Lemnos Hero - Trade Unionist & Second Lieutenant William Davis and Australia's "Balaklava"

William Edwin Davis. Source NAA uploaded by Faithe Jones

As the troopship Galeka rounded the entrance of Mudros Bay in those weeks before the Gallipoli landings in 1915, the masses of soldiers aboard would have wondered at the huge array of ships assembled ahead of them.The Galeka had sailed from Alexandra in Egypt, transporting the 6th AIF Battalion.
One of the soldiers aboard the ship was Colour Sergeant William Edwin Davis. This is his story.
William Edwin Davis - Engine Driver, Trade Unionist, Husband and Father
Fitzroy-born William Edwin Davis was 40 years old when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force, His mother writes in William’s service file that he was her only son.
Married to Maud, William’s address on enlistment was 8 Mount Street, Prahran.William and Maud had seven children. He recorded his religion as Wesleyan.
Prior to enlistment William worked as an engine driver.
Before enlisting, William had a prominent role not only in his own trade union but in the Victorian union movement. He was also an active trade unionist.
He was not only a member of his trade union – the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen’s Association (FEDFA) - but he had been the Victorian Branch President and a delegate to the Victorian Trades Hall Council.
Committed to improving the working conditions of his fellow workers, it would appear the William played a major role in the industrial history of both his union and the Victorian labour movement as a whole.
During the famous 1911 Arbitration Court case heard by Justice Higgins, William was joined by his wife giving evidence in support of the union’s claim for a wage increase. Maud’s evidence of the cost of living for a family living on an engine driver’s wage was cited by Justice Higgins for the awarding of significant increases for skill and various other workers tasks. 
Enlistment
He enlisted not long after the outbreak of war - on the 15th August 1914 – and given the enlistment number of 1096 and allocated to the new 6th Battalion, G Company. A hand written note in his service file records that Williams was “one of the first volunteers.”
His enlistment form records his service in the 49th infantry militia. This may explain his apparent induction to the rank of Colour Sergeant either on enlistment or soon after.
The 6th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Like the 5th, 7th and 8th Battalions, it was recruited from Victoria and, together with these battalions, formed the 2nd Brigade. The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later.
The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Colonel McKay.
Prior to embarking from Australia, William was promoted to Colour Sergeant while at the Broadmeadows training camp prior to his departure from Australia.

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Attestation or Enlistment Form of William Edwin Davis, NAA.

To Egypt
William and the Battalion embarked from Melbourne’s Princes Pier on the 19th October 1914 aboard the HMAT Hororata (the A20). There departure is captured in the picture below.After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. They sailed into Alexandria harbour on the morning of the 3rd December.
William and the Battalion proceeded to the great Anzac training camp at Mena.
The photograph below shows the 6th Battalion’s encampment in “The Valley of the Nile."
Over the next three months or so the Battalion undertook more training – route marches, musketry and other military drills.

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Victorian infantry embarking on HMAT Hororata (A20), at the Port Melbourne pier. At left is HMAT Orvieto (A3), the flagship of the convoy. Note the train on the rail tracks beside the troops marching along the pier. AWMC02491

Mena Camp, Egypt, 1915, Camp of the 1st Australian Division, AIF, with the tent lines of the 6th Battalion in the centre, YMCA Building on the left and the valley of the Nile in the background. Donor J Thomson. AWM A05747 

William at Lemnos
In either late March or April, William and the Battalion sailed from Alexandria for Lemnos’ Mudros Bay. They arrived in the harbour aboard the transport ship Galeka. A photograph from the time shows the Battalion in Mudros Bay. Photographs from the time show the vast array of Allied shipping - some 200 warships and transports of many nations – British, French and Russian – filling Mudros Bay. Many diggers wrote in their diaries of their wonder at the huge armada.Tasmanian Lance Corporal Archibald Barwick, of the AIFs 1st Battalion, described the scene:
“The entrance to Mudros Harbour was netted [against submarines], so a destroyer came and showed us the way in. …. When we got round the last headland we could see the 
harbour was a mass of ships..."
William would have spent the time as all other diggers did on Lemnos – training. He would have taken part in the various disembarkation and landing exercises undertaken to prepare the troops for the coming landing. He may have landed on the shores of the bay and undertaken route marches and other military training.

