Their Names Shall Live Forever More: The Story of the 60th Australian Infantry Battalion during 1916, including the Untold Account of the Needle Trench 10, and the Investigation to Identify the Soldier from This Group Buried in a Grave without a Name

By Trevor Jardine

This book is a thorough and thought provoking account of the first year of existence of the 60th Australian Infantry Battalion. Interspersed with Divisional, Brigade and other Battalion’s perspectives are the personal views of officers and other ranks relating to events and places.

Included in the story is an investigation into a previously untold account of a group of soldiers called the “Needle Trench 10” who were killed by a single artillery shell on the 26th November 1916. For more than 100 years the identity of one of these soldiers, buried in the Guards’ Cemetery at Lesboeufs, France, has been lost to time. A document, filed in the archives of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Maidenhead, England, for over 100 years and only coming to light in 2021, has finally enabled this soldier’s possible identity to be established. Also revealed in the same document is the initial burial location of another soldier, wounded by the same artillery shell, and dying later that day whilst on his way to receive medical treatment. Woven throughout the book are the human stories of the battalion’s soldiers, including biographies of those killed on the 26th November, with many of the details provided by the descendants of these soldiers.

The investigation details how a simple “bookkeeping” entry resulted in families, and descendants of ten of the eleven soldiers who died on the 26th November, being provided incorrect details concerning their deaths. This error has been perpetuated in official documents, publications, online resources, and inscribed in stone since this time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jul 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798369492031

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Copyright © 2023 by Trevor Jardine.

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Rev. date: 12/11/2023

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Dedication

This book is dedicated to all the brave and remarkable men of a bygone era who served with the 60th Australian Infantry Battalion from 1916 to 1918 and to my grandfather, Private Hector McNeil, SN 1951, who was a member of the 60th Australian Infantry Battalion from late November 1916 until his discharge on medical grounds in 1917.

It is also dedicated to my mother, Olive Jardine (nee McNeil), who sadly passed away on Thursday, 6 October 2022, at the age of 101 and who served with pride in the WAAAF in WWII.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Introduction: The First Shot

Chapter 1 Egypt—24 February to 22 June

February: A New Battalion Is Formed

March: Officers, NCOs, Other Ranks, and Training

April: The Suez Canal Defence

Lance Corporal Robert Plowman

Private Joseph Henry Potter

May: The Suez Canal Defence (Continued)

June (1 to 21): Preparations for France

Egypt to France via the Mediterranean

Chapter 2 France: 1 July to 19 November

July: The Tragedy of Fromelles

Private Percy Williams Spivey

Private Arthur John Maskell

August: Rebuilding the 60th Battalion

Private Ian Donald Hart

September: Resuming Duties

October: Cold, Wet, and Relocating

Private Sydney George Bishop

Private William Joseph Denten

Private John Francis Gallagher

Private Ernest Talbot Salt

November (1 to 19): Endurance Tested

Private Charles Daniel Wishart

Private Henry Michael O’Sullivan

Chapter 3 Needle Trench

November (20 to 30): Cold, Mud, Death

December: Fatigued, Fatigues, Relieved

Epilogue to the 60th Battalion

Chapter 4 The Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs

Chapter 5 The Investigation: ‘Bookkeeping’ Issues Identified

Chapter 6 Evidence Analysis and Revelations

Private Percy William Spivey, SN 4909

Private Henry Michael O’Sullivan, SN 5740

Private Charles Daniel Wishart, SN 5781

Two Final Deaths: Private Hade and Private Tedge

Investigation Findings

Chapter 7 A Mother’s Anguish

Closure : A Grave with My Name

Additional Photos

Appendix 1: Scheme of Defence (Courtesy of AWM)

Appendix 2: Trench Raid Report (Courtesy of AWM)

Appendix 3: AGSNR (Private Spivey and Private O’Sullivan)

Appendix 4: AGSNR (Private Wishart)

Appendix 5: Burial Return (Private Maskell, Private Bishop, UAS)

Appendix 6: Private Spivey’s Mention In Despatches Recommendation

Appendix 7: AGSNR (Private Spivey)

