Sepia Saturday: Row, row, row your boat

This lovely little photo was in the Phelan family's album but I have no idea who the people are but they look like they're having fun

There are a few clues. The two men are wearing the uniform of the AIF, the Australian army. There is a headland on the horizon. The rowboat is made of wood and I can make out the letters X, H and W on the stern. The women are wearing hats with wide brims. It's probable that the photo was taken in England when my husband's grandfather, Roy Phelan, was on leave during World War 1.

I chose this photo in response to Sepia Saturday's theme of 'role reversal' or 'Leap Year' because the women are doing the rowing. There are only two oars visible but hopefully there are four so they don't row in circles.

ANZAC Day: William Angus Wyllie

On a personal level we remember family members who served in war. My husband and I remember these grandparents and great-uncles who voluntarily enlisted in WW1. Two were killed in action.

William Angus Wyllie
Thomas Henry Smith
David Edgar Taylor (KIA)
James William Taylor
David Ray Leed (KIA)
William George Leed
Robert John Daniel Phelan
William Thomas Alford

Today I'm highlighting William Angus Wyllie (known as Angus), my grandfather's brother.

Angus was a farmer at Carron, north of Minyip in the Wimmera district of Victoria, where his parents, Robert and Jeannetta, had created a prosperous wheat farm and built a home.

In July 1915 Angus enlisted at Ballarat. He was 30 years old. His initial training was a Castlemaine and Broadmeadows in Victoria.

On 1 April 1916 he embarked on HMAT A23 'Suffolk' and sailed to Egypt and the Middle East. In June he was transferred to France via the port at Marseilles and joined the 58th Battalion there. He was appointed Lance Corporal in December 1916. In February 1917 he was wounded in action, a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and after several weeks was transferred to Cheltenham and then the 3rd Auxilliary Hospital at Dartford in England. He was five months recuperating from his injuries and was discharged from the hospital 16 July 1917 and transferred to the training brigade at the Sandhill Camp at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire.

On 10 November 1917 he left for France via Southampton and rejoined his unit in the field 18 November 1917. In August 1918 he was promoted to Corporal and then a month later to Sergeant.

On 29 September 1918 he was again wounded in action. This time it was a gunshot wound to his left leg. He was again sent to England, to the Chester Hospital. The war ended in November and on 9 December Angus appears to have been transferred to AHQ at Hardcott in London. He was granted two months leave with pay and subsistence (21 April until 21 June) to attend a motor mechanics course at the Mansion Motor Training Garage in York St, Westminster.

Angus' maternal grandparents, William and Mary Ann Cook, migrated to Victoria from Plumstead in Kent in 1852. There must have still been some contact with relatives there, maybe his mother's cousins, because we have this photo of a visit. Angus is seated at right.

In July 1919 Angus departed England on the 'Demosthenes' and disembarked at Melbourne 14 September 1919. He had been in the AIF for four years including several long periods in the field of battle in France.

Like many diggers Angus had formed a relationship with a girl while he was in England and after the war he sent her money to join him in Australia but she never came. But all was not lost in love and war. In September 1921 he married the teacher at the school near his farm at Carron, Dorothy Cosstick.

Australia was at war again when Angus was in his 50s and in March 1941 Angus enlisted in the army again. He was 56 years old. He served three years as a guard at Queenscliff on the coast of Victoria and he moved his wife and daughters to nearby Point Lonsdale. He was discharged in April 1944 because of his age and medical condition (he had arthritis in both knees).

Remembrance Day: We remember those who served

On a personal level we remember family members who served in war. My husband and I remember these grandparents and great-uncles who voluntarily enlisted in WW1. Two were killed in action.

  William Angus Wyllie
  Thomas Henry Smith
  David Edgar Taylor (KIA)
  James William Taylor
  David Ray Leed (KIA)
  William George Leed
  Robert John Daniel Phelan
  William Thomas Alford

I've written a blog about Thomas Henry Smith and David Ray Leed here and here.Today I'm highlighting David Edgar Taylor.

David Edgar Taylor

David was the eldest son of Henry and Martha Taylor who lived at South Ecklin near Cobden, Victoria. On the 30 November 1914, when he was 22 years old, he enlisted in the AIF and was attached to the 6th Battalion.

David sailed to Egypt on the 'Clan Macgillivray', arriving March 1915, and then to Australia and back to Egypt as a Military Policeman (Provost) on the 'Ulysses'. He was then transferred to the 22nd Battalion (Second Division) and went to Gallipoli with that battalion in August 1915. [Note: Each Division four battalions of about 1000 men.]

