John Walter CHALMAN

Service No:    4991
Rank:             Private

Unit:     23rd Battalion, 13th Reinforcement

Born 1885, Winchelsea
Son of Daniel and Mary Chalman from Carlton
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a labourer

John enlisted 21/02/1916 at Melbourne as a married man
He embarked for overseas 19/07/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A26 Armadale
Served in France
Returned to Australia 12/6/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale
– Deans Marsh Residents

George   Thomas CLARK

Service No:    1549
Rank:             Trooper

Unit:     8th Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcement

Born 1894, Modewarre
Son of Andrew and Isabell Clark from South Geelong
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a contractor

George   enlisted 2/08/1915 at Geelong as a single man
He embarked for overseas 10/11/1915 from Melbourne on HMAT A11 Ascanius
Served in Palestine
Killed in Action 19/4/1917
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– St Saviour’s Modewarre

George married Florence Squires three months after enlisting and just four days before embarking from Melbourne for overseas service. He arrived at Heliopolis on 26th December 1915 joining the 8th Light Horse Regiment, C Squadron.

By December 1916, the allied advance had reached the Palestine frontier and the 8th was involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outpost of Maghdaba on 23 December, which was captured at bayonet point. The next Turkish stronghold to be encountered was Gaza. George was involved in the two abortive battles to capture Gaza directly (27 March and 19 April 1917) the last battle is where he lost his life, killed in action on 19th April 1917. His service record notes that it is believed that he had been left unburied at the battle scene owing to the retirement of the troops.

John Andrew Joseph CLARK

Service No:    2037
Rank:             Driver

Unit:     8th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement

Born 1896, Geelong
Son of Andrew and Isabell Clark from South Geelong
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a labourer

John enlisted 28/10/1915 at Melbourne as a single man
He embarked for overseas 27/01/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A1 Hymettus
Served in Western Front, Egypt, England
Returned to Australia 2/3/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– St Saviour’s Modewarre

After completion of his service overseas Andrew left Victoria for Tasmania. In 1922 he was living in Derby and that was the last any family members or the AIF heard from him.

Henry St Omer DENTRY

Service No:    7220
Rank:             Private

Unit:     6th Battalion, 24th Reinforcement

Born 1881, Geelong
Son of Henry and Grace Dentry from Newtown
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a auctioneer

Henry enlisted 13/01/1916 at Melbourne as a married man
He embarked for overseas 19/02/1917 from Melbourne on HMAT A70 Ballarat
Served in Western Front
Returned to Australia 27/2/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Modewarre
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale
– St Saviour’s Modewarre
– Modewarre Avenue of Honour – Tree No 32

Henry, auctioneer, married man and father from Newtown enlisted in the AIF on 23 November 1916. He was appointed to the 6th Battalion, 24 Reinforcements at Royal Park training grounds. After eight weeks training he embarked from Melbourne per HMAT Ballarat, disembarking at Devonport on 25 April 1917. It was a different type of disembarking……….. the troop transport HMAT BALLLARAT was approaching Southern England, off The Lizard, when she was torpedoed by a U-boat just after 2pm on April 25, the second Anzac Day. The 1600 men of the 24th Reinforcements Regiment had lunched, and officers were planning an Anzac Day service later in the day. On this occasion, all 1720 souls aboard BALLARAT survived. The New York Times report on her sinking said the men sang songs and played cards as the ship was sinking. Songs mentioned were ‘Australia Will Be There,’ ‘The Long Trail’ and ‘So Long Lettie.’ The bandmaster was playing doleful notes on his cornet, and down in the saloon a Sydney soldier named Michael Keene was playing rag-time on a piano, so rapt that someone had to be sent to get him as the last lifeboat left. Once on land Henry marched into the 2nd Training Battalion at Durrington. He stayed in England for eleven months before proceeding overseas to France on 6 March 1918 attached to the 6th Battalion. In March and April 1918 the battalion helped stop the German spring offensive and later participated in the Allies’ own offensive, launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918. The advance by British and empire troops was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described as “the black day of the German Army in this war”. Henry was poisoned with gas on 4 October 1918 and invalided back to England and once recovered he returned to Australia per ‘Orsova’. While overseas Grace and their daughter had a change of address and were now living in Toorak. On return Henry joined her continuing his occupation as an auctioneer. By 1924 they had moved to Bambra where Henry was a farmer until his death on 10 November 1947 at Heidelberg.