Probably Lemnos, Greece, April 1915. Australian soldiers on the decks of the troop transport ships Galeka (6th Battalion) and Novian (7th Battalion), probably waiting to participate in the Gallipoi landings. Donor A Thomson  AWM A05749

Landing at Anzac
The day before the landings was sunny on Lemnos, the Australian soldiers are said to have enjoyed this “real Australian sunshine”. On the morning of the 24th April the Anzacs readied for the landings of the next day. The 1st and 2nd AIF Brigades sailed for the Bay of Pournia on Lemnos’ northern shore to anchor until their departure in the early hours of the 25th. Just before dusk on 24th they would watch as their comrades in the 3rd AIF Brigade sailed past them after leaving Mudros Bay earlier that day, led by warships including the mighty HMS Queen Elisabeth. As the Australian’s departed for Gallipoli, it was reported that they could be distinguished from other Allied troops by their “wallaby call”. They would be followed by the rest of the Australian troops anchored in Pournia Bay. And so the Australian troops in April 1915 sailed to war in the wake of Homer’s Odysseus, who in legend had sailed from this very bay on his voyage to Troy.
After rendezvousing at Imbros close to the Gallipoli peninsula, the first Australians would make their landings at Anzac Cove at 4.30am on Sunday, 25th April.
William and the 6th Battalion landed with the rest of the 2nd Brigade later that morning, between 5.30 and 7am.
One digger who later wrote home describing the landings was Tasmanian Private Archie Muir of the 12th Battalion. It gives some idea of what William experienced as he approached the shore:"On a glorious Saturday afternoon we left Lemnos at 2pm and sailed for the Dardanelles. We arrived off the Isle of … [Imbros] about 10pm. Transshipped from transport to destroyers, traveled after midnight, seven miles, in perfect silence, arrived off the shore of … [Anzac Cove]. We approached the beach very quietly. ... Suddenly, out of the stilly darkness came the sharp crack of a few rifles, and in a few minutes the air was thick with thousands of bullets, flying here, there and everywhere …"
The 6th Battalion along with the rest of the Australians at Anzac Cove then marched inland to secure the landing area, facing numerous Turkish counter-attacks.
William’s service during this period was recognised with his promotion in the field on the 28th April, barely 3 days after the landing. William was now commissioned as Second Lieutenant.

Australian troops being towed ashore in lighters to land at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. In the background is the transport ship. 1915. AWM C01890