The arrival of the Second Division at ANZAC.
The 6th Infantry Brigade camping in Rest Gully 5th September 1915.
  Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol X11

We have a few fragments of a diary the David kept and some letters that he wrote home This is his diary from Gallipoli. I've retained Dave's original spelling.

Diary Page Four [Gallipoli, September 1915]

 … shell us again they gave us some big ones that the boys call … ball,  one landed just near us & blew a big hole in the ground just like a water hole they call them  … explosive shells
9^th  It has been quiet all day, tonight we tried to bluff them that we were going to attack them by giving them three rounds nappaid then duck behind the parript & let them waist there minition  our artillary has been giving them a hot time of it
10^th they gave us some more shells this morning one of our cpls got buried in his dug out & was there some time before he got out
11^th  We gave them a few more rounds nappied this morning, after that … us a few rounds in return but we did not bite like they do  they also gave us a few more shells
12^th   has been quite a day  they gave us a few more shells, it is just a  week since our … landed on the dardnelles we have only had 26 casualties … were killed the others were wounded  … guns on our cliff all day they sound like … Beachy Bill as our boys  call her has been … all day landing on the …  she killed 4 & wounded 26 this gun has accounted … since the first landing our guns can never get on to …

..th they gave us a good shelling this morning of the … it one had his arm torn clen of  the rest of the day was quite
… morning .. us  a … more shells but no one was hurt …
 … have had a quite day our artillary giving them gip  all …  … not supplied to it we have also given them a  hot …   2 more of our chaps got shot though the …
16^th  got some more shells today but done no damage tonight a piece of shell landed just beside me while on  my post
19^th  very quite all day till five oclock we had just come back from a swim on the Beach & having tea when all of a sudden they started to bombard us & for about an hour they peppered us hot & solid  they also used there machine guns on us we were all huddled up in our dug outs when the order came to fall in & stand to arms & out we had to get with shells flying all around us & get in to the firing line with  … we had 14 casualtys 2 were killed right out and 9 others were terrible cut about … amount there was left … a major as 9 oclock tonight we thought they were going to attack us all night we straining our eyes & waiting for them to come till day light but they did not to relive our feelings
20th  Today we shifted along the firing line some distance  has been quite all day got a few more shells to day but they did no damage
21st  our war boats have been shelling the Turks all day every shell that fell seem to scoop out yards of there trench
… I have been sick all day had cold shivers this morning our guns … shelling them they gave us a few shells this evenin but  they … have the same strength as our shells do
… sick this morning & have been off duty all day … mail came in today but I got no letters from home … today this is the 8^th time that I have …
22^nd  They started to shell us early this morning but as usual our boys give them the worst of it one of our guns opened up on trenches in front of us & God help the men that tried to leave in that trench & not only that our shells were landing every where.  This afternoon they were trying a new gun of ours on the Turk trenches in front of us it was awful to watch them shells you could hear them coming over like a big … coming through the air the sound was bad enough for us to hear but not half as bad as  must have sounded for the Turks
23^rd  quite all day we gave them a stir up this morning with both arrittarly & rifle some of our shells were coming over 4 miles & landed in a Turks trench about 20 yards in front of us the very air … is alive with shells they opened … there 75 on us but done no damage our guns soon quitened it this was the first time that they had opened there artillary on us at night for they were frightened of showing there guns up
24^th  We again shift along the line we are not allowed to leave the firing line for one minute with out calling the … up they shelled us again this afternoon but done no damage our artillary has been keeping them busy all day
25^th  We are in supports to day for a spell which is the … since we landed also a wash which is also our second  this … had to go back to the firing line
26^th They have kept shelling away all day with there …  …was hurt very badly our war boats have been giving them some shells this after noon
27^th  This morning as daylight we discovered that they had put up some barb wire in front of there trenches through the night, none of us had noticed them doing it, this morning they made it a bit hot for us they gave us about 200 shells, today we hear that our boys on the left  have advanced about two miles inland, we also get word that England has broke the German line in the western front  we again go to the supports I have not taken my clothes off since we landed & only had my boots off once bar when we went for a swim

28^th  we still get good news from the western front & all hope that the war will soon end for we are sick of this life, we are feeling dirty & grimey, we were having tea to night when a shell landed just near us we were all ordered to our dug outs & had just left our places when a shell landed right where I was sitting I was at my post just after when another shell landed just beside me but as luck would have it the ground was soft if it had been hard I would not have been alive to write this
29^th  very quite all day a few shells landed near us at dinner time but done no damage

