Lance Corporal Herbert John MORGAN born Herbert Douglas WAKENSHAW

Herbert Douglas WAKENSHAW was born at Euroa, Victoria in 1895.

He enlisted in the 22nd Battalion, 3rd reinforcement A.I.F # 2037 on the 19th of July 1915 under the name Herbert John MORGAN.

Next of kin was given as Mrs M Cowell (foster mother) of Euroa.

Herbert died of wounds on the 7th of August 1916 at the 4th Field Ambulance in France.

Herbert's mother was Miss Emily Wakenshaw, but no father was listed in his birth registration.

I would love to see a copy of his birth certificate one day.

According to her death registration, Emily's parents were John Wakenshaw and Elizabeth Vidler Wakenshaw nee HEWISH. 

She was born at Euroa in 1875 so was 19 or 20 years old when Herbert was born.  Emily had an older sister named Marion Elizabeth Vidler WAKENSHAW who married George COWELL.
This would be the Mrs M Cowell listed as Herbert's next of kin.

In 1897, when Herbert was about 2 years old, Emily married my great-grand-uncle, Alexander Frederick MORGAN.  Also in 1897 a sister for Herbert, Elizabeth Marion MORGAN, was born.  Her birth registration names Alexander as her father.

Three more children were born to Alexander and Emily.

George Alexander in 1899

Emily Grace in 1901 

Isabella Ida in 1902.  

Sadly within a fortnight of Isabella's birth in 1902 Emily died of exhaustion and diarrhoea.

Seven years later, in 1909, Alexander MORGAN remarried Alice McCann who may have been formerly Alice Ryan. They had 4 children.

Violet born 1909

Benjamin born 1912

Frederick born 1912

Thomas born 1914

To be named as his foster mother, Herbert's maternal aunt, Marion COWELL, may have raised him after his mother's death and his "step-father's" re-marriage.

Herbert was 5 foot 9 1/2 inches tall and weighed 11 stone 5 pounds.  He had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

On the 25th of August, 1915 at Melbourne, Herbert embarked on the HMAT Anchises A68.
On the25th of October 1915, he was taken on strength at Gallipoli Peninsular.
On the 2nd of December 1915, Herbert was in hospital at Heliopolis, under treatment for severe frostbite and mild rheumatism.  By the 8th of January 1916, he was at the Australian and New Zealand Convalescence Depot at Helouan and was discharged to duty on the 16th of January.

In early March, he rejoined his unit in the canal zone and proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Forces at Alexandria, Egypt. On the 26th of March, the unit disembarked at Marseilles, France.

On the night of the 29th-30th of June, Herbert's company took part in a raid on the enemy's trenches.

On the 30th of July he was appointed Lance Corporal and on the 5th of August was reported missing.
He had sustained shrapnel wounds to the legs and died of these wounds on the 7th of August 1916.
Herbert was buried at Warloy Baillon Communal Cemetery Somme, France,  Extension (Plot VII, Row E, Grave No. 56

After some correspondence with the war office, Marion was able to receive Herbert's medals and wrote the following letter stating he was in her care after the death of his mother.

Via the ship "Beltana", Marion Cowell received Herbert's personal effects of - scissors, pipe, identity disc, booklet, tobacco pouch, mirror in case and letters.

The following notice appeared in the local newspaper, the Euroa Advertiser on the 8th of September, 1916.

22nd Australian Infantry Battalion

Tribute page for our Servicemen

52 Ancestors - Week 34 - Nominal Rolls

As this year is the 100th anniversary of WW1 my week 34 post is a tribute to my family's brave soldiers.

LEST WE FORGET

As I gradually find information to add about each soldier you can click on their name to read their story.

Please let me know of any I don’t have or if you would like information added.

Our family’s soldiers were predominately ANZACS          

(Australian and New Zealand Army Corp).

ANZAC DAY is celebrated on the 25th of April each year.

Alona from the Lonetester HQ  blog  has written a great post about 21 ANZAC Day facts.

Boer War

FORSYTH, JOHN –  returned home to NZ – Trooper – Service No. 3836, enlisted in the 6th New Zealand Contingent, known as the “Silent Sixtth”, on the 18th of January 1901 at Wellington.

World War 1

ADAMS, Charles Nightingale – Serial No. 50972: Private, 27th reinforcements (second draft) New Zealand Army Nursing Service, embarkation 16 July 1917, N.O.K  Mrs A.M.S Adams (wife) 3 Rixon Grove, Wellington, NZ – returned home 1919.

