12th_Infantry_Battalion_11th_Reinforcements.jpg

12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements

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Date: 27 Oct 1915
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australiamap
Surname/tag: South_Australia
Profile manager: Karyn Homburg private message [send private message]
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12th Infantry Battalion, 11th reinforcements

This photograph belonged to my grandfather Stanley Russell Carter MM. He was a member of the 11th reinforcements, 12th Infantry Battalion that was raised on 1 September 1915 and embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Benalla A24 on 27 October 1915.

On the bottom right hand corner of the photograph is the embossed stamp "Chas P Scott, Waymouth St, Adelaide".

12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcments

Embarkation Roll

Using the First World War Embarkation Rolls from the Australian War Memorial and photograph's from the sources below, I am attempting to identify the men in the photograph. According to the embarkation roll, there were 72 men that embarked from Adelaide on HMAT Benalla A24 on 27 October 1915.

Rank Insignia Badges

Members of the Australian Imperial Force wore badges of rank on their uniform. Officers wore their badges on the shoulders, whilst Warrant Officers and NCOs wore their badges on the sleeve of their right arm (Note: a Private would have no rank badge).

Robert Stewart Jenkins was appointed 2nd Lieutenant and has rank badges on his shoulders.

According to the embarkation roll there were 4 Acting Corporals (2 stripes) and 1 Acting Sergeant (3 stripes). Those men were

You can see that 4 men have 2 stripes (corporal) on the right arm of their uniform, and with James Leslie Butcher, Bernhard Ward and George Livesey identified, the solider in 2nd row (seated) 8 from left could be Gordon Whitehill but looking at his WWII records, he looks more like the man seated next to him 9 from left that has no rank badges.
Why would a private with no rank, be seated amongst the NCO's and next to the 2nd Lieutenant? Need to look at the service records of every man that embarked to see if any others had been appointed a rank before embarkation, just in case that information had not been included on the embarkation roll and he had not received his stripes when this photograph was taken.

The soldier 2nd row (seated) 11 from left has 3 stripes on the cuff of his right arm (not mid sleeve as the corporals) this could be Albert Cyril Orr who was acting sergeant.

Row 2 seated from left numbers 7 to 13 with rank insignia badges on uniform

Onboard the Benalla A24

Extracts from letters written home by George Melling Livesey refer to the trip on the Benalla:

  • 30 Oct 1915. Having a lovely trip. Things are just the thing on board, I am dining and sleeping in the second class, and I can tell you it is a bit better than down below under the hatch. We are sighting Cape Leewin some time tonight and will soon see Fremantle. Food and everything else on board could not be better and as regards myself I couldn’t be better. We may be able to get off at Fremantle, but are not sure, if the trip keeps up as good as it is now it will do me down to the ground. Our 11/12 Unit were complimented for turning up full strength.
  • 11 Nov 1915. I am now writing after being out from Perth nine days, and we are still having lovely weather. It is pretty warm now we are in the tropics, and it doesn’t do to have too much clothing on. We had an enjoyable run up to Perth. The whole ship had leave for 3 hours (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.). I did not see much of Fremantle as we only had time to go up to Perth. We arrived there at 3 p.m. and by the time we had a look around it was 5.30 p.m. and the boat was due to leave at 6 p.m., so we thought we were in for a bit of a mess, we all jumped into a motor and came down full speed to Fremantle, it was a lovely spin, and the roads in Western Australia are splendid. We arrived at the wharf just as the boat was moving off and we had to climb up a rope to get on board, we found there was about 200 men missing, but the boat pulled out into stream and launches were running out till midnight, and at the finish we got nearly all of them on board, and steamed off through the night. After that things have settled down to an everyday routine. I have been having a good time, not much work and plenty of time to do it in. They are just beginning to wake up a little on board now and are supplying us with a few concerts and boxing matches, which are very interesting. There is nothing to do of an evening but play cards or go up on deck or read books. There has been a lot of gambling going on but it is now being stopped, and it is only right. Some men have won over £100 and some have lost a good deal. We were paid yesterday and my word it was a good job, because nine out of ten men on board were hard up. You can spend money on board just as fast as on land, as there is a dry canteen and a wet one, but in the wet one they only charge 1/- a bottle for a small bottle of beer, so I can tell you there is not much drunkenness on board.
HMAT Benalla A24

Arrival in Egypt

Training at the camps in Zeitoun and Tel el Kebir, the majority of these men would join existing members of the 12th Infantry Battalion to form the 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion. The 52nd departed Alexandria on the SS Ivernia on 5 June 1916, arriving at Marseilles on 12 June 1916.

Camp at Tel el Kebir

Identified

Whereas the embarkation roll has 72 men listed on the Benalla A24 from Adelaide, there are only 64 in the photograph, so not all of those that embarked on this date will be in the photograph.

