16. The 11 th Infantry Battalion
WW1 – The 11th Infantry Battalion
Saluting their Service - Grahame Old
Letter written and signed by the ‘Collie Boys’ of the 11th Infantry Battalion AIF Blackboy Hill Training Camp 20 October 1914
WA’s own 11th Battalion was the first raised in the state, they trained at Blackboy Hill. Twenty ‘Collie Boys’ were among the first recruits. The letter shown was published by the Collie Mail Newspaper in Nov 1914, on the eve of the departure of the troops from Albany and Fremantle.
The letter reads;
“Advance Collie Boys” ““We, The Collie Boys, who are going away with the Expeditionary Forces from W.A. to help the motherland, desire on the eve of our departure to thank the people of Collie & Districts for their kindness to us. We also desire to especially thank Mr A. A. Wilson, M.L.A. (our Member) for his kindness & service to us whilst we were in camp. He’ll always do us.” Blackboy Camp Oct 20th 1914. Signed by the boys of the Collie Brigade
The Letter was signed by; F H Hodgson, W M Wood, L Blakemore, G W Gane, N R Nicholl, W W Paterson, J S Horrocks, A Box, J Connolly, J Miller, W E Webb, E Thompson, W Kenning, S McDermott, C Watson, A Wilson, G A Lamerton, J C Hunter, A Sampford, E A Trigwell.
The fate of those 20 ‘Collie Boys’ is shown below, sadly six never returned to their home among the gum trees of Collie.
307 Pte Frank Heach Hodgson a coal miner in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
He served at Gallipoli and was returned to Australia in May 1915 with sickness and medically discharged. Eager to join his mates he re-enlisted (No 7345) as a medical orderly with the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and re-embarked in November 1915. He served on the Western Front and returned to Australia in April 1919.
491 Sgt Walter Maurice Wood a coal miner in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli in August 1915 with a gunshot wound to his skull he was evacuated to England. He recovered and re-joined his 11th Battalion mates in November 1916 in the field France. He served the remainder of the war on the Western Front, survived and was promoted to Sgt, he returned to Australia in January 1919.
407 Pte Leonard Mason Blakemore a labourer in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli with severe gunshot wound to the arm he was evacuated to hospital in Egypt, he returned to Gallipoli in May. He went on to serve on the Western Front with his 11th Battalion mates and was wounded again in January 1917 with gunshot wounds to the left knee and thigh. Evacuated to hospital in England he was later returned to France however was declared medically unfit and returned home to Collie in September 1918. Two brothers Cyril and James also served during WW1.
540 Lance Sgt George William Gane a coal miner in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli in August 1915 with shrapnel wounds to the face and jaw he was hospitalised in Egypt then transferred to England. He re-joined his 11th Battalion mates in November 1916 in the field France. Promoted to Lance Sgt in January 1917 sadly George Gane was killed in action in February 1917. He is buried in the Warlencourt British Cemetery France.
331 Pte Norman Rankin Nicholl a coal miner in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli landing with gunshot wound to the shoulder he was hospitalised in Egypt, he returned to Gallipoli in July 1915 but was returned to hospital in Egypt with influenza. He transferred to the 4th Div Signals Company and went on to serve on the Western front however was declared medically unfit in February 1918 and returned to Australia for discharge.
337 Pte Walter William Paterson a blacksmith in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli with a gunshot wound to the shoulder he later contracted rheumatic fever and was hospitalised Egypt. Medically unfit he was returned to Australia in August 1915. He was discharged from service in November 1915 but later re-enlisted under the alias of Walter Paterson BRUCE in October 1916. Service Number 35200 Gunner 10th Field Artillery Brigade, he served in France returned to Australia in June 1919.
555 Pte Joseph Horrocks a mining engineer in Collieburn enlisted in September 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli he was evacuated to the hospital ship HMHS ‘Soudan’ in May 1915. Sadly he died on 20 May 1915 and was buried at sea. His brother Edwin a sleeper cutter from Collieburn was also badly wounded at Gallipoli and died on board the hospital ship HMHS ‘Somali’ he was buried at sea on 18 September 1915. Both brothers are remembered on the Lone Pine Memorial Gallipoli.