Appendix 8: Correspondence of Private Charles Daniel Wishart

Appendix 9: Correspondence of Private David Thomas Henry Wishart

Appendix 10: 60th Battalion Routine Order No. 194 of 12/11/16

Appendix 11: 60th Battalion Routine Order No. 171 of 12/10/16

Appendix 12: 60th Battalion Routine Order No. 138 of 13/8/16

Appendix 13: 60th Battalion Routine Order No. 57 of 21/4/16

Glossary of Selected Terms

Selected Rank and Role Explanation

AIF Summary Structure: WWI (Numbers Based on Full Strength)

AIF Battalion Structure (Based on Full Strength Battalion)

Battalion Organisation (Based On Full Strength)

5th Division Units 1916

Reading Trench Map References—WWI

Background and Acknowledgements

In Memoriam – Private Hector McNeil, SN 1951

Bibliography

FOREWORD

I n the aftermath of the Great War, the survivors of many of the Australian Imperial Force’s (AIF) sixty infantry battalions undertook to record and publish their histories of participation. In many instances, this work was driven by unit associations that had been formed or by notable former officers. With Australian federation in 1901 and the war being the first true foreign venture of the new nation, nationalism, pride, and remembrance of those who fell during pursuit of the ‘noble cause’ proved catal ysts.

Likewise, the stories of famous (or infamous) Australian battles such as Fromelles, Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, Bullecourt, and Villers-Bretonneux are well known in national consciousness; however, there are many lesser-known actions such as the 1916 winter near Flers, prosecuted in no less trying or lethal circumstances, which deserve telling. Regardless of whether the battle was well known, the life of an infantryman, whether a seasoned veteran or fresh arrival, could end in an instant without prior announcement or warning. After a baptism of fire at Fromelles, such was the situation into which the reconstituted 60th Battalion was cast in November 1916.

In Australia, interest in the Great War and the experiences of the AIF has not abated since the war ended. Eager and committed historians continue to examine the minutiae of decision-making, tactics, and social history. These threads culminate in what many see as a more important story—our casualties, the missing, and what became of them. On the Western Front, it is estimated around 18,000 Australians remain unaccounted for, with 7,700 buried as unknown Australians in cemeteries. Many more are likely buried as unknown Commonwealth soldiers. If marching in single file, the Western Front’s unnamed Australian dead would stretch from the Sydney CBD to Manly Beach.

Over the past twenty years of the many AIF soldiers the Australian Army has had a hand in identifying, it is exceedingly rare that descendants are not aware of, if not fully familiar with, the casualty and in many instances the circumstances of their loss. Recently, availability of Australian military records online, including those detailing the fates of men, has informed a burgeoning interest amongst families and historians alike. Since 2005, including the unprecedented case of Fromelles, amateur historians have played critical roles in identifying over 200 hitherto ‘missing’ Australian soldiers.

In the case of unknown Australians buried in cemeteries, identification work is rarely simple. Exhumation is usually not possible because of policy in place since the war, with authorities requiring robust evidence eliminating often-numerous alternate candidates. A high standard of proof is required, and careful consideration must be practised—getting it wrong may have far-reaching consequences. Unfortunately, by modern standards, record keeping concerning casualties and burials was poor and sometimes contradictory. For post-war recovery parties, this made identification challenging, and this has been exacerbated by the passage of time. On occasions where successes are achieved, the positive impact is a humbling example of the service-before-self approach of many researchers, bringing closure to descendants, in many instances where the scars suffered by parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren of the missing have remained raw.

In attempting to understand the experiences of his grandfather, SN 1951 PTE Hector McNeil, Trevor Jardine began examining the 60th Battalion and its men. Having been taken on strength of the 60th on 25 November 1916, but held back from frontline duties, Trevor naturally sought to appreciate the circumstances into which Hector was first propelled. Notably, this included the death of eleven of his erstwhile comrades just after he was posted in, with at least nine appearing to have perished as a consequence of a single German shell. It is probable Hector was in the vicinity and had a distressing firsthand account of the tragedy.

