The Story of John (Jack) Browning / Memories ... March 8

This post tells the story of my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed, John (Jack) Browning  (1885 - 1917).

Our common ancestors are:  William Henry Browning and Anne (Nancy) Littlejohns.

I'm publishing this post on the anniversary of his passing.

 In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

John (known as Jack) Browning

• John was born on the 4th of November 1885, on the family farm Rosehill, near Blakebrook, in the Northern Rivers region of  New South Wales.

• His first name was recorded as John on his birth certificate.  He was however more commonly known as Jack for most of his life.

• The names John and Jack were used interchangeably on various records throughout his lifetime, which made research quite difficult.  During this post I will combine the names and refer to him as John (Jack).

• According to the information recorded on John's (Jack's) birth certificate, he came into the world as the 11th child born to Joseph Edward Browning and Elizabeth (Eliza) Browning nee Wilson.

• There had apparently been seven children living when John (Jack) was born and three that had passed away.  I have only found records pertaining to nine children born before John (Jack) came into the world.  

• Those nine siblings and the two who were born after John (Jack) were:

         - Henry Joseph born in 1864

         - Mary was born in 1866 and tragically died that same year

         - Susanna born in 1867

         - Joseph born in 1870, but sadly died six years later

         - William born in 1873

         - Amelia born in 1875

         - Sarah Ann born in 1878

         - James born in 1881

         - Samuel Joseph born in 1883

         - Francis born in 1889

         - Robert Albert born in 1892

• Growing up on the family farm near Blakebrook amidst his siblings, John (Jack) not only learned the intricacies of farm life, but also the trade of a teamster, following in the footsteps of his father who plied that trade well into his 60s.  

• As a young adult, John (Jack) and his brothers Henry, Samuel, and William left the family farm and took charge of the family teamster business; work that was vital to the timber industry in the region.

• Teamsters had a team of either horses or bullocks and carried items/goods from one place to another for a living.  At that time, the timber industry was flourishing and was, by far, the most important industry in the district. John (Jack) and his brothers, like many teamsters in the area, obtained felled and sawn timber from the timber cutters, and hauled it to the sawmill in nearby Lismore.

• The 1913 Electoral Record shows that John (Jack), aged 28, was living in Nimbin, north of Lismore, in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and his occupation was listed as 'teamster'.

• The following year bought news from overseas that was about to change the course of John's (Jack's) life significantly.  Mid-1914 saw the beginning of the global conflict known as The Great War.

• The outbreak of World War 1 prompted John (Jack) to answer the call of duty.  He enlisted on the 16th of November, 1915.

• John (Jack) enlisted under the name of Jack, not John, at the age of 30 (although his attestation papers listed him as 26 years old).

• After enlistment, John (Jack) was sent to training camp at Enoggera in Queensland where training lasted for several months.

• When friends discovered that John (Jack) would be given leave to spend the 1916 New Year with his parents, they organised an enormous farewell celebration.  A rather detailed account of this farewell was published in a Lismore newspaper after the event (and both names - John and Jack - were used in this account!).

• The article mentions that "in three days sufficient donations were received to enable (the) ... purchase (of) ... a handsome wristlet watch.  Invitations were issued, and fully sixty people availed themselves of the opportunity of attending this pleasant function, which was held in the spacious dining room, kindly lent by Mr. and Mrs. Jos. (Joseph) Browning, Sen. for the occasion."   So. the dining room of John's parents' home was decorated and turned into a function room for around sixty people.  It must have been a rather spacious room!

         It's also noted that around "33 members of the Browning family" attended! It sounds 

          to me as if it was a very close family and they took the chance to spend precious time 

          with John before he shipped off to fight overseas.

• The article goes on to state "The chairman spoke of the great respect and esteem in which the guest was held, and then called on Miss May Browning to fasten the watch on Jack's wrist."  I think the degree to which John was respected in the community was made clear in the last part of the article.  After the dancing and merriment ended around midnight, the chairman "called on all present to assemble together as he still had another pleasant duty to perform.  The residents of Blakebrook and districts had subscribed a very nice autograph album to be present by Private Browning to his parents as a keepsake.  Mr. Maher called on all present to sign their names in the book, and in a neat speech asked Jack to hand this book to his aged parents as a memento of the pleasant evening he had spent with parents and friends."

