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

Joseph Dillon Hanly

Joseph Dillon Hanly, a bank clerk at with the Bank of Victoria at Avoca, enlisted at Maryborough on 18 September 1914. He was twenty years old.

Hanly had been born in Liverpool England. On his attestation form he listed his next of kin as father J. J. Hanly, Howard, Queensland, and mother W. M. Hanly of Jolimont in East Melbourne. (National Archives of Australia: Australian Imperial Force, Base Records Office; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920; HANLY Joseph Dillon : Service Number - 872/Lieutenant : Place of Birth - Liverpool England : Place of Enlistment - Maryborough VIC : Next of Kin - (Mother) HANLY W M.)

He had received his father's permission to enlist. (NAA, B2455, Hanly J D, pg 52)

Hanly sailed for Egypt as a private on 2 February 1915 with the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance on HMAT A51 Chilka.

In 1918 Hanly joined the Australian Flying Corps and he returned to Australia in 1919.

Joseph Dillon Hanly in 1918 as a trainee pilot with B Flight, No. 8 Training Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) at Leighterton, Gloucestershire, England. Australian War Memorial ID number D00127 retrieved from http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/D00127/

On Wednesday 23 September 1914 a farewell was held for Joseph Hanly, hosted by Mr J. H. Deeble, manager of the bank, and his wife. Afternoon tea, eatables, wine and cigars were served. Mr George Downton presided, proposing a toast. Among others, Councillor Paten and Mr G. Woods spoke at the function. The National Anthem and "Auld Lang Syne" were sung.

A full report of the farewell appeared in the Avoca Free Press on 26 September 1914.

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.

First enlistments

The town of Avoca in central Victoria, Australia was founded on gold. When the gold ran out  its economy relied on agriculture.  Many of the miners who rushed the area in the 1850s and early 1860s settled and took up land.  The big pastoral runs from before the rushes were broken up for closer settlement. When World War I began, the residents of Avoca were second or third generation Australians who nevertheless firmly saw themselves as British [because they were British!].

A souvenir jug showing the Avoca Soldiers Memorial given to me by my mother-in-law, given to her by her mother-in-law

In 2001 I wrote a thesis for the University of New England entitled 'Avoca and the Great War', which examined the history of Avoca during World War 1. My research relied heavily on local newspapers. The two newspapers published in Avoca during the war were the Avoca Mail and the Avoca Free Press and Farmers' and Miners' Journal. These newspapers are now being digitised for the period 1914 to 1918 and published as part of the National Library of Australia's Trove digitised newspaper resource. As of today, the newspapers are part way through the digitisation process, waiting a final quality control check.

Other newspapers in the region including the Ballarat Courier and the Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser also published news of Avoca and its residents .

This blog looks at Avoca one hundred years ago. Its source is newspaper reports of the time. Its topic is the soldiers from Avoca who enlisted and life on the home front.

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On 19 August 1914 the Ballarat Courier reported that eight men had volunteered from Avoca. This group included Lieutenant Gus Ebeling and M. Rafferty both of whom had fought in the Boer War.  The Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser had more details about the recruitment.

MARYBOROUGH'S PART. (1914, August 17). Maryborough and Dunolly Advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3. Retrieved August 17, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90595760

Matthew Rafferty and Gus Ebeling had both served with the 5th Mounted Rifles Contingent during the Boer War.  In August 1914 Matthew Rafferty was a 36 year old farmer from Elmhurst and Gus Ebeling was a 43 year old farmer from near Avoca.

Others who enlisted from Avoca in August 1914 were

• Dave Summers, a 21 year old labourer; 
• William Henry French, a 30 year old miner
• Reginald Campbell Johnson, a 19 year old farrier
• Alfred Charles Golder, a 28 year old telegraph operator
• Arthur Joseph Summerfield, a 21 year old grocer from Moonambel
• Isaac Oswald Webster, a 26 year old policeman born in Elmhurst who enlisted in Melbourne
• Charles Jonathon Willmott, a 26 year old grocer who enlisted in Shepparton. Willmott was born at Avoca. His next of kin was his father who lived at Avoca