Pte Thomas Alexander

[Andrew P]

No.564 Pte Thomas Alexander of the 15th Battalion AIF was a 28 year old Labourer from Brisbane Qld when he enlisted into the AIF. He was assigned to D Company in the original 15th.

He was killed in one of the many attacks at Quinn's Post. Unlike many others in these attacks his body was recovered and is now buried in Quinn's Post Cemetery.

His family was dealt a further blow when his brother Alfred Alexander of the 9th Battalion was killed instantly by a shell on April 15th 1917 at Lagnicourt, while a cousin, Percy, was killed at Ypres on 04/10/1917.

Definately a family that paid the price of the war.

Lest we forget

[Andrew P]

There is a good account of the raid in which Alexander lost his life in Peter Stanley's book 'Quinns Post'.

Also see Bean's Account

http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/ww1/2/page...&imageField.y=4

[michaeldr]

Andrew, Many thanks for putting up the link

Bean mentions Maj E. L. Margolin and his faithful Signaller, the artist Ellis Silas:

after this raid Silas wrote

“Dawn. The roll is called – how heart breaking it is – name after name is called; the reply a deep silence which can be felt, despite the noise of the incessant cracking of rifles and screaming of shrapnel – there are few of us left to answer our names – just a thin line of weary ashen faced men, behind us a mass of silent forms, once our comrades…..”

[Andrew P]

Hi Michael

I think we should be thankful that Silas recorded his impressions of events on these days at Gallipoli as accounts of his type are few and far between.

Heard some time ago (maybe on this forum) that there is a book being written on Silas. Hopefully it's still going ahead.

Cheers

Andrew

[michaeldr]

Andrew,

I totally agree about Silas’ valuable impressions, both verbal and pictorial.

If there is a new book about him then I will be very pleased to learn of it

and to learn more of this very interesting character

At the moment most of what I know comes from the quotes used by Tom Curran in his biography of Simpson, ‘Across the Bar,’ where he has made use of Silas’ 1916 book ‘Crusading at Anzac.’

In view of the sentiments which Silas expressed in the quote I gave previously, is there any doubt that his famous 1920 painting ‘The Roll Call’ is based upon the aftermath of this particular raid?

After describing the roll call, Silas goes on to say that he is asked by someone (he thinks that it was Gen Birdwood, but he is not sure) to produce a sketch of the position. This was almost certainly a sketch-map or diagram, rather than anything more pictorial. However Silas did include a sketch of ‘Quinn’s Post; the Firing Line; May 1915’ in his book and this was also reproduced in Curran’s work.

Regards

Michael D.R.