          What a deeply moving gesture!   

• During his training period, John (Jack) appears to have moved through various battalions, according to his active service record. 

• Soon after enlistment John (Jack) joined the 34th Battalion "D" Company.

• On February 2nd 1916 he moved to the 36th Battalion "A" Company.

• John (Jack) then moved to the 42nd Battalion "A" Company on the 16th of February 1916.

• He was taken on strength by the 42nd Battalion "A" Company of the 15th of April 1916.

HMAT A30 Borda  (photo taken 1916)
Description:  Troops on board HMAT Borda prior to departure, with well-wishers on the wharf 
holding paper streamers connecting them to the men on the ship.
Photo sourced from the Australian War Memorial website
Copyright expired - Public Domain

• After the completion of training at Thompson's Paddock Camp, at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland, John's (Jack's) unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A30 Borda on the 5th of June 1916.

• John (Jack) disembarked at Southampton, England on the 23rd of July 1916.  There was a further training period in England at the Lark Hill training camp, on the Salisbury Plain, before he proceeded overseas to France on the 25th of November 1916.  By this time, John was 31 years old.

• In the trenches of France, John (Jack) became a member of a Lewis Gun Team, a crucial role in the evolving tactics of semi-open warfare.

A Lewis Gun Team on a duckboard trail 1917
Source:  Australian War Memorial
Copyright expired - Public Domain

From 'The Interplay between Technology, Tactics and Organisation in the First AID', Ross Mallett.  MA (Hons) Thesis, Australian Defence Force Academy 1999.  Chapter 4 'Semi-Open Warfare'

"Important tactical and organisational developments occurred over the winter (1916-1917).  One major tactical and organisational change was the organisation of the infantry.  ... the original allocation of Lewis guns of four per battalion was gradually increased to twelve at the of July 1916.  ... In December, enough Lewis guns became available to give each infantry battalion sixteen guns and BEF GHQ decided to allocate one to each platoon while still allowing for them to be pooled at company level if need be. 

 

A Lewis gun section (of a platoon) consisted of nine fully trained Lewis gunners, although there was only one Lewis gun.  The section leader was a sergeant or corporal.  He allotted fields of fire, arranged reliefs, and recorded ammunition expenditure and breakages.  Each squad had a gunner, the man who carried the gun into action and fired it.  ... An assistant stuck close to the gunner, ready to replace the gunner if he was hit and helping the gunner in any way possible with loading and breakages.  ... In action, the assistant lay beside the gunner ... From this position, he could also provide the gunner with moral support and take over more quickly if the gunner became a casualty. 

 

The rest of the team were riflemen doubling as ammunition carriers, scouts and observers.  Each rifleman carried 50 rounds of rifle ammunition.  One rifleman carried four to eight Lewis gun magazines and maintained close touch with the gunner and assistant, ready to replace the assistant if either the assistant or gunner became a casualty.  Two were lightly loaded scouts, moving ahead of the gun, locating targets and observing for the gun when necessary while the second scout could be used as a messenger when the gun was in position.  The remaining three were ammunition carriers with six magazines each."

•  Each Lewis Gun Team accounted for 1 Lewis gun and 2068 rounds of ammunition.

           No. 1, the man who fired the Lewis gun, carried the gun which weighed over 12                     kilos.

           No. 2, the loader, carried 4 magazines, a tool kit and spare parts.

           No. 3, the main ammo supplier / retriever, carried 4 magazines.

           Nos. 4 & 5 were scouts.

 

           Nos. 6, 7 & 8 were extra ammo suppliers and carried 12 magazines each.

           (Nos. 1 & 2 also had a pistol.  The others carried their full kit and a rifle.)

           This team-based system meant that the Lewis gunners were able to operate almost 

           as independent units, acting both in defensive positions within a trench or in               

           support of a raid on enemy tranches by giving covering fire from no-man's land. 

• John (Jack) was the No. 1 in his team, a position that required skill, courage and precision.

• Despite being wounded in action on the 2nd of February 1917, he remained on duty.  I have not yet found any details about the type of wound he suffered, and the family, who received this news via telegram on the 20th of February, were none the wiser either.

