th battalions were newly formed there was some balancing of numbers and talents to be achieved so, on the 19th of May, William was transferred from the 53rd to the 60th Battalion where he would serve out his remaining time in the army,

Arthur returned to his unit from the hospital on the 3rd of February and was straight into training because it was the engineers who built and destroyed the infrastructure needed to make war.

The 1st. Field company engineers were railed to Serapeum on the 15th, and for the next two weeks, they worked non-stop. Sepapeum was a village on the Suez Canal where among other units, there was a large Ordnance Base and a hospital.

The company was spread over 3 locations. Serapeum East, Toussoum, and Devisor.

One section was on duty unloading pipes from the wharves. Another section was repairing the rail infrastructure while another group was building defences throughout the area. In addition to these tasks some, with steam experience was assisting with the trains while any other general engineering fell upon the company. Arthur was beginning to wonder what he had got himself into.

Almost every day there was a bathing parade (the military way of saying that everyone must have a swim) in the canal. The Suez Canal is like a wide river with room for ships to pass each other and plenty of dock facilities. Swimming was one of the rare pleasures afforded to the diggers.

In the middle of March, the whole company was inoculated against Para Typhus. Rumours were starting about action somewhere soon.

Work was to continue in this fashion through to the 14th of March. With the amount of physical exertion involved the whole unit was given a holiday every six day along with the weekly church parades.

On the 15th of March, General Chauvel addressed the Company. That day orders were given to prepare to move out.

By the 19th the whole company had been inoculated, and on the same day the company was reviewed by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. 6 days later the Company boarded the train for Alexandria.

The following day they were on the way to Alexandria. Both the 2nd Battalion A.I.F. and the 1st company field engineers sailed from Alexandria on the HMT Z23. Arthur and Austin were able to share some time on the voyage.

They were on deck together when they passed Malta, and they were together when the "Enemy Alarm" was sounded. This, as it turned out, was a false alarm.

## France

They disembarked at the port of Marseille on the 28th of March.

Less than a month later, Arthur had been wounded in battle, just outside of the French town of Sailly. The bullet had passed slightly below his right shoulder and exited through his upper back.

First, he was admitted to the London General Hospital at Wandsworth and then, on the 7th of July; transferred to 1st Auxiliary Hospital in London.

It would not be until October that he was discharged from Hospital. Although they looked after him well and he felt safe, there were some close calls. During the night on the 23rd of September, he awoke to the sound of aerial bombing from a Zeppelin only a few miles away to the east. This was only a couple of nights after another a bit further east and being not as loud, did not wake him.

### Austin Schofield's France

Austin Schofield's unit boarded a train to take them to Reinsure (via Orange, Lyons Moulin, Juveys France) arriving there on the 1st of April.

The three-day journey through France was an insight into how such a beautiful country could have so many facets. The field blending into wooded areas that then blended into vineyards.

He marvelled at the petite French villages, and as they passed through each village, the sight of the locals waving as they passed made him feel good. He wondered what it would be like around the Riverina if a foreign country invaded and another foreign country sent its army to help repel the invaders.

After 10 days acclimatisation, they then started their first major march from Reinsure to Outtersteene, which was about 1 mile east. The march was not particularly arduous except that, for the first time Austin was involved in a route march through wet and muddy fields within a combat area. Although they never contacted the enemy, they were constantly aware that they were there and that they could encounter them at any time. They then moved on to Sailly-sur-la-Lys. This was now well and truly near the front. They could, especially at night, hear artillery fire from the battlefields to the south-east.

Wednesday the 19th was the day they left the comforts, as meagre as they were, of billets and moved into the trenches on the Croix Blanche farm.

Although Austin had experienced trench warfare at Gallipoli, he found the situation in France quite different. At Gallipoli, the soil was softer, and the mud was nowhere as wet as it was here. At Gallipoli the area was hilly, and the trenches lined the ridges. The three-trench system did not work particularly well in this location because the land was flat farmland and the enemies were on the same level.

The trenches needed more shoring, and every single trench needed raised timber duck boards along the floor. This was to allow the rainwater and mud to move and therefore, not to impede the movement of troops along the trenches.

The three-trench system (i.e. front trench for firing and advancing from, the second trench for resting between duties and the rear trench for command centres and supplies,) had been employed here. It was thought that the troops would be better rested and so less subject to fatigue. For a while Austin thought that to be correct but, as the battle wore on, he had doubts. But even for whatever doubts that may have arisen, Austin noted that his own, as well as his comrade's commitment and desire to win the battle, remained high.

Trench combat continued 24 hours a day. The first relief came on the 20th when an unsuccessful attempt to cross "No-man's-land" was made. A few other exploration patrols were attempted, but during those few weeks, they were soon abandoned.

But there must have been an effect on the enemy as there was a small trickle of German deserters that entered the Australian lines. One such deserter on the 29th said that he had heard that an attack by the Germans was imminent. This didn't happen, but it caused the level of vigilance to be raised to a new level.

On the 5th of May after being in the trenches for 16 continuous days, the battalion was relieved and moved into the billets at Fleuraix. Austin had forgotten what it was like to be able to sleep in a dry bed. They still were in what was described as "the front" so, there continued to be a heightened level of awareness, however; definitely, it was not as rugged as being in the trenches. The average daily maximum temperature was around 70º F (20º C) while at night it got down to around 45º F.

They returned to Sailly-sur-la-Lys after being replaced by the 12th Battalion on the 18th of May. Only to be back in the trenches that were around Fleur aux in mid-June. The weather had warmed slightly, but the fighting became far fiercer. Throughout June Austin witnessed that the battalion was suffering heavy losses. It seemed that the Germans had become more accurate with their artillery. It also seemed that the enemy snipers knew exactly where every man was along the trench and had their rifles aimed at the right spot waiting for an Australian to peer over the trench.

They stayed in those deadly trenches until at the end of the first week of July when they returned to Sailly-sur-la-Lys.

The 9th of July saw them assemble and back to Counterstained. The following day the battalion marched to Baillieu Station (encountering hostile action as they marched) and caught trains to Candas. Over the next five days, they marched across the battlefields, first to Domat followed by Vignacout. From there they marched to Allandale and finally to Warley.

On the 16th of July 1916, they bivouacked at Warley for three days. Warley was located about 5 miles south of Fromelles.

## William Power

The war for William was starting to get close, and on the 19th of June, his battalion sailed from the Egyptian port of Alexandra aboard the Infaunas Castle to Europe. For what seemed a long trip over a relatively short distance across the Mediterranean to Australians, the journey took ten days.

On the fifth day, as they passed Malta, "General stations" was sounded. Apparently, a fishing boat in the distance was mistaken for an enemy warship. "All Clear" was sounded shortly after, but it certainly enforced the feeling that this was not an idyllic Mediterranean cruise.

For the rest of the voyage, the tension was high, and it seemed that every soldier on board was a voluntary lookout. So, on the 28th of June, on a balmy Mediterranean summer day, they disembarked at the French port of Marseille.

For a port and town, they had heard so much about it was disappointing that there was no leave. There were so many stories about the flesh spots of this famous town, but alas, not one of the soldiers on that journey was able to explore and enjoy the delights of the town. Instead, they were shortly loaded onto a waiting train.

Across Southern France, it was relatively peaceful as the war was mainly in the Northern provinces. The countryside was peaceful and stunningly beautiful. It was only the sight of some military columns that destroyed the illusion of a country that knew of no war.

As the train passed through the countryside, none of the men really understood what lay ahead. They had mixed with some of the troops that were at Gallipoli while in Tel el Kabir but still very few of the battalion had seen action.

