Henry William BARWISE [1882 - 1948]

Henry William Barwise was born in 1882 at Great Western, a small regional village west of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.  His parents were Henry Machel Barwise and Harriet Isabella Walkeden.

In 1910 he married Florence Lily Pearce and they had four sons before he enlisted in the AIF. On his return they had a further three children, two daughters and one son.

Henry enlisted at Melbourne on 19 January 1917. He was a driver and given service # 34207 with the 1st D.A.C in the 26th Reinforcements.  A part of the Field Artillery Brigade, March 1917 Reinforcements.

DAC being Division Ammunition Column.

From the In March 1916 Division Artilleries were greatly expanded for service on the Western Front, with three brigades each of four batteries and one of three batteries, and medium and heavy trench mortars were added.

This was changed again in January 1917, with the number of brigades reduced to just two. In February 1918, medium trench mortar batteries were reorganised and the heavy batteries reduced to just one, under Corps control.
On the Western Front the normal practice was for divisions in the line to have support from two or more division artilleries.

on 12th May 1917, Henry William Barwise embarked Melbourne on board the HMAT Ascanius (A11) and disembarked in Devonport in England late July 1917.

above: The troop transport Ascanius (A11)

November 1914. Fremantle, Western Australia. November 1914. The troop transport Ascanius (A11) which was the first ship carrying troops to leave the area. It joined the ANZAC convoy on 3 November 1914 and proceeded in convoy to Colombo.

After leaving Colombo the Ascanius rammed the troop transport Shropshire (A9) on 21 November 1914 but both ships were able to continue in convoy to Aden. (Donor A.W. Bazley to the AWM)

above image: HMAT Ascanius (A11)

27 May 1916. Troops crowded on the decks of the stern of the troopship HMAT Ascanius (A11), being towed out to sea by a tug from Port Melbourne.

Note the soldiers on the decks waving flags and the streamers hanging off the decks of the ship.

above image: HMAT Ascanius in Melbourne

In September of 1917, he was caught AWOL - from 6.00am till 11.45pm on 8th September and forfeited a total of 9 days pay. In November he proceeded to France via Southampton.

He suffered much illness whilst in France and was admitted to hospital on a number of occasions suffering from Neuritis, Neurasthenia, Rheumatism & influenza.

By July of 1918 he was in the 4th General Hospital in Plymouth with Neuritis which is an inflammation of one or more nerves. The characteristic symptoms of neuritis include pain and tenderness; impaired sensation, strength, and reflexes.

In September he returned to Australia due to "a medical condition" and on his records it has: Neurasthenia.

Henry on far right - whilst recovering in hospital

He died in the farm shed at Marshall on 8th February 1948 from heart failure and is buried at the Geelong Western Public Cemetery.

we shall not forget any family member, regardless of them Returning to Australia or sadly being Killed in Action.


once again, I would like to extend my grateful thanks to the AWM, CWGC and the NAA for allowing us access to their amazing collections!

• Australian War Memorial
• National Archives of Australia
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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Edward Charles Tobias Hurter [ 1888 - 1917 ]

Edward Charles Tobias Hurter was born in Coburg - a suburb of Melbourne - on 26th November 1888.  His parents were Charles Edward Hurter and Jeannett Le Brun.

He attended the Blackburn Primary School and later went on to the Hawthorn College where he studied accountancy. Prior to his enlistment in the AIF he held the Office of Collector in the Electric Light Department in the Nunawading Shire Council.

In January 1916 he enlisted in the AIF and was assigned to the 22nd Battalion, 11th Reinforcements. His service number being 4465.

Just prior to sailing, Edward married Rae Leonore Dowel who was the daughter of Henry Dowel and Flora McKenzie. Rae was born in Ascot Vale in 1891.

On 29 March 1916 Edward Hurter embarked from Melbourne on board the HMAT ORONTES.

image is of the HMAT ORONTES departing Port Melbourne in August 1916.

on 10 September 1916 Edward proceeded to France from England. In October he was promoted to Lance Corporal and in November to Temporary Sergeant.

At this time the 22nd Battalion were moved to the Ypres sector then back to Somme for the winter.

During January 1917 there had been much snow around Martinpuich and by the 1st February the weather was considered 'fine'.

Edward was killed whilst in "William Alley" - a trench near Martinpuich - and according to the diary of James Irwin:

We were now taken off the railway fatigue, and were at the disposal of head-quarters to be sent on any sector as carrying parties. We were working on two sectors, each of which was entered by a different route. On one of the routes, after we had travelled about a mile from our dugout in the mud, we would enter a trench called "William Alley".


This trench was built perfectly by the British, and it was about 2 miles long in zigzag formation, reaching up to the front line. The walls were riveted with wire mesh and the duckboards were supported on "A" frames; the water running 2 feet below in the bottom of the trench, and parts of the trench were camouflaged with the ordinary material which was used for the same purpose in the artillery.