• Whilst John (Jack) had seemingly been fortunate in February, his fate took a tragic turn the following month. On the 8th of March 1917, John was killed in action near Armentieres, France.

• The Browning family, who had bid a heartfelt farewell to John just a few months earlier, received the devastating news of his sacrifice.

• A notice appeared in the local Lismore newspaper a couple of weeks later.  It mentioned Mrs. Roy Hancock, John's sister Sarah Ann, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Browning, John's parents.  Interestingly, the paragraph relating to Sarah Ann has John's name recorded as 'Jock', but then the following paragraph relating to John's parents has his name recorded as 'John'.  Perhaps he was also affectionately known to some as Jock!!

• A little gem that appeared in the same local newspaper a few months later was the publication of a letter received from Private Harley on the front line in France.  In this letter, Harley mentions the death of John (Jack):

"The river boys (meaning the Richmond River near Lismore) have been pretty lucky in our battalion so far, only one that I know of being killed, and that was Jack Browning, from Lismore, one of the biggest and best."

          Just another reminder of the esteem in which John was held by those who knew him.

•  The letter of sympathy written by Major A. R. Heron, on behalf of the Commandant of the 42nd Battalion, and sent to John's (Jack's) parents was published in the Lismore newspaper in May of 1917.  That letter presented information about the nature of John's (Jack's) death, which I did not find included in his war service record.

John was "killed instantly by a shell which hit him in the chest during a bombardment."

The words "He was a valuable man and was employed on a special branch of the service, which demanded coolness and courage in the face of great danger, a duty which he always performed very satisfactorily" speaks to the good character of this man.

 

• John (Jack) was buried at the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery in Armentieres, France.

• His headstone can be found in Plot IV, Row F, Grave No. 7.

• John's (Jack's) name is also commemorated on the Wall of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

         While visiting the War Memorial recently, I stopped at Panel 135 to pay my respects.

• John's (Jack's) name is commemorated in a couple of other places as well ....

• It appears on the front panel of the Nimbin District War Memorial in Nimbin, New South Wales.

Opening of the Nimbin District War Memorial on the 24th of May 1921
Photo sourced from the Virtual War Memorial website
(https://vwma.org.au/explore/memorials/8305)

• This memorial in Nimbin was unveiled in 1921, and I have no doubt some of his family were there that day and likely in the photo that was taken.

• John's (Jack's) name also appears on the Great War Wall of Honour at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Nimbin, in the Lismore Municipality.  You can see it top left in the photo above.

• John (Jack) was survived by both his parents(although his father passed away just eight months later, in November 1917) and all nine siblings who had survived into adulthood.

Northern Star Sat 8 Mar 1919 p. 8  Family Notices

• John (Jack) was obviously remembered with love and missed dearly as his family were placing notices in local newspapers on the anniversary of his death for a number of years. 

• One of John's (Jack's) siblings also enlisted and served in WW1.  His youngest brother, Robert Albert Browning, enlisted just a month after the death of John (Jack), in April of 1917. He headed overseas in August that year, but by April of 1918, Robert was reported as suffering with neurasthenia and identified for an early return home.  Whilst the war did not claim the life of this sibling, it left its mark on his emotional health, as was often the case. 

The Story of Erice Sylvester Connors

This is the story of my paternal Grand Uncle, Erice Sylvester Connors  (1892 - 1916).

Our Common Ancestors are: Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• Erice was born on the 24th of January 1892 at the family farm named 'Far Meadow' outside Berry, in the Shoalhaven Region of New South Wales.  The birthplace is recorded as Meroo, as that was the nearest small town to the family farm.

• He was the youngest of ten children born to Thomas Edgar Connors and Susannah (Susan) Fullagar Hukins.

• The children born before Erice were:

           - Mary Ellen born in 1874

           - John Edgar born in 1876

           -William Adolphus born in 1878

           - George Thomas (my grandfather) born in 1880

           - Alice Adelaide born in 1882

           - James Alfred born in 1884

           - Percy Jerome born in 1886

           - Cyril Ernest born in 1888

           - Frederick Augustus born in 1890

• The name Erice stands out as an intriguing anomaly in our family's history.  At the time of his birth, it was neither a common first name nor a familiar family name, making its choice by my great-grandparents all the more curious.  This decision becomes even more puzzling when considering the conventional names given to all his siblings.