For Trevor, his work led to the realisation that one of the 60th Battalion casualties who had been buried remained unidentified, despite his named comrades lying next to him in named graves at Guards Cemetery, Lesboufs. Given the passage of time, why this happened is uncertain; however, Trevor’s quest to give the man a name has been tenacious and aligned with the best efforts of amateur historians who pursue similar work. Whilst his quest to give the man a name is not complete, the stories of the eleven men who died in November 1916 are illuminating. Their stories are inextricably interwoven with the early experiences of the AIF on the Western Front and that of the 60th Battalion’s uncertain first steps, from the time of its creation in Egypt, through Fromelles, to the men’s deaths at Flers—creating a window into the battalion’s creation, development, loss, and the experiences of its members.

Lt Colonel Tim Dawe

Investigations Manager Unrecovered War Casualties – Army

PREFACE

T his book differs from the usual battalion history in that it has two distinct parts. The first part of the book examines the 60 th Infantry Battalion (Australian Imperial Force) across the first year of its existence, from the time of its formation in Egypt in late February 1916, using information derived from official war diaries and other sources. Interspersed with divisional, brigade, and other battalions’ entries are the personal views of officers and their men relating to events and places.

Integral to its first year were the foundation officers and NCOs. It was these men who nurtured and developed this ‘pup’ Battalion (born from its parent battalion—the 8th Battalion) through selecting the best subordinates and implementing the training and discipline required to bring together veterans and reinforcements alike into cohesive infantry companies, platoons, and sections so as to become a competent fighting force. The official war diaries and the accounts of these men provide a window into the life of the battalion during its time at Tel-el-Kebir, its involvement in the Suez Canal Defence, the tragedy of its virtual annihilation at Fromelles, and the months of rebuilding that followed. This culminated with the hardships of a bitter winter period, defensive trench operations at Flers in November, followed by rest, training, and fatigue duties in December.

It is well recorded that in the middle of its first year, the newly formed 60th Battalion experienced shocking casualties at Fromelles. Here, on 19/20 July 1916, the recently arrived, ill-prepared, and undertrained 60th, supported by inexperienced artillery and other arms, was decimated and albeit ceased to exist. Military historians since have attributed this tragedy to an indifferent British High Command and a complicit Australian divisional commander more interested in his own reputation than the lives and well-being of his men. Whilst this book does not seek to examine in-depth the Battle of Fromelles, its causes and apportion blame, it does consider the unparalleled impact on the 60th (and by association the sister 59th Battalion), as the unit’s new leaders tried to rebuild, retrain, and return the unit to an acceptable standard of operational capability.

Because of the Fromelles casualties and exacerbated by the harshness of the existing conditions, the battalion was unable to independently participate in frontline operations again until November 1916 at Flers. After having been nurtured back into existence and reconstituted through transfers and reinforcements, this foray produced another notable multiple casualty event. Whilst substantially smaller than Fromelles, it was the most significant in its short existence since this disastrous event.

Although a microcosm of the carnage of Fromelles, it was a portent of what was to come when the vagaries of trench warfare were tragically demonstrated to the battalion’s new recruits and veterans alike, reminding all ranks of the risks associated with clustering men in confined locations registered by enemy artillery. This hard lesson involved a single German shell, which claimed the lives of nine men outright in the support lines, with at least four others seriously wounded, one of whom died later that day, whilst another of the wounded died in early December. On the same day, another soldier was killed by rifle fire in the front line. Ultimately, as a consequence of its lengthy rebuilding, the battalion did not conduct offensive operations again until the Battles of Menin Road and Polygon Wood in September 1917, more than fourteen months after the Fromelles disaster.

Woven throughout the book are the human stories of eleven of the battalion’s soldiers, which focus on those killed on 26 November, for their stories are also important and deserve to be told. These men are more than just some battle statistic or some brief mention in a war diary or names that appear on headstones in a cemetery or on a memorial in a park. For every member of each family, each death created a wound in their heart that would never heal and a grieving that would never end. Each man was someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s relative, someone’s friend, and possibly . . . someone’s sweetheart. They were loved and cherished when they were alive and dearly missed after their death. These men endured appalling hardships and atrocious conditions, witnessed terrible events, and died horrible deaths in a brutal war.