The camouflaged material is made up of wire netting with an artificial covering of leaves and boughs. When we were on our way back to our dugout after being up to the line, we would call into the soup kitchen and have a short rest and some soup, after which we would feel quite repaired. We used to travel on the upper side of a dark gully on the way out, and in the dark hollow we would hear men pushing trucks, on the light railway up to the front line, laden with timber and ammunition, and the trucks returning would have wounded on them. When a shell would come hissing over into the dark valley, we would stop with a feeling of awe, and listen with expectation of hearing someone call "Stretcher bearers".
One night in the vicinity of this valley, a shell landed about 4 feet from the duckboards on which we were travelling, and blew myself and four others off the duckboards into the mud. On account of the mud being so soft as to allow the shell to penetrate deeply into the ground, we were fortunate enough to escape being killed or wounded, as the fragments of the shell could not escape above the surface of the ground.


and from the diary of Lt. Col. A. Wiltshire:
Pushed on through the village noticing some guns blocked out and then along what has been a pleasant country road. The snow has caused green grass to sprout everywhere and the country is looking very well. Much shelled is this road and by no means a health resort. When we got to William Alley we hopped in and had a grand run right up and then pushed across country to the Battalion H.Q. Very muddy and dirty and the dugout one of the most villianous [sic] ever imaginable. Concentrated smell of cooking, foul breaths & stagnation smote one on entering.

Skirting the village of Martinpuich for a while we at last plunged boldly through it and wondered by the lights there that they do not strafe it thoroughly and well. Once out of the village we got on to uneven boards with treacherous gaps in them and met many tired and muddy men coming out of the line, some cheerful, some depressed and nearly sobbing with fatigue. Soon we struck William Alley and had to pass nearly a whole Battalion coming out. Squeezing past was most awkward especially for the M.O.

The memorial for Edward Charles Tobias Hurter is located at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France. There is no known grave.

 The personal effects of Edward Hurter were returned to his wife.

 The personal effects of Edward Hurter were returned to his wife.

when next you see a headstone or memorial for an 'unknown soldier' think of
Edward Charles Tobias Hurter

Newspaper article from Saturday 17th March 1917

May you rest in peace Edward Hurter

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as an added note, I have the following family that were also in the 22nd Battalion:

Donald William McTavish
KIA 27 July 1916 at The Battle of Pozieres

Harold Dimongoes McTavish
WIA at the Battle of Pozieres and RTA. died 13 April 1962

James John Roberts
WIA at The Battle of Menin Road and RTA. died 28 July 1968

William Gordon Tucker
KIA at The Battle of Beaurevoir on 3rd October 1918




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Alwin Clarence DALITZ (1894 - 1969)

Alwin Clarence Dalitz was born in Pimpinio, Victoria, Australia on 18th April 1894. His parents were Heinrich Daltiz and Maria Elisabeth Wuttke. He had 13 siblings.

On 12th June 1915 Alwin enlisted in the AIF at Dimboola. At time of enlistment, he was 21 years of age with a fair complexion, light blue eyes, sandy hair and had noted his religion as a Methodist.

After three months of training he embarked Melbourne on board the SS MAKARINI bound for Gallipoli.

He joined his unit at Gallipoli on 13th November 1915 and the following day the 14th Battalion commenced tunneling at Durrants Post.

at Durrants Post, Gallipoli

according to the Battalion diary on 18th November, "Quiet all day. some shrapnel in the morning, ground very wet and muddy after the nights rain".

By the 18th December, the Battalion was at Mudros in Greece after sailing on the HMS HAZEL, then being transferred to the HMS ZEALANDRIA reaching Alexandria in Egypt late December.

HMS HAZEL

HMS ZEALANDRIA

In February 1916 the Battalion was at Moascar (Egypt) and Tel-El-Kebir in March for further training.

Much of this detail can be found in the War diaries of the 14th Battalion as seen here:

parts of the 14th Battalion diary entries

Towards the end of March 1916 the Battalion were on the move again with one entry reading:

"marched out for Moascar at 0600 in heavy mist. Halted at 11am & continued march @ 1400 thru very heavy sand, weather hot, arrived Moascar 1715. Distance 17 1/2 miles"

and another ...

"as on previous mornings marched out at 0640 for Serapeum along fresh water canal. Very hot & dusty. halted at 11am. continued march at 1200. Crossed Suez Canal and arrived in camp at 1400. distance 11 1/2 miles"

31st March 1916 found the 14th Battalion at Serapeum in Egypt, they were on their way to Alexandria to "embark for abroad". Little did they know what was in store for them on the "Western Front".

By June they had arrived in Bailleul, Basse-Normandie, France. By the 17th The Battalion marched to "Fort Rompu" as Erquinghem-Lys was impossible for Australian, the name of the principle street was chosen. … here the battalion were quartered in wooden Army huts, about sixteen men each.

