OUR HERITAGE
The Unknown Soldier
In February 1885, news was received in Sydney of the death of General Charles Gordon at Khartoum during the Dervish revolt. The following day, the Colony of New South Wales offered up a contingent to serve alongside British forces.
The force included an infantry battalion made up largely from volunteers from the First NSW Regiment. There was no security of troop movements in those days. At Bathurst, some 2000 persons gathered at the railway station to farewell their 14 volunteers and a reported 200,000 cheered themselves hoarse at Circular Quay. The two troopships ,Iberia and Australasian pulled out on 3 March, just 15 days after the force was accepted .It finally disembarked at the Red Sea port of Suakin on 29 March and joined the Nile Field Force of Lord Wolseley and was allocated to the Brigade of Guards who called them Walers and were surprised that they were "white-skinned"! They quickly changed into khaki drab from the scarlet and blue of the times but retained their single shot Martini-Henry rifles with saw-toothed bayonets.
Embarkation at Circular QuayJust a week later the battalion embarked on its first and only real expedition; an assault against Tamai some 20 miles inland. The force moved in hollow square with fixed bayonets and was soon to test itself against the Arabs who were armed with American Remingtons, spears, huge daggers and clubs.
Lieutenant William Cope wrote..........
" The New South Wales Infantry were posted on the heights commanding the hills, and in advancing to the posts allotted to them 3 men were hit, whilst the bullets whizzed past harmlessly, one of our fellows was wounded in the shoulder. Another was shot in the foot and hopped along for some yards before he realised how seriously he was hurt. Several others were hit but all in all the thing ended rather disappointedly, as Osman Digna retreated without showing much fight.
We then burned the village, a wretched affair of grass humpies and in doing so consumed a quantity of ammunition which popped about and made things lively for a time. We then marched back to our camp, and after a short breakfast commenced our return to Suakin.
As with every army since the formation of Julius Caesars First Legion, the force was alive with rumour......the contingent would go to India, it would go to England, it would go to Malta or Gibralter as a garrison force, it would stay in the Sudan until their bones whitened!!.
Finally the contingent embarked on HMT Arab on 17 May and reached Sydney on 19 June. With much feting and banqueting each man was presented with the Queens Egyptian Medal in silver with clasp "Suakin" and the Khedive Of Egypts' Bronze Star. The contingent was then disbanded.
'Suakin 1885' was the first Theatre Honour granted to an Australian First Battalion.
With many thanks to Tom Gunning - His Memoirs
Towards Tamai!
Private WE Learoyd WIA Tamai 3 April 1885.
Private DW Albone -His son on the right is a China Veteran.
CHINA 1900
By the end of the 19th Century, Japan and many of the European countries had established a large measure of control over Chinas' assets and this was vigorously opposed by a secret society commonly known as the "Boxers".
This lead to a campaign of violence against foreigners and although an International Force quickly subdued this outbreak and recaptured Peking, many rebel strongholds remained in Northern China.
With Britain under pressure with the Boer War on its hands, it called for assistance. South Australia promised a warship. Victoria offered up 200 officers and men from its own navy and NSW called for volunteers from its Naval Brigade and Naval Artillery Volunteers. 25 NSW soldiers (and we hazard they came from 1st NSW Regiment) supplemented the naval force.
Interestingly the soldiers objected to being enrolled as naval men and the naval brigade was equally opposed to having soldiers in their ranks.
NSW Marine Light InfantryCompromise was finally reached and the men were enlisted as The NSW Marine Light Infantry!
The force finally left Sydney aboard SS Salamis on 8 August and arrived at Hong Kong on 26 August. From here it moved to Taku in Northern China and formed a unit of 1st Brigade, British Contingent, China Field Force. The promises of action against the Peitang forts and Pao-ting fu, both Boxer strongholds came to naught however and the unit was ordered to Peking,10 days and 100 miles away for garrison duties. Here the unit set up a form of municipal government and conducted numerous parades.
With the New Years day review however, the Marine Light Infantry formed the Honour Guard during the proclamation of Federation and the force finally returned to Australia aboard SS Chingtu on 26 March 1901.
The China Medal was issued.
THE BOER WARThis was an extension of the First Boer War of 1881 and commenced in 1889 with Boer forces attacking Natal and Bechuanaland.