The second part of the book concerns the group of soldiers mentioned previously and who are referred to in the investigation as the ‘Needle Trench 10’. Whilst record keeping of the time was less than optimal in terms of current standards, it is not the intention to criticise record keepers who often operated under the most difficult and stressful conditions. The investigation into the events leading to the deaths and burial of this group of soldiers highlights shortfalls and inconsistencies in the management of information related to these casualties, which resulted in unimagined consequences that have existed for more than 100 years. Presenting compelling evidence, the investigation reveals the possible identity of the unknown ninth soldier of the group killed in the artillery barrage and who is buried in an unnamed grave in the Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs, alongside the named graves of his other eight mates. As well, the likely place of burial of the tenth soldier, wounded by the same shell that killed the other nine men, before later dying on his way for medical treatment, is disclosed.

The investigation shows how the expedience of a simple ‘bookkeeping’ decision resulted in families and descendants of ten of the eleven soldiers who died on 26 November being provided incorrect details concerning their deaths. These details were then perpetuated in official documents, service records, publications, online resources and have been inscribed in stone since with the erection of permanent headstones and memorials. Those who have visited the graves (or memorials) since the men were first buried have been subjected to the consequences of this ‘bookkeeping’ expediency. Another record keeping oversight is also likely to have contributed to the burial location of the soldier, wounded during the artillery barrage, and dying later that day, being hidden in paperwork that had been stored in the archives of the CWGC for more than 100 years.

In the great scheme of tragedies and loss of life that occurred during the Great War, the death of eleven soldiers on 26 November 1916 constituted an insignificant event within the Australian Imperial Force that did not even rate a footnote. However, if the event is viewed in the context of total dead, wounded, and sick and the hardships and atrocious conditions endured by the men of the 60th Battalion in two back-to-back deployments, then it becomes much more substantial. Within the battalion, the casualty count from the event was a bitter blow. Following months of rebuilding with limited reinforcements arriving, ravaged by illness, trench feet, and evacuations through the cold and wet of autumn and the early arrival of a bitter winter, the battalion was stretched to its limits of endurance.

By the end of 1916, the men of the battalion, who had endured many hardships during the year, had developed a fatalism for their future. The effects of battle and the elements had taken their toll—emotionally, physically, and tragically—in lives lost, wounded, maimed, or missing during the first year of the battalion’s existence.

INTRODUCTION: THE FIRST SHOT

F ebruary 1916, the ‘war to end all wars’ had now been raging for eighteen months. The Commonwealth of Australia had been there right from the very beginning and had also been credited with firing the first shot for the ‘British Empire’ in this now global conflict. From the moment that Britain declared war on Germany, Australia was also at war with Germany, as was New Zealand, Canada, Newfoundland, India, South Africa, and all the other British Empire colonies and protectorates spread throughout the Caribbean, West Indies, Pacific Islands, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, South-East Asia, and Af rica.

When Britain declared war with Germany at 11 p.m. (GMT) on Tuesday, 4 August 1914, it was 9 a.m. (AEST) on Wednesday, 5 August 1914 in Melbourne. At about 12.40 p.m., the German cargo steamer, the SS Pfalz, after having been released from naval inspection, was being guided through the heads by Australian maritime pilot Captain Montgomery Robinson and steaming towards Port Phillip Heads, open ocean and, for its crew and captain . . . safety and home.

Unbeknownst to Captain Robinson, whilst in port, the German Consulate had been in contact with Captain Wilhelm Kuhlken, master of the SS Pfalz, advising him of the urgency to leave port immediately because of the impending declaration of war between Germany and England. The Germans were well aware that as soon as England declared war with Germany, Australia would also be at war with Germany. The minutes ticked by . . . freedom was within their grasp . . . another ten minutes and they would be clear.

Just after 12.40 p.m., the garrison at Fort Queenscliff received an urgent communication that war had been declared! Its commander, Lt Colonel Sandford, ordered the Fire Commander at Fort Nepean, Lieutenant Morris, to immediately stop the SS Pfalz from leaving the ‘bay’. If it could not be stopped, then it was to be sunk!