The train took them five hundred km north to Thiennes for an overnight stop. After a long journey, they were glad to disembark and stretch their legs. They camped overnight before marching onto Steenbecque, a small village about thirty km south of the Belgium border. William was glad in a way, as they were to spend five days solid training and getting used to the weather and conditions near the western front. It was a big difference from Cootamundra, and certainly, there was nothing that could compare the difference between the hot deserts of Egypt and the rain-soaked fields of northern France.

Early morning of 8th July the whole battalion assembled and marched toward the front. They marched to Croix Marrais, Merville, Estaires and then onto Les Doulieu where they camped overnight.

William was now experiencing real wartime conditions and could hear the sound of war in the far distance.

No luxury of huts or even pitched tents. All they had was a light cover. The following morning, they started early and marched on to Sailly-sur-la-Lys. Then the final six-mile march to Fromelles and their camp at Rou de Bout, where they arrived late afternoon on Monday the 10th of July 1916.

They were all warned that an attack was imminent, and they moved into trenches for the first time. The trenches had been somewhat prepared by the engineers, and their task was to make them ready both for defence and to launch an attack from.

William had not lived in the trenches before that day, but he was glad that the engineers had built as he thought, solid trenches.

On Sunday the 16th, they were ordered to prepare for an attack the next day.

The next morning before dawn they moved into the trenches. Later in the day word came through that the attack was postponed because of the foul weather. All the members of William's platoon were glad as they didn't relish the thought of their first battle being under the extremely bad weather.

By Wednesday morning the weather had improved, so they were advised that an attack was now extremely likely.

At 11 am they marched from the rear trenches (the usual practice was to have three trenches, the rear one was the communication area, the Centre one was the rest and preparation area while the front trench was where troops defending the trenches and/or about to launch an attack were positioned). Sergeant Bent reassured them they were ready for action while Bert Power and Sol Miller were not so sure. William thought that he was ready, and he knew that his training would put him in good stead.

Their trenches came under heavy artillery fire for most of the day and then about 4 pm the order came for the main assault.

The attack began to go wrong even before the men went over the top. The ill-prepared Australian troops were packed into their frontline trenches, shoulder-to-shoulder, and before the attack. They suffered casualties from German artillery fire and from "drop shorts," fired by their own inexperienced artillery. Two British battalions also suffered heavily, losing one hundred and forty men to artillery fire before they left their trenches.

Along the four-kilometre front of their attack, the Australians had to cross between eighty and four hundred metres of open ground in broad daylight, and under direct observation from the German lines. The German defences included concrete blockhouses and a strong redoubt, known as the Sugarloaf, overlooking most of the Allied line of advance.

William left the trenches, and under extremely heavy fire, waves of his comrades had joined him. His comrades were being hit all around him, and it seemed to make no difference whether they were running or crouched down crawling, they were being massacred.

The cries of the wounded were chilling, and William knew that there was little that anyone could do to help them. William must have made some distance before he was hit as he was reported as missing in action for the first twenty-four hours.

This was not only the worst twenty-four hours in Australian military history; it was the worst twenty-four hours in Australia's entire history. The Australians suffered 5,533 casualties in one night. The Australian toll at Fromelles on July 19th, 1916 was equivalent to the total Australian casualties in the Boer War, Korean War, and Vietnam War put together. It was a staggering disaster.

During this action, Private William Henry Power, regimental number 2893, was killed in battle aged only twenty-two years and six months. His remains have never been identified!

### Austin Schofield 17 July 1916

Earlier the same day, Austin Schofield and his unit moved into the Albert trenches. Austin however, did not know on that same day less than 50 miles to the north, his cousin, William Power, had been killed. That had been in the same area where his unit had last contacted the enemy.

Austin Schofield was back in the trenches the next day only this time the Australian forces were far more aggressive. Patrols were sent out each day. A lot of those involved, fierce hand to hand combat.

Fortunately, the patrols that Austin went out with didn't encounter the enemy in force. They did have the fortune to capture two German soldiers who were able to give valuable intelligence. Back in the trenches enemy artillery was active all throughout the day.

Just after midnight on the 23rd, the battalion started the attack on Pozieres. Initially with artillery support, and then a constant stream of skirmishes that ended up with over one hundred enemy soldiers perishing. Although it took eighteen hours non-stop, at the end of the battle the north side of the main Albert to Pozieres road was secure. They were also able to move into some of the deserted German trenches.

The next night the battalion was relieved by the 7th Battalion, and they proceeded 5 miles south to Tara Hill rest area, just outside of Albert. It was not that long before the battalion was again on the move.

First, they marched to Vedencourt Woods, near Contay, then the next day west to La Vicogne. They only marched about five to ten miles a day, but they were hard miles. Never knowing when they may run into enemy forces. La Vicogne led to Bonneville and then on to Pernois to the south. They were able to settle in for a time at Pernois.

On the last day of July, the afternoon was occupied by strenuous bayonet practice. He said to some of his mates, he thought that the British must have a lot of hand to hand combat planned for them.

Austin was promoted to lance corporal on the 1st of August, and this led him to remember to write home to his mother. Although Austin was not a prolific letter writer, he did attempt to send a letter home at least once a month. He always avoided telling her of the horrors he had seen, instead concentrating on telling her about the friends he was with and all about the French countryside.

The battalion stayed in Pernois for ten days before they marched back to La Vicogne. After an overnight rest, they then proceeded to Rubempre the next day.

Four days in Rubempre was followed by Harponville and on to Brickfields, which was just outside of Albert. Austin was starting to become confused about exactly where he was, as well as where he had been. He decided that it would be a good idea if he kept a notebook and jotted down where he was each day. He planned to write a long letter home when he finally returned to a peaceful spot.

There seemed to be something going on as support units, comprising the 1st, 3rd, and 4th battalions were also assembled at Brickfields. The movement started on the 21st. Austin with the 2nd battalion marched to Warloy, and then La Vicogne. On the 24th they marched north to Gezaincourt.

After a day's rest, they marched the three miles north to the Doullens North rail siding where the boarded train number seven just after midnight. Although the train was number seven, it was the second train to leave just after three am.

The train took them one hundred miles north to Bandhoek in Belgium. Austin did not know it, but that morning he had his last sight of France.

The next day the battalion took another train east to Ypres where they relieved the Seaford Highlanders.

On the morning of the 1st of September, they were in the trenches at Zillebeke (about 3 miles south-east of Ypres). Their main task was the cleaning, draining, and maintenance of the trenches. Everything was reasonably quiet during the day except a few high-explosive shellfire coming from the vicinity of the Maple Corps about a mile to the east.

Later in the day a couple of the shells hit, and two men were wounded by the shrapnel. Also, there were continuous gas alerts.

The maintenance continued, as did the shelling, over the next 3 days. By now they had also been able to repair the front line as well as the communication trenches. The cost was mounting with the loss of 5 more men along with a further 8 wounded badly enough to be evacuated.

Enemy mortar kept falling into the trenches, and on Tuesday the 5th one shell landed on B Company headquarters. This resulted in the killing of 4 officers as well as, 9 other men.

To Austin's relief the next day the battalion was relieved by 4th Battalion. This was not carried out without causalities.

Austin and the rest of the battalion were ordered to travel independently to the Zillebeke bund dugouts. Gas and shelling continued for the next 5 days, and on Sunday 2 enemy airplanes flew over them. This was the first and only time that Austin had seen enemy aircraft, although they saw a squadron of British Sopwith Camels way back at Marseille.

Austin had previously wondered what direction aviation would take after the war. He would have felt proud if he knew that in 1927, Butler Air Lines would form with their headquarters at Cootamundra Airport.

