OBBERS IN KHAKI describes the for mation and experiences undergone by he officers and men of the 8th ustralian Infantry Battalion which as originally recruited from Ballarat nd country Victoria in August 1914. fter training at Broadmeadows, the battalion sailed to Egypt. and then to Gallipoli, where it received its baptism of fire on 25th April 1915. In April 1916, the 8th Battalion landed in France and participated in the heavy fighting at Pozieres, and later in the battles in Belgium. In April 1918, the 8th Battalion helped stop the German offensive, and in August participated in the fluid battles which led to Germany's surrender. During the course of th,~\ war, thtee members of the 8th Batt, lion were (wa~ded the Victoria Cross, the ultimate award for gallantry. COBBERS IN KHAKI reveals something of the 'soul' of a battalion at war, through the numerous letters and diary excerpts and many interesting photographs. COBBERS IN KHAKI details without embellishment, the elan which was the hallmark of Australian infantry battalions during the Great War of 1914-18. Dust jacket photo, AWM AO 3869 Some of the 8th Battalion men in a captured turkish trench on Bolton's Ridge, April 1915. From top left to bottom right: Ted FreeDMUl, George Clements, Jim Bryant, Sam Wilson, Robert , Hutchinson. Memorial,A COBBERS IN KHAKI THE HISTORY OF THE 8th BATTALION 1914-1919 RONALD J. AUSTIN, RFD, ED. SLOUCH HAT PUBLICATIONS McCrae, Australia. ornER BOOKS BY mE SAME AUTHOR: THE WHITE GURKHAS (1989) AS ROUGH AS BAGS (1992) BOLD, STEADY, FAITHFUL (993) LET ENEMIES BEWARE (995) THE BODY SNATCHERS (996) A catalogue listing details of these and other bouks is obtainable from: SWUCH HAT PUBUCATIONS, PO Box 174, Rosebud 3939. Phone/Fax 03 59866437 Copyright © 1997 Ron Austin First Published 1997 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical including photocopy, recoording any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. National Library of Australia Catologing·in·publication entry. Austin, Ronald J (Ronald James), 1936· Cobbers In Khaki: the history of the 8th Battalion, 1914-1916. Bibliography Includes index ISBN 0 646 29045 2. 1. Australia. Army. Battalion, 8th -History. 2. World War, 1914-1918 -Regimental histories. 3. World War, 1914-1918· Campaigns· Turkey -Gallipoli Peninsula. 4. World War, 1914·1918 -Campaigns· Egypt. 5. World War, 1914-1918· Campaigns· France. 6 World War, 1914·1918· Campaigns· Belgium. I, Title. 94041294 Typography & design by Phillip Staynes, Dromana. (Phone 03 59810284) Printed by Impact Printing (Vic) Pty Ltd, Brunswick, Vic. - iv- mIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO mE MEMORY OF MY FArnER, PRIVATE FREDERICK AUSTIN, NO 970, OF D COMPANY, mE 8TH BATTALION, 1ST AlF. -/1- CONTENTS FOREWORD By Major Peter Ainslie, OAM. vii AUTHOR'S NOTE viii CHAPTER 1 Ballarat to Broadmeadows 1 CHAPTER 2 The Sands of Egypt 14 CHAPTER 3 Gallipoli - Baptism of Fire 44 CHAPTER 4 Cape I Ielles and Krithia 66 CHAPTER 5 The Trenches of Anzac H2 CHAPTER 6 Off to the Western Front 106 CHAPTER 7 1917 139 CHAPTER 8 Broodseinde 163 CHAPTER 9 The Race for the Channel Ports 176 CHAPTER 10 Germany's 'Black Days' 192 CHAPTER 11 Herleville Wood 211 CHAPTER 12 The Final Months 219 APPENDIX 1 Battle Honours 232 APPENDIX 2 Honour Roll -Hth Battalion 233 APPENDIX 3 Honours and Awards 2')0 APPENDIX 4 Nominal Roll -The original Hth Battalion 2')4 APPENDIX 5 Nominal Roll - Reinforcements to the Hth Battalion 263 APPENDIX 6 Guests of the Kaiser 304 BIBLIOGRAPHY and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 306 INDEX 30H SUBSCRIPfION LIST 314 - vi- FOREWORD The Australian Eighth Battalion of 1914-19 in so many ways epitomises the character and spirit of the entire 1st AIF. Throughout these pages the same theme echoes from men from all classes and trades in civilian life. There is a determination to do their duty honourably, to uphold the honour of their nation and to ensure that they did not let their cobbers in the battalion down, whatever the situation. Ron Austin, a former Army Officer and an experienced and thorough researcher, has again found a wealth of unpublished material from the First World War. Contemporary letters from members of the battalion to their families and friends in Australia, describing their experiences and feelings as the now famous battles and engagements unfolded in front of their eyes. The letters are here in this book, bring ing the Eighth to life. The Eighth Battalion left Australia in November 1914 and did not return