ADAMS, Morgan – Private – 7th Battalion, 5th Reinforcements A.I.F – returned home 1919 – SERN 1903 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Mother) M Adams

AH-KING, David Alexander –  died of wounds Kantara, Egypt 29 April 1917 – King, David Alexander : SERN 727 : POB Birchip VIC : POE Sydney NSW : NOK (Brother) King, Arthur.

AH-KING, Edmund James – Private – 22nd Battalion A.I.F – killed Pozieres 5 Aug 1916 – King, Edward James – SERN 1155 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Warracknabeal VIC : Next of Kin – (Wife) KING, Caroline

BEATON, Peter Francis (Frank)  – Private 24th Battalion, 10th reinforcement, later 51st Battalion – Returned to Australia 10 September 1917: SERN – 3015: Place of birth – Euroa, Victoria: Place of Enlistment – Melbourne, Victoria: Next of Kin – Father, Mr Peter BEATON, Euroa, Victoria.

BEATON, William John – Private 14th Battalion: killed at Gallipoli 27 Aug 1915:  SERN – 1912 : Place of birth – Euroa VIC : Place of enlistment – Euroa VIC : Next of kin –  (Father) BEATON, Peter

CROOKE, John Michael -Private – 36th Battalion A.I.F – killed in action France 18th October 1917 – SERN 7226 : POB South Melbourne VIC : POE Sydney NSW : NOK (Father)  Crooke John

CROWL, Bertie Leslie – Private – 7th Battalion, 12th reinforcements AIF – returned home 5th April 1919. SERN 3712 – Enlisted 8th July 1915.

EDMONDS, William Arthur – Private – 38th Battalion A.I.F – killed in action in France on the 29th September 1918 – SERN 4803 : POB Nathalia VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Father) Edmonds William H

FINDLATER, Nicol Thomas – Died France 20 May 1915 – Regimental No. 29440 –  Private in No 3 Coy, 16th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment)

FLEMING, Albert Henry Percival – Sergeant Major- 5th Battalion, A Company A.I.F – returned home – SERN 24 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Wife) Fleming Marjory

FLEMING, David Claude – Private – Divisional Signal Company 2, Reinforcement 17 – SERN 15896 – Returned to Australia 16 June 1919 – NOK – mother Mrs Jessie Fleming, King Valley, Victoria

FLEMING, John Henry – Private – 37th Battalion, C Company – returned home – SERN 868 – POE Melbourne, VIC: NOK – Father, Moses Fleming, Billy’s Lookout, West Wyalong, New South Wales

FLEMING, Leslie John – Private – 8th Battalion, A company – SERN 125 – Returned to Australia 20 May 1919 – NOK – Uncle, John Knight Fleming, Edi via Wangaratta, Victoria

FLEMING, William Finley – Private/Gunner – 8th Australian Light Horse, 12th Reinforcement, enlisted 4th August 1915 and returned home – SERN 1561 – Place of Birth: Whitfield, Victoria – Place of Enlistment: Seymour, Victoria – NOK mother Mrs F. Fleming, King Valley, Whitfield.

FORSYTH, Edward  – Gunner – killed France 4th March 1917 – Service No. 144186 15th Division  Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery – buried St Sever, Rouen.

FORSYTH, George – Private – 47th Battalion A.I.F – killed Pozieres 9 Aug 1916 – SERN 1654 : POB Fraserburgh Scotland : POE Charters Towers QLD : NOK (Mother) Forsyth Jane

FORSYTH, James – Sergeant – returned home to New Zealand – Serial No.13/2773 – 9th Reinforcements Auckland Mounted Rifles, A Squadron. 

FORSYTH, John – returned home to New Zealand – Serial No.17561 – First Known Rank Corporal – Embarkation Unit 20th Reinforcements Mounted Rifles Brigade, Mounted Machine-gun Section

FORSYTH, Robert – killed Flanders 20 Nov 1914 – Private 817 in the 1st Battalion – Gordon Highlanders

FORSYTH, William – returned home to New Zealand – enlisted as Private 15 June 1916 – 2nd Battalion Otago Regiment New Zealand – Serial No.13/2189 – First Known Rank Trooper – Embarkation Unit Auckland Mounted Rifles. Discharged a corporal.

HARRISON, Maurice – Lance corporal – 14th Battalion A.I.F – Awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery & devotion to duty – died of disease France 22 Oct 1918 – SERN – 1952 : POB – Euroa VIC : POE- Euroa VIC : NOK – (Father) HARRISON George.

