NFHM Blogging Challenge - Week 3 - August commemorations

Alex of Family Tree Frog has put the theme for Week 3 of the National Family History Month blogging challenge as - 
"Significant military battles are commemorated during the month of August such as Mouquet Farm in WWI and Milne Bay in WW2.  The Australian Comforts Fund was also founded in August 1916.  Did your ancestors have connections to these places or battles?  Is there another anniversary or significant event that your family commemorates/remembers in August?" 

Read more contributions here

In researching and recording the stories of soldiers in my family history I discovered that several had paid the ultimate sacrifice in the month of August during WW1.  

Click on their names to read their stories.

William John Pike MORGAN,  A Private and bugler in the 14th Battalion A.I.F  was killed at the Battle of Lone Pine on the 8th of August 1915.   He was a first cousin of my maternal grandmother, Daisy FLEMING nee MORGAN.

Edmund James AH-KING - A Private in the 22nd Battalion A.I.F  was killed at Pozieres on the 5th of  August 1916.  Edmund was a first cousin of my maternal great grandmother, Margaret FLEMING nee HART.

William John BEATON - A Private in the 14th Battalion A.I.F was initially reported missing and many months later reported killed at Gallipoli on the 27th of August 1915.  William was a first cousin of my great great grandmother, Mary Ann MORGAN nee PIKE.

George FORSYTH - A Private in the 47th Battalion A.I.F was killed at Pozieres on the 9th of  August 1916.  George was a first cousin of my paternal great grandmother, Margaret Ann Hay MUSSON nee FORSYTH.

HERBERT JOHN MORGAN/WAKENSHAW - A Lance Corporal in the 22nd Battalion, 3rd reinforcements enlisted on the 19th of  July 1915.  He Died of wounds in France on the 5th of August 1916.  Herbert was a first cousin of my maternal grandmother, Daisy FLEMING nee MORGAN.

Joseph Stanley SAXON - A Private in the 22nd Battalion was killed in action on August 5th, 1916 at Pozieres.  Joseph was a first cousin of my maternal great-grandfather, William Thomas MORGAN.

Significant family anniversaries for August are:-

The birth of my paternal grandfather, James Richard MUSSON on the 23rd of August 1906 at Belfast, Canterbury, New Zealand and his death, as James Musson FORSYTH on the 16th of August 1976 at Mooroopna, Victoria, Australia.

The birthday of my maternal grandmother, Daisy FLEMING nee MORGAN  who was born on August 10, 1908, at Myrrhee, Victoria.

The death of my father in law, Allan Taylor on the 7th of August 1992 at Numurkah, Victoria, Australia.  He was 84 years of age.

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