• Throughout his lifetime, Erice was rarely called by his given name.  Most people knew him as Eric, a more conventional variant, while friends affectionately referred to him as Ted.  It seems the unusual nature of his Christian name led many to adopt these alternatives, and Erice remained a seldom-used curiousity.

• In my attempts to uncover the origins and significance of the name Erice, I found little clarity.  The name appears to be quite rare, with conflicting claims about its usage and origin.  Some sources suggest it is a female name, others a male or unisex name.  Some attribute it to English origins, while most remain noncommittal.  The scarcity of reliable information left me both dazed and fascinated, wondering what inspired my great-grandparents to choose it!

• Interestingly, my research uncovered a couple of potential connections.  There is an ancient Greek name, Eryx, associated with a legendary Greek hero.  However, it seems highly unlikely that my great-grandparents would have had an awareness of ancient Greek mythology.

• Another possibility is the historic town named Erice in Sicily, which sits atop Mount Erice.  The town adopted this name in 1934 though, long after my great-grandparents had passed away, ruling out any direct link to their choice.

• Ultimately, the reasoning behind my paternal grand uncle's distinctive name remains a mystery, one likely lost to history.  Despite this, Erice holds a special place in our family's story.  His name, unique and enigmatic, ensures his memory endures as a cherished part of our lineage.

Here's his story:

• Growing up on the family dairy farm ' Far Meadow' near Berry, Erice and his siblings would have learned all the ins and outs of farm life, supporting their father with the work involved in running a dairy farm.

• Erice would have tended to all his chores before and after school, making for very long days indeed.

• Erice was an active participant in local and school events as well.  In 1906, at just 14 years of age, Erice showcased his athleticism by placing 1st in the '75 yard sack race' and the 'wheelbarrow race' during the Public Schools Carnival, held in Nowra.  He placed 2nd in the 'throwing at wicket' competition.  His name appeared as Eric in several newspapers at the time, including the Shoalhaven Telegraph (dated Oct 3 1906) and The Kiama Independent & Shoalhaven Advertiser (dated Oct 5 1906).

• Tragically in December of that same year, Erice faced the loss of his older brother William Adolphus.  William had been suffering tuberculosis for at least three years and unfortunately, he died as a result of this terrible disease when he was just a young man aged 28.

• The following year brought more sorrow to the family.  In 1907, When Erice was 15, his older brother James Alfred died as a result of burns inflicted by a fire that broke out at his workplace.  (I've written about James in this previous post:  Fire and its Tragic Consequences.  For those interested, scroll to Story 2).

• In 1910 the Connors family experiences further heartbreak.  Erice's mother Susan died in May and then his father passed away in August.  Erice had just turned 18 at the start of that year.

• By this stage, Erice found himself amidst a family that had dispersed, with most of his siblings leaving the family farm.  In the face of such personal loss and family change, Erice made his way to the north coast of New South Wales, joining his older brothers John, Cyril and Frederick (Fred) who had established themselves in the Richmond River area.  His eldest sister wasn't too far away either, as she was living in Brisbane with her husband John George Bates. 

• By 1914, Erice was living with his siter Mary Ann and her husband John George on Gotha Street in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland.  Erice was working as a bread carter.

• The spectre of World War 1 was now looming menacingly, and when England declared war on Germany, Australia was thrown into a worldwide conflict that would alter the lives of millions.

Cyril Ernest Connors, older brother of Erice
Photo taken around time of enlistment - 1914

• Erice's older brother Cyril Ernest had enlisted early, in October of 1914.

• Erice himself answered the call for duty, enlisting for the Great War on the 28th of September 1915.   He signed his attestation papers with the signature 'E. S. Connors'.  Despite the fact that his name was recorded at the top as 'Erice Sylvester Connors', when I was searching for his war service record I found it had been created under the name of 'Eric Sylvester Connors'.

(The following details of Erice's war service were sourced from his War Service Record & "Stories of the Somme: The Soldiers of the Great War", a Weebly webpage written by Micheal & Donna Fiechtner).