A flag signal was hoisted at Fort Nepean for Captain Kuhlken of the SS Pfalz demanding that he immediately stop his vessel and surrender. He ignored this first signal to stop and continued his journey towards the heads, open water, and escape. Captain Robinson was beginning to suspect that something was wrong when the captain ordered his engine room to increase speed.

Midshipman Richard Stanley Veale aboard the RAN examination vessel Alvina quickly hoisted the ‘H’ signal flag to indicate a hostile vessel, thus confirming the order to fire a warning shot across the bow of the SS Pfalz. The coastal gun crew at Fort Nepean, realising the importance of their task, meticulously determined the coordinates and the range. At approximately 12.45 p.m. Bombardier John Purdue released a 6-inch shell from their Mark 7 naval gun, which exploded out of the barrel, flew across the bow of the ship, and crashed into the water on the other side of the vessel, bringing up a huge spray of water.

A scuffle then broke out on the bridge of the SS Pfalz between Captain Robinson and Captain Kuhlken. With common sense ultimately being shown by the German, the order to stop the ship was given before the next shot, which would have sunk the ship, was fired.

On returning to Portsea Captain Kuhlken and the crew of the SS Pfalz surrendered to the authorities. In London, it was 2.45 a.m. (GMT) on 5 August. Australia had not only fired the first shot for the British Empire in WWI but also secured the first German possessions and prisoners of the war.

The steamship SS Pfalz, after its capture, was refitted as a troopship and renamed HMT Boorara. It contributed to Australia’s war effort by taking part in the second Australian convoy to the Mediterranean. The ship was also used to transport Ottoman prisoners of war and in 1919 was used to repatriate Australian soldiers back to Australia.

Meanwhile in Europe, with the crossing into Belgium territory by German Forces, land battles between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and German Imperial Forces began. The war then quickly spread to France. Eventually, trench systems spread from the North Sea for 700 km to the Swiss border.

From the green fields of Belgium and France to the deserts of Mesopotamia, the jungles of Rabaul, German New Guinea and the Pacific islands; the waters above and below the Indian, Atlantic, Western and South-Western Pacific Oceans, and Mediterranean Sea, the lands of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, the Balkan states, Italy, Salonika, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Russia, China, East and West Africa, the Falklands Islands, and in the skies above many of these locations, this ‘European War’ quickly aligned nations to particular political ideologies, cultural commonalities, or territorial aspirations. However, many countries did remain or appeared to remain effectively neutral throughout the conflict.

The AIF (Australian Imperial Force) was formed from 15 August 1914 with an initial strength of 20,000 men. On 11 September, a separate 2,000-man force named the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) raised to seize German possessions in the Pacific, landed near Rabaul, and forced the German garrison to surrender. This was followed by taking possession of German New Guinea at Toma on 17 September and islands of the Bismarck Archipelago in October. On 9 November, HMAS Sydney destroyed the German raider SMS Emden off the Cocos-Keeling Islands.

The first contingent of the AIF departed Australia by ship on 1 November 1914 bound for Egypt, arriving in December. Following training, the Australian Division and the New Zealand Division were combined to form ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), and in an amphibious landing on 25 April 1915, this force stormed ashore on a Turkish beach and scaled the cliffs on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Through grit, determination, and bravery, they gained a small foothold and, for eight long months, alongside their British, French, and other allies, repelled all Turkish attempts to drive them off the peninsula. Sadly, during this time, 26,111 Australians became casualties, including 8,141 deaths. With an effective stalemate in operation, it was decided by the British High Command to evacuate all Allied troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula in December.

Following the highly successful bloodless evacuation of ANZAC and Allied troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Australians were sent to Egypt. Here, they replenished and added to their depleted divisions, reorganised their battered battalions with newly arrived replacement troops from Australia, and trained for the next challenge ahead—the main theatre of war where this brutal conflict would ultimately be won or lost, the battlefields of the Western Front. One of the new battalions to come into existence during this time was the 60th Australian Infantry Battalion.