October 1915
1^st  Two chaps killed on the next post to me shot them in the head with bullets from a machine gun I had a look at the post this morning there was blood every where they gave us some shells this after noon
2^nd  We got a lot of shelling this after noon we have been deepening our trenches to day had to nock  off now & again & get into our dug outs away from there  shells
3^rd  word was passed on to us from the turks that many of them would surrender if we would not shoot them when they were coming over we sent back word that they could come but not more than 2 at a time, just after dark about 20 were seen coming towards our trenches & others were getting over the parript  & thinking that they were going to attack us we were told to stand to arms & our … gun open out on them after more were seen coming over we were all ordered to take down our sand bags & fix bayonets ready to charge but they did not come they sent word that they had mistaken our  … & that they were only coming over to give them selves up
4^th  we had just been relived from the firing line this morning and they opened up with there 75 on us for about an hour they gave it to us hot & solid we had to go to the firing line again & stand to … the post that we had just left was blown to pieces & one of our chaps with his arm blown off many others were wounded one of the chaps on the next post had been shot through the head he was a fine fellow & was the only support of his crippled Sister He was Pte Grant
…back in the firing line to day things were very

On 29th October 1915 Dave was suffering from severe pneumonia and a week later was transferred to the hospital ship 'Somali' and taken to Gibraltar. On the 19th December he was transferred to the 3rd London Auxiliary Hospital in England, still suffering from pneumonia.

David was sent to France on 25th March. In the meantime the 22 Battalion had been posted to France, and David rejoined them on 31st July 1916. In April 1916, shortly after his arrival in France he write to his sister, my grandmother:

Well Dear Sister I had quite a good time in England I will never forget it, it is the Best Place that I have been in yet of course it does not come up to Australia but for all that it is the next Best better than France anyway you see I have not seen much of France yet but what I have seen of it I don’t care too much for & will not be sorry when we get a move on as for England I could stay there till the war is over but like all other things that are good they have to end Duty must be done so here I am some where in France.

The Second Division, AIF, on the march in France, July 1916

The Germans held the Pozieres area on the Somme River and were in an immensely strong position with clear views over all possible lines of advance by the allies. In July 1916 the British Infantry and the Australian First Division had made costly attacks against Pozieres and the village was reduced to rubble. The First Division last 5285 men in three days, and were replaced by the Second Division on 27th July. In ten days they lost 6848 men before they were relieved by the Fourth Division.

Dave Taylor was killed in this battle, on 5th August 1916, but his body was never found. His family was told that he was 'Missing in Action' and an enquiry 14 months later found that he had been 'Killed in Action'. He is listed on the Memorial Wall at Villers-Bretonneux.

The O.G.1. trench, Pozieres, France. This is the area where David Taylor died.

Sadly, David's mother could never quite believe that David had been killed. And the family heard that he was 'Missing in Action' on the day before my grandmother's wedding. I've written about that here.

David Edgar Taylor.

Sepia Saturday: Diggers return on the Marathon

It's been a naval month with Australia celebrating the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy, so the Sepia Saturday theme this week is timely.

I've selected a couple of photos from the family's album to write about. In April 1919 Melbourne's Argus newspaper reported that a ship called Marathon had sailed from England with a large number of Australian soldiers on board. The war had been over for five months but there were a lot of diggers who still hadn't made it home, particularly those who were recovering from injuries received on the battlefields of France and Belgium. The newspaper report is quite detailed in that it lists the names of the injured soldiers, the nursing staff and some of the other passengers. The list includes my husband's grandfather, R J D (Roy) Phelan who was recovering from a bad shrapnel wound to his skull. There will be a sad story behind every single name on the 'injured' list.

The Argus, 29 April 1919. Accessed at Trove, NLA.

Roy Phelan, recuperating in England, 1919

It also includes the names of two other Australian soldiers whose photos are also in our family's album so they must have been friends of Roy.

Bill Bateman

Ted Taylor

I don't know who took these two photos because the public wasn't allowed onto the wharf as far as I know. Maybe it was Roy himself because there are several other photos in the album that he took on the voyage home. It's the Marathon tied up at Railway Pier, Port Melbourne. It must have been such an exciting time for the soldiers and their families.