On the 11th, the Battalion (less 1 company) moved to where Battalion Headquarters had been previously located. The other company moved nearby. Continual shelling continued over the next 2 days, resulting in 3 men killed and 3 more wounded.

The continual bombardment made sleep almost impossible, leading to fatigue and worst of all, short tempers. It was around this time that the events at Fromelles, a month earlier had filtered down. Austin knew that it was the battalion that William was in, and he hoped that William had survived. The mood was somewhat sombre as most of the troops knew someone in the 53rd and 60th battalions.

On the evening of Wednesday, the battalion left the railway dugouts and proceeded to the Ypres Asylum rail station. From here they were transported to Brandhoek and then marched to the Ottawa camp.

After a good night's rest, the Battalion was paraded at 9 am for training.

Saturday brought a day of lectures for NCOs and officers. Austin was promoted to Corporal and the troops all bathed in the divisional baths.

Sunday was a quiet day with Roman Catholic and Church of England church parades at the 1st battalion lines.

Monday came, and Austin along with the whole battalion was instructed with the new box respirators. They tested them with the harmless lachrymatory gas. This gas did cause tears and discomfort but, as it caused no real harm. It was ideal to demonstrate to the users how safe and relative ease of use; the new mask was.

Over the next few days, it was simply training for all at the camp, but Austin noticed a stream of high-ranking officers making short visits and some inspections. It aroused his suspicion that something was developing. The groups of officers and senior visiting the front lines, in small groups made him even more suspicious.

The next afternoon Austin's suspicions proved correct. They left the camp at 6 pm and marched to Brandhoek siding and took the train the Ypres Asylum station.

They then proceeded to the front-line trenches where they relieved the 5th Battalion. The relief was done with no casualties.

For the next three days, trench mortars were continual being fired at them with some intermittent artillery shells as well. On Thursday night, there was a distinct earth tremor at 8 pm. It was probably a mine exploding. There were many mining actions taking place where the Australian and Canadian engineers had recruited experienced miners to excavate mines deep below enemy posts. If successful, explosives were placed in the mine and detonated. Every time enemy losses above ground were heavy, and all that remained were deep craters.

On Saturday the 30th, trench mortars were continuous being fired into their trenches with increased accuracy.

That was the day 2nd Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces lost Major Rowlands, Sergeant Hobson, Lance Corporal Austin Schofield and 8 other men.

Austin Schofield is buried in the Bedford House Cemetery, just two miles from where he died.

## Thomas Wright

Earlier on 9th September, Thomas Wright departed Sydney on the HMAT Euripides A14, bound for the UK with the 20th reinforcement unit of the 4th battalion.

Thomas Kingston also departed Sydney a month later on the HMAT Ceramic A40 with the 30th battalion.

In the meantime, on 26th October, Thomas Wright had arrived at Plymouth with the 20th reinforcements of the 4th battalion. He proceeded east to the southern English town of Wareham, where he was attached to the 1st training battalion.

Within a month he experienced his first bout of tonsillitis and was admitted to the RMAC hospital at Tidworth.

After his bout in the hospital, Thomas was transferred to the major training complex at Fovant.

Fovant was the major trench warfare training facility with miles of trenches. During the war, the village experienced the impact of large numbers of soldiers. Several camps were constructed to the north of the downland that stretched from Barford St Martin to Swallowcliffe.

A light railway, a hospital, a cinema and more shops soon made their appearance.

The camps eventually stretched from Barford St Martin to Swallowcliffe. Those in Fovant were known as Camps 1- 4, Camp 13, the R.F.A. (Royal Field Artillery) and R.E. (Royal Engineers) camps.

Here the diggers learned how to construct, fight, and live in trenches. Thomas had learnt shortly after his arrival that the camp was only a few miles from Stonehenge.

He somehow came to possess a false pass, and so he visited this unique monument that he had learnt so much about in school. As he stared at the enormous pillars of stone, he pondered, like so many others about why they were there and how did they get there. Eventually, he settled on the common idea that they had something to do with sun worshippers and astronomy. He was glad that he made the journey and thought that it was well worth it. He even took some photos with his Kodak box camera that he was sure his grandchildren (that is if he ever married and had children) would be fascinated with. Tomas also took advantage of visiting a local pub or two.

On arrival back at Fovant, he was promptly frog-marched before the Commanding Officer where he was awarded 28 days detention.

While serving out his detention, he suffered another bout of tonsillitis and was admitted to the Fovant Hospital. He was in a quandary; he couldn't decide whether he preferred a sore throat or the detention. A sore throat won! He felt that lying in bed, looking out the window at the English countryside was the better option. Being attended by good looking Australian nurses was far better than being ordered around a drill square by some cranky, RSM pommy (all Australians referred to British men as pommies).

On completion of his detention, which coincided with his discharge from the hospital, Thomas was returned to the 1st Australian training battalion.

Christmas came, and even though it was during the war, all the Australian men enjoyed a typical English Christmas dinner.

The weather was below freezing overnight and only reached 35ºF during the day. Thomas, for the first time in his life, realised why, at home in the scorching heat, on Christmas day, traditionally a hot roast dinner was served. It had always seemed stupid to him, but now, realising that his home country was populated by descendants of Europeans, it finally made sense.

The New Year brought a little joy, for as January drew to a close so did his tonsillitis return. This time, the army had admitted him to King Georges Hospital in Stamford Street, London. He was kept in until completely cured. (The tonsils were removed, and he was treated for any other mouth infection that may have developed over the long illness). It was not until early March that he was released back to the training battalion at Fovant.

April brought a big change, and his group of replacements was transported to the seaside port of Folkstone in Kent.

Folkstone was an important British port during the First World War with around 9½ million soldiers, nurses and others, passing through the harbour. Soldiers embarked to serve on the Western Front while other soldiers were returning home because they were on leave or were wounded.

Thousands of Belgian refugees first landed at the harbour from September 1914. Some remained in the local area, while others dispersed around the country.

Austin was shipped to the town of Etaples in France, and then, on 6th April, he was posted to his unit, the 4th Infantry Battalion Australian Imperial Force.

Austin had heard in England about the reputation of the town. Etaples was a particularly notorious base camp for those on their way to the front. The officers and NCOs in charge of the training had a reputation of not having served at the front.

These "canaries", as they were known, inevitably created a certain amount of tension and contempt. Under atrocious conditions, both raw recruits and battle-weary veterans were subjected to intensive training in gas warfare and bayonet drill. Then long sessions of marching at the double across the dunes. After two weeks, many of the wounded would rather return to the front with unhealed wounds than stay at Etaples.

On 28 August 1916, a member of the A.I.F. Private Alexander Little (10th Battalion; no. 3254), verbally abused a British NCO after water was cut off while he had a shower. As he was being taken to the punishment compound, Private Little resisted. He was released by other members of the A.I.F. and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Four of these men were later identified, court-martialled, convicted of mutiny and sentenced to death, including Little. Three had their sentence commuted. While the military regulations of the A.I.F. prevented the imposition of capital punishment on its personnel, that was not the case for the NZEF. Private Jack Braithwaite, an Australian serving with the NZEF, in the 2nd Battalion of the Otago Regiment, was considered to be a repeat offender. His sentence was confirmed by General Douglas Haig, and he was shot by a firing squad on the 29th of October.

With this sort of reputation, Thomas was glad how quickly he could re-join his battalion at Velu, about 100 miles south-east.

No sooner had he arrived than he was put to work helping to construct trenches. He had no idea that the training at Fovant would be put to use so soon.

By Monday the 9th the trenches were occupied. The following day preparations were beginning to enable the battalion to relieve the 1st battalion. They were fully relieved by Wednesday evening.

