|
|
|
36th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force
| Want to know more about 36th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force? There are:9 items tagged 36th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
|
|
Those known to have served with36th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force during the Great War 1914-1918. - Aird Lachlan McDonald. Pte.
- Akers Henry Herbert. Pte.
- Amess MC. Albert Bissett. Lt.
- Antcliff James Hartley. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Antcliffe James. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Beer Alexander James. Pte. (d.18th July 1917)
- Bennett Thomas Newbon. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Bentley J. B.. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Bruce Thomas Fraser. 2ndLt. (d.12th Oct 1917)
- Burns Alfred Alexander. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Coste Augustus George. Pte. (d.12th Jun 1917)
- Dark Hubert Finlay.
- Dark James Neate. Pte. (d.7th June 1917)
- Davies Frank Vivian. Pte.
- Davies Frank Vivian. Pte.
- Doyle Richard Henry. Lieutenant (d.10th June 1917)
- Dunlop David Strachan . L/Cpl.
- Edwards Edward Owen. Pte. (d.20th Dec 1917)
- Elbourne Clarence. Pte.
- Evans Walter Spencer Seymour. Pte.
- Everett Henry Alexander. Pte.
- Fleming Walter. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Fuller E. C. B.. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Geary Donald Desmond. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Hallett Francis John. Pte. (d.10th June 1917)
- Hanks John Thomas. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Haynes Alfred John. Pte.
- Hennessy John Albert. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Johnson Frederick William . Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Jones Arthur. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Kelly Robert William. L/Cpl. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Key MM. Ernest Shadrack.
- Macaulay James. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- McAuliffe Hugh Paul. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- McGrath Michael Dowling. Pte.
- McKinery William Edward. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- McNamara Martin. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Moore William Richard. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Morris Walter John. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Newbery George Alfred.
- Norman Beresford Grey. Sgt. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- Osland William Wesley. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Parkinson Albert Henry. Pte. (d.7th June 1917)
- Piggott Francis John. Capt. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Piggott John. Capt.
- Ross Alexander. Pte. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Ross Peter. Pte.
- Schipper H. . Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
- Sieman Percy Henry. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Stead William John. Sgt. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Wahlstrom Albert Edward. Pte.
- Wahlstrom Albert Edward. Pte.
- Wahlstrom Albert Edward. Pte.
- Wilson J.. Sgt. (d.8th Jun 1917)
- Wright C.. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Wright Frederick. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
- Wright Johnathon Raymond. Pte.
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 36th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force from other sources.
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
|
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our
Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.
|
Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please see Family History FAQ's
Please note: We are unable to provide individual research.
|
|
Can you help?
The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors.
If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Announcements
- 19th Nov 2024
Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than
264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
|
World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery
Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
|
Pte. Walter Spencer Seymour Evans C Coy. 36th Battalion I believe that my grandfather, Walter Evans suffered greatly as a result of World War 1.
|
Pte. Donald Desmond Geary 36th Btn. (d.10th Jun 1917) Donald Geary was the son of James Joseph Geary, my great grandmother's brother, my paternal grandmother's first cousin. He was killed by a shell at Messines on 10th of June 1917 whilst covering a trench digging section with a Lewis gun, he has no known grave.
|
Pte. Francis John Hallett 36th Btn. (d.10th June 1917) Francis Hallett is not a relative but is named on the War Memorial in our village in Somerset. An article will be published on the Facebook page for The Charltons Historical Society on 10th of June 2017 to commemorate the centenary of his death and the following is from that text:
"Francis John Hallett was born in Charlton Mackrell and baptised on 11th December 1892. He would have attended the school at West Charlton and at the time of the 1901 census he was aged 8 and living with his father Frank 44, who was a shepherd, mother Emily 43; brothers Edwin J. 14, Percival H. 10, William A. 4 (died in WW1) and Roberts P. 10 months (died in WW1); sisters Emily J. 6 & Louisa 2. In 1911, Francis was a carter on a farm and living at home on Windmill Road (now Somerton Lane) with his mother and four siblings, but his father Frank was working away from home as a labourer.
On 2nd May 1912, aged 19, Francis (and at least one other farmhand from The Charltons, Arthur E Dyer) sailed from London on the P&O ship Commonwealth for Sydney via Cape Town. He took a reference written by Archdeacon F A Brymer on 16th January 1912 to assist him with obtaining work in Australia. Sadly, his father was buried at Charlton Mackrell less than a week later, on 8th May 1912.