HMAT Wandilla
Description:  Troop Transport HMAT Wandilla (A62) preparing to sail from Pinkenba Wharf on Jan 1916 with Australian troops onboard. Relatives and friends farewell the troops from the dockside.
Copyright expired - in public domain
Sourced from the Australian War Memorial website

• Erice joined the 9th Battalion 14th Reinforcements, embarking on the HMAT Wandilla from Brisbane on the 31st of December 1915. 

Active Service Record of Erice Sylvester Connors

• His journey initially led him to Alexandria, Egypt, where the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) were preparing for deployment to France.  He disembarked at Alexandria on the 5th of March 1916.

11th Field Artillery Brigade
Description:  11th Field Artillery Brigade, near Bailleul, France 1917
Copyright expired - in Public Domain
Source:  Australian War Memorial website

• On the 21st of April 1916, at Serapeum, Erice was taken on strength by the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, assigned the rank of 'gunner', and posted to the Brigade Ammunition Column. The 11th Field Artillery Brigade had only just been formed in February, and was attached to the 4th Division.  

•  Erice was then assigned to the 43rd Battery of the 11th FAB at Serapeum on the 24th of May 1916.   (Information about the 11th Field Artillery Brigade can be found here:  11th Field Artillery Brigade, 4th Division Artillery, AIF)

• On the 1st of June 1916, Erice sailed for France aboard the HMT Haverford, marking the beginning of his active service.  The ship docked in Marseilles on the 10th of June, and at 2.00 pm that afternoon Erice boarded a train for a three-day train ride to Le Havre, near Paris.

• After this train journey, the brigade arrived in a relatively quiet "nursery" sector near the town of Armentieres in northern France.  The early battalions were engaged around Armentieres first as it was regarded as a good place to prepare soldiers for future engagement on the Western Front.

• On the 17th of June 1916, Erice was transferred to the 11th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters where he took on the role of a signaller withing the Brigade Ammunition Column.  He would have been responsible for communications within the Brigade, possibly laying signal lines between HQ and the various batteries.

• Erice was involved in major action involving Australians on the Western Front throughout the remainder of 1916.

• The Brigade first entered the line at Fleurbaix in the Fromelles sector on the 4th of July 1916 and two days later had its first taste of battle when shelled by enemy artillery for two hours.  The Brigade returned fire during the next few days.  On the 13th of July 1916 the Brigade retired to billets at Croix du Bac, but returned to its former position in the lines within a few days.

The battlefield of Fromelles
A view from the German observation post on Fromelles church that gives an idea of the complete domination the enemy had over the battlefield on 19 July 1916.
Copyright expired - in public domain
Sourced from the Australian War Memorial website

• Between the 19th and 20th of July, the Brigade supported the 5th Division AIF in its attack at Fromelles, and on the 22nd of July it was attached to the New Zealand Division and moved north to Armentieres where it stayed in the line until the 3rd of August.  (Information about the Battle of Fromelles can be found here:  Fromelles (Fleurbaix) 19/20 July 1916)

• The Brigade undertook further training until the 23rd of August 1916 when it proceeded to Dickebusch near Ypres to take over from the 6th FAB of the Canadian 2nd Division.  This area was in the vicinity of Pozieres which had been taken by AIF troops in the previous weeks.

• The 11th FAB stayed in the line until the 18th of September when it was relieved.  On the 8th of September, Erice had been invalided to the Australian Field Ambulance for a short while, as his teeth were giving him trouble.

• The next couple of months represented a similar affair for the unit, with stints in and out of the lines.  

• On the 14th of November 1916 the Brigade undertook a six day march from Boeschepe to Naours, returning to the Somme, where it would eventually be held in reserve until the 21st of December 1916.

Front line at Flers 1916

• At that time his battalion took the line just north of Flers, not far from Pozieres on The Somme.  The Germans welcomed them promptly with a heavy bombardment on the 22 of December 1916.  Shrapnel fire was sustained, and the Brigade subsequently engaged in an artillery duel with the enemy on Christmas Eve.                                                                                                      (Information about the Flers/Gueudecourt Battle can be found here:  'The Winter Offensive' - Flers/Gueudecourt /Gueudecourt Winter of 1916/1917)

• By Boxing Day, the enemy had accurately registered its guns on the Brigade and the Australians were convinced their own gun flashes were visible to the Germans except in extremely foggy weather.