Thursday brought another first for Thomas. Overnight a heavy snowfall covered the battlefield, and Thomas was heard to remark about how beautiful it looked even though it was a battlefield.

Over the next month, the battalion moved all around the district with battles at Bazentin, Bancourt, Bullecourt. Noreuil and finally, Meaulte. Although Thomas began to think it may have been his time, he survived that period unharmed.

Between the 22nd and the end of June, they spent their time in the village of Buire-sur-L'Ancrl.

Here they trained, honed their skills, and rested. On 12th June they marched 4 miles north to Henecourt where they were involved in the divisional sports day.

By the middle of June Thomas's enthusiasm, was beginning to wane. He earned himself 7 days punishment for failing to carry a waterproofed sheet when ordered to, also for talking in ranks.

The battalion marched out on the 28th of June from Buire-sur-L'Ancrl to just outside the village of Mailly-Mailet (about 12 miles north). Training continued there until 9th July when they returned to Buire-sur-L'Ancrl.

They had only just settled in again when on the 13th they marched to Bray-sur-Somme where they continued training. The intensive training here would prove advantageous at a later date.

Unfortunately for Thomas, on the 20th during training, he noticed that his toenails were giving him pain, and he had difficulty walking. He was admitted to the 1stAustralian Division Rest Station where they then transferred him to the 56th Casualty Clearing Station. He was treated here but, as his recovery was slow, on 27th July, he was diagnosed with Onychia (a fungal infection of the toenails). Thomas was now transferred to the Ambulance train and taken to the 5th General Hospital in Rouen.

Thomas was not one to enjoy hospital stays, and although he made the most of the good food and a warm bed, he was itching to get back to the war.

Finally, on 13th August he was transferred to the 2nd Convalescing Depot.

With his recovery progressing, on the 16th August, he marched into the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Havre.

As soon as he was fully recovered and fit for active duty, he returned to 4th Battalion now in Hazebrouck.

Thomas had returned to his battalion at a time where they had been involved in heavy fighting. Locations like La Motte, Meteren, Strazeele, Dickebusch in Belgium and Ouderdom all blurred in his mind.

October began with the battalion on the move and fierce fighting through the Ypres area.

On October 4th, 1917, near Broodsiende Ridge Belgium, a German bullet found its mark. Private Thomas Wright was killed in action!

Thomas had died in vain! Although the Australian Divisions captured Broodseinde Ridge (a vital victory), it then began to rain.

Five days later the 2nd Division suffered heavily in a further attack in the mud.

Finally, on 12th October, another attack, involving the 3rd Division assisted by the 4th was made against the village of Passchendaele atop the main ridge.

Faced with heavy fire, the men fought in the mire while struggling to keep up with their artillery barrages. Ground was taken, but it could not be held. In wretched conditions, with casualties mounting at an appalling rate, the Australians had to fall back. The troops were finally exhausted and could do no more.

Thomas is buried at the Tyne Cot British Cemetery Passchendale.

## Arthur Wright back into action

Arthur Wright was discharged from hospital after he was allowed several episodes of leave, and he made full use of them.

He was able to go and along with over 3,000 people which including the (then) Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and King Manuel II of Portugal. He watched a football match at Queen's Club on Saturday 28th October 1916 between a team from an Australian Division and another representing Training Details.

The former Olympic champion swimmer and the later Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Lieutenant Frank Beaurepaire, organised an Australian Rules football match. It was between two teams of Australian servicemen, in aid of the British and French Red Cross. The match was promoted as the "Pioneer Exhibition Game of Australian Football in London". It was held at Queen's Club, West Kensington before an estimated crowd of 3,000.

It was reported by the Daily Mail; -

"The game was played under Australian rules and was a novelty to most of those present."

"The ground is oval, running to 120 yards in width and 180 yards long. Goal posts have no cross-bar, and as long as a ball is kicked through them, the height does not matter. A penalty goal can be dropped, punted, or placed, and in passing the short kick is much used, the offside rule is non-existent. All the rules are designed with the object of making the game a fast one, and it has certainly the look of being that. There are four quarters of 20 minutes each, and after the first and third there is merely a quick-change round and no interval."

The spectators were also treated to their first exhibition of Australian "barracking". This barracking is a cheerful running commentary, absolutely without prejudice, on the players, the spectators, the referee, the line umpires, and finally, the game itself. On Saturday it was mostly concerned with references to the military history of the teams engaged. When a catch was missed, for instance, a shrill and penetrating voice inquired of the abashed player, "D'you think, it's a bomb? It's not, it's a ball."

On one side there was a colonel playing among the backs, and the captain of the other side was a chaplain. And a popular one, to judge by the cheery advice he got from the privates on the line and in the stand.

The men playing on Saturday were not used to each other, but though the teams thus lacked combination, the game was fast. There were some excellent displays of high marking and kicking for goal. The Division eventually won by six goals and 16 behinds (52 points) to four goals and 12 behinds (36 points).

All the gate money and profits from programs went to the funds of the British and French Red Cross Societies. Arthur had some other good times in London and kept away from some of the temptations that were readily available. He did, however, find time to have a few drinks although there were the wartime restrictions.

The British were not too pleased with some of the restrictions, and one wag wrote: -

Nineteen seventeen was a tough year for Britain's drinkers. Lloyd George (a bit of a miserable git at the best of times) had pulled on his steel-toe-capped DM's and was down the precinct looking for mister booze. The war was his big chance to piss on the drink's chips. And he would not miss it.

That he was Britain's last Liberal Prime Minister shouldn't come as a great surprise. His government's emergency measures rushed through in the "national interest", determined the relationship between the Briton and his pub for the rest of the century. Opinions of the man differ, but "twat", "shitbag" and "wanker" are some of the more generous that pub-goers have suggested.

Only the resolute opposition of the working man - who considered a daily pint as his inalienable right - kept the total prohibition at bay. "More Beer or we Down Tools" - what could better typify the indomitable spirit of the British working class?

If you think I'm perhaps a little harsh, consider this: he halved the volume of beer brewed, more than halved its strength, increased excise duty by 600%, doubled the price. Then he slashed pub hours by two-thirds. What a bastard.

Though, compared to Hitler (also a teetotaller), his record for maintaining beer strength in wartime... isn't much better. Both got beer below the intoxicating level - OG under 1030º - three years in. (Ok, in the inhuman monster stakes, Lloyd George isn't a runner, so I suppose comparing him to a carpet-chewing, mass-murdering psycho isn't completely fair. But he IS the bastard responsible for the afternoon closing period that blighted my days as a young layabout. So, I'll insult him as much as I like!) Bastard!

Arthur normally was not the greatest letter writer. He, however, found that the time in the hospital made it easier to write frequently to his sweetheart, Leah Miller, whom he had met in Sydney while he was training. His brother, Constable Albert Wright and his wife Ellen had encouraged the relationship. Albert had also planted the seed for Arthur to consider joining the police after the war.

On completion of that treatment in November, he was taken on strength at No 1 Conversant Depot. It was not until 10th March 1917 that he was declared fit for service. This allowed Arthur to explore London and even make a side trip to Stourport in Worcestershire where his grandfather had emigrated from, 80 years prior.

On the 15th of March, Arthur was declared fit to return to action. By the 25th he had re-joined his unit at Lavievelle in France, after a stay at the camp at Etaples.

For the next fortnight the company was involved in training, and some minor construction, until, on 6th June they marched to La Neuville-les-Bray. For the rest of June, it was more training, except that now it all focused on pontoon erection and dismantling. This was not too bad, as it involved a fair amount of time in the water and, every member's swimming skills were honed.

Through July, the company continued with the training, but with the addition of advanced gas warfare skills and awareness. They often joked that in a gas attack, they should be all right by diving under the pontoons they had constructed. (In fact, this would not have helped and may have been even more dangerous.)

