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Remembered Today:

3rd Bn AIF


chrisharley9

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Can anyone help me as to where & what happened to the 3rd Bn on this date

Am trying to find out what happened to one of its soldiers who I will be commemorating on ANZAC Day.

Chris

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You can get some info from the 3rd Battalion's War Diary:

http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM4/23/AWM4-23-20-15.pdf

In the 3rd May 1916, the battalion was in the line in the Levantie-Fluerbaix sector and left it on May 19th.

The unit history (E. Wren, Randwick to Hargicourt: history of the 3rd Battalion AIF (Sydney; Ronald G. McDonald, 1935)) doesn't mention anything for that particular date that I can see.

Mick

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Mick

thanks very much

Chris

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Mick

where do I search for the war diaries at the Australian Archives as I have another look up to do for the 17th BN

Chris

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G'day Chris,

It has been some time since I have walked this path.

Your first step is to log-on to the Australian War Memorial (AWM) and follow from there.

I know that sounds a bit vague but follow your nose.

Many other Ozzies will probably post you soon but I feel there is a general sense of disorientation as we have just come off 'Daylight savings time' which affects about 3 time zones on this large island/small continent.

I am also in the last stages of reading a fact/fiction novel about the 33rd Btn called 'The Kurrajongs' by Ian Small.

Whilst it is about the 3RD Division it doe not cover the period you are interested in but a very good read.

Regarding the 17th Btn, I have a very distant member on the family tree who served with this unit, Sgt John T Meehan MM, who was killed in the Flers sector in 1916. I have a photocopy of the 17th's History but it is on loan at present. If you can give me some details of the solldier you are remembering I may be able to help you when I have the Diary back.

Good luck in your research and keep the memory alive.

Regards

Pop

(Sean McManus)

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Hi Chris,

I'm an arts student so daylight savings or otherwise never affects me! What day is it?

www.awm.gov.au then COLLECTIONS on left hand side, then Australian Army War Diaries around the bottom of the list.

Good luck!

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Thanks for the info both of you

The chap Im researching is

Name: JUDE, CHARLES HENRY

Initials: C H

Nationality: Australian

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

Unit Text: 17th Bn.

Age: 24

Date of Death: 26/08/1916

Service No: 2156

Additional information: Son of Samuel and Sarah Jude, of Southbrink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL

Chris

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You might also be interested in having a look at the Official Histories. The 17th Bn casualty was in attacks on Mouquet Farm which receives a rather extensive (if garbled) writeup by Bean in vol. 3 of the Official History. Fortunately (or otherwise) it's all online! www.awm.gov.au - AUSTRALIANS AT WAR in the left hand column, then OFFICIAL HISTORIES and pick your war. There should be some little maps of the 17th's place in the line to demonstrate quite where they were. Good luck!

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Melwar

thanks very much for the pointer

Chris

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Thanks for the info both of you

The chap Im researching is

Name: JUDE, CHARLES HENRY

Initials: C H

Nationality: Australian

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Australian Infantry, A.I.F.

Unit Text: 17th Bn.

Age: 24

Date of Death: 26/08/1916

Service No: 2156

Additional information: Son of Samuel and Sarah Jude, of Southbrink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Memorial: VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL

Chris

G'day Chris,

I do not have the history of the 3rd Battalion but I do have that of the 17th.

'The Story of the Seventeenth Battalion A.I.F. In the Great War 1914 -1918 by Lieutenant-Colonel K. W. Mackenzie, M.C.

The date of 26/08/1916 is overlooked but the relevent passages read:

" August 16th and 17th found the Seventeenth once more on the move to the forward area, in the vicinity of Pozieres. After a night in Sausage Gully the Battalion took over the Sunken Road Trench, near Pozieres Village, and remained there until the 23rd, when it was relieved by the Nineteenth Battalion, in the front line. Two days later the 5th Brigade was withdrawn to Tara Hill to act as a Divisional reserve. On the 28th the Battalion moved back to Warloy, where it stayed until the 31st.

( Deleted paragraph by me............)

Casualties suffered by the Seventeenth were as follows:-

Officers: two killed and eleven wounded. Other ranks: sixty-four killed and 339 wounded. One other rank was reported missing."

Perhaps Chris your missing man is the one referred to in the last sentence?

Lest We Forget

Regards

Pop

(Sean McManus)

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