The Battalion marched to "Fort Rompu" as Erquinghem-Lys was impossible for Australian, the name of the principle street was chosen. … here the battalion were quartered in wooden Army huts, about sixteen men each.

28th June 1916 the 14th Battalion were in the trenches at the Bois-Grenier line where there was much heavy fighting. Just a few days later the diary mentions: "

Heavy artillery & trench mortars and at the same time shelled the surrounding countryside with shrapnel, the bombardment completely flattened all our trenches. Enemy were soon advancing on our position ....."

"11 July 1916 remainder of 30th Battalion arrived at midnight, complete relief of trenches and all communication by 2.00am and command handed over."

"Remainder of Battalion - when relieved - marched to Billets at Jesus Farm ( About 1 mile the other side of Erquingham )"

Alwin Dalitz was promoted to Sergeant on 14th August 1916.

By the 26th August 1916 Alwin was at Albert and bound for Mouquet Farm along the Labapaume Road.

Two days later he was badly wounded with gunshot wounds to the groin and pelvic area.  On this same day there were 3 KIA and 40 wounded from the 14th Battalion.

Alwin was transferred to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital, then onto England.  He did not return to duty until five months later on 16th January 1917.
 
By the 11th April 1917 he was at the Battle of Bullecourt .....

Bullecourt, a village in northern France, was one of several villages to be heavily fortified and incorporated into the defences of the Hindenburg Line in 1917.

In March 1917, the German army had withdrawn to the Hindenburg Line in order to shorten their front and thus make their positions easier to defend. This move was rapidly followed up by the British and empire forces, and they launched an offensive around Arras in early April 1917.

To assist the Arras operations, an attack was launched on Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 by the 4th Australian and 62nd British Divisions. The attack was hastily planned and mounted and resulted in disaster. Tanks which were supposed to support the attacking Australian infantry either broke down or were quickly destroyed. Nevertheless, the infantry managed to break into the German defences. Due to uncertainty as to how far they had advanced, supporting artillery fire was withheld, and eventually the Australians were hemmed in and forced to retreat.

The two brigades of the 4th Division that carried out the attack, the 4th and 12th, suffered over 3,300 casualties; 1,170 Australians were taken prisoner - the largest number captured in a single engagement during the war.'

Bullecourt, more than any other battle, shook the confidence of Australian soldiers in the capacity of the British command; the errors, especially on April 10th and 11th, were obvious to almost everyone'. Charles Bean, Official Historian.

This is when Alwin Clarence Dalitz was captured by the Germans and became a POW interred at Limburg.

His brother - Carl Dalitz - was killed in action at the Battle of Bullecourt three weeks later on 3rd May 1917.

Carl Walter Dalitz

is remembered with honour 

at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.

There is no known grave.

from the diary of the 14th Battalion

Red Cross missing & wounded information

on 25th December 1918 Alwin Dalitz was repatriated back to England along with other POW's and by March 1919 returned to Australia on board the HMAT KHYBER. Arriving in Melbourne on 12th May 1919.

Alwin Dalitz married Constance Anne Holland in 1924 and died at Nhill in Victoria on 29th January 1969.

a blog post titled:

REMEMBERING THE DALITZ BROTHERS OF DIMBOOLA is located here.




further information on 14th Bn at Gallipoli from the blog titled:

John Francis Coyle

Major Durrant returned shortly before the departure to Gallipoli, giving required training and orientation to the new officers and men. The strengthened battalion then embarked from Mudros harbour for Anzac Beach on the 31^st of October, 1915. They travelled with the 14^th & 15^th Battalions on the SS Osmarich and landed in two stages on that night and the next day. The troops marched from the landing spot, having bivouaced in Water-Course Gully overnight to reach and relieve soldiers at Durrants Post on the 3^rd of November, 1915.

This outpost, near to the approaches of Chunuk Bair and Hill 100 was a major front-line stand. The efforts of these soldiers through-out November included many reports of successful sniper attacks on the enemy, including the innovative use of the new “telescope” rifles. There was also much to be done in the work of tunnelling, trench digging and reinforcement of the post (“every available man involved in the construction of underground winter quarters”).
On the 24^th of November, 1915, it is stated in the War Diary the “Ruse of Silence” (effective for 48 hours) is commenced. This was a very important tactic to eventually allow the Anzac troops to withdraw in December but at this time it was still a strategy only known to the top officers.

It was also during this time that the Gallipoli area suffered horrendous storms & deluges that washed away embattlements. During all of November and into December the brave Diggers at Durrant’s Post completed scouting patrols, employed sharp-shooters and snipers to attack the enemy positions. The majority of the ‘fresh’ men continued the work of holding the ground that had been secured at such a high cost of lives lost, by both the Australian and particularly, in this area, our New Zealand brothers.

