‘In Good Company- Stories of Berowra’s First World War Servicemen’

[Waddell]

Looking at my profile page it tells me that I joined the forum on 19th November 2007. A little over eleven years later I feel confident enough to say that with the help of many forum members over the years I have developed some basic research skills. At the time Chris Baker owned the forum and I wish to say a small thank you to Chris for inspiring me to have a go at writing about First World War soldiers, in particular Australians, who served in the First AIF.

 

When I first joined the forum I was eager to learn about my ancestor’s role in the war. Indeed I started working on a book about my wife’s grandfather and his brother’s experiences during the war through a collection of letters held in the family. I started that book and along the way, like many here I suspect, I took a turn and started researching my local war memorial, the Berowra War Memorial.

 

That was around eight years ago, and six years ago I had my first story about a local soldier published in the local paper. Well, on the 19th October of this year, with the support of the Berowra RSL Sub-Branch and a Department of Veterans’ Affairs grant my book was published which followed the stories of the local men who went to the First World War. We printed 200 for local distribution, many of which have gone to local schools and libraries and similar institutions as well as descendants of those soldiers and locals with an interest in the history of the area.

 

So to all those forum members who posted answers or suggestions to the many questions I have asked over the years- thank you. Additionally to those members who are thinking of writing about the findings of their research- please have a go as it is a very rewarding experience and you might be surprised at the interest these stories generate and the leads they may unearth for you.

 

My book is titled ‘In Good Company- Stories of Berowra’s First World War Servicemen’ and of the 41 names listed upon the war memorial looks at the lives of the 33 men who were able to be identified.

 

For the benefit of any descendants who may come across this post, those men were-

 

3677 Sapper William Milner Anderson, 14th Field Company Engineers

851 Private Hector Bartlett, 1st Light Horse Regiment

7653 Bombardier Ernest Reginald Gordon Baker, 5th Division Ammunition Column

Second Officer Edward George Gordon Baker, Union Steam Ship Company

No.1110 Munitions Worker Burton Lovewell Blake, Vickers Maxim Pty Ltd

5058 Lance-Corporal John William Frederick Coyle, 4th Battalion AIF

N94324 Private Charles Leslie Devlin, Reinforcements Australian Army Service Corps

436 Lance-Corporal Francis Richard Edleston, 33rd Battalion AIF

15701 Sapper James Bateson Edleston, 2nd Field Company Engineers

4229 Private Charles A George, 1st Pioneer Battalion

23925 Gunner Duncan Bulmer Hedley, 13th Field Artillery Brigade

16048 Private Edgar Samuel Hills, Australian Army Service Corps

66721 Private Crossley John Holloway, 22nd Reinforcements

Major Charles Holmes Howard O.B.E, Administrative Headquarters AIF

747 Corporal Cadet Ernest Howard Jefferys, Australian Flying Corps

2078 Private Frederick Lindsay Jefferys, 33rd Battalion AIF

18882 Gunner Rex Jones, 7th Field Artillery Brigade

51 Sergeant Richard Joseph Kelly, Australian Flying Corps

1733 Corporal Herbert Francis Kennedy, 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company

3560 Lance-Corporal Sydney Thomas Lawless, 54th Battalion AIF

6677 Sapper David Thornton McKean, 7th Field Company Engineers

54006 Private William Rigdon Mallinson, 33rd Battalion AIF

10083 Private Edward Howard Pickard, 4th Australian Field Ambulance

6360 Private Benjamin Thomas Smith, 4th Battalion AIF

Second Lieutenant Walter Barnett Smith, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade

14028 Driver Reginald W Smith, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade

Lieutenant Victor Hubert Springhall, 20th Battalion AIF

15289 Sapper Clement Pascoe Springhall, 1st Field Squadron Engineers

3258 Private Edward James Sustenance, 20th Battalion AIF

15597 Gunner Hugh Talbot, 2nd Division Ammunition Column

474 Gunner Leslie James Talbot, 14th Field Artillery Brigade

160 Lance-Corporal Percy Robert Thompson, 1st Field Company Engineers

5794 Private Robert Malcolm Turner, 13th Battalion AIF

 

The book is my contribution to the centenary. Wishing all a good Christmas!

 

Scott

 

[Steven Broomfield]

Well done. Hope it sells well and acts as a tribute and memorial to brave men.

[DavidOwen]

Well done indeed!

[Guest]

Hello Scott,

I am very interested in purchasing a copy of your book. Can I get it through the Berowra RSL, or elsewhere? I just started researching my family history this year. My late father's name was Charles William Milner Fuller (he fought in New Guinea in WW2), and I just discovered his uncle was Sapper William Milner Anderson. Now I know where his middle names came from! William died only a weeks after arriving back in Australia. Sadly, William’s father was buried on the same day as his son. My Grandfather, Sergeant Alfred Charles Fuller, spoke on William’s behalf at the funeral. He subsequently married one of William’s sisters, Alice Maude Anderson.  I'm sad it has taken this late in my life to uncover their brave, and often tragic, stories. Like so many returned soldiers, they were reticent to talk about their war experiences (my father included). Thankfully, we have the internet now and books like yours to uncover their stories. Thank you.

 

[Waddell]

I will send you a private message with my contact details.

 

We only printed 200 of the books, but we kept a handful should descendants contact us over the years.

 

The family really had a tough time during the war and I covered it as best as I could within the book. There are still a few uncertain areas surrounding William's death.

 

He had a connection to Berowra as he was named on the Honour Roll erected at the station in December 1916. He was discharged from the AIF on 10th January 1918 and passed away at the home of a well-known local family on 10th April 1918, his death certificate indicating diabetes.

 

His older brother Albert served in the 14th Field Company Engineers along side William in France.

 

Scott

 

[Chris_Baker]

Very well done - and thank you for your kind opening remarks.