In October 1889 a part of the NSW Contingent was embarked for Capetown, Later converted from infantry to mounted infantry it was part of the Australian Regiment and saw much action at Kimberley, Elands River and Paadeburg.
The Theatre Honour 'South Africa' was awarded.
Boer Troops Posing in the Field
WWI 1914-1918.
A complex European political scene culminating in the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand of Austria brought the world to war in August 1914. Australia was quick to promise assistance to Great Britain. In the same month it raised the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) for service in German New Guinea and commenced to raise 1st Division Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
ANMEF left for German New Guinea in late August ,landing at Kabakaul near Rabaul on 11 September.
1st Division sailed for Egypt on 1 November aboard Afric (A19).Here the Division remained and trained; Churchill persuaded the War Cabinet that the Dardanelles should be forced and the Australian ethos was forged forever
1st Division AIF leaving Albany En Route for Egypt
GERMAN NEW GUINEA
1st Battalion ANMEF consisted of 1023 soldiers. The CO was Lieutenant Colonel Russell Watson who had served in South Africa and later commanded 24th Battalion in 1915/1917 at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium.
It needs to be recalled here that in 1914 Imperial Germany laid claim (and administered) what can be loosely called the northern half of present day Papua New Guinea and the outer islands of Manus, New Ireland, New Britain and the Solomons. In substance this extended really from the major coastal settlements and to a degree upstream of the Sepik River.
1st Battalion ANMEF on Parade Randwick (NSW) August 1914 . Sydney Mail Photo per AWM
Enlistment began on 11August.The force was inducted and the length of service required was 6 months. Leaving from Circular Quay on HMT Berrima the force stopped over at Palm Island for training and finally landed at Kabakaul, east of present day Rabaul and close to the all-important wireless station at Bita Paka.
Kabakaul-Scene of the Landing 11September 1914. AWM J3091
The actual landing place is the rubble jetty where the schooner is positioned.
By the close of Day 1 the Bita Paka section of German forces had surrendered and the station handed over. All this for a loss of 10 casualties against 42 for the German force. In conclusion the Union Jack was hoisted at Rabaul on Sunday 13 September and hostilities concluded.
German Reservists Coming in to Surrender.AWM A2543
From here forces moved to such places as Madang, Aitape and Lorengau and accepted surrenders.
The Occupation of Madang 24 September 1914
HMT Berrima in the Background.AWM FS Burnell per AWM
In conclusion, ANMEF troops in the majority returned to Australia at the end of their service and joined the AIF. As a result of its service, First Battalion ANMEF was awarded the battle honour Herbertschohe.
GALLIPOLI
It was 4.30am on Sunday 25th April 1915 that the Third Brigade consisting of 9, 10, 11 and 12 Battalions landed at Ari Burnu where it was briefly opposed by a company of 2/27 Turkish Regiment.
Held on the SS Minnewaska, the 1st Battalion lined the rails seeking the progress of the covering force. At about 7.00am, troops began to make out the forms of men digging and walking upon the high ridges ahead. The 3rd Brigade was established ashore.
Shortly afterwards, the 1st Battalion embarked on the destroyer HMS Scourge and then into the tows; 30 officers and 943 men. By the time it landed however, the Turks had counter-attacked Baby 700 and Major Blair Swannell's C Coy was diverted to reinforce the 12th Battalion which had retired about 150 yards. Amongst his officers was A J Shout who won the Victoria Cross in August for his part in the assault on Lone Pine and later died of wounds.
On reaching Baby 700, the company joined up with the remnants of the 12th Battalion and immediately counter-attacked forcing the Turks to withdraw. Charles Bean records that on that day Baby 700 changed hands no less than 5 times.
By 4.00pm it was held by remnants of the NZ Canterbury Battalion and the 1st, 2nd, 11th and 12th Battalions and by 4.30pm the slopes of Baby 700 were left to the Turks after the final assault by 2/57 Regiment.
Tom Richards, born near Tenterfield in 1882 was a rugby player of distinction ,playing for both the Wallabies and the British Lions and winning a Gold medal at the 1908 Olympics.
He landed at Anzac cove as a stretcher bearer, escaped unscathed in France and Belgium where he was commissioned and awarded the Military cross for leading a bombing party which pushed the front line back 280 yards. It was also in this action that one of his corporals Snowy Howell won the Victoria Cross.