Relief from the training came on the 27th when the Company travelled (along with "B" Coy 2nd Battalion) to Bavinchove station, some 80 miles to the north. They immediately marched to billets in nearby farms.

Two sections were working on divisional baths at Staple, and at Oxelaere, while another detachment was busy on sinking a well near the station. Work was constantly delayed due to a shortage of materials. This work schedule was intermixed with constant training.

On the 8th of August, it was time to pack and be on the move again. They moved (except for the detachment working on the Staple boats) about 6 miles to the southeast. There they set up in a garage about 1km out of Hazebrouck.

For the next few days, they were used in the servicing of wagons, in particular, changing of hydraulic hoses. All this happened with the constant hostile shelling of Hazebrouck. Arthur often found that he had a duty as a Piquet (guard /lookout) as there was always the slight chance of enemy attack. Piquet duty usually comprised 2 hours on and 2 hours off, over a 12-hour shift. It was boring, but it was also a chance to reflect on all that has happened. When he stopped to take a toll, he realised that he had now seen an extensive part of northern France and pondered at how different it was compared to Cootamundra. The area was green and lush at the same time fairly cool whereas, Cootamundra and the Riverina were generally brown and hot except for the strips along the rivers. Yet for all their differences he had developed a fondness for both lands.

On the 13th of August, they moved to Vieux-Berquin. Until the 25th, most of the company was either training or assisting the farmers with their crops. Some of the sappers found it quite an experience doing farm work but, for many who, like Arthur, were raised on farms it seemed so natural. This was the closest interaction the ordinary sappers had with the local civilian population. Working next to each other led to a firm comradeship between the sappers and the farmers. Tilling the fields, with modified army equipment, was a new experience for the locals. Some of the more innovating local farmers wondered if they may be able to convert abandoned equipment from both sides.

It was rumoured, but unconfirmed, that several relationships developed between some of the sappers and some of the farmer's daughters.

By the 8th of September, the mood was changing. The company was ordered to move to Ypres travelling via Bailleul. Now Arthur would start to experience Flanders and the countryside of Belgium.

As well as bridging throughout the canal area around the Belgium battery Corner, the majority of the company was tasked to assist the Artillery in constructing heavy artillery positions.

This worked continued although some of the work on the 60-foot bridge spans was slow due to the shortage of supplies and materials.

They worked under heavy artillery bombardments, and several men were lost while reconstructing the mule track

Another group of men was constructing shelters in the trenches for the 1st Infantry Brigade near Zouave Woods. For the rest, there was a heavy work schedule working on artillery posts, trenches, and roads. All this took place while they were under constant enemy action.

By 3rd October the unit was ready to move to Bellewaerde. Here they were to work alongside the infantrymen from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions.

The 4th of October was a day of heavy fighting, and the 1st Field Company lost 1 officer and 6 other ranks. 22 other ranks were wounded, and 1 was missing. Arthur himself was wounded in the right arm by small arms fire. It hurt like hell, but he was able to return fire until medical help arrived.

His initial treatment was at the 37th Casualty Clearing Station. The next day the 64th Field Ambulance took him to Abbeville and the 3rdAustralian Hospital. He remained there for a fortnight until he could be moved.

He was transferred to the ambulance train which took him to his ship (SS Warilda). On 27th October it docked at Southampton then, on 24th October he was admitted to Northampton War Hospital.

Two months in the hospital, although a break from the horrors of war, was not the best way to pass the time. His wounds were extremely painful, and initially, he needed to be heavily sedated. With his determination, he was soon on the mend, and the doctors were able to reduce his painkillers significantly.

His mind seemed to drift back continuously to Sydney, and he could imagine himself in a brand-new police uniform marrying Ellen. He wrote daily, although, with a wounded right arm, his handwriting must have been atrocious.

Finally, he was discharged to the Convalescing Depot on the 12th of December and shortly after he was transferred to the Engineers Transport depot, waiting to return to his unit.

In the meantime, he gave himself a break for Christmas, and on 2nd January he fronted the commanding officer. He was awarded 24 days loss of pay for being AWOL for 6 days. It was a busy morning as the CO had 25 men all on similar charges.

Arthur still had the desire to explore London and its surrounds, and he took a liking to see how the famous London Bobbies went about their jobs. He made friends with a couple of them and was regularly seen sharing a pint or two at the Horse and Hounds came to like the English ale, even though it was far inferior to what Tooth and Co made in Sydney. He also took a liking to pork pies and a special liking to black pudding. This has been described by some as a foul-tasting black sausage that was full of uncooked blood.

No matter what he really enjoyed socialising with the Bobbies, from the New Cross Gate police station. He wrote long letters to his brother, Albert, telling him all about the Bobbies and how they went about their work and duties. He was fascinated by how they were used as air raid wardens. During Zeppelin raids, they hung signs around their necks advising civilians to take refuge in the underground railway stations. He was amused by the sight of a policeman wearing a sign around his neck.

Finally, he received his orders on the 5th of March to proceed to France. The Engineers Transport Depot in Rouelles was his first destination. It took only a week for Arthur to re-join his unit at Basseije on Belgium.

The company was heavily engaged in construction work in the area. The only let up on the works was when they were under direct attack by H.E. and Gas artillery. Losses were minimal, so construction of trenches, shelters and roads continued until the 3rd of April when they marched through Ouderdom and Busseboom to the Poplars. Here they had a break for the day and the next evening (Saturday) they marched the 8 odd miles to the Godewaersvelde rail station (in France across the border)

Sunday morning, they boarded the train and travelled to St. Roche station (Just outside Amiens). If there was not a war on it could have been described as a pleasant journey. They passed through the seaside towns of Calais and Boulogone and the countryside through Abbeville. In all, it was a 7-hour train ride.

After unloading at St. Roche, they then marched 5 miles north to Allonville. On Tuesday they marched about another 5 miles north-east via St. Gratien to Frechcourt. Here they spent the next two days practicing demolition using plastic explosives they had just been issued with along the way.

Thursday night they marched overnight to Querrieu and then along the Albert-Amiens Road to St. Roche station. They were scheduled to leave around 4.30am but, due to extremely heavy shelling, they were delayed until 11 am. During the shelling, there were some casualties.

Eight hours later they had arrived at Hondeghem and then marched around the town of Hazebrouck to the village of Borre. From there they moved about ¾mile to the east at Pradelles where they at once started the preparation for a defensive position. They also prepared trenches including 1 that was 240 yards long by 3ft wide and 1 ft 6 deep by midnight at Stazeele.

Heavy shelling and enemy fire continued over the next month. The engineers of the 1st field Company kept on working constructing strong points, improving the trenches along with road and track maintenance and placing mines.

On 4th May 1918, Sapper Arthur Wright was promoted to Lance Corporal and on 10th May. The company saw some relief, with being moved back to Hondegham for training and a short rest.

By 19th May they were back on the front in the midst of battle at Borre. Trench warfare was never a pleasant experience, and the personal hygiene was just one of the many difficulties that the troops in the trenches had to endure. Rotting bodies just a few metres from the trench in no man's land created an awful stench, as did the frogs, rats and other vermin that occupied the trenches. Although duck boards lined the bottom of the trench, it seemed that there was always a layer of mud that they all had to walk through. Toilet facilities were also a big problem. When the troops moved out of the front trenches, all the body odours were overpowering and sickening. This was attributed to that they had gone a week or more without washing.

Hot showers would have eased the stench staying with them when they left the trenches. As they were still on the front line and it was rare that they were available. That was until the company's Sergeant Major James Johnson had the idea to create the shower using salvaged materials from retreating German soldiers.