Francis settled in New South Wales and was working as a baker and already in the Emmaville Rifle Corps when he enlisted in Sydney on 7th January 1916 and susbsequently served as a Private [service no 472] in B company of the 36th Battalion (9th Infantry Brigade) of the Australian Imperial Force.
On 13th May 1916 they embarked at Sydney on the Beltana, arriving in Devonport on 9th July, so it is to be hoped that Francis had leave during training in England to visit his family and friends in The Charltons before he sailed with the 36th Battalion AIF for active service in France on 22nd of November 1916.
When his battalion was in action during the battle of Messines from 7th June 1917, Francis was initially reported wounded in action but four days later it was confirmed that he had been killed in action on 10th June, probably as the result of artillery fire during a night attack on La Potterie farm at Messines.
By the middle of 1917, his mother Emily had lost her husband and four of her 12 children - Ernest Frank aged 7 in an accident in 1887; her eldest son Henry James who died of illness in April 1901 on the voyage home from the Boer War; and the first two of the three sons who died during WW1. Before WW1 other children had moved to work in South Wales from where one son and one daughter married and had also emigrated - but to Canada. So it is remarkable that she wrote a letter of condolence on 1st August 1917 to Miss Doris Reynolds, the Australian fiancee of her son Francis John (who called him Jack). Although his service records include letters in July from a Miss Reynolds in Emmaville enquiring about the fate of her fiancee whose name had appeared in a printed casualty list, the Australian side of this story has only been established through correspondence with the Australian grandson of Doris Reynolds who married someone else after the war but never forgot her fiance from Somerset. On a visit to The Charltons a few years ago, her grandson read the letter of condolence in Charlton Mackrell church and fortunately also recorded it in the visitors' book.
Jack Hallett is commemorated by name on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, where in 2016 we laid a wreath (including his photograph in AIF uniform from the Comrades of the Great War collection displayed in the Reading Room) on behalf of The Charltons parish."
Celia Mycock, The Charltons Historical Society
|
Pte. James Neate Dark A Coy. 36th Battalion (d.7th June 1917) James Dark was my father's cousin and brother of Hubert Finlay Dark (also recorded on this site).
He was born in 1896 and enlisted in the 36th Battalion AIF at Broadmeadow (Newcastle, New South Wales) on 15th May 1916. He originally joined C Company but transferred to A Coy in August 1916. His enlistment record says he was 5ft 7.5 inches tall with fair hair and blue eyes.
His father, Stephen, was Shire Clerk in Dungog where James grew up.
James and his brother both embarked for overseas on 17 October 1916 on the ship HMAT Borda A30. They disembarked at Plymouth on 19th January 1917. James travelled from Folkstone to Etaples in France on 26 April with the 3rd Australian Division, before marching out of Etaples on 30 April and joining his unit at the front on 3rd May 1917.
James was killed, hit in the head by a snipers bullet, on the first day of the Messines push, 7th of June 1917 - there are a number of reports in the Red Cross records of the circumstances. One report says "he was killed at Prowse Point and buried at Dead Horse Corner", another says he was buried in No Mans Land and the Divisional Burial Officer's statement of November 1917 says "place of burial is 1 mile SSW of Messines Village and 30 yards west of Messines Road (map reading U8c)." The official Army record states "Map location of grave Section 4B Unit 28 Div U.8.C. Buried ASP 1072 HQ 2nd Anzac".
James' father received his personal effects in April 1918. They consisted of "2 discs, wallet, diary, 3 religious books, mirror, charm on chain, photos, letters, cards". His medals (14/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal) were also forwarded to his father in later years.
A newspaper from Wingham, nearby to his home town, published an obituary on 13 July 1917 including the mention that James was "a prominent footballer", probably Rugby League.
|
Pte. Clarence Elbourne D Coy. 36th Battalion Clarence Elbourne served with D Company, 36th Battalion.
|
Pte. Albert Edward Wahlstrom 36th Infantry Battalion Albert Wahlstrom served with 36th Infantry Battalion AIF (6th Reinforcement).
|
Pte. Frank Vivian Davies 36th Btn. Frank Davies was a taylor and cutter in Coolamon NSW near Wagga Wagga. Frank was the eldest child in his family and joined the Army aged 26yrs old. Frank was also the President of the Coolamon Gun Club. Frank was mildly wounded but remained on duty at the battle of Villers Bretonneux in which he had been reassigned to the 33rd Battalion.