The official account says that on the 15-16^th of December preparations and preliminary evacuations took place while laying charges, destroying equipment that could not be transported. The report also suggests that they prepared automatically firing rifles, on delayed timers, that would fool the enemy after they left. The evacuation then took place for these men on the 18^th and 19^th of December with Captain Twynham playing a major part in getting his men out safely.




*LEST WE FORGET THESE BRAVE MEN*

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Cyril George BARTRAM [1889 - 1947]

Cyril George BARTRAM
born 14 August 1889 at 5 Hull Street in
Richmond, Victoria, Australia.

his parents were:

George Andrew BARTRAM
and
Isabella SHANDS

Cyril had three sisters and four brothers
one brother, Percy William Henry BARTRAM 

died in 1879 as an infant.

the other three brothers were all KIA during WW1

Reginald Percy BARTRAM [1880 - 1917]
Raymond Everard BARTRAM [1893 - 1917]

Arnold Roy BARTRAM [1895 - 1917]

Cyril's sisters were:

Evelyn Constance BARTRAM [1883 - 1940]

Ethel Murial BARTRAM [1891 - 1955]
Clarice Edna BARTRAM [1896 - 1943]

in 1916 - prior to his enlistment - Cyril married 

Eliza MacGregor MURRAY

on the 31st March 1916
Cyril George BARTRAM 

applied to enlist in the AIF.
he was aged 26 years and 7 months at the time and
was residing at 'Inverness' in Gillies Street, Fairfield.

He was not accepted until 1st May 1916

Cyril was given the service number of 2126 and was allocated to the 58th Battalion.
 
He declared that he had never been convicted by the Civil Power, nor had he ever been rejected as unfit for His Majesty's Service. 

Cyril was 5' 9 1/2" tall, weighed 140 lbs, had chest measurements of 34 - 37", his complexion was fresh, eyes were blue and he had brown hair.   His religion was Congregational.   He had vaccination marks, 4 on his left arm, 1 on his right.   He had moles on his left cheek.   He was considered fit for active service on 31 Mar 1916 but there is a handwritten annotation "Dental Treatment" on his Medical Examination.   (Perhaps dental treatment was required before he was accepted?)

Two months later - 1st August 1916 - Cyril embarked from Melbourne aboard the HMAT Orsova with the 4th Reinforcements alongside his brother - Arnold Roy BARTRAM - also in the 58th Battalion.

HMAT ORSOVA

by the time the Orsova reached Plymouth in the September, Cyril was ill with influenza and was immediately transferred to the Military Hospital, Devonport, England on 14 Sep 1916, "Sick (slight)" and transferred to 3 Auxiliary Hospital on 28 Nov 1916.  He was discharged from 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, Weymouth on 13 Dec 1916.

By the 25th January 1917 Cyril was admitted to the Fargo Hospital in Salisbury. He was dangerously ill with post-cerebro meningitis.

Cyril George Bartram returned to Australia embarking England on 27 Jul 1917  on board HMAT A64 "Demosthenes" and disembarked, Melbourne, on 24 Sep 1917 suffering Spinal Meningitis.  He was discharged at Melbourne on 26 Oct 1917.

Cyril was awarded the British War Medal but his documents show it was returned, 19 May 1923.  There is no indication of it being issued later, nor is there any explanation offered.  He was not eligible for the 1914-15 Star, (he joined too late), nor the Victory Medal, (he did not enter a theatre of war on duty).  

in 1925 he and his wife were residing at "Raymond", 59 Red Bluff Street, Sandringham.  Cyril was listed as an 'accountant' and Eliza as 'home duties' in the 1924 census.

In December 1925 he was the "officer in charge of the war pensions section".

By December 1927 - Cyril had become Mayor of Sandringham. He was 39 years of age.

See attached from The Argus Newspaper at the time.

"A by-election was held yesterday to fill a vacancy in the Black Rock ward representation on the Sandringham Council, caused by the death of Councillor W. G. Knott, Cyril George Bartram was elected by a majority of 51 votes. He obtained XXX votes and his opponent William Westfield."

The wife of Cyril - Eliza BARTRAM (nee MURRAY) - died in 1942 aged 51 years.

According to the 1943 census, Cyril was listed as an accountant at 9 Stanhope St, Sandringham.

Cyril George BARTRAM died from Cancer of the Oesophagus on 21st January 1947 and was buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery on 22nd January.

a tree commemorates the 58th Battalion of World War One at The Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

the blog posts on Cyril's three brothers are located below:


Arnold Roy BARTRAM

Reginald Percy BARTRAM

Raymond Everard BARTRAM

 
as always, these blog posts are only possible with the generous help and support from the Australian War Memorial, The Australian Defence Force, The National Archives and various family members.

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