KINGSBURY, Albert Henry – died 25 Oct 1918 – Trooper – Service No: 43735  – Regiment/Service: Canterbury Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F. – Grave Reference Q. 14. CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY

MCROBBIE, George – Corporal – returned home – enlisted to 3rd Company 1st Battalion Auckland Regiment.  Service Number 28360. N.O. K  father, William McRobbie. Enlisted 26 June 1916.

MELVIN, Arthur Davidson – killed in action Vimy, France 8 April 1917 – Service no. 446966 – Sergeant Canadian Infantry, “C” Coy 31st Battalion

MITCHELL William Arthur – Service Number – 1389 1266 : Place of Birth – Stawell VIC : Place of Enlistment – Broadmeadows VIC : Next of Kin – (Mother) MITCHELL Jessie

MORGAN, Archibald Thomas – returned home – 7th Battalion A.I.F, C Company regimental number 370 : Place of Birth – Euroa VIC : Place of Enlistment – Seymour VIC : Next of Kin – MORGAN S A

MORGAN/WAKENSHAW, HERBERT JOHN – Private 22nd Battalion 3rd reinforcements – enlisted 19 July 1915 – Died of wounds, France  5th August 1916 – SERN- 2037 : POB – Euroa VIC : POE- Melbourne VIC : NOK  – (Mother) COWELL M

MORGAN, Thomas Fitzherbert – Private 24th Battalion 20th Reinforcements – Service Number – 6842 : Place of Birth – Hilston NSW : Place of Enlistment – Euroa VIC : Next of Kin – (Mother) MORGAN J

MORGAN Thomas Fitzherbert : Private 7th General Victorian Reinforcements -Service Number – 55670 : Place of Birth – Euroa VIC : Place of Enlistment – Euroa VIC : Next of Kin – (Father) MORGAN Thomas F

MORGAN,  William John Pike  Private 14th Battalion A.I.F – killed Lone Pine 8 Aug 1915 – SERN – 893 : POB – Euroa VIC : POB – Broadmeadows VIC : NOK – (Mother) MORGAN S A

RATTRAY, John – killed France 1916

SAXON,  Bertie Henry– killed France 6 Oct 1918 – SERN – 2708: 2nd Pioneer Battalion, Reinforcement 5 -POB – Euroa VIC: POE – Melbourne VIC: NOK – (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON,  Joseph Stanley – killed Pozieres 4 Aug 1916 –  SERN – 1564: 22nd Battalion, 1st Reinforcement –
POB – Euroa VIC: POE- Euroa VIC: NOK – (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON Thomas Abraham– returned home – SERN – 485: 21st Battalion, B Company –
POB – Euroa VIC: POE – Euroa VIC: NOK – (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON, William Frederick – returned home – SERN – 694: 7th Battalion, F Company
POB – Euroa VIC: POE – Seymour VIC: NOK – (N/A) SAXON John Thomas SAXON

Click HERE  to read a guest post about the Saxon boys written by their sister’s  grandson Harold Shipston

World War 2

ADAMS, Frank Francis (Francis Edward)  First enlistment – Private – VX 26047 – 8 Division petrol company- DOB 12 July 1906; POB Kensington, Victoria.  POE – Caulfield 15 June 1940.  NOK – Catherine Goodwin – sister.  Date of discharge 23 October 1940 “medically unfit for service not occasioned by his own default”

second enlistment – Private – VX 114516 – HQ 2 Aust Army – POE Parramatta NSW 19 October 1942 – NOK – Florence Adams – wife.  Date of discharge 30 October 1945.

FLEMING, Allan Percy – Service Number – VX3359 : Date of birth – 05 Mar 1912 : Place of birth – MELBOURNE VIC : Place of enlistment – SOUTH MELBOURNE VIC : Next of Kin – FLEMING M

MCCOOMB, George Alexander – Sergeant – Service Number – VX58426 : Date of birth – 08 Sep 1915 : Place of birth – EUROA VIC : Place of enlistment – ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin – MCCOOMB HENRY (father) – Enlisted 24 Jun 1941 2/8 Aust Armed Regiment – discharged from A.I.F. 29 Mar 1946.

MCCOOMB, Thomas Neil – Service Number – VX30770 : Date of birth – 07 May 1912 : Place of birth – EUROA VIC : Place of enlistment – ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin – MCCOOMB HENRY killed 6 July 1945 – buried Ambon War Cemetery, Maluku, Indonesia.