RSM First Battalion Warrant Officer Robert Melville.
In the months to come, the 1st Battalion was a major participant in the campaign culminating in its seizure of Lone Pine with two VC's won and was among the last in the evacuation.
Retiring to the UK for reformation, it took part in major battles in France and Belgium such as Pozieres and Ypres.
Details and photos of these campaigns will follow.
The following names are those of soldiers who served at Gallipoli with 1st Battalion after enlisting in the Newcastle region.
James Allen, Henry T Bryant, Ben W Champion, Thomas Devall, Donald I Fraser, George F Gibson, Lindsay W Graham, Alexander S Hough, W E Chamberlain, R L Donkin, V E Farr, W Harman, W T Jennings A Kirtley, J McVea, T Mooney, J McDonald, E T Newton, A J Read, J Smith, Arthur W Spurr, H Stegga, G W Scott and Sidney Thompson.
With thanks to Newcastle Morning Herald and Gallipoli Legion, Hamilton.
WW2 1939-1945THE MIDDLE EAST, GREECE AND CRETE
With the outbreak of war in September 1939,the Australian Government saw that our interest lay in supporting England and set about raising the Second (AIF) Australian Imperial Force. Using the AIF of 1914-18 as a model, and as 15 brigades had been raised, 16th Brigade was the first to come on line and held 2/1st,2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions.
These were recruited and hastily trained and within weeks left for the Middle East where they were to receive further training and then deployed.
Sent from Egypt to Palestine, training was intensified, but orders were not forthcoming and in the meantime the British and French were out-fought and out-manoeuvred in northern France culminating in a largely-successfully evacuation from Dunkirk.
Taking advantage of the disorder, Italy declared war on Britain and France in June 1940 and began to advance upon Egypt in September. British and Indian troops counter-attacked and forced the Italians back to the small town of Bardia in Libya.
By this time. the Australian 6th Division was well up to strength and was moved to Egypt in readiness for further deployment against the Italians.
BARDIA
The defences were some 15 kilometres broad and 8 kilometres deep with the base on the sea North and South of Bardia. They were made up of minefields, anti tank ditches ,no less than 80 fortified posts and a labyrinth of trenches. Something like 45,000 troops were in place with about 6000 in the perimeter system
After much rehearsal and reconnaissance of the Italian defences. the start line was taped out and 6th Division with 2/1st Battalion on the pivotal left flank launched its attack at 5.30 am on Friday 3 Jan 41.
This position was chosen for the breakthrough as it gave the best assembly route for troops moving at night and because the anti tank ditches were weak. Another advantage lay in the Italians attention being diverted well away from this area by the particularly heavy patrol activity of 17 Brigade patrol activity to the East.
At H hour 2/1st Battalion moved off;1500 metres of bare and open ground to the wire; supported by close artillery fire and machine guns; and engineers who tore gaps in the wire with bangalore torpedoes allowing passage through.
The 2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions followed on its heels swinging to the right and east with tanks. This concluded Phase 1 of the attack with 16 Brigade taking at least 8,000 prisoners and driving a deep wedge in the defences of Bardia.
In the next 2 months,6th Division went on to capture the fortresses of Tobruk and Benghazi and destroyed ten Italian divisions.
In March, the German army entered Greece to bolster the flagging Italians and 6th Division including 2/1st battalion was ordered there to assist in the resistance.
The Allied forces made contact with the Germans on 10 April some 15 kilometres south of the Yugoslav border but being heavily outnumbered and with the enemy in total control of the air, resistance collapsed and the forces were mainly and successfully evacuated to Egypt and Crete.
On 20 May the Germans launched a parachute and airborne attack on Crete. With little heavy equipment and almost no air support, evacuation was ordered, saving some 15,000 troops though a further 12,000 were taken prisoner including many from 2/1st Battalion. So depleted was the battalion that it received about 100 men from each of the 2/2nd and 2/3rd Battalions.
The Hellenic Australian Memorial Rethymnon Crete.Following the entry of Japan into the war in December 1941,the Australian 6th and 7th Divisions were retired to Australia for reinforcement and training leaving the Australian 9th division in the Middle East.
Courtesy AWM
Final Parade before Sudan Departure
2/1 Troops at Wewak
2/1 Officers at Wewak
Turkish Battle Flag
