Disaster at Allonville 31st May 1918

[ritekgirl]

I came across this forum as I was researching my Great Uncle, about whom I am writing for my Diploma of Family History studies. 

 

I was VERY excited to read some of the information posted relating to the night he received wounds from which he later died, especially that he was singing as he came out of the rubble. I do, however have to clear up the misinformation relating to his name which you have recorded as "George Walter RADNELL". The VWMA has it recorded as "George David RADNELL", neither is correct. 

The correct name is "George Duncan RADNELL".  Service number 1734. His nickname back in his birthplace of Tarnagulla (Victoria) and surrounding districts was "Ticker", and going by the information you posted from the book by Wanliss, he was known during the war as "Dick". He had a cousin named "George Albert RADNELL D.C.M." who was older than he was and who had enlisted earlier, which is why I assume he did not go by George. 

 

"Our boy George" as I've been referring to him as, was born in Tarnagulla, Victoria in 1898.  It is believed he had not yet turned 16 when he enlisted in January 1915 and was allocated to the 4th reinforcements of the 14th Battalion.His father signed a letter to say he was 18 and a half. His birth was registered in Victoria in 1898 and we are currently waiting to receive a copy of his birth certificate to confirm just how old he was. His parents had the following personal inscription placed on his headstone at Vignacourt "GEORGE, A TARNAGULLA LAD CELEBRATED HIS 16TH BIRTHDAY AT ANZAC IN 1915".

 

I am trying to find a digitised copy of the Wanliss book, and would love to know if anyone can help.  I am happy to purchase it, but with my studies I don't have the luxury of waiting for a physical copy to arrive, especially as I live in Victoria and parcel post is definitely on a go slow at present. 

 

I'm also very interested in any additional information that anyone may have on two particular items:

1) the circumstances surrounding his being awarded the Military Medal in Oct 1917; and

2) in March 1916 he was promoted to Lance Corporal, however in May of 1917 he reverted to the rank of Private at his own request. No reason was given.

 

I look forward to thoroughly reading through this forum and finding what other treasures I may discover about Great Uncle Ticker.

 

Cheers

Leanne (aka ritekgirl)

[RaySearching]

5 hours ago, ritekgirl said:

I'm also very interested in any additional information that anyone may have on two particular items:

1) the circumstances surrounding his being awarded the Military Medal in Oct 1917; and

 

 

Citation for the award of the M M   (from his service file)

 

 

 

additional details of the battalions actions on or around the date of the citation may be obtainable from the war diary's

 

Ray

 

 

[RaySearching]

https://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2015/04/24/4223123.htm

 

https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5e4dcfe121ea6916ec9a8f54

 

Ray

Edited 27 August , 2020 by RaySearching

[moggs]

Hi Leanne, welcome to the forum.  Many thanks for the extra information, especially his name.  Those aspects are so important to get right.  I will edit the information given earlier.

 

It's nice to have more relatives of the men becoming involved.  Their lives and what they did for all of us are very special.

 

All the best

 

Jonathan

[moggs]

And thanks to Ray for his extra help, too.  It all adds up and is very welcome.

[ritekgirl]

5 hours ago, RaySearching said:

Citation for the award of the M M   (from his service file)

Thanks Ray, I do have that information as well as the videos and portrait.  I was hopeful that someone may have additional info from personal diaries, books etc. 

 

Cheers Leanne

Edited 28 August , 2020 by ritekgirl

[ritekgirl]

38 minutes ago, moggs said:

It's nice to have more relatives of the men becoming involved.  Their lives and what they did for all of us are very special.

Thank you so much for the welcome. I really appreciate the work you've already done. Let me know if you would like any further information on "Ticker". I'm sure I'll have more questions about this disaster as I start to write my current assessment.

 

Cheers

Leanne

[moggs]

Always a pleasure to help.

[moggs]

13 hours ago, ritekgirl said:

I do, however have to clear up the misinformation relating to his name which you have recorded as "George Walter RADNELL". The VWMA has it recorded as "George David RADNELL", neither is correct. 

The correct name is "George Duncan RADNELL".  Service number 1734.

 

Cheers

Leanne (aka ritekgirl)

 

Well, I am amazed.  I just looked up my database on the 14th to edit the name when I saw that, in fact, I already had it as Duncan.  Wonder where Walter came from?

 

Anyhow, thanks for the update - all is fixed now.

 

All the best

 

Jonathan

 

 

 

[ritekgirl]

4 hours ago, moggs said:

thanks for the update - all is fixed now

Fantastic! It's my pleasure to help.

 

Cheers

Leanne

[ritekgirl]

On 31/05/2012 at 05:39, moggs said:

Amazing stories of luck and courage happen in all aspects of war. Here’s how Newton Wanliss described a few of the men.