MORGAN,  Benjamin Robert – Private – Official No VZ 7184 – 2/7 Australian Inf Bn – Army.  Taken prisoner of war in Crete.  Died in Germany, result of injuries.  He is buried at Lamsdorf War Cemetery, Grave 5, Row 5, Field 3.  He was 34 years old and brother to Private William John Pike Morgan killed on Gallipoli (14th Bn G Coy) at the age of 18 years.  Second son lost to Thomas Fitzherbert and Sarah Morgan of McGuinness Street, Euroa, Victoria, Australia

MUSSON,  Ivor Forsyth – Sapper – Serial No.  22597 – second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 7 Field company.  N.O.K (sister) Mrs. A. W. Ford West Belt, Rangiora, Christchurch.

MUSSON, William Robert – Private – Serial No. 21707 – 21st Auckland Battalion, N.O.K (brother) E. M. Musson

SHIPSTON, Donald Saxon – returned home – SERN – VX32651 : DOB – 28 May 1919 : POB – ELSTERNWICK VIC : POE – ROYAL PARK VIC : NOK – SHIPSTON GRACE

We Will Remember Them.

LINKS

Abbreviations used in World War I and World War II service records

Cemeteries on the Somme Battlefields, France

His Majesty’s Australian Transports [HMAT] Ships

Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database

Auckland Council Heritage Images website

The Empire Called and I Answered – the Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington

Bush Family friends

My Paternal grandparents had a farm for a short while on Sunny Creek Road at Trafalgar in Victoria. 

My Dad thinks this was about 1953 as when they moved there from Marungi where he last attended school, he started work at Moran and Cato in Trafalgar.  He was 14 years old.

The following photos from my grandmother's album included labels.

"house at Trafalgar"

"house at Trafalgar"

Basil and Amy Bush were friends of my paternal grandparents.

As did my grandparents, they lived on Sunny Creek Road at Trafalgar. 

(1954 electoral roll)

"Amy BUSH and Christmas pud".

52 Ancestors - Week 33 - Alexander FORSYTH

The theme for week 33 is Defective, Dependent, or Delinquent.

In 1880, there was a special U.S. census schedule for “Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes” — the blind, deaf, paupers, homeless children, prisoners, insane, and idiotic. Do you have someone in your family tree who would have been classified as such? (To learn more about the special 1880 schedule, see Amy's post, “Do You Have a Defective Ancestor?“)

I don't have anyone in the U.S census  but sadly the Scottish census of 1841 for Mill of Broomfield shows my 3rd great-grand uncle, Alexander FORSYTH listed as "Idiot".

Piece: SCT1841/192 Place: Ellon -Aberdeenshire Enumeration District: 10
Civil Parish: Ellon Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 10 Page: 9
Address: Mill Of Broomfield
Surname     First name(s)  Sex     Age   Occupation  Where Born
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        50     Miller           Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Jane                   F        50      Wife            Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Alexander          M        25     Idiot             Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M        20     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Robert                M        15     Miller          Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Isabella              F         14                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Ann                     F         11                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  Helen                  F           8                        Aberdeenshire
FORSYTH  James                M           2                        Aberdeenshire

It looks like the word has been crossed out and no doubt then the meaning was different to what it is today.

Alexander may have been mentally handicapped in some way, even very mildly.

In the 1861 census, he was living with his brother and sister in law Robert and Helen FORSYTH (my 3rd great grandparents) at the Mill of Aberdour.  He was unmarried and 49 years of age.
We cannot find him in a census after 1861.

There is no burial information for his parents, Alexander and Jean who died at the Mill of Broomfield in 1864 and 1869 respectively, so we don't know if he was buried with them or not.
He is not listed as buried with his brother Robert.

History Out Of A Cardboard Box by Allan Fleming

THE cardboard box with its historic field maps
operation orders and souvenir of the German soldiery

History Out Of A Cardboard Box

By Allan Fleming

FRAGMENTS of Australia's war history have travelled to The Courier-Mail from Quilpie in a small cardboard box.   They are maps, stained with the mud of Flanders, that weary eyes peered at in the dim lights of dugouts while barrages thundered overhead; copies of operation orders, and a message from Sir John Monash that heralded Germany's Black Day in 1918; copies of a Digger newspaper that show the brighter side of war.
THE ''souvenirs' have been sent by Mr. Colin Butler, formerly Lieutenant Butler, M.C., B Coy., 41st Batt, A.I.F., to be handed on to the Oxley Library of War Relics.

'I am only surrendering them in order that the memory of a battalion of which I am proud to have been a member may be preserved for all time in a national collection,' he writes.

The seven copies of the 'MacGillivray Magster' (price Id) which are included in Mr. Butler's collection were produced by a member of the 3rd reinforcements of the 41st Battalion on the way to England in 1916.