William at the Second Battle of Krithia - "Australia's Balaklava"
Ten days after the landing, the 2nd Brigade was transferred from ANZAC to Cape Helles to help in the second attack on the village of Krithia, north of Cape Helles on the southern front of the Gallipoli battlefields.The first attack by the British 29th Division on 28th April had failed and the Allies had suffered Turkish counter-attacks.
The aim of the battle was to capture the village of Krithia and the Achi Baba Ridge, its intended success would overcome Turkish control of the Peninsula. It was felt that if these objectives were reached, the whole Turkish front would collapse.
The Brigade made its departure from Anzac Cove in the early hours of the 6th May, heading for Cape Helles, sailing in destroyers, minesweepers and other craft. By 9am that morning the Brigade had arrived a V Beach. The transports moored near the wreck of the beached River Clyde and as the diggers made their way along the side of the wreck they read an instruction chalked on the side of the vessel referring to the danger of enemy fire “Duck Your Nut”. They then moved off at 9am to reserve positions where they remained until the 8th May.
When it arrived at Cape Helles the unit diary records that the 6th Battalion totalled 22 officers and 703 other ranks.
On the morning of 8th May the Brigade was ordered forward.
At the same time the New Zealand Brigade undertook the first assault of the Battle, supported by an attack by French forces on their right. By midday the strength of the Turkish defence had led to the halt of the New Zealand attack. The New Zealanders suffered many losses and failed to reach the Turkish trenches. The attack of the French on the right had similarly failed.
The overall Allied commander General Hamilton ordered that the advance should re-commence at 5.30pm, the whole Allied line, reinforced by the Australians, “should fix bayonets and storm Krithia and Achi Baba.”
It was not until 4.55pm – barely 35minutes before the intended attack - that the 2nd Brigade Headquarters received its orders:
“You will be required to attack at 5.30pm precisely between the valley you are now in and the valley just south east of Krithia-Sedd El Bahr road….The objective is the ridge beyond Krithia.”
The diggers of the Brigade meanwhile had been resting and preparing dinner a mile to three quarters of a mile behind the front. It was not until between 5.10 and 5.20pm that the battalions received Colonel James McCay’s operational orders. The 6th Battalion would take up a position to the left of the 7th Battalion, next to the New Zealand Brigade. The 8th and 5th Battalions would be held in reserve. After taking their objective, the Australians were to link up with the British Naval Brigade and French forces who would be attacking to the right of the Australian positions.
The Battalion diary records that D Company was positioned on the left front, C Company on the right, with A and B Company’s behind these respectively in support.
According to his Service Record, William by thus stage was with the Battalion's D Company. He would therefore have been in one of the advance companies of the Battalion.
The lateness at which the troops had received their orders led to hurried deployment and some confusion. As soon as the 6th Battalion troops were in position, Major Gordon Bennett led them off in the attack. Meanwhile the 7th Battalion were hurrying to reach their starting positions. It was only at this moment that the latter Battalion’s officers were informed that they were about to attack the enemy. They would be led by their commander Colonel Gartside.As they emerged into open country, the diggers adopted “artillery formation”, spreading out into smaller groups. They now faced Turkish bullets fired at a long distance and shrapnel as artillery shells began to burst above them. The 6th and 7th were now advancing at rapid walking pace loaded down with full marching kit against a growing storm of rifle-fire. Shovels were used as some protection from bullets.
The 6th Battalion Dairy records the attack:
“At 5.30pm the advance commenced under very heavy shrapnel, rifle and machine gun fire, we pushed on, under verbal orders of Brigadier. Losses were heavy, especially among officers.”
As the 6th Battalion advanced within 600 yards of the Turkish trenches – the latter finally became visible. While Allied artillery exploded shrapnel over these trenches, the Turkish skirmishers laying 200 yards in front and the machine gunners on the flanks were not harmed.
The ferocity of the resistance of the Turkish forces is evidenced in the 2nd Brigade Diary repeatedly citing “fiercely attacked “and “heavily attacked.” All Brigade staff was reported as casualties. Calls were made for reinforcements. Food and water were urgently needed. Many officers were killed or wounded – including the Brigade commander Colonel William McKay who was reported wounded in the early hours of the following day.
Finally, 400 yards from the Turkish trenches, with only small groups of men remained, laying down and firing from their positions. Major Gordon Bennett, the senior officer at the front, decided that any further advance would lead to the Brigades extermination. He ordered the remaining 6th and 7th Battalions to dig in and by 6.30pm the attack stopped. They were 600 yards from their starting positions – and 2,000 yards from the village of Krithia.
As the Australian Official Historian Charles Bean concludes, in little over an hour the Australians had advanced 600 yards across open moorland under heavy fusillade and lost 1,000 men – an army had been expended “in merely approaching the enemy."
Meanwhile the New Zealanders to the Australians left had met a similar fate and halted 400 yards from the Turkish trenches. Before 7pm Hamilton issued the order to suspend all attacks.

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 6 May 1915. The 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade disembarking from a fleetsweeper beside the River Clyde landing at the pier, Cape Helles. One of the fleetsweepers which brought the brigade from Anzac can be seen close alongside the River Clyde. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00957

Sedd-el-Bahr, Turkey. 1915-05-06. Scene from the beached ship SS River Clyde showing British Army troops landing at V Beach across a path of barges and pontoons from the ship. This landing led to an Allied drive up the end of the Gallipoli Peninsula. AWM H10284

7th Battalion troops behind mud ramparts at Cape Helles prior to the 2nd Brigade attack. Photo by Harold Arthur Barker. AWM J05583

Sketch Map showing the advance of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade up the Central Spur on 8th May 1915, from Ron Austin, The White Gurkhas, 1989, p. 111

Map of the advance of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade at Helles on 8th May 1915, from CEW Bean, Official History, Volume 2, Map 2a. AWM

The type of country advanced over by the 2nd Australian Artillery Brigade during the attack on Krithia on 8 May 1915. The man lying down (left centre) is thought to be Captain George W Lambert the Australian Official War Artist. One of a series of photographs taken on the Gallipoli Peninsula under the direction of Captain C E W Bean of the Australian Historical Mission, during the months of February and March, 1919. Photo George Hubert Wilkins. AWM G02060

Charge of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Krithia by Charles Wheeler, 1927. The painting depicts an incident during the Australian advance at Krithia (Alçitepe) on 8 May 1915, when the commanding officer of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General James McCay, urged his men on with the words, ‘Now then Australians! Which of you men are Australian? Come on, Australians!’ AWM ART09558

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 9 May 1915. A trench dug by the 2nd Australian Brigade at Helles, at a point reached the previous night. Krithia Nullah is seen on the left. The New Zealanders occupied the heights beyond. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00966

Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. May 1915. Ground over which 2nd Brigade AIF (mostly Victorians) advanced on 8/9 May 1915. Photograph taken next morning from front trench looking back. The dead bodies of the Allies lie on the battlefield. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00967A

