Patriotic Committee formed at Homebush

Homebush Lower was four miles north-east of Avoca. Today only the school building remains but it was still a small town during World War I. The towns of Homebush and Homebush Lower, also known as Lower Homebush, were founded on gold mining in the 1860s and in the 1880s were at their peak.

On 10 September 1914 a meeting was held at Homebush to discuss and raise funds for the Patriotic Fund.

HOMEBUSH, LOWER. (1914, September 16). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 16, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151625374

Messrs Samers, Deeble and Wood travelled from Avoca to address the meeting.

A Patriotic Committee was formed with Mr W. Miller elected the president and Mr C. H. Squires, the secretary and treasurer. Mesdames Garner and Barry were appointed to collect the funds for Homebush Lower and Miss M. Shiell for Upper Homebush.

Lennox, Lindsay & Gray, Stanhope (1890). Scarlet and blue. W. Paxton & Co. ; Melbourne : E.W. Cole Book Arcade, London

Patriotic songs were sung during the evening including:

• "Red, White, and Blue"
• "Scarlet and Blue"
• "Australia"
• the National Anthem, "God Save the King"

The "Red, White and Blue" was written in 1852, nine years after the very similar "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean", a United States patriotic song.

Britannia, the pride of the ocean, The home of the brave and the free, The shrine of the patriot's devotion, No land can compare unto thee: Thy mandates make heroes assemble, With garlands of glory in view, Thy banners make tyranny tremble, When borne by the Red, White and Blue. Refrain: Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue, Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue, Three cheers for the Army and Navy, Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue,

When war spread its wide desolation, And threaten'd our land to deform, The ark, then of freedom's foundation, Britannia rode safe through the storm: With the garlands of vict'ry around her, So nobly she bore her brave crew, Her flag floating proudly before her, The flag of the Red, White and Blue. Britannia, the pride of the ocean, And so of a truth shall she be. While true in her loyal devotion, To all that is noble and free: The fire that glows in her story, Still burns in the hearts of her sons, And her flag shall still lead her to glory, When duty shall march with her guns.

The "Scarlet and Blue" song was composed in 1890.

Grand Patriotic Ball at Lamplough on 11 September 1914

The Grand Patriotic Ball at Lamplough was advertised on 9 September in the Avoca Free Press and held on Friday 11 September 1914.

Advertising. (1914, September 9). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151623123

There was a brief report of the ball in the Avoca Free Press of 16 September.

No title. (1914, September 16). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 16, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151625353

When the Avoca and District Patriotic Fund met later in the month, J. Curtis was present representing the community of Lamplough, and Lamplough was reported as contributing £3 13s 6d towards the district grand total of more than £300 raised overall. (AVOCA AND DISTRICT PATRIOTIC FUND. (1914, September 23). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151622483)

The Avoca and District Patriotic Fund had been formed at a meeting on 18 August. A committee was formed with the purpose of raising funds towards the Victorian Patriotic Fund organised for the relief of the troops. The Patriotic Fund was formed in Melbourne on 8 August by the Lord Mayor to enable men to do their duty without anxiety for their families. 

At the meeting on 18 August at Avoca, Councillor Paten was appointed chairman with Councillors Samers and Thomas as Vice-Chairmen; Mr J. H. Deeble was appointed secretary.

The following  ladies and gentlemen were appointed to the committee: — Mesdames A Snell, Brown, E Paten, Chandler, Samers, C Reed, J Reid, Currie, Robinson, Wood, Classen, Thomas, B Snell, Chellew, Deeble, A F Paten, Stavely, Hardy, Johnson, Misses Johns (2) and Grimmer, Messrs G T Wood,  J H Moyle, J Chandler, A G Cust, S G Mitchell, R Stavely, F Knuckey, A G Lalor, G. Downton, J C Wilson, A Wilson, J H Benjamin, J Hempseed, Jno Mackereth, A C: Henderson, C Wolfe, T Simmons, B D Snell, W F Hardy, A Ahpee, W M Chellew, F Wiltshire, Revs. Robinson, Reed and Currie, and Drs Johnson and Grimmer. (The War. (1914, August 22). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151623260)

Subscriptions were collected the following week, raising more than £50. The Australian Womens' National League (AWNL) made a contribution and also donated thirteen dozen handkerchiefs. Progress was reported in both local newspapers and also the Ballarat Courier.

ACTION IN COUNTRY. (1914, August 26). The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 4 Edition: DAILY.. Retrieved August 25, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73317026

AVOCA AND DISTRICT PATRIOTIC FUND. (1914, August 26). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151621949

The £300 raised by the Avoca and District Patriotic Fund by mid September can be put in some perspective compared to the funds raised at the 1914 football semi final between South Melbourne and Carlton. More than 20,000 attended the MCG and the gate takings were £863 of which £252 went to the Patriotic Fund. (No title. (1914, September 23). Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151622490)

Vincent Samers - enlistment rejected in 1914

Some men who tried to enlist in August 1914 were unsuccessful.

Vince Samers from Avoca, who was reported as applying for the Australian Expeditionary Force by both the Avoca Free Press and the Avoca Mail, appears to have been rejected because he was too short and his chest measurement was below the specified minimum.

The Avoca Mail 18 August 1914

While others who applied proceeded to camp at Broadmeadows, Vince Samers was referred for a further medical examination in Melbourne, which, it seems, he did not pass.

Series MT1486/1 in the National Archives of Australia contains applications to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. As well as successful applications it has records for men rejected for service. However, the series dates from 1915, and it appears early applications are not included in the series. The name Samers does not come up in the Archives' record search for that series.

However, on 7 September 1915, Samers' application to enlist was successful.

On his attestation form Samers indicated that he had previously been rejected because of his chest measurement.

National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; SAMERS Vincent Robert : Service Number - 2209 : Place of Birth - Shepparton VIC : Place of Enlistment - Melbourne VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) SAMERS William, page 1.

In 1915 his medical examination found he was 5' 5 1/2" with a chest measurement of 31 to 32 1/2 inches.

NAA; B2455, SAMERS Vincent Robert, page 3.

Of the men from the Avoca district who successfully enlisted in August 1914, their height and chest measurements from their medical examinations are below:

Gus Ebeling (Lieut.) 5' 11" chest 36 1/2" (from Boer War service record)
Matthew Rafferty (706) 5' 9" chest 37 1/2 to 40 "
Reg Johnson (679) 5' 6" chest 33 to 36 "
W French (670) 5' 6" chest 35 to 37 1/2 "
D Summers (635) 5' 6 1/2" chest 33 to 35 1/2 "

In August 1914 the standard for acceptance was a minimum height of 5 feet 6 inches with a minimum chest measurement of 34 inches.The standard was lowered in June 1915 to a minimum height of 5 feet 2 inches. From an advertisement in the Argus it seems the chest measurement standard was also reduced to 33 inches. During the first year of the war about one third of all volunteers were rejected. ("Enlistment Standards." Encyclopaedia. Australian War Memorial. <http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/enlistment/>.)

Display Advertising. (1915, June 30). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 8. Retrieved August 25, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1528066

It seems that being too short by half an inch and a sub-standard chest measurement caused Vincent Samers to be rejected for service in August 1914.