24th Bn, AIF; April-May 1918

[headgardener]

A man I'm researching for a war memorial was killed in action serving with the 24th Battalion AIF. He joined the battalion on 26th April 1918, and was killed about 3 weeks later on 19th May 1918.

I'd like some advice on finding details of this battalion during this very short period; where were they? what were they doing? is there a war diary or a battalion history? etc.

In case anyone's interested, his name was Donald Farquhar MATHESON, and his CWGC details are HERE. I've already checked his online service papers, and found a short death notice in The Argus (Melbourne), but I'd be interested in any further sources of info. Before joining up he was living in Cororooke, Victoria.

Thanks in advance.

[Robert Dunlop]

April war diary is here.

May war diary is here.

Robert

[headgardener]

Robert,

Thanks so much for such a quick response! I've never done any Australian war diaries before, so I just wasn't sure where to start. Now I know.

Looks like he was killed in a big attack at Ancre.

I'd be grateful for any other suggestions regarding sources (official or unofficial histories, battalion rolls, biographies, etc).

[David B]

HG,

Australian records are available at the AWM (www.awm.gov.au) and FREE. These records were made available some years ago as a "gift to the nation" and cover all aspects of Australian involvement.

If you require personnel documents the web site will transfer you to the NAA web site (National Australian Archives) from whence you follow the links. Still FREE. Pity some other unnamed governments

couldn't have done the same.

David

[Waddell]

HG,

24th Battalion history is one of the recent reprints.

http://www.naval-military-press.com/red-and-white-diamond-authorised-history-of-the-twenty-fourth-battalion-aif.html

Regards,

Scott

[headgardener]

David,

Thanks for your advice. Yes, I suspect that the free provision of, what amounts to, government records has been an oft debated topic on this forum. I've frequently used the RecordSearch facility at NAA, and also the AWM site for a few things (POW rolls, embarkation and disembarkation rolls). Didn't realize the war diaries were there, too. It's a great system, and if the Aussies can do it, why can't we?!

Scott,

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I'd love to take at look at a copy, but at £22+p&p I doubt that I'll buy one, I'm only really interested in about 5 or 6 pages, after all. And I now have the war diary, thanks to Robert. The man I'm researching isn't even on 'my' memorial; I happened to find him quite by chance, and have included him in my research because he seems to have a no less valid claim to be included. Seems all his family had left the village by about the early 1900's, so looks like no-one remembered him by the time the memorial was built in the early '30's. I think I'll have to rely on getting to the IWM reading room, or on someone being kind enough to copy the handful of pages that will be of use to me......