Helles, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 9 May 1915. Ground over which the 2nd Brigade AIF (mostly Victorians) advanced. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00967E

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 9 May 1915. The Headquarters of Colonel Bennett of the 6th Battalion in the firing line at Helles. Photo taken by CEW Bean. AWM G00967

An Anzac is Killed
William would have advanced across the open ground leading his men forward into the murderous fire of the defenders. William’s service record states that he was killed in action during this battle, on the 8th May.
He most likely would have fell sometime between 5.30pm and 7pm.
The 2nd Brigade lost a third of its strength in the battle. Out of 2,900 men who commenced the battle, over 1,000 were killed, wounded or missing.William’s Battalion suffered more than the others in the Brigade. At 5.30pm the 6th Battalion had 22 officers and 703 other ranks. By 7pm, over 50% were killed, wounded or missing. 14 officers were killed or wounded. Four of its men who had been promoted to officer rank since the landing at Anzac – including William – had been killed in the advance.
Both of the 6th Battalions leading company commanders – Major Wells and Lieutenant Keiran were mortally wounded in the attack.
Other 6th Battalion officers killed included Second Lieutenant L Pozzi and Lieutenant J Dangerfield.
But the 6th Battalion’s Major Gordon Bennett who had personally led the Battalion in the advance and was left as the most senior officer at the front line survived the attack unscathed. By seniority, Bennett was now in command of the Sixth Battalion.
And one of the 6th Battalion’s diggers - Private AM Kirkwood - was awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery (as was the 7th Battalion’s Private William Birrell.
For the many diggers that lay wounded on the battlefield their suffering continued due to poor medical preparations. The few stretcher bearers that were available often had to carry their burdens all the way to the beach as there was no intermediate collecting station with wagon transport. The hospital ship arrangements were also inadequate so that once the wounded were taken off the beach they would have trouble finding a ship prepared to take them on board.
For four days the remaining Australians – the four battalions temporarily re-grouped as a composite battalion – held the positions they had reached on the 8th. Then on the night of the 11th May, the weary Australians were relieved.
The Second Battle of Krithia - An Assessment
William had been sacrificed as all who fought on that day as a consequence of the lack of military judgement and planning.William and the rest of the Australians that day were ordered to make a formal attack with but 25 minutes warning, or in the case of the actual Battalions, a mere ten minutes. The Brigade was ordered to attack over open ground against a well-entrenched enemy position. There was insufficient artillery support for the success of the attack. Added to this were poor communications and medical evacuation arrangements. As one historian of the Battle (Ron Austin) concludes, most of all William and his comrades were sacrificed due to inflexibility in tactical thought and planning by the Allied commander of the Helles front – Major General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston – resulting in the ordering of identical futile attacks over the three separate days of the battle.
It is both astonishing yet apt to read conclusion of the official British Historian of the Gallipoli campaign describe the efforts of the Australian's in the battle as Australia’s “unrecognised Balaclava." 

Krithia, 8th May 1915. The scene after an attack by the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Several bodies are lying on the ground and a rifle is in the left foreground. AWM C01079

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. c. 11 May 1945. All the men left of A Company, 6th Battalion, after the landing at Anzac and the 2nd Brigades actions at Cape Helles. The normal strength of an infantry company was approximately 150. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00967G

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 12 May 1915. A detachment of the 2nd Australian Brigade AIF going down to bathe after withdrawal from the trenches at Cape Helles. Photo CEW Bean. AWM G00969

7th Battalion disembarking on their return to Anzac Cove, 17th May 1915. AWM J02408

Commemorated at Helles and in Australia
But William would remain on the Peninsula along with the thousands of other Allied soldiers buried there. After the war his remains would not be found and his service and sacrifice are commemorated on Panel 201 at the Helles Memorial to the Missing, alongside that of his 6th Battalion comrades Second Lieutenant L Pozzi and Lieutenant J Dangerfield.
The Helles Memorial serves the dual function of Commonwealth battle memorial for the whole Gallipoli campaign and place of commemoration for many of those Commonwealth servicemen who died there and have no known grave. The United Kingdom and Indian forces named on the memorial died in operations throughout the peninsula, the Australians at Helles. There are also panels for those who died or were buried at sea in Gallipoli waters. Over 20,000 names are commemorated on this memorial. 
William’s service is also commemorated on Panel 46 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. Note the listing of the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade. Photo Jim Claven 2013

The Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. Photo Jim Claven 2013

The Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. This inscription at the base of the Memorial states the that the Memorial is dedicated to the memory of the Allied units and ships who fought during the Gallipoli campaign and to the 20,500 British soldiers and sailors and the 248 Australian soldiers who fell on the Helles front and for whom there is no known rave. Photo Jim Claven 2015

The Helles Memorial, Gallipoli. The names of the missing - such as Williams - are etched around the Memorial. Photo Jim Claven 2013

The Aftermath of War
William's death at Krithia left his family back in Australia devastated.
After Maud had received news of her husbands death, a letter arrived from the Army informing her of his promotion to Second Lieutenant (below).
William was posthumously awarded the 1914/15 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Then a few William's personal effects arrived back at his family home in Prahran via Thomas Cook - his name tag, a whistle, a belt and a testament.
She would also have received a Mothers and Widow’s Badge – as one of his fellow 6th Battalion comrades who was killed on the same day. Corporal 155 George Leslie Trevelian was killed on 8th May 1915 in the same attack as William.
William's death left behind a grieving wife and mother - and seven children now sudden without their devoted father.
He was of course also missed by his fellow trade unionists. In 1915 the FEDFA Executive Council's expressed of "their admiration for their late comrades who died fighting for the Empire" and "their sincere sympathy for those whose hearts were sad for their loss of their beloved ones."
The FEDFA journal - Safety Valve - paid tribute to William and other members throughout Australia who had served and died in war. The Victorian Branch Secretary expressed his "deep regret" at the news of the death of "Comrade Davis" and on behalf of all Victorian members "extend their heartfelt sympathy to Mrs Davis and her family in her hour of trial."
The service of this father and active member of his community is a reminder of the terrible consequences of war. Australia - and his family - were denied the future contributions of William. His death and its consequences are a reminder of the real impact of the First World War on Australian society.
Lest we forget.

AIF Letter to Mrs Maud Davis 31st May 1915. NAA

The annual commemorative service held at the Helles Memorial in April. Photo Jim Claven 2013

Today we honour the service of William Edwin Davis, a former official of the FEDFA, one of the precursor trade unions that went on to amalgamate to form the current CFMEU. The CFMEU has been a strong supporter of our work and made a significant contribution to the erection of our Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial. Therefore William's story is one of the direct connections to Anzac of the CFMEU.
A big thank you to our Committee member Malcolm McDonald, a former official of the William's trade union, who has written a history of FEDFA. Malcolm was the first to inform me of William's service. Thanks Malcolm.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee

The WW1 Australian Conscription Plebiscites - Background and New Book Released

The Victorian Trades Hall surrounded by anti-conscription messages.

A new commemorative historical book will be published in early March 2017 concerning the conscription plebiscites (commonly referred to as referenda) held in Australia during WW1. A welcome addition to the centenary commemorations of the war.
This post takes the opportunity to provide some background information on these plebiscites which played such an important part in Australia's involvement in WW1 as well as information on this new publication.
Background Information on The Conscription Plebiscites
The issue of conscription – compulsory enlistment for military service, particularly for overseas service – has been and remains a contentious issue in Australian life. During 1916 and 1917, two bitter and divisive plebiscites were conducted on this issue.
Plebiscites or Referenda?
The plebiscites are often referred to as referenda but this is not strictly correct.
Under the Australian Constitution provision is made for referenda in order to affect changes to the Constitution itself. An issue put to the vote which does not affect the Constitution is called a plebiscite. A plebiscite is not defined in the Australian Constitution, the Electoral Act or the Referendum Act. Governments can hold plebiscites to test whether people either support or oppose a proposed action on an issue. The government is not bound by the 'result' of a plebiscite as it is by the result of a Constitutional referendum. Federal, state and territory governments have held plebiscites on various issues. Such was the case with the conscription plebiscites held in 1916 and 1917.Thanks to Graeme Hosking for pointing this out.
Compulsory Military Service
Compulsory military service had been part of Australian life before the declaration of war in 1914. Shortly after Federation, the Defence Acts of 1903 and 1904 provided that men between 18 and 60 should be liable for service in time of war, but limited the obligation to service within the Commonwealth and Commonwealth territories. In 1910, Lord Kitchener’s report on Commonwealth defence recommended the introduction of compulsory military training and this was introduced in January 1911. (This was later abolished by the Scullin Labor government in 1929). The referendums, if carried, would have extended this requirement to service overseas.
Australia Goes to War
On 5 August 1914, Australia joined other countries in the British Empire and declared war on Germany. Men quickly enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), which was to fight alongside the British Army.
Unlike the major European military forces, the AIF was entirely a volunteer army as compulsory military service was still limited to service inside Australia. Official recruitment began in August with the government initially committing 20,000 troops to the campaign.
By the end of the year, more than 50,000 men had enlisted at a rate of nearly 10,000 per month. Men were enlisting for a number of reasons: patriotism, the excitement of action, travel, and for the pay, which was among the most generous of any Allied army. This pay was particularly attractive as Australia was in the midst of a drought and depression.
However, after news of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign made its way back to Australia, enlistments started to decline.