Albert Hamilton DORMAN

Service No:    10241
Rank:             Sapper

Unit:     10th Field Company Engineers

Born 16/7/1883, Wensleydale
Son of John and Jeane Dorman; wife Margaret Dorman from Lake Boga
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a engine driver

Albert enlisted 21/01/1916 at Melbourne as a married man
He embarked for overseas 20/06/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A54 Runic
Served in France
Returned to Australia 30/4/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Lorne RSL
– Lorne Residents
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale

Albert and Margaret were living at Lake Boga when he enlisted in the AIF. He did his basic training at Seymour Army Camp before embarking from Melbourne on board HMAT Runic on 20 June 1916 and arriving in Plymouth on the 10th August. He spent some time training in England before being sent to France on the 23rd of November.

Five months later he was admitted to hospital with ulcerated lip. Shortly after, on 4 May 1917, Albert was transferred to Cardiff, Wales for treatment on the  lip. He returned to his unit in France in August just prior to the Third Battle of Ypres. He was involved in a number of other significant battles in France and during this time promoted to temporary Lance Corporal.

Albert arrived home on 6 June 1919 and back to Lake Boga to live until 1922. The family then moved to the farm at Bambra. Albert and Margaret had five children. Albert died in 1941.

Mark August HAGER

Service No:    4550
Rank:             Private

Unit:     29th Battalion, 12th Reinforcement

Born 1875, Winchelsea
Son of Christian and Louisa Hager from Colac
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a farm foreman

Mark enlisted 11/08/1916 at Melbourne as a married man
He embarked for overseas 16/12/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A7 Medic
Served in Western Front
Returned to Australia 4/12/1918
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale

Francis Frederick HALKYARD

Service No:    5599
Rank:             Private

Unit:     28th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement

Born 1866, Modewarre
Son of Mark and Mary Halkyard from Kalgoorlie, WA
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a miner

Francis enlisted 4/04/1916 at Perth as a married man
He embarked for overseas 26/09/1916 from Fremantle on HMAT A52 Surada
Served in England
Returned to Australia 23/3/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale

Allan David McCONACHY

Service No:    80473
Unit:               Recruit Depot Battalion

Born 27/8/1897, Wenseleydale
Son of Robert and Minnie McConachy from Wensleydale
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a farmer

Allan enlisted 27/09/1918 at Melbourne as a single man
He didn’t embark for overseas, he was discharged as a result of AIF demobilization
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wurdale
– Wensleydale SS

Luke  STRICKLAND

Service No:    383
Rank:             Sergeant

Unit:     38th Battalion, A Company

Born 31/7/1897, Winchelsea
Son of Luke and Elizabeth Strickland from Winchelsea
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a boundary rider

Luke enlisted 15/02/1916 at Melbourne as a single man
He embarked for overseas 20/06/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A54 Runic
Served in France, England
Returned to Australia 30/4/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale
– Winchelsea

Woulfe Andrew James TRIGG

Service No:    3015
Rank:             Private

Unit:     29th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement

Born 1891, Bambra
Son of James and Ann Trigg from Marcus Hill
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a farmer

Woulfe enlisted 20/01/1916 at Melbourne as a single man
He embarked for overseas 4/04/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A14 Euripides
Served in England
Returned to Australia 25/8/1917
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale

William James WEST

Service No:    6595
Rank:             Private

Unit:     7th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement

Born 1896, Wenseleydale
Son of James and Henrietta West from Wensleydale
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a groom

William enlisted 2/08/1916 at Melbourne as a single man
He embarked for overseas 2/10/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A71 Nestor
Served in England
Returned to Australia 8/8/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale
– Winchelsea

Percy  WILKINSON

Service No:    3662
Rank:             Corporal

Unit:     22nd Battalion, 8th Reinforcement

Born 1891, Geelong
Son of Thomas and Emily Wilkinson from West Melbourne
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a mechanic

Percy enlisted 15/07/1915 at Geelong as a single man
He embarked for overseas 5/01/1916 from Melbourne on HMAT A19 Afric
Served in France
Returned to Australia 23/6/1919
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Wensleydale SS
– Wurdale

Herbert Johann Alfred WINKLER

Service No:    488
Rank:             Private

Unit:     13th Light Horse Regiment

Born 9/7/1890, Connewarre
Son of August and Ottilia Winkler from Freshwater Creek
His occupation prior to enlistment was as a labourer

Herbert enlisted 11/12/1914 at Geelong as a single man
He embarked for overseas 28/05/1915 from Melbourne on HMAT A34 Persic
Served in Gallipoli
Returned to Australia 8/5/1916
His name is listed on the following memorials / honour boards:
– Barrabool & Sth Barwon Shire
– Wurdale
– Wensleydale SS
– Winchelsea