Letter from Mr Reg. Johnson

Reginald Campbell Johnson (1895-1984), known as Reg or Rege, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 18 August 1914. He was a farrier, aged 19. On 19 October 1914 he sailed with F Company of the 8th Infantry Battalion on HMAT Benalla. A number of other men from Avoca were in the same Company and also on board the Benalla.

The camp at Mena near Cairo, Egypt, photographed 1915. Photograph in the collection of the Australian War Memorial ID A02741.

On 30 January 1915 the Avoca Free Press published a letter from Reg to his parents  dated 13 December 1914. In his letter Johnson mentions:

• Watty, probably his brother Walter Henry Clarence Johnson (1888-1953), who enlisted at the same time and was also serving with the 8th Battalion
• Dave, probably Dave Summers (1893-1916), who had played with Johnson in the Avoca Brass Band.
• Billy French's accident to his knee; French was repatriated early in 1915 because of it.
• camping near Cairo only about half a mile from the great pyramids pyramids at Giza. Johnson mentions the Sphinx, an Indian wounded by Arabs, two New Zealanders being stabbed, and two men who died falling from the pyramids.

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. (1915, January 30). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151623763

Johnson fought at Gallipoli and was wounded on 25 April 1915 with gunshot injuries to his face. He spent five months in a Manchester hospital and returned to Australia later in 1915. (National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; Johnson Reginald Campbell : SERN 679 : POB Avoca VIC : POE Surrey Hills VIC : NOK Johnson Henry, page 12)

Related posts:

• First enlistments
• William Henry French (1885-1972)
• First volunteers in Broadmeadows camp

William Randall

On 29 September 1914 Will Randall, born in Avoca, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He was  a labourer, thirty-two years old, and unmarried. Will Randall gave his next of kin as his father Edward, also of Avoca. (National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; RANDALL William : Service Number - 532 : Place of Birth - Avoca VIC : Place of Enlistment - Avoca VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) RANDALL Edward )

Randall wrote to his father and the Avoca Free Press reproduced his letter on 28 November 1914.

No title. (1914, November 28). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151624198

Randall was assigned to the 14th Battalion with the regimental number 532. He sailed on 22 December 1914 with the 14th Battalion on HMAT Ulysses A38.

LETTERS FROM OUR SOLDIERS. (1915, March 10). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151624557

No title. (1915, April 17). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151622087

On 28 April 1915 Will Randall was wounded in the arm by shrapnel at Gallipoli. He wrote a report of his experiences to his father.

LANDING AT THE DARDANELLES. (1915, June 30). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151622559

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. October 1915. Ground where men of 14th and 15th Battalions were driven to shelter from shrapnel on Anzac on 25 April to 26 April 1915. Photograph by CEW Bean. AWM ID G00925A

On 8 August 1915, Will Randall was reported missing after the Battle of Sari Bair, the last major engagement of the Gallipoli campaign. Three officers of the 14th Battalion and 33 other ranks were killed and 3 officers and 126 other ranks missing. Randall, who served with D company, was one of the 129 missing.  The Battalion's strength before the battle had been 14 officers and 560 other ranks

Roll call of B Company, 14th Battalion after the unsuccessful offensive on 8 August 1915. AWM ID A01225

On 6 October 1915 the Ottoman Red Crescent Society reported that Randall was a prisoner of the Turkish.

Letter to Edward Randall, father of Will Randall, April 1916. Folio 45 of NAA B2455, Randall W. 

For the Empire. (1916, December 2). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151685143

Thought to be Belemedick Railway Construction employees and prisoner of war huts. Australian PoWs in Turkey were employed for quite a time on the Taurus Mountains Railway. AWM ID H19397

From
From the Australian War Memorial: Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau/Box 224/Wallet 2 / 532 Private Randall, William

Letter from Edward Randall, father of Will Randall, March 1918. Folio 34 of NAA B2455, Randall W.

Letter from Edward Randall, father of Will Randall, March 1918. Folio 26 of NAA B2455, Randall W.

 The turn-around of letters was slow but correspondence did get through.

For the Empire. (1918, October 23). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151682955

In December 1918, after being a prisoner for three years three months, Will Randall returned to Egypt and from there to Australia. He was discharged from the army on 9 April 1919.

Barry Wilson

No title. (1914, October 14). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151623934

Barwise Carr Wilson (1874 - 1943), a 40 year old widower with three children and one step child, enlisted at Avoca in October 1914.

Wilson was a coach painter by occupation and had only recently set up business in Avoca.

No title. (1914, June 17). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151623918

On enlistment Barry Wilson arranged for his children be boarded with a Mrs Daly of Percydale.

National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; Wilson Barwise Carr : SERN 606 : POB Talbot VIC : POE Avoca VIC : NOK N/A. Page 5.

Wilson sailed from Australia on HMAT A10 Karroo on 11 February 1915. He fought at Gallipoli,  most notably at the Battle of Hill 60 where his regiment, the 9th Light Horse, suffered many casualties.

Members of the 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment standing to in the trenches at Gallipoli. Australian War Memorial image id H02778 retrieved from http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02778/

A group of 9th Australian Light Horsemen at the foot of Walker's Ridge. (Gallipoli). Australian War Memorial image id C04613 retrieved from http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C04613/

Rhododendron Ridge, Gallipoli. 1915. Members of the 9th Light Horse regiment sniping over the top of the trenches. Australian War Memorial image id P01531.005 retrieved from http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P01531.005/

Although he was not wounded in the Battle of Hill 60, Wilson became ill soon afterwards and after several admissions to hospital was eventually repatriated to Australia on 12 November 1917 and was discharged as medically unfit in January 1918.

NAA:B2455, Wilson B C. Page 18.

NAA:B2455, Wilson B C. Page 19.

In 1916 Wilson wrote to Mrs Daly. His letter probably refers to the Battle of Romani fought 4 to 5 August 1916.

For the Empire. (1916, September 27). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151684914

Masaid, Sinai. c. 1916. The Headquarters of the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade and the camp site of the 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment at a post near El Arish. Australian War Memorial image id H13715 retrieved from http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H13715/

Wilson had been born in Talbot,  25 kilometers east of Avoca.  He was a member of the Australian Natives' Association, a mutual society for men born in the Australian colonies. He received a parcel of tobacco and cigarettes from the Avoca ANA Lodge.

No title. (1917, October 10). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151686116

Trooper Wilson was welcomed home to Avoca in December 1917.

WELCOME HOME TO TROOPER B. C. WILSON. (1917, December 28). Avoca Mail (Vic. : 1915 -1918), p. 2. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152147949