Billy Hughes and The Somme
William (Billy) Hughes replaced Labor Prime Minister Andrew Fisher who resigned on 27 October 1915. Hughes had publicly stated in July 1915 that he would, ‘in no circumstances … send men out of the country to fight against their will’.
However, in February 1916, Hughes travelled to Europe to consult with British and European governments on Australia’s contribution to the war effort. Just before he left, the British parliament passed conscription legislation, then in May the New Zealand government followed suit and in July the catastrophic Somme offensive in Belgium got underway.
The Somme saw a dramatic increase in Australian troops killed or wounded. In the seven weeks after the attack began, the AIF lost close to 6000 men and another 17,000 wounded. It seemed impossible that the AIF could replace its huge losses through voluntarism alone.
At the same time, enlistments in August were down to 6345 and according to the British War Council the AIF immediately needed a special draft of 20,000 men and a further 16,500 per month over the next three months to keep its numbers up to agreed levels.
Hughes returned from Europe believing that conscription was essential for Australia to fulfill its commitments. However, the Labor Party was split over the issue of compulsory overseas military service. Because of a hostile Senate, Hughes could not amend the Defence Act 1903 to allow for overseas service, so he decided to take the matter to the public by holding a plebiscite.
Although public support for conscription in the plebiscite would have no legal force, Hughes felt it would give him a mandate with which he could pressure the Opposition as well as opponents within his own Cabinet.

Prime Minister William (Billy) Hughes. National Library of Australia, vn4831473.

The October 1916 Plebiscite
Australian troops fighting overseas in World War I enlisted voluntarily. As the enormity of Australian casualties on the Western Front became known in Australia and no quick end to the war seemed likely the number of men volunteering fell steadily. There was sustained British pressure on the Australian Government to ensure that its divisions were not depleted: in 1916 it was argued that Australia needed to provide reinforcements of 5500 men per month to maintain its forces overseas at operational level.

With advertising campaigns not achieving recruiting targets, Prime Minister Hughes decided to ask the people in a plebiscite if they would agree to a proposal requiring men undergoing compulsory training to serve overseas. The plebiscite of 28 October 1916 asked Australians:
"Are you in favour of the Government having, in this grave emergency, the same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service, for the term of this War, outside the Commonwealth, as it now has in regard to military service within the Commonwealth?"
The issue stimulated bitter and divisive argument within Australian society. Divisions, some based on fault lines already present in the new Federation, arose in political parties, between labor and employers and often ran along religious lines.
The campaign to establish conscription for overseas service began, supported by various bodies such as the Universal Service League and many politicians including Labor leader and later Prime Minister, William Morris Hughes. Politically, the movement had broad implications as the mood of many Australians, particularly those associated with the labor movement and unions, were opposed to conscription and even to Australian support for the battle with Germany. Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne, a leader for many Irish Catholics and often seen as a Labor supporter, and anti-British, was opposed to the notion of conscription for overseas service. Yet for all the animosity around the issue, most Australians still believed the war was a just cause.
The campaign incited, in the words of historian Joan Beaumont:
"a public debate that has never been rivalled in Australian political history for its bitterness, divisiveness, and violence … What was at stake it soon emerged was not simply a disagreement about military need for conscription, but an irreconcilable conflict of views about core values: the nature of citizenship and national security; equality of sacrifice in times of national crisis; and the legitimate exercise of power within Australia’s democracy."

The Prime Minister, Mr William Morris Hughes, speaking to a large crowd during the conscription referendum campaign, Brisbane QLD, c1916.
AWM H02151

Billy Hughes addresses a crowd in Sydney’s Martin Place during the first conscription campaign, 1916. A03376

Men of the 10th Light Horse Regiment at Hod Willegha, Sinai, October 1916. The majority of soldiers voted Yes in both referendums. They saw it as a way to make others “do their bit”, to help fill the holes left by casualties, or provide them with the opportunity of a break. J02466

Anti-conscription referendum rally, Yarra Bank, Melbourne, 16 April 1916. National Library of Australia, vn6487142.

