[Editor: Some extracts, regarding the First World War, from the “Personalities” column, published in The Molong Express and Western District Advertiser (Molong, NSW), 27 May 1916.]
Personalities
At a Court-Martial at Victoria Barracks recently, Pte. Alfred Arnold Johnson was sentenced to 120 days’ hard labor for desertion.
Pte. Reginald Homfray, brother of Rev. Mr. Homfray, some time since curate to Rev. Canon Alldis, Molong, was killed in France on March 18. He was attached to a Machine Gun Corps as a range-finder.
Pte. Jim Goldspink, writing to his mother at sea in the Mediterranean on March 23, says he was having a fine time. He was delighted at the change from Egypt, and was bound for France on a comfortable liner, the “Grampian.” “We all have our cabins,” he says, — “four in each. It is the first bed I have been in since leaving Australia, and it is quite a pleasant change to have a mattress under you, instead of a bed of sand.”
Pte. C. Ingle, Molong, is reported ill in hospital (second occasion).
Dr. Norman Kater, of “Nyrang,” has been appointed “Medicin aide-major de deuxleme classe” in the French army.
Recruiting-Sergeant McCreath, having exhausted the recruiting possibilities of the Municipality, has been recalled to headquarters. He left on Monday.
Mrs. J. M. Johnson, of “Green Gully,” Manildra, has received word that her son, Pte. G. J. Thew, of Rylstone, who was originally reported missing at Gallipoli, was subsequently found dead.
Ald. Luke McDonnell, now of Forbes and once of Cumnock, has received a letter from his son Percy, who was attached to the Cumnock Post Office, and now wears khaki, stating that he had arrived in France. He went through the Gallipoli “gamble” without receiving a scratch.
Corpl. W. J. Johnson, who once contested the Calare seat, has left Alexandria for France. In a letter to a friend he says that on the night before embarking he, with a large number of soldiers, spent 9½ hours in a train on the journey from the camp. They were all crowded into open trucks. It was rough, but they were all happy.
Source:
The Molong Express and Western District Advertiser (Molong, NSW), 27 May 1916, p. 10
Editor’s notes:
Ald. = an abbreviation of “Alderman” (an elected representative on a city council or shire council; a member of the governing body of a local government)
Corpl. = an abbreviation of “Corporal”
Dr. = an abbreviation of “Doctor” (plural “Drs.”)
Gallipoli = the Gallipoli peninsula (in western Turkey), which is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey; it was the scene of heavy fighting during the Gallipoli Campaign (February 1915 to January 1916), during the First World War (1914-1918); running along the eastern coast of the Gallipoli peninsula is the Strait of Gallipoli, also known as the Dardanelles (or, the Dardanelles strait)
khaki = (“wears khaki”, wearing khaki”, etc.) a reference to being in the Army, as the traditional colour of army uniforms in countries of the British commonwealth was khaki (uniforms of that colour were used in the British Army since the mid-19th Century, gradually replacing the standard “redcoat” colour, which stood out too much whilst fighting; modern armies now use battle dress with various types of camoflauge)
Pte. = Private (the lowest rank in the army; aside from “recruit” in the modern army, being someone who has not as yet passed basic training)
[Editor: Changed “Ple. Alfred” to “Pte. Alfred”; “Meditteranean” to “Mediterranean”; “Nyrang.” to “Nyrang,” (comma, instead of a full stop).]
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