ANZAC Sons
Page 1
ANZAC
THE STORY OF FIVE BROTHERS IN THE WAR TO END ALL WARS
SONS
ANZAC
THE STORY OF FIVE BROTHERS IN THE WAR TO END ALL WARS
SONS
Allison Marlow Paterson
Copyright © Allison Marlow Paterson
First published 2014
Copyright remains the property of the authors and apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission.
All inquiries should be made to the publishers.
Big Sky Publishing Pty Ltd
PO Box 303, Newport, NSW 2106, Australia
Phone: 1300 364 611
Fax: (61 2) 9918 2396
Email: info@bigskypublishing.com.au
Web: www.bigskypublishing.com.au
Cover design and typesetting: Think Productions
Printed in China by Asia Pacific Offset Ltd
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry (pbk.)
Author:
Paterson, Allison Marlow
Title:
Anzac sons : the story of five brothers in the war to end all wars / Allison Marlow Paterson.
ISBN:
9781922132796 (paperback)
9781922132802 (ebook)
Subjects:
World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives.
Soldiers--Australia--Correspondence.
World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Western Front.
Dewey Number: 940.30922
Printed in China through Asia Pacific Offset Ltd
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Part 1: 1914–1915
Part 2: 1916
Part 3: 1917
Part 4: 1918
Part 5: Epilogue
About the Author
Endnotes
Recommended Reading
PREFACE
Anzac Sons is an account of the Great War experiences of five brothers drawn from a collection of over 500 letters written to their families at home. The letters, penned by my grandfather and four of his brothers, were sent from the training grounds of Victoria, from Egypt, England and the battlefields of the Western Front — Pozieres, Bullecourt, Messines, Menin Road, Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux and the village battlegrounds of 1918. The narrative that runs through these letters not only provides an insight into the experiences and suffering of a family, but also into the tragic deaths of their friends and the impact of such events on the small Australian community they called home. The letters also reveal much about the young men themselves — their motivation for enlisting, their fears and their grief. The story of their family and the way its members coped with the tragedy that ultimately consumed their lives forms a strong undercurrent to this narrative and reflects the experiences of families the length and breadth of the nation.
In their original form, some of the letters are crumbling, torn and stained. Most are written in pencil, now faded with the impact of time. The transcriptions in this book are as accurate as possible and each letter is presented as it was written. Occasionally the sentiments expressed have not stood the test of time and may even be offensive to some readers. If this is the case I apologise. These letters should be read in the context in which they were written — as personal letters addressed to loved ones almost 100 years ago in what was a different age, entirely removed from the sensitivities of the modern age. I have preserved all emphases from the original letters, including any underlining, as these illustrate the emotions at the heart of these words. Occasionally I have included an interpretation and these interjections will be indicated as such, employing the usual practice of enclosing them in square brackets [interjection].
I am responsible for any errors of fact in this volume. My thoughts and reflections on what happened to my ancestors have been refined and developed by my research, by careful reading of their letters, discussion with family members, my own recollections and memories and the experience of days spent traversing the battlefields of the Western Front. On many occasions I express an opinion which I only wish could be clarified by those involved.
A FEW TECHNICALITIES:
Allan Marlow enlisted with his Christian name spelt Allan. Inexplicably he later changed the spelling to Allen. To avoid confusion I have chosen the earlier spelling of Allan.
In my narrative I have adopted the metric system of measurement rather than the imperial. The letters contain imperial measurements as used at the time:
1 mile = 1.6 kilometres
1 yard = 0.91 metres
1 chain = 20.1 metres
The Australian currency system was based on the old British system of 12 pence to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound:
1 pence (penny) written as 1d
12 pence = 1 shilling (or a bob) written as 1s or 1/-
20 shillings = 1 pound written as £1
Australian soldiers were paid six shillings a day, more than the average worker, and were the highest paid regular soldiers in World War I. Early in the war the Australian recruits were often referred to as ‘six bob a day tourists’ by critics who believed that the Australians would not see any action. The soldiers later adopted this term for their own use in a piece of bitter irony. Nonetheless, many troops made the most of their opportunities to see the sights of North Africa and Europe. If a soldier had dependants he was required to allocate at least two shillings to his family. One shilling was deferred for payment on discharge.
When Australia adopted the decimal currency in 1966, one pound was exchanged for two dollars, with one shilling valued at ten cents. As a comparative guide to values, to post a letter or buy a loaf of bread cost approximately 1½d in 1916. In a letter dated July 1917, Charlie complains that a peach in France costs 10d, almost the value of six loaves of bread and the approximate cost of a dozen eggs in Australia at the time.