Chapter 1

EGYPT—24 FEBRUARY TO 22 JUNE

F ollowing the withdrawal of the Australian forces from the Dardanelles to Egypt, and with reinforcements arriving from Australia in large numbers, the AIF began a period of reorganisation and expansion in readiness for their future deployment to the Western Front. The reorganisation and expansion were based on a proposal by General Birdwood for the doubling of the AIF, by having each of the three 1 st Division Brigades as well as the 4 th Brigade (previously part of the New Zealand and Australian Division) divide their sixteen battalions in two to create sixteen new battal ions.

These new battalions were referred to as the ‘pup’ Battalions—the offspring of their mother units. The four ‘pup’ Battalions of the new 15th Infantry Brigade were the 57th, 58th, 59th, and 60th and were born from the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Battalions of the 2nd Infantry Brigade respectively. The 5th Division comprised the new 14th Infantry Brigade (raised from 1st Brigade battalions) and the 15th Infantry Brigade, to which was added the 8th Infantry Brigade, which had been formed in Australia.

Whilst many of the foundation members for the 60th Battalion developed their fighting qualities during the eight months of the Gallipoli Campaign as part of the Victorian 8th Battalion, the history of the 60th Battalion began with the arrival of the first draft of officers, NCOs, and men, as recorded in the battalion war diary at 8.30 p.m. on Thursday, 24 February 1916, at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt. To the experienced Gallipoli veterans, who provided 50 percent of the officers, NCOs, and other ranks, were added reinforcements who had arrived from Australia, with many already training and conditioning in Egypt.

In theory, this process quickly doubled the number of battalions potentially available for deployment to the Western Front. Two issues arising from the split were the provision of officers in sufficient number for both parent and daughter battalions, and the bitterness felt by some veterans of the parent battalions from being taken away from their cobbers with whom they had been through so much together in Gallipoli.

A solution for each issue was identified and implemented. ‘With each wanting half their complement, and many hundreds also being needed for artillery, pioneers, engineers, and other services—brigadiers and unit commanders were allowed to obtain suitable candidates not only by searching through the whole of the infantry but also from other arms, especially the light horse.’¹ To soften the bitterness of separation from the parent units and bring the parent and daughter battalions even more closely together, the original battalion colours were adopted, with the colours of the parent battalion being worn horizontally, whilst the colours in the daughter battalion were worn vertically.

The formation of the new battalions progressed well. According to Charles Bean, the official Australian Government war correspondent, by the first weeks of March, ‘nearly three-quarters of the men in both veteran and new battalions were now reinforcements. Had it been possible to give these units a clear course of eight or even six weeks’ training, they would rapidly have become compact efficient units.’²

Prior to the Gallipoli Campaign, the Australian troops were based at the Mena Camp. This camp was close to Cairo, but many problems of indiscipline and riotous behaviour had been recorded. Following the evacuation from Gallipoli, a large area was needed for the battalions to be properly reorganised, rested, refitted, and trained. Many reinforcements had arrived who needed to be allocated to the existing and new battalions.

Tel-el-Kebir was selected as it possessed several advantages over other sites. It was located 30 miles (48 km) west of the main part of the Suez Canal, only a few miles east of the Nile Delta lowlands and approximately 60 miles (100 km) northeast of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Strategically important in the protection of the canal, it was situated at a key location on the railway line to Cairo.

The site, 6 miles (10 km) in length, already contained many permanent buildings such as barracks and messes. Essential services such as sanitation, a water supply, telephone communications, and police also existed. Local merchants operated in the camp, with souvenirs being a popular purchase of the soldiers. Running parallel to the camp was the Suez Canal Railway, and about 100 yards (91 metres) south of the railway line was the Sweetwater Canal, which was used for irrigation purposes. The width of the Sweetwater Canal was about 30 yards (27 metres).

One of the most prominent features of the camp was the bell-shaped tents. The tents were not just erected anywhere. Rules in place required tents to be erected in an orderly manner in specific locations, creating well-defined streets. The site also provided a vast training area for the more than 30,000 troops based there.