1916 Plebiscite Result
The plebiscite was defeated with 1,087,557 in favour and 1,160,033 against. New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia voted ‘No’.
The result was ‘no’ by a margin of 3.2 per cent, but considering the entire apparatus of government and most of the media had been campaigning for ‘yes’ it was a significant victory for grassroots activism.

Labor Party anti-conscription advertisement. National Library of Australia, vn3697266.

Labor Splits
The political fallout from the referendum was profound. On 14 November, the federal Labor caucus met and a vote of no-confidence in Billy Hughes’s leadership was successfully moved. Throughout the morning bitter debate ensued. In the afternoon Hughes called on those, ‘who think with me to follow me’.

From the Australian Worker, October 5, 1916, depicting the pro-conscription PM Billy Hughes.

Twenty-four Members of Parliament supported him and it was around this rump of the party that the incredibly resilient Hughes formed the new National Labor Party.
With the support of the then Opposition he formed a new ministry, and in the general elections of 5 May 1917 the new Nationalist Party (a merger of National Labor and the Liberals) was victorious.

Anti-conscription badge : FIGHT AS FREEMEN NOT AS CONSCRIPTS / VOTE NO REL28376.005

Pro conscription badge : VOTE YES / OCT 28 / 1916 REL28376.007

The December 1917 Plebiscite
In 1917 Britain sought a sixth Australian division for active service. Australia had to provide 7000 men per month to meet this request. Volunteer recruitment continued to lag and on 20 December 1917 Prime Minister Hughes put a second plebiscite to the Australian people. The plebiscite asked:
"Are you in favour of the proposal of the Commonwealth Government for reinforcing the Commonwealth Forces overseas?'"
Hughes’ proposal was that voluntary enlistment should continue, but that any shortfall would be met by compulsory reinforcements of single men, widowers, and divorcees without dependents between 20 and 44 years, who would be called up by ballot.

AWM RC00337

The campaign was bitter, and arguments again split communities across the Federation. Posters such the famous Blood Vote poster, organized by J. Curtin, himself set to be a wartime Prime Minister, were widely circulated in the Labor press and The Catholic Weekly.
1917 Plebiscite Result
The proposal was again rejected, by a larger majority than before; voting being 1 015 159 in favour and 1 181 747 against. Victoria now also voted against conscription for overseas duty.
Voting was not compulsory until 1925, but the poll was greater than in any previous referenda, a sign of the passion and interest in the proposal. Of the electors enrolled, 82.7 % voted in 1916 and 81.3% in 1917.

Victorian Trades Hall Conscription Referendum Mural, Melbourne. Photo Jim Claven 2015

Soldiers Vote No
Perhaps most poignantly, and in a reflection of the thoughtfulness of the front line troops, conscription for overseas service was rejected by a substantial minority of the men in the war zones - nearly 59,000 out of 134,000 voted no in 1916 and nearly 94,000 out of 199,000 voted no in 1917. Reasons given included ‘nobody should be made to come to this’, ‘every man should be able to make up his own mind’ and ‘if they have to be forced to come they won’t be much good over here’.

Victorian Trades Hall Mural Honouring the Soldiers who voted against conscription. Photo Jim Claven 2015

Two brothers, two perspectives
"The boys are all cheerful and mad for gore. They started operations in a minor way last night by charging an anti-conscriptionist meeting. A fair fight followed, but the civies hadn’t a [chance] though they resorted to diabolical hun methods."
Private James Allen, 49th Battalion, 5 October 1916
"The boys are pleased it failed & say they would be sorry to see their friends enlist to come over to fight."
Private Ernest Allen, 49th Battalion, 8 March 1917
James, Ernest, and another brother, Josiah, all served with the 49th Battalion. James and Josiah were killed at Messines on 7 June 1917. Ernest was killed at Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April 1918.
Conclusion
The conscription plebiscites were divisive politically, socially and within religious circles. Newspapers and magazines of the time demonstrate the concerns, arguments, and the passion of Australians in debating this issue. The decisive defeat of the second plebiscite closed the issue of conscription for the remainder of the war.
On 11 November 1918, peace was finally declared. During the four years of the war, more than 420,000 Australians volunteered for the AIF, the Navy and the Nursing Corps, and 60,000 of that number died serving their count.
Sources: National Archives of Australia/State Library of NSW/National Museum of Australia, Australian War Memorial/Australian Electoral Commission/Wikipedia.

