Cobbers In Khaki - The History of the 8th Battalion, 1914-1918

316 Pages·2004·43.105 MB·English

by  Ron Austin

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 [phone]
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 [phone])
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-