Troops were still given two days’ leave in Cairo when eligible. Overstaying of such leave was common, with soldiers either fined or given some other type of corporal punishment.

February: A New Battalion Is Formed

The 60th Battalion diary for the remaining days of February 1916 records the pertinent details of the events related to the formation of the battalion. The first troops for the new battalion came from a draft of 7 officers and 439 NCOs and men from its parent unit, the 8th Battalion, who had arrived from Serapeum on Thursday, 24 February. Major Frederick Victor Trickey was given initial command. The other formation officers were Captain R. Jennings, A Company; Second Lieutenant E. A. Evans, B Company; Lieutenant A. H. Robertson, C Company; Second Lieutenant W. Keen, D Company; Lieutenant H. O. Ground, acting adjutant; and Second Lieutenant H. S. Burcher, acting quartermaster. Also to report was MO Captain F. W. D. Collier, who was attached with five Army Medical Corps personnel.

The following day, Major Arthur Brander Baker (acting brigade major) and Brigadier General Godfrey Irving (acting brigadier of the 15th Infantry Brigade) called in to get a report from the CO and the adjutant. The rest of the day was spent on re-pitching tents originally erected by men of the 58th Battalion, and general tidying of the camp.

On Saturday, 26 February, two cases of mumps were identified, which required the isolation of nineteen men. In the late morning, reinforcements arrived consisting of 6 officers and 477 NCOs and men drafted from the 6th Training Battalion. The six new officers were Second Lieutenant David Brendan Doyle, Second Lieutenant Hugh McDonald Plowman, Second Lieutenant Ronald James Dickson, Second Lieutenant James Morison Rhind, Second Lieutenant Thomas Kerr, and Second Lieutenant Charles Hamilton.

Whilst preparing and checking rolls on Sunday, 27 February, the adjutant found discrepancies for men who had actually arrived in the previous day’s draft with those on the Nominal Rolls that came with the men. Church parade was held in the morning. Second Lieutenant Charles Hartley Roberts, who had been at the Zeitoun School of Instruction, marched in from the 8th Battalion following his transfer.

The battalion moved to a new campsite further west but nearer the Brigade HQ on Monday, 28 February. Tents were pitched in the morning with the move occurring in the afternoon. Second Lieutenant Henry Stephen Wrathall marched in from the 8th Battalion. During the day, the decision was received that the battalion colours were to be the same as the parent unit, but were to be worn vertically³.

March: Officers, NCOs, Other Ranks, and Training

The month of March was quite significant in the early life of the 60th Battalion. The war diary describes how the 60th Battalion continued to develop its structure and add to its complement.

Wednesday, 1 March 1916, saw command of the 15th Australian Infantry Brigade, to which the 60th Battalion belonged, pass from General Irving to Lieutenant Colonel Harold Edward ‘Pompey’ Elliott. General Irving was transferred to the 14th Australian Infantry Brigade and was also made acting commander of the 5th Division until the new GOC arrived from Australia.

During the day, the first full parade of the battalion was held, and Lieutenant Colonel John Woodhouse Barnett Field took official command of the 60th Battalion. Major Trickey was appointed second in command. Additional cases of mumps were also diagnosed over the following days with further tents put into isolation. By the end of the week, eighty-seven men and tents were in isolation.

A full parade was again held on Thursday morning, 2 March, only this time it was an inspection parade for Major General Sir Herbert Vaughan Cox, KCMG, CB, CSI, who had been appointed commander of the newly formed 4th Australian Division. As a reward, the battalion was given the afternoon as a half holiday.

On Friday, 3 March, specialist groups were formed from within the battalion strength. Signalling class, brigade machine gun class, pioneer battalion, and grenadiers were formed. Marching out to join the pioneer battalion were forty-eight men and two NCOs.

The battalion continued to get down to business on Saturday, 4 March, when Second Lieutenant John Huntingdon Smith and fourteen other ranks left to attend the Zeitoun School of Instruction. On a more sombre note, a summary of evidence was taken on the court martial cases of (temporary) Sergeant Harry Edwards James Cooper, Private John James Purcell, and Private William Arnold. Discipline and routine were continued, with a battalion parade as well as an afternoon parade. Second Lieutenant William Keen also volunteered for the recently formed pioneer battalion.