until 1919. In those four and a half years the Eighth participated in the campaign at Gallipoli, was selected as belonging to one of Birdwoood's best Brigades to take part in the Second Battle of Krithia at Cape Helles and then fought in Prance and Belgium. The unit's Battle Honours speak for themselves far more eloquently than I. They are listed at Appendix 1 to this book. Within these pages is the story of young Australians fired with patriotism, who enlisted in a rush for the great adventure. The reader can sense and feel their enthusiasm and somewhat casual approach to training in those early days at Broadmeadows, Victoria. How different a battalion it was by the end of 1916! Those casual Victorians and their Officers were by then a physically and mentally hard, tough, tightly diSCiplined team, who approached their tasks on the Western Front with determination, profes sionalism, courage and skill. This book is more than just a history as it follows the fortunes of the battalion through the horrors of ANZAC and Krithia to the misery of the Western Front. By identifying the characters in the battalion and through the selection of their letters and diaries, the author has brought the soul of the battalion to the reader. Ron Austin, a regular visitor to the battlefields, also vividly describes the appalling conditions under which they fought and where so many were killed or disabled. The Army of 1914-19 fought almost continuously without relief from the horror of the trenches in con ditions of warfare virtually unknown since, save perhaps Kokoda in World War Two. Yet throughout these pages you will find digger humour and incredible examples of bravery and a determination to see it through. The accounts of their participation in some of the most famous, or infamous operations of the war make poignant reading. Hon Austin's admiration for the Australians who served in the 1914-18 war, and his undoubted affec tion and respect for his father, who was one of the few 1914 enlistees to survive, shine through the pages of this book. But he recounts their story without embellishment, indeed it needs no embellish ment. COBBERS IN KHAKI should be read by all Australians, the fundamental keys to the formation of our national character are here. I have no doubt it will be a must for those interested in our military history and heritage. It should also be a source of pride to all Australians. MAJOR PETER AINSLIE, OAM - vii- AUTHOR'S NOTE As a young boy, I often sat spellbound by my father's stories of the Great War; his stay in Egypt, the excursion to Ismailia, the landing at Anzac Cove, the advance at Krithia and life on Gallipoli. Little did I realise that some 30 years after his death in 1965, that I would be writing the history of his beloved 8th Battalion. It was perhaps his stories that kindled my interest in history, and in particular, military history. A frequent visitor to the family home was Ted Charleton, another member of the original 8th Battalion that landed at Anzac. Unlike some vet erans who were loathe to speak of their wartime experiences, my father and Ted seemed to realise that I was an eager audience, willingly to sit quietly and listen spell-bound to their tales. It is a pity that in 1996, few members of the 8th Battalion have survived the natural ravages of time. I can imagine how much more exciting COBBERS IN KHAKI would be, if I had the opportunity to interview many officers and men, as I did when I wrote the history of the 2/15th Battalion. Nonetheless, I have been able to draw on a wide range of primary material made available through the assistance of the Australian War Memorial, families of former members of the battalion, and friends who also have a keen interest in researching our mili tary history. Some people might ask, why bother writing about events that occurred some 80 years ago? The answer is simple; if we do not understand and remember the sacrifice that men willingly made, in many cases for ideas such as God, King and Country, then we as Australians will be bereft of our underlying identity as a nation. In today's society, some people would regard the notion of men enlisting out of patriotism and a sense of duty, as being anachronistic and politically incorrect. However, a reading of COBBERS IN KHAKI will show that over six thou sand young and not so young men, mainly from Ballarat and country Victoria, enlisted to do their duty. An argument commonly advanced is that the soldiers enlisted because there were unemployed or were merely