DIGGER 1 Issue 61

DIGGER “Dedicated to Digger Heritage”

Above: Sapper Rupert Gordon Moremon, 6th BGROC. Courtesy Gai Swales.

December 2017 No. 61

Magazine of the Families and Friends of the First AIF Inc

Edited by Graeme Hosken

ISSN 1834-8963

DIGGER 76 Issue 61

‘Dedicated to Digger Heritage’

The purpose of the FFFAIF is to commemorate the service, sacrifice, courage and

suffering of the First Australian Imperial Force of the Great War 1914-1918 and of their

families and friends.

DIGGER 61 Contents

Articles Captain Clifford ‘Tiny’ Hatcher MC, 12

th MG Coy/4

th MG Bn, Greg O’Reilly 3-7

Cpl 2024A Stanley Woolbank, 45th

Bn, letters and news items, found on Trove 8-11 Sister Hilda Mary Knox, AANS, Heather (Frev) Ford 12-15 E/R Sgt John Wicks, AIF Canteens, found on Trove, research by Graeme Hosken 15 The O’Connor brothers of Collie: George, Michael, Patrick and Edward, Margo Piggott 16-19 Pte 2029 James Antcliff, 36

th Bn Emeritus Prof. John Ramsland 20-25

Dvr 2102 Oliver Courtney, 4th

Light Horse Field Ambulance, Greg Swinden 26-28 My three Digger uncles: Jim and Fred Harvey, Mac Smith, Judith Green 29 Memories of Polygon Wood, ‘Barb’, 51st Bn 30-31 Extract from French newspaper found in 4

th MG Bn unit diary, contrib. by Greg Knight 31

Pte 2722 Rupert Donaldson, 2nd

& 54th

Bns, Graeme Hosken and Malcolm Donaldson 32-33 Boy-buglers of the AIF, Graeme Hosken 34-40 Commemorations of the Centenary of 3

rd Ypres, Johan Durnez with Geoff Lewis 41

Capt Gordon Coghill MC, 35th

Bn, contrib. by Bill Durrant 42 Differing views on the Battle of Passchendaele, ‘Dig’ and ‘Fifth Army’, found on Trove 43-44 Battle on the Menin Road, Cpl 3097 Alfred Gray MSM, 5th Pnrs, found on Trove 44 Letters from Gallipoli: Pte Garnet Rundle, 12

th Bn, found on Trove 45-50

Cpl 566 James Smith MM, 4th

MG Bn, and the Battle of Hamel, Greg Knight 51-54 The Road to Passchendaele, Emeritus Prof. John Ramsland 55-59 A ration party, Unknown soldier-author, found on Trove, contrib. by Bill Durrant 60-61 Spr 145 Rupert Moremon, 6

th BGROC, Graeme Hosken 61

Lieut John Davidson MC, 1st LHR, ICC, 15

th LHR, contrib. by Rob Davidson 62-63

Cpl 165 A Stranger, 32nd

Bn, & his father, Sgt 872 T Stranger, 5th

BGROC, Stephen Brooks 63 For Valour: Australian VC recipients 1918 (Part 1: March to May), Geoff Lewis 64-70 2018 Battle of the Lys Centenary at Merris and Vieux Berquin, John Payne 70 Keeping their Memory Alive (seven soldiers from Chinchilla), Graeme Hosken 71-72 The fight for Passchendaele, L/Cpl 2865 William Murray, 39

th Bn, found on Trove 73-74

‘Fun at the Front’: account of a DAC mule race, 23rd Battalion unit diary 74 Regular features

Trench Talk and Contact/Membership details 2 Etched in Stone, Russell Curley and Jim Corkery 75

DIGGER is printed in Dubbo by the Colour Copy Shop For a top quality printing job at a great price, wherever you live, contact

Aaron McMillan by e-mail: print@colourcopy.co

or phone: 02 6884 5577

or visit the Colour Copy Shop website: www.colourcopy.co

FFFAIF website: www.fffaif.org.au. Also find us on Facebook. Membership/subscription enquiries: Via website or phone 02 6882 6270.

Direct correspondence to: FFFAIF Inc, PO Box 4245, FORSTER NSW 2428.