They reveal the best features of Digger journalism. They are bright, serious, cheeky, clever, humorous, and full of spirit. There was fun at the expense of everyone:

'When visiting Perth certain N.C.O.'s dined at the Savoy and went through the menu from soup to toothpicks. The waitress, so we are told, has been granted a week's leave to recuperate.'

'STOP PRESS NEWS . . . Great Boxing Match . . . Jimmie Square-Foot v. Billy Dolittle ... A Draw . . .
The scream of the trip up to now came off last night when two natives put on the gloves. They have as much idea of boxing as an iguana has of geology, but an immense amount of amusement was caused at the slangwanging each got. It ended in a draw, in fact, about 50 draws in the way of smokes'

The Muse thrived in spite of drill, discipline, and occasional complaints about the quality of cheese or the shortage of butter. Often the Muse wore a broad grin.
There were frequent verses on the more significant topics of the hour - on the attitude of the United States, on the vote for conscription, on thoughts of home and war, and on the progress of the armies.
There were editorials and paragraphs with seriousness and feeling.
The 'Magster' was printed with the aid of a duplicator on foolscap sheets. The names of contributors and 'people in the news' will bring back many rich memories to Diggers who will be able to look it over in the Oxley Library.

THE remaining souvenirs are from the battle zone. There is the map used by Lieutenant Butler in the big push between August 8 and 11, 1918. It is stained with the mud of Flanders. The positions of the 41st Battalion are marked near the Somme. Attached is an operation order, outlining the plans for the capture of the 'old Amiens system ' by advancing and 'mopping up' under cover of a barrage. The map is an eloquent relic of 'Germany's Black Day.' Most stained with brownish mud is the map carried by Lieutenant Butler in the Battle of Broodseinde. In a few places are little round lumps of French earth, sticking as hard as they stuck when the guns were thundering and the rifles rattling. A map from Berlin is Included in the collection. It was captured from a   German officer, and covers the battlefields from Ostend to Rheims. The name of its original owner is scrawled in pencil on its cover. From another captured German have come army letter cards that were destined never to be filled in; a pay slip; a postcard picture of a group of German soldiers grouped outside a dugout 'Kantine' with frothing steins in their hands. With them is the copy of the message from Sir John Monash, issued to No, 6 platoon on the eve of Germany's Black Day. It is addressed to soldiers of the Australian Army Corps. 'For the first time in the history of this corps all five Australian divisions will to-morrow engage in the largest and most important battle operation ever undertaken by the corps,' the message begins. It is in the pale purple type of a duplicating machine that has been working over time. 'They will be supported by exceptionally powerful artillery and by tanks and aeroplanes on a scale never previously attempted,' the message continues. 'The full resources of our sister Dominion, the Canadian Corps, will also operate to our right, while two British divisions will guard our left flank....

'Because of the completeness of our plans and dispositions, of the magnitude of the operations, of the number of troops employed, and of the depth to which we intend to overrun the enemy's positions, this battle will be one of the most memorable of the whole war; and there can be no doubt that, by capturing our objectives, we shall inflict blows upon the enemy which will make him stagger and will bring the end appreciably nearer....
'I earnestly wish every, soldier of the Corps the best of good fortune and a glorious and decisive victory, the story of which will re-echo throughout the world, and will live forever in the history of, our homeland.'    

MAP carried by Lieutenant Butler in the Battle of Broodseinde,

THREE months later victory had been won. The Armistice had been signed. Last of the souvenirs from the little cardboard box is the message from Birdwood, in the Field, November 14, 1918.   No words of mine can possibly express all I feel for the magnificent work which has been 'done by the Australian soldier during these four long years. It is well known and recognised not only throughout the British Empire, but throughout the world— and now we have peace in sight, and peace after a victory in which the Australian soldier has taken a large share. . . . 'Then will come the difficult time of demobilisation, and it is regarding this that I wish to make a personal appeal to every single member of the A.I.F. in the full confidence that it will be met as every other appeal to face and tackle the strongest positions has ever been met by the Australian soldier. Never has the name of Australia stood higher than it does now throughout the world, thanks to the bravery of her soldiers, and It is up to every one of us to see that this is maintained and that no reproach can be cast on the Australian flag owing to any behaviour of ours.... 'Play the game, boys, during this time, as you have always done, and add still more to the deep debt of gratitude which will always be acknowledged to you by the Empire and remembered by me as your comrade and commander.' Flanders, mud, jests before the battle, stirring words from men who marched in the vanguard of history, they are all in this small cardboard box.

'GERMAN soldiers grouped outside a dugout Kantine,'

HISTORY OUT OF A. (1939, February 11). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 7. Retrieved August 15, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39034206