World War 1: A History in 100 Stories

Monash University is offering a free online course, commencing October 12 1015, which will take you on a virtual tour of the World War 1 battlefields, recover lost voices of the Anzac experience, and give you a better understanding of how the Great War changed the world.

A team of world renowned historians from Monash and around the globe have created a course that will help you learn to use new digital archives to discover your own Anzac story.  The course is for anyone with an interest in history and no prior knowledge beyond a general knowledge of the events of World War 1 is required or expected.

There is more information here.

Alfred George Rooney

We have previously posted about Alfred Rooney in this blog,  but among the names of the men wounded and killed from Ballarat and District in the Courier this week we came across an entry  under his name as being wounded on 2 September 1915.

Ballarat Courier 11 September1915

The 9th Light Horse were engaged in the bitter fighting around Hill 60, where they suffered 50 per cent casualties.  They remained at Gallipoli in defensive roles until the evacuation.  Trooper Rooney's service records show he received gunshot wounds to the neck and shoulder, and he was evacuated to Alexandria.

Gallipoli

Do you recall what you were doing on ANZAC day?  How long ago that was already?  But the 100 year old Courier this week has headlines that show the fighting in Gallipoli continues without abate:

All through this article about the latest battle, reference is made to Hill 70.  But I've checked resources and dates and I am sure that what is being referred to, are the terrible battles around Hill 60.  The headlines indicate that the war is still 'thrilling', despite the heavy losses that are occuring.

The 8th Battalion meanwhile, are about to be relieved from their positions at Steele's Post and Courtney's Post.  By the end of August only 307 officers and men of the original battalion of 1000 remained at Gallipoli.  In early September the Battalion were officially relieved by the 21st Battalion, but some of the 8th stayed in the trenches a few more days to allow the newcomers to adjust.

The relief at coming out of the trenches is expressed in Percy Lay's diary:

   It was about time.  Had the best sleep that night and it was the first time we slept with our
  boots off for the last five weeks.

Sergeant Gordon Crocker

More sad news from the 100 year old Courier this week.  We introduced Gordon Crocker late last year.  He was a Corporal then, but has since been promoted to Sergeant: in May 1915.  He was at the Gallipoli landings with the 8th Battalion.  By July the 8th Battalion were holding Steele's Post, a key position on the Second Ridge.    They were subject to Turkish shelling and sniper fire.

Ballarat Courier, August 28 1915, p.4

 
Some of Sergeant Crocker's friends wrote to a friend in Ballarat and the Courier published those letters on Wednesday, 8th September.

Ballarat Courier, September 8 1915 p. 2

Another Crocker son, Eustace, was killed in action at Bullecourt in 1917.  In later years the Crocker family placed three stained glass windows in the north end of the nave of St Peters Anglican church, Sturt St, in memory of their sons and brothers who did not return from the Great War

Dr. George Merz

Tragic news in this week's 100 year old Ballarat Courier.  In the death notices, George and Annie Merz of Raglan Street, record the death of their only son: killed in action.

Dr. Merz is something of a personal favourite.  We keep a beautiful photograph of him in the Australiana Room -

 

'Citizens and Sports' records in brief Merz's brilliant career : educated at Humffray St SS, Ballarat and Grenville College ... won prize of 200 pounds tenable at Melb. Univ; took MB degree Aug '14; ... Lieut and Instr. C'wealth Aviation Corps, '14; Persian Gulf operations July & Aug '15.  The compiler of Citizens and Sports then goes on to note with regret that Merz was killed in action near Basra, being 'attacked by Arabs upon aeroplane falling through engine failure.'

You can read more about this extraordinary young man here - an excellent article researched by Dr. Tracy L. Smart, Officer Commanding, Health Service Wing, Royal Australian Air Force.

Going "off-topic"

We could not resist including this page from the Ballarat Courier, August 16 1945, reporting on Victory in the Pacific Day in Ballarat.  Delirious, would be a succinct description. How many readers do we have who remember this wild day?

Lone Pine and The Nek

This week marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lone Pine and the Light Horse charge at the Nek at Gallipoli.  Both of these events were part of the August Offensive which was posted about last week.  The Battle of Lone Pine occurred between 6 and 9 August 1915. Initially conceived to be a diversion from attempts by New Zealand and Australian units to force a breakout from the ANZAC perimeter on the heights of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971. The Lone Pine attack, launched by the 1st Brigade AIF in the late afternoon of 6 August 1915 pitched Australian forces against formidable entrenched Turkish positions, sections of which were securely roofed over with pine logs. In some instances the attackers had to break in through the roof of the trench systems in order to engage the defenders. The main Turkish trench was taken within 20 minutes of the initial charge but this was the prelude to 4 days of intense hand-to-hand fighting, resulting in over 2,000 Australian casualties.

This battle was significant for Ballarat for two important reasons. Firstly the 8th Battalion, made up of men from Ballarat and country Victoria, took part at Lone Pine and as a result were among the 2,000 casualties, and secondly Golden Point resident William Dunstan was awarded his Victoria Cross for his actions at Lone Pine. (ome information courtesy of The Australian War Memorial)

Australian Soldiers in captured Turkish trenches following the Battle of Lone Pine. Photo courtesy of Australian War Memorial  AWM 1514

 
 The charge at the Nek was launched on the morning of 7 August 1915, again as a second diversionary action, when three regiments of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, 8th, 9th and 10th Light Horse were to attack Russells Top and force the Turkish army from the positions they had held sine April 25th. As the Nek was a narrow ridge, The Light Horse serving as infantry without their horses were forced to attack the Turkish line head on.

The majority of people are familiar with the Charge of the Nek via its depiction in Peter Weir's film Gallipoli.  The film shows the  terrible loss of life that followed the charge, but also the bravery of the men that took part. The 8th Light Horse suffered 234 casualties, 154 fatal; and the 10th, suffered 138 casualties, 80 fatal.

The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, 7th August 1915 by George Lambert. Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ART07965.