Frank survived the war and joined the Army again during World War 2 as a taylor. His youngest brother followed in his footsteps and fought in WW2 in Malaya
|
Pte. Johnathon Raymond Wright 36th Btn.  Jonathon Wright, served with 36th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements, 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, AIF. He was was born in Gazeley, Suffolk, UK in 1867. He was from Lagoon Flat, Bonshaw NSW, and was a tobacco farmer and a boxer. He was the father of eight children. His wife was Mrs Elizabeth Margaret Mary Wright (nee Daley: Toppers MT). Johnathon joined the AIF on 29th February 1916 at Inverrel, NSW, taking part in the Kurrajong march: second contingent.
Jonathon's unit embarked at Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 13th May 1916. His job in the army on the Western Front was as a batman. He transferred to the 33rd Battalion in April 1918, and returned to Australia in November 1918. Johnathon died in Goondiwindi in 1957 aged 90, and is buried in Texas Old Cemetery.
Johnathon also served in the British Army as a boy soldier during the Sudan War during the 1880s. He went to Gibraltar and served in Cairo in Egypt and is believed to have served in the Boer War with the British Army (1900/1901).
In one of the 36th Battalion's earliest engagements Col Simpkins was killed in action by a bomb shell that hit the command post in January 1917. It is not known how close by Jonathon was, considering he was a batman to the officers. Johnathon was discharged from duty because of deep vein thrombosis on 24th August 1918, aged 52,
The following is a story from the Inverell Times. `A warrior's return from the Western front, November 20th 1918. Bonshaw, NSW rejoices again.
The little town of Bonshaw was the place of great enthusiasm on Friday when relatives and friends of Private Jonathan Wright met together to welcome the hero home, after two and a half years on active service. Town hall had been tastefully arranged for this great occasion, the union Jack was unfurled over live Honor Roll, setting it off. Was the guest of honor, his wife and family, when they were seated, the chairman, Mr.V. Gobbert, asked all to rise and sing 'Home Sweet Home'. The chairman impressed, in a feeling speech, how pleased he was to see the soldier back home again and looking so well, and with his wife Elizabeth and his family all around him and much more so on account of the glorious victory that the Allied Armies had won over the Hun. Private Wright was one who had helped to bring that great victory to fruition. Mr Norman Chisholm spoke in feeling words for the boys who had fallen. He also referred to the great pleasure it gave him to see the hero home. He gave his best wishes for the soldier's health and good luck in the future. It was a credit to the man for going away to fight for his country when he was leaving his wife and family of six children behind, while there were other young men with no families who would live on the land and go and return. Cheers.
Mr Marsden of Lagoon Flat Public School, said he had not known Private Wright but had known Mrs Wright and their children, and all he could say was that as far as he could make out all his children were 'a chip off the old block'.'
|
Pte. Albert Henry Parkinson 36th Btn. (d.7th June 1917) Albert Parkinson was my great uncle. He was 38 years old when he died and he left a wife and children.
His name is on the Menin Gate in Ypres. I have been there to see his name under the 36th Btn. His body was not found.
|
Pte. Albert Edward Wahlstrom 36th Btn. Albert Edward Wahlstrom served with the 36th Btn. AIF.
|
Pte. Michael Dowling McGrath 36th Btn. Michael McGrath was my great uncle.
|
Pte. Alexander James Beer 9th Brigade, D Company 36th Btn. (d.18th July 1917) I have reports giving different places for Alec Beer's burial site.
1: Close to the front line at the spot between Messines & Wulverghem not far from the Messines Road.
2: Left of Ploegsteet Wood
3: Buried at Messines 300 yards to the left of Huns Walk
He was buried with a 'good' ceremony by the Chaplain & a cross was put up with his name on it. Later there was a big advance & all the trenches were ploughed up.
His discs & watch were removed so he probably does not have any ID. The watch returned to his wife. I do not know what happened to his tags.
He was killed when he was hit in the head by a Pineapple bomb during a counter-attack on his first day he was in the line.