“Pte. Dick Radnell, M.M., with a smashed limb and mortally wounded, was carried out of the barn singing. He died next day.

Hi Jonathan, I've tried unsuccessfully to get a copy of this book, digital or otherwise..... well actually I can get one shipped from the US that will arrive a month after my current assessment is due.........  I was wondering if you knew the page number that this particular quote was on, as my son attends Federation Uni in Ballarat and there is a copy in the library there (I live in central Vic where there are no librarys ), and he may be able to borrow the book and copy the page for me. 

 

Cheers Leanne

[ritekgirl]

Jonathan, I've just come across this article published in The Melbourne Age on 11 November 1950 which I thought you and others might find of interest, especially descendants of those involved in the band and the 'Smart Set'.

 

Cheers Leanne

nla.news-article206409165.3.pdf

[ritekgirl]

Private Laurie Hustler - How He Met His Death, published in the Penshurst Free Press on Saturday 10 August, 1918. These articles are from TROVE - any relating to The Disaster at Allonville, I am tagging with "Allonville Bombing 1918", should anyone want to check them out online.

nla.news-article119565060.3.pdf

Edited 28 August , 2020 by ritekgirl
Add additional information.

[ritekgirl]

Another mention, this time in an article published in The Age on 5th October 1929, outlining Wanliss' book.

nla.news-article204147091.4.pdf

[ritekgirl]

This article from The Western Mail (Perth) dated 5 June 1930, states that the Mayor of Allonville complained to Divisional Headquarters after the event that the area had not been cleaned up by the 14th...... Headquarters duly passed the complaint along to the commander of the 14th who read it in the front line.

nla.news-article38509988.4.pdf

[ritekgirl]

Pte G. V. Reddish.

nla.news-article91144245.5.pdf

[ritekgirl]

On 31/05/2012 at 05:39, moggs said:

Here’s how Newton Wanliss described a few of the men.

“Pte. Dick Radnell, M.M., with a smashed limb and mortally wounded, was carried out of the barn singing. He died next day......"

Hi Jonathan, in my efforts of trying to find a copy of the Wanliss book, I've realised that he was the father of a soldier and researched the 14th Battalion after the death of his son. Does he say who it was that described Radnell as above?

 

Regards 

Leanne

[ritekgirl]

10 minutes ago, ritekgirl said:

Hi Jonathan, in my efforts of trying to find a copy of the Wanliss book, I've realised that he was the father of a soldier and researched the 14th Battalion after the death of his son. Does he say who it was that described Radnell as above?

Nevermind that question. I've just managed to access a digital version of the book online from The State Library of Victoria. Thanks anyway. 

Leanne

[moggs]

12 hours ago, ritekgirl said:

Hi Jonathan, I've tried unsuccessfully to get a copy of this book, digital or otherwise..... well actually I can get one shipped from the US that will arrive a month after my current assessment is due.........  I was wondering if you knew the page number that this particular quote was on, as my son attends Federation Uni in Ballarat and there is a copy in the library there (I live in central Vic where there are no librarys ), and he may be able to borrow the book and copy the page for me. 

 

Cheers Leanne

 

Hi Leanne,

 

Sorry for the delay in answering but I've had a lazy Saturday morning basking in the sunshine of our current Stage 3 covid conditions.  Then I discovered that my desktop was having a hissy fit with the internet.  Luckily my laptop wasn't.  Strange world we live in.

 

There's a whole chapter on the event from page 284 to 291.  Dick's story is related on page 286.

 

I wasn't sure if there were digital versions of the book.  Well done for finding one.  Lucky me, I have two - an original (personalised by the author [for someone else, mind you]) and a facsimile which the Naval and Military Press published a number of years ago.  If you ever find an original it will cost over$1500 to buy these days but the facsimile version cost e about $50 when I bought it in 2010.

[ritekgirl]

5 minutes ago, moggs said:

There's a whole chapter on the event from page 284 to 291.  Dick's story is related on page 286.

I do not blame you for having a lazy Saturday enjoying this glorious sunshine. The only trouble is that the beautiful weather does make you want to be out and about, which is a definite no-no these days in Victoria.  Thank you so much, I've just downloaded a pdf version which will be fantastic. It is such a fabulous day that I think I'll transfer the pdf onto my ipad and pick a nice spot in the garden and do a spot of reading in the warmth of the sunshine. 

[moggs]

Yes, I do understand.  I'm strolling through the articles you attached.  I've seen many of them in various guises over the years but the WA one always gives me a laugh.  At least they didn't bag the men, themselves - despite coming from Victoria.  Of course Wanliss' book had only just been published (1929) so there may have been a bit of interest in all things 14th Battalion.