AUSTRALIAN MILITARY STRUCTURE
In 1916, I Anzac Corps consisted of the 1st, 2nd and NZ divisions under British General William Birdwood, who also commanded all Australian forces. II Anzac Corps comprised the recently formed 4th and 5th divisions under British Lieutenant General Alexander Godley. In July 1916, when II Anzac arrived on the Western Front, followed later by the 3rd Division, the formation was reorganised. I Anzac Corps then comprised the 1st, 2nd and 4th divisions and II Anzac the 3rd, 5th and New Zealand divisions. Generally, each division was commanded by a major general and comprised three infantry brigades, three artillery brigades, a headquarters and field engineers. A brigade, commanded by a brigadier or brigadier general, was then divided into battalions of between 800 and 1000 men. A battalion, under the command of a lieutenant colonel or colonel, was divided into four companies. Each company was commanded by a captain and comprised four infantry platoons. A platoon was commanded by a lieutenant and divided into four sections commanded by a corporal.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the men and women who sacrificed so much in the Great War. Not only are we indebted to those who served, but also to their families who suffered the traumatic loss of loved ones both on the battlefield and in the permanent scars of those who returned. Their experiences were horrific and heartbreaking.
My sincere thanks to all who researched and wrote on the history of World War I, and whose work is essential to any understanding of this immense conflict: Charles Bean, Eric Fairey, Bill Gammage, Lyn McDonald, Patsy Adam-Smith, Peter Stanley, Les Carlyon, Peter Pedersen and all those listed in the recommended reading list at the end of this volume. I acknowledge the important work of the Pyramid Hill and District Hist
orical Society and their excellent publications associated with the Pyramid Hill Advertiser. Margaret Williamson and Helen Stevens of the Pyramid Hill Historical Society provided valuable assistance and generously shared their prolific knowledge of the Pyramid Hill and Mologa area. I am grateful to the curator of the Bendigo RSL Museum, Mr Peter Ball, for sharing his knowledge of the 38th Battalion and allowing me access to the photos of the Grinton Collection. I could not have gained an understanding of the Great War without the extraordinary work of the Australian War Memorial and the team at the National Archives of Australia and their superb online databases.
I would also like to thank those who assisted me so much during my visits to the Western Front. The Cardoen family of Varlet Farm in Poelkapelle, Belgium, greeted me with enthusiasm, warmth and fabulous fresh-baked bread from Passchendaele. Military historian Martin Pegler and his wife, Kate, of The Orchards at Combles in France, extended their wonderful hospitality and patiently answered my many questions, providing clear explanations of often complex concepts. My thanks also to Dr Brendan Nelson whom I met briefly at Tyne Cot and whose kind words at what was a significant point in my research I found extremely encouraging and inspirational.
Meeting Dr Brendan Nelson at Tyne Cot Cemetery (author photo 25 April 2011).
I am grateful also to Mr Dave Elley who has cured my love affair with the comma and is now working on my verbs. Dave spent many hours not only on the mechanics of my writing, but also in providing direction when I experienced the inevitable ‘Where to from here?’ Mrs Kaye Bence of Tarragindi kindly offered me her late husband’s entire collection of C.E.W. Bean’s Official History of Australia in the Great War of 1914–1918. It proved an invaluable resource and I thank her for her extraordinary generosity.
I also owe much gratitude to my family. I am grateful to my grandfather for the few memories I retain, and to my beautiful grandmother for the conversations, the crochet and the cream lilies. Significantly, I owe eternal gratitude to my great-uncle Jim for choosing to keep this extensive collection of letters. My thanks extend also to the later generations — to my wonderful parents, Noel and Joan Marlow, who preserved the letters, saving them from destruction, and then answering so many questions while encouraging me all the way along my journey. I thank my children for tolerating the many hours I spent sitting in front of a computer screen and my husband, Rob, for his endless patience and support, for providing the right word when I could not find it, and for volunteering to drive on the wrong side of the road in Europe. Thanks also to my cousin, Kevin Marlow, for contributing letters and photos kept by my grandmother and to other family members, friends and colleagues who helped along the way. Their answers to my myriad questions, their support and encouragement meant a great deal to me. My dear uncle and godparent, Allen Marlow junior, also deserves my grateful thanks. He generously answered endless queries and waited with anticipation while I tried to pull this work together. Sadly, I did not finish in time. He was one in a million and we all miss him.
I would also like to thank the team at Big Sky Publishing, including Diane Evans, Denny Neave and Sharon Evans, whose dedication to the preservation of our history ensured that the story of the Marlow brothers would be told. I also owe an enormous debt to Cathy McCullagh, a very patient editor whose skill and insight transformed a rather unwieldy manuscript into a book.
I dedicate this work to Sarah, Charles, Jim, Charlie, George, Allan, Percy and Albert Marlow. We are now the custodians of the Marlow legacy, a responsibility I bear with a deep sense of the great honour bestowed on me.
To the men and women who served and their families — we will not forget.
PROLOGUE…
THE BEGINNING
THE WESTERN FRONT
BELGIUM
18.7.17
Dear Mrs Marlow
It is with the greatest regret that I write because it is to offer our deep sympathy in the sad loss of your son. It seems so hard when you have four sons at the front & your anxiety cannot be realized by us who are in it. Your son was in a dugout which was hit direct by a big shell & it killed and buried five men. We have been subjected to severe bombardment during the past week and I am sorry to say yesterday one shell snatched from us two officers, two sergeants & your boy who were taking refuge from flying fragments of shell. It is the most awful calamity which has befallen us since we came to France. Accept the sympathy of us all in this your sad bereavement. What else can we offer? We also express our determination to go on & revenge the death of our mates & your son which this war has so cruelly taken from you. He was a good brave lad & is sadly missed by all who knew him. Your other boys are feeling the loss but taking it bravely.