He designed a shower that could give hot and cold water using least water and fuel. It weighed only about 18 kg. After it was first used around Strazeele in July 1918, it was adopted as standard practice throughout the war zone.

When asked how he invented it he is reported as saying, "that is how we engineers do our job. We make sure the fighting men have as much as possible, protection, and comfort as possible in these atrocious conditions."

June was spent on or near the front lines at Boore mainly in the construction of shelters and improvements to the trenches.

July's worksheet reads somewhat like a civilian contractor's list of projects, 3,000 yards of fencing erected. 2000 yards of trench excavated, 50 shelters constructed. Various strengthening works at company HQ and guarding mines and directing transport through land-mined areas.

The major push forward at the end of August saw the whole 1st Brigade engaged. It is interesting to note that while the infantry was moving forward, strong points and wiring was completed by the engineers in less than 5 hours. All while under heavy enemy artillery attack.

After the combined successful attack and the overrunning of the Hindenburg line in the early part of September, the unit moved through Fouilloy to Monflieres. Here they could rest and train for whatever awaited them.

The highlight for the company was the Engineer's divisional sports day at Surcamps in which the 1st Company was extremely successful.

By the end of October, there was an uneasy feeling that something big was about to happen.

The time in Monflieres was the most enjoyable time for the company in France, but on 7th November; they marched to Villers-sous-Ailly. The next morning, they boarded road transport for Hangest, travelling via Flixencourt. Arthur noted how quiet it was as they passed through Flixencourt and some of the other villages. He noticed that almost every house had a French Flag hanging from the window. The locals were all waving flags as they passed, and it seemed to Arthur that this was some kind of defiant gesture aimed toward the retreating enemy. He was correct in this assumption.

They boarded a train that evening and arrived at Roisel the next morning. They then marched to Epehy. On the 11th they arrived at Bazuel.

In Basel, they were informed that the armistice had been signed at 11.00 a.m.

The terms of the Armistice were very hard. Though they were theoretical only, the Armistice terms practically embodied many of the peace terms. Peace and the date on which it was expected to be consummated depended on the stability of the German Government. There existed some doubt to the German Government's stability. Also, as they were uncertain as the ability and willingness of the enemy to carry out the terms of the Armistice, they had to carry out certain lines of action. This was necessary on their part as there was always a possibility of fighting to restart at any time.

The most outstanding feature was that the evacuation of occupied territory must be completed by 26th November. With this in mind, the allied troops were expected on the frontier at the Rhine by 2nd December.

The army of occupation had two functions; -

First, it was to occupy the territory to reduce the German ability to resume hostilities. Then it needed to enforce the terms of peace.

To do this it was necessary for the Armies of Occupation of Belgium, Britain, America and France, to work from north to south. Each had a definite frontier on the Rhine to hold defensively and to administer their allotted piece of territory.

The British Army of Occupation comprised a total of nine Dominion Divisions (4 Australian, 4 Canadian and 1 New Zealand) and 4 British Corps comprising 4 divisions each.

To be in place on time, the Company moved on the 13th to Busigny, where they camped until the 21st before they moved to Prisches. After a day's rest, they then marched on to Semeries via Catignies and Avesnes.

It was now as they marched through the villages, they were cheered and in many cases; the locals offered the men, cheese, and wine. Many of the local women threw their arms around the soldiers.

They stayed at Prisches until 17th December and, while they were vigilant in watching the former enemy, there was a genuine air of peace, hope, and relaxation.

On the 17th of December, they marched back into Belgium to Solre-Saint-Gery. Over the next couple of days, they marched on through Thy-le-Chateau and onto Sart-Eustache. Christmas in Belgium was a pleasant experience. Snow in the fields and a plentiful supply of chocolate.

On the 25th of January, Arthur was transferred to England where he could enjoy a small amount of time to re-familiarise with the city. While in London, he also caught up with a couple of his Bobby friends. He even kept in touch with them over the ensuing years as they followed each other's progress in law enforcement. A couple migrated later and joined the New South Wales police force.

On 28th March he sailed to Australia on the SS City of Pooma and arrived in Sydney Harbour on 16th May 1919.

Arthur was discharged from the army on 9th July 1919. He married Leah Miller (his pre-war sweetheart) at Glebe shortly after his discharge, and he joined the NEW SOUTH WALES Police Force on 4th October 1919. He served with the police until 1954 when he retired at Deniliquin reaching the rank of Inspector.

Arthur passed away in 1978!

Leah survived him for several more years eventually dying in an aged care facility in Deniliquin.

## Thomas Edward Kingston

Tom Kingston enlisted at the Goulburn recruitment depot on 5th January 1916. He was given the basic medical examination before being sent to his basic training at the New South Wales signal School.

Being from a small country town where everyone knew each other, Tom was not well versed in the ways of being involved with unknown ladies. Sydney during the war years had many opportunities for a young man to be educated. Some of the other recruits had been raised in the city. They thought it would be a good idea to take young Tom on a tour of Sydney's seedy areas. The sight of young girls displaying their wares along with his mate's urging led Tom to spend two pounds on his education. This led to his first visit to the hospital at the VD ward on Milson Island on the Hawkesbury River.

This stay took three months for him to be rid of the disease! From the 31st of March until the 24th of July he spent in isolation in a hospital. He had told his parents he was doing a secret skin-diving course. This was not the excitement that he had enlisted for.

He returned to the signal school, and on 11th August he was transferred to the 10th Reinforcement Company of the 30th Infantry Battalion. Here is where he really got into army combat training. Endless physical activities, riflemanship, first aid, and lectures on hygiene. (He thought he should have had the latter when he first enlisted.)

He felt that with the amount of marching they had done equalled the distance to Europe and back again.

It was late September when they were told that they would soon sail overseas. They did not know exactly where but as they were issued with warm clothing they soon guessed that it would not be to the desert somewhere. So, on 7th October, they embarked from Woolloomooloo on the HMAT A40 "Ceramic." Waving on the wharf, Tom saw his cousin Albert Wright in his official New South Wales Police Uniform. As the ship passed through the Sydney Heads, he mused and wondered what great adventures were ahead?

He gave no thought to the horrors that awaited him only the adventures.

The HMAT Ceramic was originally built for the White Star line for the Liverpool to Australia run. She was the largest ship on the run until 1923 when P & O introduced the RMS Mooltan.

The journey was fairly uneventful, and after only a few days of bad weather on 21st November they disembarked at Plymouth.

From Plymouth they had been transported 126 miles away to Codford on the Salisbury Plains and into the 8th Training Battalion. Training at Codford was intense with a heavy emphasis on trench warfare and in particular, gas avoidance and precautions.

The Codford area had large training and transfer camps established for the tens of thousands of troops waiting to move to France. Codford later became a depot in 1916 for the men who had been evacuated from the front line and were not fit to return to the front.

Tom's first Christmas away from home was an uneventful occasion. He could not imagine spending Christmas in a freezing cold tent, in the south of England, without being surrounded by his family. Tom was, however, glad that the flies were not annoying everyone like they would be back in Cootamundra.

He was thankful that he would not be spending New Year's Eve at this place. On the 30th he was transported to the seaside village of Folkstone where he was to board the Princes Clementine (a converted cargo ship used as a cross channel ferry).

On New Year's Eve, he arrived at the 5th Australian Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, France.

You could not say he enjoyed Etaples, as the discipline was the toughest he had so far endured. Even on Milson Island, it was not this tough. On the 26th, he was marched before the commanding officer and charged with "Failing to get out of bed at reveille. He was also charged with being absent without leave from 5.45 am Parade." He was given 4 days field punishment. Nothing was mentioned about the hangover he had been suffering after a heavy night at the other rank's canteen.