• The conditions on the Somme were horrendous, with the winter of 1916/1917 being the worst in 40 years.  In the short time Erice had been in France, he had experienced and endured the extremely harsh conditions of the Western Front, engaging in battles and facing relentless enemy fire.

• On the 28th of December 1916 an enemy airplane attacked the Brigade, firing its machine guns into the Batteries.  Two days later, on the 30th of December 1916, the Germans opened fire on the Brigade, whose positions it had ranged.  The fire around HQ was very heavy throughout both the morning and evening that day. 

• At 4.00 pm a shell hit one of the HQ dugouts that functioned as a cook house where Erice was sheltering with a number of soldiers.  Erice was killed instantly along other soldiers, including Kenneth (Ken) Taylor and John (Paddy) McGrath.  In all, 344 other Australians would be killed that month.

• The Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files have a number of records concerning Erice's death.  This suggests that enquiries were made by relatives back home in Australia, after hearing the devastating news of his death.

• It had taken some time before family and friends knew about Erice's death.  Death notices did not appear in local newspapers until February the following year.

• The Red Cross Wounded and Missing File indicated that Erice, acting as a Signaller for Brigade HQ, was sheltering in a dugout, reportedly having a cup of coffee with comrades Ken Taylor and John (Paddy) McGrath, when a 5.9 inch shell hit their location.  The explosion claimed Erice's life, along with the lives of his comrades and at least one other soldier, and left little evidence behind.  Erice's death was instantaneous.

• These files included a statement by an eye witness who assisted in the burial of what remained of the all the soldiers into one grave, with a cross erected above the grave.  There were other reports stating that the soldiers were indeed buried together.

• Burials often occurred in a field or an available clear space near where the soldiers died, but sadly these graves would often be destroyed later, as the war ravaged on.  This appears to be the case for Erice's burial place and his remains, as they have never been found. 

Erice's name on the Australian Memorial at Villers Brettoneux

Erice's name on the Wall of Honour at the Australian War Memorial

• Erice Connors, like many others, became one of the countless soldiers with no known grave.  His sacrifice is however commemorated on the Australian Memorial at Villers Brettoneux and the Roll of Honour Wall at the Australian War Memorial, a testament to a life cut short on the brutal battlegrounds of World War 1.

• Erice's name is projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory at the Australian War Memorial four times a year, ensuring his name lives on.  The next name projection is scheduled for Monday, May 13 at 12.54 am.

Memories ... September 20

 In Remembrance

(For my 'Family Anniversaries' page)

Today is the anniversary of  the passing of my maternal Great Grand Uncle,  Patrick Joseph Farrell.

*Our common ancestors are: Michael Farrell and Susan Muldowney/Downey.

• Patrick was born on the 11th of April 1877, at 56 Havannah Street in a mining village named Tanfield, near Stanley in County Durham, England.

• When Patrick was born his father, Michael Farrell, was 42 and his mother, Susan Muldowney / Downey, was 35.

• Patrick was the 7th of nine children born to Michael and Susan, who were both Irish-born but had moved to Scotland and then England in search of work.

• At the age of 3, Patrick was listed on the 1881 England Census as living at 140 Havanna Street in the civil parish of Tanfield, in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, England.  This would have one house in a long row of colliery houses provided by the mine owners.

• His father Michael was working as a 'coke drawer'.  His older brother Thomas, aged 13, was working at the colliery as a 'screener'.  His older sister Margaret (my great grandmother), aged 15, was not living with the family as she was employed as a servant for the Robinson family in a house at 10 Havanna Street.  Patrick's other siblings included Helen Ann aged 9, Elizabeth aged 7, Michael aged 5, and his 8 month old brother James. 

• Life for Patrick in his early childhood years would have been one of poverty and deprivation.  These early years were spent in the Durham coalfield region of north-east England where his father worked primarily as a 'coke drawer'.  The family moved around the region a fair bit, from Lanchester to Tanfield to Stanley, looking for lodging and living in mining village housing.  These colliery houses were usually overcrowded, lacking adequate sanitation and basic amenities like running water.  The family would have experienced impoverished living conditions, starvation at times and likely poor health.

• In 1887 another brother, Matthew Felix, was born when Patrick was 9 years old.