I beg to remain
Yours Respectfully
RW Gollan Lieut
FRANCE
Nine months later:
27-4-1918
My Dear Jim,
Well dear Jim it breaks my heart to write this letter. Our dear [brother] was killed yesterday morning at 5.30. The bullet killed him instantly and he never spoke a word. I had just left him and gone down the trench to see the other lads when I was called back. Oh Jim it is awful. He is buried in a nice cemetery a good way behind the line. I attended the burial with a lot more … Oh I do hope he is the last. What awful lot of trouble we have had in a few months. Jim I do hope you all bear it the best you can. It has broke me up properly … Tell dear mum & dad to try and bear up as well as they can …
Jim Marlow had six brothers, one died in infancy, the other five served on the bloody battlefields of the Western Front. This is the story of a family torn apart by the tragedy of the Great War.
MOLOGA, VICTORIA THE 1970S
It was an era when most young schoolchildren like me had little concept of war. Life was relatively simple and secure in a world far from strife and trauma. The Great War, World War II and Korea were now historical events. Vietnam, to many children whose brothers had not been called up to serve, was a place discussed by adults, or a name mentioned in black and white television news reports from which they were bustled away. It was a negative place not suitable for the ears of children. Iraq and Afghanistan were yet to come.
It was also a time when a generation of small farmers left their land and their homes to their younger descendants. As their twilight years approached, these ageing men and women, many the survivors of two world wars and the Great Depression, farewelled their homes and a lifetime of memories for the security and services offered by local towns.
My great-uncle Jim Marlow was a bachelor. The eldest son of Charles and Sarah Marlow, he had lived on his farm, just north of Mologa, all his life. Jim’s parents had bought the land in 1892. In 1881, his father, Charles Marlow, had left his home in the tiny village of Drayton in Leicestershire, England, at 24 years of age and had sailed to distant Australia aboard the SS Cuscoe. His motives were unclear, and we can only surmise that Charles sought a better life than that which an industrialised England could offer the son of a country carpenter. He disembarked at Port Phillip Bay, travelled north by train to Inglewood, caught a Cobb & Co. coach to the hamlet of Durham Ox and then walked the remaining distance — some 20 kilometres — to the fledgling township of Pyramid Hill. As he trekked across the flat, scrubby plain, he must have wondered at the stark contrast his adoptive land presented to the rolling green hills and closely settled villages of his native Leicestershire.
Charles Marlow, date unknown.
Sarah Marlow circa 1918.
With land opening up for selection, Charles quickly found work as a surveyor’s assistant on land and rail surveys between Pyramid Hill and Kerang. In 1888 he married Sarah Mahoney, born near Castlemaine in 1862. For a few years they lived west of Pyramid Hill, just a few kilometres from the farm where I spent my childhood. In 1892 Charles purchased the original selection of Mr William Brown and here the couple established their farm, north of Mologa township, fronting Bullock Creek, with the Terrick Terrick Forest Reserve on the high ground to the east overlooking t
heir land.
Map 1: Mologa and surrounding district
When the Laanecoorie Weir burst its wall in 1909 and sent a torrent of water flooding across the central Victorian plains, it washed away many of the early mud and straw homes — ‘Egyptian brick’ buildings as they were commonly called. The residents of the young and vibrant railway township of Mologa, adjacent to Bullock Creek, had no warning on that sunny Saturday morning of 21 August when the devastating wall of water engulfed them.
When the floodwaters receded, little remained of the home built by the original selector and in which Sarah Marlow had raised her children. The family stoically began again, this time building a new timber home, wisely perched on stumps, of which they were justifiably proud and which endowed them with a renewed sense of optimism for the future. With six sons —the seventh, Frederick, died in 1895 at the age of four months, the same year that Sarah gave birth to twins — the family’s new dwelling must have been alive with the noise and raucous good humour of adolescents soon to be renowned for their practical jokes, strong community spirit and warm, endearing personalities.
Sarah Marlow and her youngest son, Albert, at their new home circa 1912.
The eldest son, Jim, was destined to inherit the farm, and he worked the land with his father. Jim’s younger brother, Charlie, was employed as a carpenter with a local builder. During harvest season he assisted his uncle, George Mahoney, on his property at nearby Fernihurst. The third brother was George Tennyson, affectionately known as ‘Geordie’ or ‘Ten’, who also worked on the family farm. The twins Percy and Allan were making their own way: Allan was employed at McKay’s General Store at Pyramid Hill, while Percy helped his maternal aunt and uncle on their farm at nearby Hayanmi. In 1914, when the dark years of war descended, the youngest son, Albert, was almost 16 and labouring on the family farm at Mologa.