Row 1 (seated) from left click on image to view larger copy
Image Identified as Unit Information
Norman Howard Livesay52nd Infantry Battalion Killed in action 3 Sep 1916 in the battle at Mouquet Farm. With no known grave he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
Arthur Henry Cullen52nd Infantry BattalionDischarged medically unfit and returned Sep 1917
Roy Angelo Boitano52nd Infantry Battalion Killed in action 3 Sep 1916 in the battle at Mouquet Farm. With no known grave he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
Row 2 (seated) from left click on image to view larger copy
Image Identified as Unit Information
Stanley Russell Carter MM52nd Infantry BattalionAlso 50th Infantry Battalion Returned Apr 1919
Archie Hillam Murray52nd Infantry BattalionReturned due to illness Dec 1917
James Leslie Butcher4th Pioneer BattalionReturned May 1919
Robert Stewart JenkinsImperial Camel CorpDischarged in Egypt Sep 1919 and appointed Inspector in the Department of Mines, Cairo.
George Melling Livesey MC52nd Infantry BattalionAlso 50th Infantry Battalion Returned Apr 1919
Bernhard Diedrich Richard Ward52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 3 Jul 1916 and buried in Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, France
Frederick Madley George52nd Infantry BattalionWounded in the battle at Mouquet Farm, returned Feb 1917
Joseph John Mahoney52nd Infantry BattalionAlso 50th Infantry Battalion Returned Dec 1918
Kenneth James Caskey11th Field Artillery BrigadeReturned Jan 1919
William Joseph O'Regan52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 25 Sep 1917 in Belgium. With no known grave is commemorated at the Menin Gate Memorial.
John Slattery52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 24 Apr 1918 and buried in Crucifix Corner Cemetery, France
Row 3 (standing) from left click on image to view larger copy
Image Identified as Unit Information
George Henry Ruse10th Field Artillery BrigadeDied of wounds 7 Apr 1918 buried at Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No 1, France
Thomas Auburn Oates52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 4 Sep 1916 in the battle at Mouquet Farm. Buried at Serre Road Cemetery No. 1, France
John Milnes52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 3 Sep 1916 in the battle at Mouquet Farm. Buried at Courcelette British Cemetery, France
Row 4 (standing) from left click on image to view larger copy
Image Identified as Unit Information
Arthur Leslie Herbert52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 4 Sep 1916 in the battle at Mouquet Farm. Buried at Courcelette British Cemetery, France
Ernest Robert Strachan13th Field AmbulanceReturned Feb 1919
Herbert Vincent Douglas52nd Infantry BattalionWounded in the battle at Mouquet Farm, returned Feb 1917
Joseph Alfred Clarence Laker52nd Infantry BattalionKilled in action 4 Jul 1916. Buried at Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery, France
Joseph Henry Inkley52nd Infantry BattalionWounded Jun 1917, returned Sep 1917
Edgar Hugo ModistachDid not serve, was discharged medically unfit and returned Jan 1916
David Spottiswood Stewart52nd Infantry BattalionWounded Oct 1917, returned Mar 1918
Herbert John Kemp11th Infantry BattalionRe-embarked in Fremantle as SERN 4026. Killed in action 9 Apr 1917 commemorated at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
Lewis Herbert Finn10th Field AmbulanceWounded in action, returned Mar 1918


Note: Some men have been identified with the help of family members and private family photographs, others have been identified using the sources below. See the individual profiles for more information.

Sources





Images: 5
12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcments
12th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcments
Row markings
Row markings
NCOs and 2nd Lieutenant
NCOs and 2nd Lieutenant
HMAT Benalla A24
HMAT Benalla A24
Tel el Kebir, Egypt
Tel el Kebir, Egypt
Collaboration


Comments: 6

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Irving-2256 Roger Irving
This is a marvellous project! Well done and much kudos to you Karyn.
posted by Roger Irving
Homburg-82 Karyn Homburg
Thank you very much Roger! 😊
posted by Karyn Homburg
Braddock-124 Campbell Braddock
This is fantastic, keep up the great work 😊👍
posted by Campbell Braddock
Homburg-82 Karyn Homburg
Thank you very much Campbell! 😊
posted by Karyn Homburg
Champion de Crespigny-8 Anne (Champion de Crespigny) Young
A marvellous project :) Thanks for creating and sharing the photograph
posted by Anne (Champion de Crespigny) Young
Homburg-82 Karyn Homburg
Thank you very much Anne! I have really enjoyed working on this.
posted by Karyn Homburg

Categories: HMAT A24 Benalla, Nov 1915 | Australia, Military Free Space Pages | 12th Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, World War I | 52nd Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, World War I