Marathon, Port Melbourne, June 1919

AIF soldiers disembarking from the Marathon, Melbourne, June 1919

Arrival of the Marathon, Port Melbourne. The Argus, 9 June 1919.

The Marathon is mentioned quite a few times in the newspapers in 1919 because it twice carried soldiers to Fremantle, Adelaide and Sydney and it carried several VIPs on board (McCay in particular, listed under 'Other Reasons' on the first newspaper article). And later in the same year it was involved in a collision with a Japanese ship in the English Channel - it was refloated and steamed to London under her own power.

I'm sure the naval historians would have much more to say about the life of the Marathon, but this is the extent of her impact on the Phelan's family history.

I suggest you sail on over to see what others write about this Sepia Saturday.

A wedding in Cobden

This is the wedding photo of my grandparents, Robert Alan (Alan) Wyllie and Dorothy (Dolly) Taylor. As was often the case in those days, the photo would not have been taken on the actual day but rather a day or two later whilst they were passing through Melbourne to Tasmania on their honeymoon. The newspaper report provided me with a lot of detail about the wedding, and I have a copy of the wedding certificate.

Dorothy Taylor and Alan Wyllie, married 27 September 1916 in Cobden, Victoria

WYLIE*-TAYLOR 

The Cobden Methodist Church presented a very pretty site on Wednesday afternoon last, it being decorated with marguerites, lilies, lucerne blossom, ivy and evergreen.  Prominent among the decorations was an archway over the aisle and a streamer across the church with a wedding bell suspended.  The occasion was the marriage of Miss Dorothy Taylor, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Henry Taylor, of South Ecklin, with Mr Robert Alan Wylie, second son of Mr and Mrs Robert Wylie of Minyip.  The ceremony was performed by Rev. M. M. Bennett, in the presence of a large number of friends of the couple and spectators. As the bride entered the church, leaning on the arm of her father, Miss Ella McConachy played the ‘Wedding March’, and when the nuptial knot was tied, the choir and congregation sang the wedding hymn, ‘The Voice that breathed o’er Eden’, and at the close of the service the bridal company left the church to the accompaniment of the ‘Wedding March’, and amid a hail of confetti and rice. The bride was charmingly attired in a becoming crème silk dress, with pearl and net, and guipure trimming, and wore the customary wreath and veil, the latter being prettily finished and was a gift to the bride from her uncle (Mr Matthews) of Waterloo, New South Wales.  She carried a shower bouquet of white camelias, white perennial peas, asparagus fern, and a touch of forget-me-not, a special gift to the bride. The bridesmaids were Miss Wylie (sister of the bridegroom), and Miss Wyles (cousin of the bride), who were prettily gowned in dresses of embroidered voiles, and carried bouquets of pink and white sweet peas, blossom and asparagus fern.  The flowers of the bocquets were the gift of the bridegroom. The bridegroom’s best man was Mr Geo. Howarth. Mrs Taylor (mother of the bride) was suitably gowned in a tweed dress, finished with a scarf and brooch, sent by her soldier son from Ceylon: and hat to match.  Mrs Wylie (mother of the bridegroom) wore a black corded silk dress, black hat finished with heliotrope. After the ceremony at the invitation of the bride’s parents, the guests were entertained at a wedding breakfast, nicely laid out and prepared at Mrs J. Sincock’s tea rooms, a beautiful wedding cake occupying pride of place on the table.  Rev. Bennett presided and after full justice had been done to all the good things provided, proposed the toast of ‘The King’, followed by the toast of ‘The Bride and Bridegroom’, which was suitably acknowledged by the bridegroom.  The toast of ‘The Parents’ was proposed by Mr J. H. Searle (home missionary) and responded to by Mr Taylor.  ‘The Bridesmaids’ was proposed by the bridegroom, and acknowledged by his best man.  The chairman apologised for the absence of Mr Wylie, sen., who, owing chiefly to his son being at the front, could not leave the farm. The happy couple left Cobden by the afternoon ‘bus amid another shower of confetti, rice and good wishes.  They intend spending a months’ honeymoon in touring Victoria and Tasmania. The bride travelled in a black and white check costume, with hat to match and wore a set of furs, gift of her father, and carried a satin bag, gift of a cousin. Mr and Mrs Wylie’s future home will be at Carron. A number of handsome and useful presents were received, among which, besides those already mentioned, are the following:-Bridegroom to bride-Gold brooch, Bridegroom to bridesmaid-Gold bangle, Mother of bride-Dinner set, Mrs Maskell (aunt of bride)-Teapot, Mrs Matthews (aunt of bride)- Silver jewel case, Mrs Matthews (cousin of bride) cake dish, Miss Stewart (cousin of bride)-Silver brush and pin trays, Mrs J Johnson, South Ecklin- pair of cake dishes, Mrs Hensley- Pair silver vases, Misses B. and K. Hensley-Silver photo frame, Mr and Mrs Sorrenson- pair vases, Miss May Wyles- Tea set, Mr and Mrs Geo Howarth, Weerite- lamp, Miss Maskell- glass jug, Mr and Mrs R. Rogers- Box of handkerchiefs and collars.The Cobden Times and Heytesbury Advertiser October 1916. *This spelling of the surname is in some records but the family preferred the double 'l'.