He was finally taken on strength on 8th February by the 30th Battalion.

He marched right into the action in the trenches around Montauban-de-Picardie. In the Needle and Switch trenches, there were constant bombardments followed by intermittent enemy rifle fire.

By the 23rd Tom had seen 1 of his comrades killed in action and at least 4 others seriously wounded. This shook him up, and from that day on he had nightmares that were to stay with him all of his life.

The next day action was moved to Rose Trench, and preparations were made to occupy the German "Sunray Trench". It was reported by the patrols sent out the previous night that they were now unoccupied.

Every second night it seemed that Tom was out on patrol between the German and British lines. There was some minor contact made with the enemy but, mainly their task was to see and gather intelligence. Tom was not afraid of going on patrol because he knew if he saw action he would at least see his enemy because, in the trenches, the enemy was never seen. These patrols were the basis of decisions that were to affect the whole battalion, and on completion, every member of the patrol was debriefed by the intelligence officers.

On the 1st March, the battalion marched to Trones Camp "E" where they stayed and worked on the roads until 8th March when they marched to Townsville Camp.

Here they were able to re-organise the platoons, as well as get in some important training. Over the following week, they marched and fought through Factory Corner, Yarra Bank, and Ligny-Thilley, until on the 17th when they arrived at Bapaume.

They were only there 1 day and then they were on the move again. They were involved in action between Bapaume and Bancourt. They were to encounter more action, between Bancourt and Lebucquiere. And back again to Bapaume. There were continual encounters with small enemy groups, and they took about 40 Casualties over that fortnight. Tom helped many of his wounded comrades until medical help arrived and this time, probably contributed to Tom having difficulty sleeping. Tom had nightmares as he re-lived all the actions where he was splattered with blood from wounded comrades.

He re-lived the first night of action along with the accompanying screams and blood squirting over him every time he closed his eyes.

It was amazing that throughout the whole conflict, there were still times that the men could associate with the locals. It became clear that some of the lovely French girls missed their boyfriends that were fighting or killed. Many of the lonely ladies found solace in the arms of the soldiers that had come to help rid them of the invaders.

The medics constantly advised the troops to avoid such intimate relationships, but virile young men don't all have the necessary will power. Tom was not one such person. Tom carried the guilt of the sickness he caught in the sleazy back streets of Sydney with him. He avoided any casual affairs and constantly warned his comrades of the pain that could come from such a small time of pleasure. Few of his comrades took heed of his warnings.

April, May, and June were a distant blur of battlefronts and constant movements all around northern France for Tom. Sleepless nights along with the stench of bodies in the summer sun combined with the awful shelters in the trenches did not make for an enjoyable life.

He fought the nightmares that haunted him, and he knew they would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Occasionally, when they were billeted in villages, the chance to mingle with some of the townsfolk, seemed to make his nightmares fade. There was usually a small amount of drink available in the villages, enough to allow you to relax but not enough to create drunkenness. This helped at times to chase the nightmares away for a short time.

For Tom, July saw an end to the battlefields! He had become sick, and on the 20th he was admitted to hospital from the battlefield near Senlis.

It was originally thought that the disease that previously hospitalised him had returned. Amongst other things, he seemed to suffer pain while urinating. With this in mind, the medics transferred him to the Divisional Rest Station. Within 2 days it was realised that there were further complications, so he was admitted to 39th Base Hospital at Hauve.

Whatever the problem, it still was not diagnosed when he was transferred to the 5th Australian Base Depot on 18th September.

He kept those around him awake at night with his nightmares and screaming, and he was extremely irritable to all around. He also seemed to be having many delusions that were beyond explanation.

Within 2 days he was back in the 39th General Hospital where (although still not diagnosed) he was kept until 12th August. He was then reclassified as P.B. (Fit for permanent base duties only) and was sent to Weymouth in the United Kingdom.

On 8th December he received 1 day's punishment for being "Improperly Dressed."

On 15th January 1918, he sailed to Sydney aboard the HMT Cornice with a change of duties. His records referred to him as suffering D.A.H. (Disordered Action of the Heart) which later became known as battle fatigue or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

He arrived in Sydney on 7th March 1918, and after some time under medical supervision, he was finally medically discharged from the army on 4th` September 1918.

Tom completed his tailoring apprentice and worked as a tailor in Petersham until his death in 1960.

Tom never married!

## Austin Power enlists... again

As he was now "of age," Austin re-enlisted at Newtown on 8th June 1918. He needed to honour the memory of his brother, William, who was killed in action less than 2 years previously.

Austin was initially attached to the composite battalion on the 27th of August, on completion of his initial training. He was issued with his original regimental number of 65805 as this was the practice for those who re-enlisted. It was not a long wait, and on 4th September Austin sailed on HMAT Bakara A41 with the 18th General Reinforcement Company to London.

At 11 am on 11th November 1918, the guns fell silent.

The war was over, but there was still a lot of work to be done before the peace treaty of Versailles, was signed on 28th of 1919.

From the troopship, 5 weeks later on 14th November, he was moved to the camp at Fovant, where he was allocated to the replacements of the 3rd battalion. His time in England was not to be a pleasant stay. He spent the next 10 days sick in the Fovant Military Hospital. He returned to his unit on 29th November.

Discharged from hospital, Austin was then sent to the staging camp where he spent Christmas. It was a very wet and cold Christmas, and not at all like the one would he have enjoyed back in Sydney. It wasn't until 21st January that word of his posting came through, and 9 days later Austin was on a ship heading for France. Although the armistice meant that the fighting had stopped, a state of war still existed.

He went straight to Bouffioula in Belgium where he spent most of his service assisting with post-war general battalion duties. These included

  1. . Ensuring that there were no isolated German troops with the wish to continue the war.

  2. Stocktaking all military stores and equipment

  3. Liaising with the local population to help restore law and order as needed, along with helping to re-establish farms and business throughout the region.

The rest of the time consisted mainly of education and general training,

After more training (education and recreation) equipment was cleaned and stored to prepare for a return to Australia or disposal.

On the 7th of May, Austin received his orders to join the Quota 49 unit, for a return to Australia. In the meantime, on the 11th of May, the majority of his battalion marched to Loveral (1 ½ hours to the west).

It only took 3 days from receiving his orders, until he was shipped to England, where he went straight to the No.1 Group at Hillsborough in Sheffield.

England at the end of the war was recovering, and there were a lot of shortages. He came to admire the resolve of the average pom was to rebuild and get on with life. His military duties were minimal as they were in transition, from a wartime army into a peacetime force. Drill and guard duties along with lectures that would assist them to return to civilian life were the order of the day.

Leave was plentiful, and Austin enjoyed the 3 months there and loved exploring the local area and mixing with the locals.

Monday 19th August saw him waving farewell to England as he headed home on the HMAT Argyllshire. Austin was somewhat disappointed that he had seen no real action, but he knew that his small part still contributed to the overall success of his country's effort. The sight of Sydney heads on that early spring morning made him feel better.

He had seen a part of the world that he had never seen before. Austin had enjoyed the comradeship and disappointment of his fellow soldiers. He also had the chance of visiting the field where his brother had died. The memories of which, he could share with his mother and the rest of the family.

It seemed a long time from when he arrived in Sydney (22nd September) until his discharge effective from 8th October 1919. Austin married Nellie Christenson in 1924.

A Mother's Lament.

William's Mother, Georgiana Power, was devastated when she heard that William had passed away.

She had only just won a battle with the army by having her younger son, Austin discharged. Austin had lied about his age and was only 16 when he enlisted.

