1917 in retrospect

It was Australia's worst year of the war.  At the end of 1917 victory seemed along way off. It was a year that saw 76,000 Australians, killed, wounded and go missing on the Western Front. To put this into perspective this was twice the number of casualties that were recorded on the Western Front the previous year, 1916, and three times the casualties which occurred during Gallipoli. The 40,000 deaths which occurred in 1917 amounted to two thirds of all Australian deaths for the entire war.  Not only was the scale of the casualties horrific but the allies strategic position in the war seemed worse then ever. For the families back home the sadness was compunded by the fact that many of their loved ones that were missing would never be found either as there bodies were cut to pieces by machine gun fire or they had drowned in the atrocious conditions that made up the battlefield in Belgium.

1917 was also the year which highlighted to the Australians the British command's ineffectiveness in conducting the strategic planning of the Allies war effort. This was strikenly eveident at Bullecourt and Passchendaele. The later becoming the word which described the sorrow and suffering of allied soldiers.  Charles Bean witnessed first hand many Australian soldiers being torn to pieces in 1917  and he wrote of one instance following the Battle of Bullecourt, "Bullecourt more than any other battle shook the confidence of Australian soldiers in the capacity of the British command"

In looking at the year the Middle East must not be overlooked especially the charge at Beersheba, in which The 4th Australian Light Horse  conducted a charge upon the city.  The opposition they faced was fierce but ended with the capture of the city. They suffered 67 casualties and earned a place in Australian military folklore.

From amongst all the terrible losses the AIF suffered in 1917  they still believed in their worth as soldiers. Again as Charles Bean wrote " where ever they fought they were sustained by the belief in their worth"   As dire as the situation seemed on the Western Front at the end of 1917 by November  the followimg year the war would be over. 

In conclusion Dr. Brendan Nelson, Director of the Australian War Memorial, puts it best we he writes " much that was precious was given in 1917. But from it and what would follow we would emerge with a greater belief in ourselves and a deeper understanding of what it means to be Australian,"

When people think of the Western Front during the war the following images represent their thinking. Theu were taken in late 1917 and are Australian soldiers at Chateat Wood which clearly show the awful conditions they were asked to fight in.

Australian War Census

As the casualties in Gallipoli continued to mount one of the confronting issues facing new Prime Minister Hughes was recruitment for the AIF.  A War Census was established that required males aged between 18 and 60 to complete a questionnaire  about their potential for military service. Questions they were asked included their age, marital status, occupation, state of their health and any military training they may have had. Prime Minister Hughes had also raised the stakes by promising Britain a further 50,000 more troops in addition to the monthly 9,500 troops which were being sent as reinforcements for the 60,000 troops that were already overseas. The War Census established that 600,000 fit men between 18-44 wre avaiable for military service.  Each of these men was sent a personal letter asking them if they were willing to enlist now or if not when they would be willing to enlist.  If they stated that they were not willing to enlist at all they had to state a reason why as explicitly as possible. The War Census did have its opponents as it was seen as a precursor to military conscription. An issue which later in the war would divide Australia.

The following is an article from the Ballarat Courier providing the results of the War Census.

Ballarat Courier 22 October 1915

This is one of the recruitment posters used during this time. Depicts the national symbol of the kangaroo against a backdrop of advancing soldiers. Full title reads: 'Australia has promised Britain 50,000 more men. Will you help us keep that promise?'

Courtesy of Australian War Memorial  ARTV00021

AT THE FOOT OF THE SPHINX

Turning the pages of the 100 year old Courier yesterday (February 5th) we discovered a gem.  The Courier, 100 years ago, was not regularly publishing photographs, so this must have caused quite a sensation at the time.  We have tried to find out a bit about the Ballarat soldiers in the photo. 

The caption has not reproduced adequately so we reproduce it below

The group depicted above is composed almost exclusively of Australians now serving in Egypt.  It embraces : - 1^st row (reading from left to right) Armourer Sergeant I.R.Parker, Ballarat;  Bugler Matthew, Scotland; Sergeant-Bugler H. Smith, Ballarat; Bugler A. Dunkeld, Scotland; Bugler B. Walker, Geelong; Bugler L. Hagger, Geelong; Bugler F. Hassell, England; C. Matthews, A.M.C., Melbourne; Bugler D. Summers, Avoca; Bugler Liddle, Queensland;  2^nd row, 1 and 2 unknown;  3. Mohamed Masoufy, 8^th Battalion Guide, Cairo; 4. Bugler E. Youlden, Ballarat; 5. Bugler Gladmann, Ballarat.  We are indebted to Mrs. G. H. Parker, of Bertlyn, Lyons St Sth, mother of Armourer Sergeant Parker, for the loan of the photograph.

Armourer Sergeant Ivo Reginald Parker, remarkably, has the Service Number 9, and the 5^th tree in the Avenue of Honour.  He enlisted on the 17^th August 1914, clearly anxious to serve his country - he’d been a military cadet for 2 years.  Previous to enlisting he’d worked for Jelbarts, in Mair Street. Unfortunately Staff Sergeant Parker became very ill while at Gallipoli (typhoid) and returned to Australia in 1916, discharged as medically unfit. He returned to live in Ballarat. 