At home in Sydney he was a Cabman, married with 4 children.
|
Ernest Shadrack Key MM. 36th Btn. My Great Grandfather Ernest Key was in the 36th during the Battle of Messines. His diary reads:
7th Thursday - Hopped over at 3:10 in the morning, objective taken without a hitch, heavy casualties. We were carrying up ammunition and sundries all day. Terribly knocked up, buried twice myself, very badly shook up. A bit of sleep late at night.
|
Pte. Augustus George "Hock" Coste 36th Btn. (d.12th Jun 1917) Augustus Coste enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 6th March 1916. he served with the 36th Battalion 2nd reinforcement. He was mortally wounded on 9th June 1917, and died of wounds on 12th June 1917. He is buried in Trois Arbres Cemetery, France.
|
Hubert Finlay Dark 36th Battalion Hubert was my grandfather and served with his brother James Neate Dark who was killed on 7th June 1917 at Messines. Both were in the 36th Battalion. Hubert had his head badly injured on the same day and was sent back to Australia
|
Pte. Edward Owen Edwards C Coy. 36th Btn. (d.20th Dec 1917)  Edward Owen Edwards, aged 17 years, was killed in action on the battlefield near Armentieres France on 20th of December 1917.
Known by the name Owen, he enlisted in the parish of Smithfield NSW Australia on 14th Jan 1916 three days after his 16th birthday.
Owen declared his age as 18 years to enlist with his mates, and after initial training in Australia,embarked at Sydney HMAT A72 Beltana on 13.05.1916 bound for Southampton UK.
Owen saw action in Northern France and Belgium for nearly 18 months before his death.
Owen was treated during this period for a number of conditions, such as piles, due to poor nutrition, and other battlefield injuries resulting in admission to field hospitals, and on one occasion repatriation to Great Britain with eye damage during May/June 1917 due to gas attack treatment, before returning to his unit and the front.
Owen was involved in many battlefield regions and his army record includes locations such as Camiers, Atapies, Trouville, and Rouelles.
Owen rests in the Cite Bonjean military cemetery Armentieres Plot 1 Row C Grave 43.
His grave originally showed his age as 19 years, however after research and the production of a certified copy of an original berth certificate,
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission altered the date to 17 years.
On 19th September 2013 Barry D Gray from Perth Australia, visited his Great Uncle's grave and spread rich red radiated soil from his country of birth. A further memorial and photo can be found on the Cite Bonjean web site under Memorials. Rest in peace and never be forgotten.
|
2ndLt. Thomas Fraser Bruce 36th Btn. (d.12th Oct 1917) Thomas Fraser Bruce was my great great uncle who was a tram conductor
he played for eastern suburbs rugby league from 1909 till 1912.
|
Pte. Peter Ross 36th Btn. My grandfather Peter Ross, originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, but after emigrating with his parents to Australia, served with the 36th Battalion, 9th Brigade AIF from early 1917. Peter suffered a gunshot wound to the head and left hand on the 4th April 1918 at Villers-Brettoneux. He was blinded by this severe injury and was evacuated back to St. Dunston's in London and did not recover enough to return to Australia until 1921. Later, he returned to England and married one of his nurses who he had met at a hospital in Midhurst, Sussex. His health was severely affected for the rest of his life but thankfully he lived to a good age and had 8 children and died in 1976.
|
Pte. Alfred John Haynes 36th Battalion The Manning Valley Historical Society has published a book based on over 200 postcards sent by Alf Haynes over the years 1916 to 1919 tracing his life during this period including training at Lark Hill, transport to Britain and service in France. They are a graphic record of one man's war and include references to being buried alive at Passchendaele and the breaking up of the Battalion. There are letters also from a French girl sponsored by Alf to come to Australia to meet up with her soldier boyfriend. Unfortunately when she arrived she found that he was already married!! The book "Postcards from the Front - Still Going Strong" is available via the Society's website.
|
Pte. Lachlan McDonald Aird 33rd Btn. Lauchlan Aird was born in Helensburgh, Scotland, when he enlisted in the army he was a 25 year old labourer, He was 5 feet 4 iches tall with fair hair and grey eyes, his records list that he had a tattoo on his right forearm, showing an anchor, a heart and the name of his wife, Hughina. He arrived in France on the 14th June 1917 and saw action with the 36th Battalion, he was wounded in the back on the 27th July at the Battle of Messines, he was treated by 11th Field Ambulance them transferred to hospital, he rejoined his unit on the 5th of August. He transferred to the 33rd Battalion in May 1918 and after the end of hostilities spend three months undertaking training as a Rigger with shipbuilders, Vickers Ltd in Barrow in Furness. He returned to Australia and was discharged from the army on October 1919.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
Site Home
Help & FAQs