279 Pte Alfred Rodway Box a sleeper hewer in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli with a gunshot wound to the knee he was invalided to Australia in August 1915. Declared medically fit in January 1916 he re-embarked as a gunner with the 4th Field artillery battery in April 1916. He served on the Western Front and was wounded again with gunshot wounds to chest and arm in Belgium. He returned to Australia in December 1918 and was discharged medically unfit.
414 Pte James Patrick Connolly MID a postal employee in Collie Post Office enlisted in September 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli landing with a bomb wound to the right leg he was hospitalised in Egypt. He returned to Gallipoli in June 1915. He later transferred to Artillery and issued a new number 2395. He went on to serve on the Western Front with the 2nd Field Artillery. Promoted to Bombardier in July 1916 he was mentioned in despatches in March 1917. He returned to Australia in February 1919.
456 Pte James Miller a coal miner in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli he was hospitalised in Egypt. He was transferred to the 51st Infantry Battalion and went on to serve in France. Sadly, he was killed on the 14th August 1916 at Pozieres. He is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial France.
608 Sgt Walter Edgar Webb MM & Bar a butcher in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli he was evacuated to England with a gunshot wound to the skull. After hospitalisation he re-joined his 11th Battalion mates in November 1916 France. He was awarded the MM for bravery twice on the Western Front, promoted to Sgt, and returned to Australia in January 1919.
604 Pte Evan Thompson a sleeper cutter in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli he was hospitalised in Malta. He was transferred to the 1st Pioneer Battalion and went on to serve in France and Belgium. Sadly he was killed on the 10th October 1916 at Ypres Belgium. He is buried in the Bedford House Cemetery Leper Belgium.
449 Pte William George Barras Kenning a coal miner in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
He served at Gallipoli and in August 1915 was hospitalised in Egypt with Bronchitis. Sadly he died of pneumonia on the 6th April 1916 at 15 General Hospital Alexandria Egypt. He is buried in the Alexandria Chatby Military Cemetery Egypt.
576 Pte Stephen William McDermott a coal miner in Cardiff enlisted in August 1914.
Wounded at Gallipoli with a gunshot wound to his thigh he was evacuated to Egypt. He recovered and re-joined his 11th Battalion mates in July 1915 at Gallipoli. He later transferred to the 1st Machine Gun battalion and served on the Western Front he returned to Australia in January 1919.
607 Pte Charles Watson a coal miner in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli landing with gunshot wounds to the chest and shoulder he was evacuated to England. Invalided to Australia in November 1915 and discharged in June 1916.
848 Pte Alan Wilson a blacksmith in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli with bomb wounds to the head/face and upper body he was invalided to Australia in October 1915 and discharged in April 1916, (son of Arthur Alan Wilson MLA for Collie).
(565) Lt George Arthur Lamerton a labourer in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
His leadership qualities were soon recognised promoted to Sgt he was one of the first ashore at Gallipoli. Evacuated to England in October 1914 with Influenza/Dysentery he re-joined his battalion August 1916 France. He was promoted to Lieutenant in July 1917, awarded the Military Cross for gallantry in January 1918. Sadly he was killed in action during the last final push of WW1. He is buried in the Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres France.
935 Pte John Campbell Hunter a sleeper hewer in Collie enlisted in September 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli landing with gunshot wounds to the left upper arm and right wrist he was evacuated to Egypt . Invalided to Australia in August 1915 and discharged in July 1916.
487 Pte Arthur Ernest Sampford a labourer in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
Badly wounded at Gallipoli with gunshot wounds to the right upper arm and knee he was evacuated to Egypt. Invalided to Australia in August 1915 and discharged in July 1916.
539 L/Cpl Ernest Allen Trigwell (POW) a railway employee in Collie enlisted in August 1914.
He served at Gallipoli and on the western front in France where he was taken POW in April 1917. He was repatriated to England January 1919 and returned to Australia March 1919.
By the end of the war, a total of over 9,000 men (including 97 from Collie Districts) had served in the 11th Battalion, of which 1,115 were killed and 2,424 wounded
563 Collie Boys served during WW1, 133 never returned. Remembered forever at the Collie-Cardiff RSL Sub Branch
‘Lest We Forget’