A morning church parade was held at 9.30 a.m. on Sunday, 5 March. During the morning, the CO and adjutant were interviewed by the brigadier regarding the battalion returns and the establishment of the battalion. Afterwards, the CO, the 2IC, and the company officers drew up the appointments for NCOs in the battalion, which were confirmed in orders dated 5 March.

Monday, 6 March, was busy—Second Lieutenant William Alfred Bayliss marched in; the battalion was paraded; the brigade training syllabus was implemented; Lieutenant Robertson, Second Lieutenant Rhind, Second Lieutenant Kerr, and twenty-seven other ranks started at the brigade school; and Captain Richard Jennings was interviewed by the brigadier of the Pioneer Battalion. In the battalion orderly room, several soldiers were dealt with for offences caused—Corporal Robert West, SN 1694 (consideration deferred); Private James Louis Nitchie, SN 146 (fined two days’ pays); Private John Jenkins, SN 2955 (fined two days’ pay); Private Ernest Howes, SN 1946 (remanded for general court martial).

The formation period of the new battalions was sometimes seen as an opportunity by the parent battalions to rid themselves of soldiers they considered troublesome, by transferring them to the ‘pup Battalions’. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it did not . . .

A battalion parade was held on the morning of Tuesday, 7 March, followed by a continuation of the brigade training syllabus. A fresh draft with WO John Taylor, SN 284, and thirty-nine other ranks arrived from the 8th Battalion at Serapeum. However, before being accepted into the 60th Battalion, their percentage of undesirables as disclosed in the conduct sheets led the commanding officer to report his concern to brigade. Also, Lieutenant Alexander Holcombe Robertson, one of the seven formation officers, was temporarily relieved of duty pending a decision by brigade as to his fitness to command because of his age of 46; brigade applications were called for the Divisional Signal Company and Artillery; and Corporal West, SN 1694, was given a reprimand.

Mounted brigade duties were conducted on Wednesday, 8 March, whilst brigade training was continued by the battalion. Lieutenant Kerr had his transfer application to the pioneer battalion withdrawn by brigade. A decision was made to return the draft of the WO and the thirty-nine other ranks to the 8th Battalion. Second Lieutenant Dickson returned these men and reported back at 10 p.m. Orderly room was held, with Private Roger McMillan, SN 1780, remanded on Summary of Evidence for Court Martial because of absence without leave.

Brigade training per the syllabus continued the morning of Thursday, 9 March. During the morning, 128 applicants were paraded to Brigade Headquarters for transfer to divisional artillery. At 10.30 a.m., the five OR of the Army Medical Corps who had been attached returned to the No. 8 Field Hospital, whilst at 11 a.m., applicants were paraded before the officer commanding the field bakery.

Second Lieutenant Bayliss travelled to Serapeum to provide evidence at a court martial, and Lieutenant Robertson was paraded before General Cox regarding his fitness to command. Trooper Harry Victor Hanger was attached to the 15th Brigade Machine Gun Company.

In the afternoon, the battalion enjoyed its weekly half holiday. Major Trickey took over command of D Company and was also appointed the supervisor for the Sergeant’s Mess.

By Friday, 10 March, the 60th Battalion had determined the number of officers and other ranks to bring it up to strength—2 majors, 6 captains, 4 second lieutenants, and 189 other ranks.

Battalion parade was held, and syllabus of training was conducted. The field bakery marched in eight men, and five men marched out as divisional artillery officers. After giving evidence at the court martial, Second Lieutenant Bayliss returned from Serapeum at 10 a.m. Sergeant William Murray, SN 171, and Lance Corporal Harry Powis, SN 996, were put under open arrest for ‘leaving their guard without lawful excuse’.

On Saturday, 11 March, the battalion paraded and continued with the syllabus of training. Lieutenant (Honorary Captain) Hubert Charles Piercey was posted to C Company as