adventurers, and this could be applied to some members of the original unit. But, when the daily casualty lists appeared in the papers following the landing at Anzac, and the subsequent battles in France, men still enlisted, despite the very obvious risks. The Australian Army has had a proud tradition of voluntary enlistment in most of the wars it has fought. Unfortunately, these wars have consistently killed or maimed the the nation's elite. Australia's losses in the Great War of 1914-1918, totalled about 60,000 officers and men. The hardships these losses created for their families and the fledgeling national economy are rarely considered. Yet, the 'spirit of Anzac' has endured in the decades follow ing Gallipoli. It is this notion of sacrifice and enduring mates hip under adverse conditions that helped build this country during subsequent decades. But, we usually tend to only focus on such issues on Anzac Day or during times of national crisis or anniversaries. Australia has seen enormous changes since 1945, and it behoves us all to ensure that new comers to this country are taught something of the magnificent heritage our forefathers left us. Unfortunately our modern 'heroes' are more likely to be TV/pop stars or sportsmen, and I doubt whether many Australians today know of the audacious heroism of Albert Jacka. COB BERS IN KHAKI features true heroes such as Lay, Tra ill , Mitchell, Goodwin, Robarts, Trevena and Scorer. Perhaps it is still not too late to give due recognition to such men, and the thou sands of other men who served in the 8th Battalion, to their families and friends who waited, and in many cases wept when the fateful telegram arrived advising that a dear one had been killed. The publication of COBBERS IN KHAKI will hopefully ensure that the story of the 8th Battalion and the 'spirit of Anzac', with all its connotations, will be remembered by current and forthcoming generations of Australians. RON AUSTIN - viii- CHAPTER 1 BALLARAT TO BROADMEADOWS Ifyoll can nln, shoot and dig a hole, YOLI 've got the makings of a good infantryman: PteJim BRYANT "\VJhen the war clouds of the impending European conflict finally reached W Australia on 4th August 1914, the response from the fledgling nation was unequivocal. The outbreak of war was not unexpected as the deteriorating rela tionships between England, France and Germany made war almost inevitable, The subsequent call to arms in defence of the Mother Country met with an enthusiastic response from the newly formed Australian nation. Thousands of men from all walks of life and from all parts of the country responded to the call, and enlisted in the Expeditionary Force. To suggest that Australia would not enter the war in support of England would have been seen by the overwhelm ing majority of citizens as an act of extreme treachery. Even before war was declared, military preparations were under way in the large Victorian town of Ballarat. On the cold Sunday evening of 2nd August, Lieutenant Colonel William Bolton, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 70th Infantry, a Citizen Forces battalion, was at home reading by the fire, when at 10.30 pm he received a telephone call from Army Headquarters (HQ) at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. Bolton was instructed to report to Victoria Barracks at 10 am on the following morning, as war was imminent and his battalion could be mobilised. During the train trip to Melbourne, Colonel Bolton engaged in con versation with a fellow passenger, Sir Alexander Peacock, the Chief Secretary, and later the Premier of Victoria, who offered the opinion, that if war was declared, it would only last six months because of the prohibitive cost. Upon arrival at Victoria Barracks, Colonel Bolton received orders to mobilise the 70th Infantry, and proceed to Queenscliff with the role of defending the forts covering the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. Having received his instructions, Bolton then made his way to the State Government Offices and made arrange ments to hand over his civilian duties as from the next day. Once these arrange ments were completed, Bolton returned to Ballarat by train. When he reported for full time duty at the orderly room of the 70th Infantry at 9 am on 4th August, Colonel Bolton's immediate task was to organise the mobilisation of his battal ion. News of England's declaration of war reached Australia on the morning of 5th August, and later that day the Commonwealth Gazette formally proclaimed -1-