Sergeant Bugler H. Smith – this appears to be Harry P. Smith of the 6^th Battalion, originally of Ballarat East. He too enlisted on the 17^th August, and was also a military cadet.  Smith was at the Gallipoli landings, and although he enlisted as a private he was rapidly promoted through to Lieutenant. He was wounded several times but was still able to be a part of the Evacuation; later in Egypt he became so ill with enteric fever he was returned to Australia in 1916 for ‘three months change’!  In April 1917 he rejoined the war in France, and in August 1918 was wounded and hospitalised in England.  He did not return to France before the Armistice.  He returned to Australia in April 1919, after an adventure on the way in South Africa, where he ‘failed to embark’ after shore leave in Cape Town, and was arrested AWL.

Bugler E. Youlden – in fact Ernest C. G. Youdan – was the son of Constable William Arthur Youdan, the constable in charge at Scarsdale, who’d been awarded £50 and a valor badge when he “closed with armed desperado Geo. Shaw.”  Bugler Youdan survived Gallipoli, but died in France in 1916 at Pozieres. His mother Agnes was living in Lydiard Street when she claimed a pension in respect of Ernest’s death, and she received 25 shillings per fortnight.

Bugler Gladmann – we think this is Charles R. Gladman, born in Ballarat but enlisted in Bacchus Marsh on the 12^th September 1914. He was with the 8^th Battalion, and was wounded severely in action many times, but after hospitalisation was always able to return to his unit, until late in 1917 when he was returned to Australia, having by this time lost his left eye, and almost all his vision in his right eye. After returning to Ballarat, he lived in Hickman Street.

 

Christmas in Egypt and keeping in touch with 'the boys' before the internet age

The 8^th Battalion of the 1^st Division, AIF, included many Ballarat men who enlisted in the first days after war was declared. In the history of the 8^th Battalion, Cobbers in Khaki, the author Ron Austin describes the Battalion’s first Christmas away from home as “a most forgettable one” - the Christmas dinner left a lot to be desired.  It sounds a very ordinary menu – stew, followed by rice and raisins.  The Battalion was encamped near the Pyramids and after lunch some of the men climbed the Cheops pyramid – and then had bread and jam for tea!

Cyril Bryant, from Ballarat, wrote home to his mother – 

Just fancy Mother, it is Christmas Day that I am writing this letter in Egypt, little did we know that I would be so far away from you this Xmas. We had a telegram from the people of Ballarat today, wishing us a merry Xmas…¹

Meanwhile, the 100 year old Ballarat Courier reports arrangements have been made for soldiers in Egypt to have cablegrams sent to them at reduced rates:

…cable messages could be sent to the Australian troops in Egypt at the rate of 10 pence a word.  The ordinary rate would be 3/6 a word.

And on Christmas Day the Courier reports:

Taking advantage of the innovation the Mayor of the City (Cr. R. Pearse) despatched the following message: Col. Bolton, 8^th Battalion, Mena House, Guizeh: Ballarat greets Australia’s soldiers and wishes them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

On the 28^th December the Courier records Colonel Bolton’s reply:

Greetings much appreciated. Please express greetings to all our folks.  Our hearts are in Victoria. Bolton

     1.  Austin, Ronald, Cobbers in khaki: the history of the 8^th battalion 1914-1918. Slouch Hat Publications, 1997 p. 25 (there’s a copy in the Australiana Research room if you would like to look at it)

S.M.S. Emden, H.M.A.S Sydney, and the man who made Ballarat home

The First A.I.F. convoy sailed on November 1st, 1914, leaving Albany, W.A. and sailing into the Indian Ocean.  You may have seen on television the large commemorations which took place two weekends ago.

Escort cruisers of the convoy were H.M.A.S. Melbourne and H.M.A.S. Sydney.  The convoy received reports of a mysterious raider at the Cocos Islands, where there was a cable and wireless station.  Disruption to this station would have wrecked communication between England and Australia, and so the Sydney steamed to investigate - the raider was indeed the Emden, which had been prowling and troubling shipping in the Indian Ocean for some months.  Reports in the 100 year old Ballarat Courier this week announce with acclaim the destruction of the Emden by H.M.A.S. Sydney - Australia's first naval engagement and victory.  You can read more about this in The Royal Australian Navy, edited by David Stevens, volume 3 of the Australian Centenary of the History of Defence, which we hold in the Australiana Research Room.

This morning, we had some visitors from Kyneton, and while chatting, we found that our visitor's father-in-law was aboard the Sydney at this famous engagement.  His name was Arthur A. Hart, and he was in fact a member of the British Navy, seconded to the Australian Navy.  After the Great War was over, Arthur Hart migrated with his family to Australia, to live in Ballarat for the rest of his life. His ashes were scattered in the Ballarat New Cemetery in 1978. He was aged 88 when he died.

When the famiy first arrived in Ballarat they lived with a relation, a Miss Derby, in Dana Street.  Miss Derby worked at the School of Mines.  Later, Arthur bought his own home in Magpie Street.  Maybe someone remembers the Hart family.

This is information as supplied by Arthur Hart's son-in-law.  He has promised to return with Arthur Hart's medals and other service documents, so we may be able to update this post soon.