• Shortly after, Patrick's family boarded the ship Cheybassa and headed to Australia.  At the time, Patrick's older sisters Margaret and Helen had already emigrated and were living in Queensland.  The remainder of the Farrell family, including Patrick joined them.

• In September of 1887 the Farrell family disembarked in Townsville, north Queensland, and then travelled on to Charters Towers.  Patrick was 10 years old.

• Patrick followed in his father's footsteps at first, and began working as a miner in his early adult years.

• The Australian Electoral Rolls for the years 1903 and 1908, when he was aged 26 and 31 respectively, show that Patrick was living at a place named 'Bluff Station', just outside Charters Towers, and his occupation was listed as 'miner'.  

• Patrick was also learning another trade during these years.  At some point, he had become apprenticed to his brother-in-law, David Davies, as an iron moulder.

• Around 1911, Patrick had left Charters Towers and moved to Maryborough where he started work as an iron moulder for Walkers Limited.

• He was known as "Joe" to his friends at this time.

• When he lived in Maryborough, he was an active member of the local community and earned a reputations as a "skilful and willing worker" with "many friends".

Attestation Papers - signed by Patrick in 1916

• On the 17th of November 1916, aged 39, Patrick enlisted for service in World War 1 in Bundaberg, Queensland.  He enlisted with the AIF 25th Battalion 19th Reinforcement.

• His signature gives us a hint that Patrick had not written much in his lifetime up to that point and while he was able to write a signature, it was not written smoothly and expertly.  Given that Patrick was 39 years old, I was a little taken aback by rather childish-looking attempt.

• Patrick was the oldest of three Farrell brothers who felt the need to do their duty for the British Empire and answered the call to serve with the Australian Forces.

• His younger brother James had enlisted in January of 1916, and his youngest brother Matthew had enlisted in July of 1916.  Perhaps Patrick felt the need to follow suit out of guilt or concern about his brothers going off to war without him.  Whatever the reason, Patrick enlisted before the end of 1916.

• After enlistment, Patrick joined the reinforcements of the 25th Battalion for training at Enoggera camp in Brisbane, Queensland.

Copyright expired - image in public domain

• After three months of training, Patrick's unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on the 7th of February 1917, and headed off to war.

• Patrick disembarked at Plymouth, in England on the 11th of April 1917, and marched into the 7th Training Battalion's camp in Rollestone that same day where he prepared for service on the Western Front.

• Once that training was completed, he proceeded overseas to France on the 30th of July 1917 and was admitted to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot the next day.

• After two weeks at Base Depot, Patrick marched out to join the 25th Battalion in billets outside Saint-Omer in northern France.

• The 25th remained outside Saint-Omer, training and resting, until the 12th of September, when they moved to Winnipeg Camp outside Steenvoorde on the Franco-Belgian border.

• On the 17th of September, the battalion moved forward into Belgium, taking over the front line outside Westhoek the next day.  They readied themselves to take part in the next big attack of the Allied offensive aimed at capturing Passchendaele.

• Early on the morning of the 20th of September, the men of A Company of the 25th Battalion, including Patrick, were behind their jumping off tape in the trenches.  They were waiting for the signal to launch the attack on their objectives around Zonnebeke Ridge and along the Menin Road.

• Just after 5.40 am, as the men were beginning to leave the trenches, Patrick received a direct hit in the head from an enemy shell, known among the soldiers as a whizz bang.  

• Sadly, Patrick was killed in action within two months of disembarkation. He died instantly on the 20th of September 1917 near Polygon Wood in Belgium.  He was aged 40.

• There are specific details recorded in the Australian Red Cross Society's Wounded and Missing Enquiry files, some a little more gruesome than the one I've added above.  Thankfully, Patrick's death was instantaneous and he would not have suffered. 

• Although a note in Patrick's service record stated that his remains were buried after his death, his grave could not be located after the end of the war.  He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, alongside the names of over 6,000 Australians who served in the Ypres Campaign and have no known grave.

• Death notices for Patrick were published in newspapers in both Charters Towers and Maryborough.  It was noted in one of the items that Patrick's brothers James and Matthew were both away overseas, fighting at the front.  Thankfully, both returned home safely.

• Patrick's name appears on the Ypres-Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium, inscribed on Panel 23, and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia on Panel 104.