But there is more to the story.

First, Dolly's wedding veil. I've highlighted the references to the veil in the newspaper transcript above. I have a handwritten note that I had scribbled in 1966 when I lived with my grandparents for a year. My parents lived on a farm and it was easier for me to board in town with my Nana and Grandad while I did my final year of high school. I was only 17 but was interested in family history even then and asked them both lots of questions and wrote down the answers. Of course I wish now I'd asked lots more but some is better than none. Anyway, one of the things Nana told me was that her aunt, Alice Matthews who was a dressmaker, made her wedding dress and veil. And that her cousin Alice (Aunt Alice's daughter) wore the same veil when she married in 1932. For a long time, probably not until the late 1980s, I didn't know where Aunt Alice Matthews fitted into the family. Dolly's father was an only child, I thought, and she certainly wasn't connected to her mother's family. But then research finally proved that Dolly's father actually had some half-siblings and one of them was Alice Matthews (nee Young) who lived near The Rock, New South Wales.

I also have a letter that Dolly's brother wrote to her earlier in 1916. David Taylor was an enlisted soldier who had been on Gallipoli and was writing from England before going to France. In it there is another clue about the wedding dress and veil.

2^nd April 1916
 Dear Dorothy
            I suppose you will think that I have forgotten you all but you see I have not  I often think of you all & wonder how you are all getting on & if you are still at S. K. the last letter that I got from Ruby she told me that she expected you down to stay the night with her on your way to N.S.W. & the last letter I got from Mother she was saying the Dad was up there & that you were going up shortly but that was a long time ago so I suppose you are back again by this time you might be married by this for all I know so you see that there must be a bundle of Australian letters for me some where for I have not had a letter since I left Anzac & that is some time ago now

I've highlighted the section of the letter where he is asking Dolly if she has been up to NSW yet. This is presumably a trip that she made from Cobden (probably by train) to her aunt's place to be fitted for her wedding dress.

Alice Matthews nee Young, the dressmaker who made Dolly's wedding dress and veil.

But there is more to the story.

In July 1916 the British infantry and the Australian 1^st Division had made costly attacks against Pozieres in France and the village had reduced to rubble. The 1^st Division lost 5285 officers and men in three days, and the exhausted men were replaced by the 2^nd Division on the  27 July 1916. In ten days they lost 6848 officers and men before they were relieved by the 4^th Division. David Taylor, Dolly's brother, was killed in this battle at Pozieres, on the 5 August, but his body was never identified. He is listed on the Memorial Wall at Villers-Bretonneux (Register Number 26).  

David Edgar Taylor

The Taylor family was informed that he was missing the day before Dolly's wedding. At least that was what I was told. So missing from the wedding guests were Dolly's brother David Taylor (missing, later declared killed, in action), another brother, James William Taylor (also serving in France), Alan's brother William Angus Wyllie (serving in France) and his father (who had to stay home on the farm). Alan wasn't allowed to enlist because his only brother was a soldier and farming was considered an essential industry. And sadly, Dolly's mother always believed that David would walk in the door one day.

Sepia Saturday: The unknown diggers

The theme for this week's Sepia Saturday is a photo of unknown people, those unidentified photos we all have in our family albums. And yes we have a few of those unfortunately.

Usually I look for clues - the photographic studio, the clothing style, the number and sex of the children, background scenery, house or building styles, furniture styles - but it doesn't always work. In this case, I have to admit defeat. I've got no ideas.

My guesstimate is World War 1, Australian soldiers (diggers) from the AIF, their upturned slouch hats being worn by the children of the family they are visiting (or vice versa) , somewhere in England while they are on leave. The men appear to be wearing armbands - does that indicate they are injured? Could it be a hospital? What do you think?