She wrote to the army authorities requesting his belongings and effects. As the battle had been so devastating the army could locate none of his effects and so notified her as such.

7/3/17

Marrickville

Sydney

To the Head Officer

Of Base Records

Victoria Barracks

Melbourne

Dear Sir

Just a line to ask for any information you can give me concerning my son Private W H Power No 2893

60 Battalion

Late 1st Battalion

Reported missing on 19 July and then later reported killed in Action.

I want to know if any of his belongings have been sent back or his Disk or Pay Book. I went to Victoria Barracks in Sydney, and they told me that all casualties were in and advertised the names of the boys been killed and there were two Powers but not my son. He told me to write to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne for particulars as my son was taken out of the 53rd Battalion and put into a Victorian Battalion, the 60th and his things would be sent on. His address would be on him Cooper St Cootamundra N.S.W. He enlisted early in June 1915. Sailed 30th September 1916 and was reported killed 19th July 1916. He should have a gold cross on his neck with WH Power engraved on it, and he had a prayer book with his name in it in a couple of places and my name Georgina Power and he also had a photo of his two sisters Ethel & Blem, and a photo of his little nephew and a dog with them. If you should know anything about him, let me know as I am anxious to find out more about him.

I remain Yours Sincerely

Mrs C Power

PS I have left Cootamundra, and my current address is as above.

Not being a person to give up easily she continued to make the same request and contacted the army on

• 1917 March & November

• 1918 April & July

• 1919 August and finally on 12-July-1922

##  Epilogue

"Godparents, will you accept the responsibilities upon you bringing ......."

Iris's mind was wandering as she stood in the nave of St John's Church of England in Campsie.

In the six short years since her wedding, she had lost a brother, a brother-in-law, and a cousin in countries so far away. Another cousin had come back a wrecked man, and yet, as she looked around, she felt so happy and proud.

Between Charles and Georgina sat Iris's 4 children.

Roy and Charlie were two boys that were always running amok, and she was glad that Charles Snr. Had the boys in the toe. The daughters, Annie, and Ena were more subdued or where its bewilderment. To a 3-year-old like Annie, it was a big and wonderful excitement while for Ena, it was nice having nanna nursing her. The boys were both born just before the war started, whereas the girls were both born just after it finished.

She thought to herself about how much she missed her brother Tom. She also missed Charles' brother William and her cousin Austin, but it was Tom she grieved for most. She had been with him from his birth and right up until he sailed overseas. Just as she was beginning to get morose, she saw her brothers Arthur and Albert. The sight of them both in their shiny police uniforms with their wives on their arms lifted her spirits.

Her cousin Tom was also there. She had come to draw closer to him, although she felt that he must have felt guilt that he is hiding... but did not want to discuss the war with anyone at all especially the women of the family.

Her thoughts then drifted to thinking how much joy her marriage had brought to her and how much she loved her 5 children. She wondered how much more she was to have. (As it turned out she would have two more girls, Ethel, and Kit, as well as two more boys, Bill, and Ray.)

She glanced across to Jerry, and her heart was bursting as she saw his adoring eyes looking at the baby in his arms. It seemed that he did not want to hand her over to the Vicar holding on to her tightly. "The big softy," she thought, "he had already gone through this ceremony 4 times already."

Her mind was racing all over the place, thinking of all that had happened since 1911. The sadness was well and truly overridden by the good times she and Jerry had shared along with the joy her children had brought her.

She seemed not to have heard most of the service until the vicar said

"Marie Joan Power, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

## The Fighting Men

**Austin T Schofield** (Son of Charles Power Snr's Sister. i.e. Charles "Jerry" Power's cousin) 1892 - 1916 Killed in Action 30 Sep 1916 at Ypres Belgium Buried at Bedford House Cemetery Ypres Belgium

**William Henry Power** (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1896 – 1916 Killed in Action at Fromelles France 19 July 1916 Memorial located VC Corner, Australian Cemetery & Memorial, Fromelles, France

**Thomas H Wright** (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1898 – 1917 Killed in Action 4 Oct 1917 at Ypres Belgium. Buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery Passchendale Belgium.

**Austin Albert Power** (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1897 – 1951 Discharged Oct 1915 Married Nelly Chrystison He worked as a labourer and Died in Bankstown 1951

**Arthur William Wright** (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1895 – 1978 He was discharged 1919 and joined the New South Wales Police Force. He married Lia Millar the same year. He retired from the Police Force in 1954 with the rank of Inspector. He died at Deniliquin in 1978

**Thomas E Kingston** (Son of Charles Power Snr's Sister. i.e. Charles / Henry and Austin Power's cousin) 1894 – 1960) He was discharged from the army on Medical Grounds in September 1918 and worked as a tailor until his death in 1960. He never married

## The Family

Family members are featured in this book:

Charles Power (Snr) Drover 1859-1937

Georgiana Power (Belcher) Wife of Charles Power (Snr) 1854 – 1932

Edward John Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1884-1849

William Henry Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1896 – 1916

Austin Albert Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1897 – 1951

James T Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1899 – 1959

Wallace N Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1905 – 1937

Charles "Jerry" Power (son of Charles & Georgiana Power) 1885 – 1937

Gilbert Wright (Iris Ann's Father)1857-1933

Iris Anne Power (Wright) wife of Charles "Jerry" Power 1889 - 1939

Albert Milton Wright (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1887 -1956

Leslie Gilbert Wright (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1893 – 1966

Arthur William Wright (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1895 – 1978

Thomas H Wright (brother of Iris Anne Power) 1898 – 1917

Thomas E Kingston (Son of Charles Power Snr's Sister. i.e. Charles / Henry and Austin Power's cousin) 1894 – 1960)

Austin T Schofield (Son of Charles Power Snr's Sister. i.e. Charles "Jerry" Power's cousin) 1892 – 1916

### Authors Comments

I certainly hoped you enjoyed reading about my family's experiences during World War. I appreciate your support, and if you enjoyed it, please post a review

My next book, "An Australian Story" is the story of my family and the historical events that happened at the same time. After I completed my first book "The family that went to war." I was encouraged to tell more of my family's story, so I started with the first of my ancestors who came to Australia. By mixing in the history of my country, along with my family history "An Australian Story – the saga of "An Australian family over two centuries," was born.

Once again, thank you for buying "The Family that went to war", and I certainly hoped you enjoyed reading it.

Gordon Smith

Story Teller

## Other books by this Author

An Australian Story ISBN 978-0-9953674-1-8

Historical Biography

The saga of an Australian Family over 2 centuries

The Ministry ISBN 978-0- 9953674-2-5

Communications Unit Fiction Wartime Romance

It did not happen, but it may have!

Lady Ruth Bromfield ISBN 978-0-99553674-3-2

Fiction Inspirational

She escaped Nazi persecution as a child, then grew to become an inspirational leader

Men with a Mission ISBN 978-0-9953674-5-6

Fiction Vietnam War Adventure

Trained, Vigilant, Confident

The Sensual Retiree ISBN 978-0-9953674-4-9

Adult Fiction Romance

Follow Joan's most renewing encounters from her mid-sixties up into her early nineties. We learn that a love for life doesn't have to die before we do and that women certainly don't diminish with age

The Aboriginal Cameleer ISBN 978-0-9953674-6-3

Children's adventure Fiction

1930's rural Australia. Baddar, a wild hearted 7-year-old would tell you he is special. As the blood grandchild of the last Afghan cameleer and his wife, Rose, an aboriginal woman, Baddar knew he was destined for more than his little town. Bored of small-town life and overwhelmed by childlike curiosity, his ancestors tales of tribesmen and cameleers is all he needs to fuel his imagination.

**To be released 1** st **. December 2018**