The Conscription Conflict and The Great War

Below is some information regarding the book from Angus and Robertson:
While the Great War raged, Australians were twice asked to vote on the question of military conscription for overseas service. The recourse to popular referendum on such an issue at such a time was without precedent anywhere in the world. The campaigns precipitated mass mobilisation, bitter argument, a split in the Labor Party, and the fall of a government. The defeat of the proposals was hailed by some as a victory of democracy over militarism, mourned by others as an expression of political disloyalty or a symptom of failed self-government. But while the memory of the conscription campaigns once loomed large, it has increasingly been overshadowed by a preoccupation with the sacrifice and heroism of Australian soldiers - a preoccupation that has been reinforced during the centennial commemorations. 
This volume redresses the balance. Across nine chapters, distinguished scholars consider the origins, unfolding, and consequences of the conscription campaigns, comparing local events with experiences in Britain, the United States, and other countries. A corrective to the 'militarisation' of Australian history, it is also a major new exploration of a unique and defining episode in Australia's past.
The book is edited by Robin Archer, Joy Damousi (Professor of History at the University of Melbourne), Murray Goot and Sean Scalme.  
The book will be available to purchase in bookshops in early March 2017.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee

Lemnos Square Update

Photo Jim Claven 2016

This post provides an update on our proposal to name the location of our Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial - Lemnos Square.
Our Proposal
In late 2015, we submitted our proposal to the City of Port Phillip to name the location of our Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial - Lemnos Square.
We did so on the basis of that this would be further recognition of the strong connection between Port Phillip, Lemnos and the Gallipoli campaign. It would also support the location of the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial and be a useful aid to those seeking to visit the Memorial.
The naming of the location will also re-inforce the connection between Melbourne's Lemnian community and the surrounding area. Albert Park and the surrounding suburbs was the place of residence for many Lemnian migrants to Melbourne in the 1950's and 1960's. 
The current location of the Memorial is not formally named but is known as Foote Street reserve.
For further information on our proposal, you can read and download our supporting documentation by clicking on the links below:
Lemnos Square Proposal Covering Letter
Lemnos and Port Phillip
Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial Unveiling Media Report
Lemnos Memorial Gifted to Port Phillip Media Report

Photo Jim Claven 2016

Update
Our proposal is being processed by the City of Port Phillip. Late last year the Committee received correspondence confirming the process being undertaken by the Council. This correspondence can be viewed by clicking the link below:
City of Port Phillip Letter - December 2016
The proposal was advertised in the Port Phillip Leader and on the Council’s website on 6 December 2016, seeking public submission regarding the proposal to be received by Council by the 19 January, 2017. Affected residents and property owners were also advised of the proposal and submission period by mail.
We have been advised that once the submission period is complete, a further report advising of the outcome of the submission process will be presented to the Council delegate for road naming (Chief Governance Officer) for consideration and a final decision.
If the decision is to name the reserve, the Governance Department will lodge the application with the Office of Geographic Names for approval and gazettal.

We will keep our members and supporters informed of further developments.
We look forward to a positive outcome to our proposal.

Jim Claven 
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Council

The UK Gallipolian Journal reports on Melbourne's Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial service

The current edition of The Gallipolian - the journal of the UK-based international Gallipoli commemorative association - has published my report on last years inaugural commemorative service at our Memorial in Albert Park.
Scans of the article and the photograph reproduced in the journal are reproduced below.

The Gallipoli Association is based in the UK and has the objective of advancing awareness of the Gallipoli campaign and encouraging study of the campaign and to commemorate those who served in the campaign.
An annual service is held in London on April 25th, at the Cenotaph and includes a service at Westminster Abbey.
The journal contains many interesting historical and other articles connected to the commemoration if of the Gallipoli campaign.
Last year the Association had a wreath laid at Lemnos as part of the commemorative services on the Island.
I would encourage anyone who is interested to join the Association to do so. You can email the Membership Secretary at - membershipsecretary@gallipoli-association.org. If you would like further information, please contact me.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Association

The Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial - Happy New Year

This post reveals some new photographs of our beautiful memorial to the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign.
Still looking good - Happy New Year!
We look forward to our commemorative service to be held later this year. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee

85th Anniversary Albert Jacka Memorial Service Sunday 15 January 2017

Albert Jacka's grave, St Kilda Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven 2015

The City of Port Phillip will be holding its annual Albert Jacka Memorial Service on Sunday 15th January 2017.
Captain Albert Jacka was Australia's first Victoria Cross recipient and a highly decorated soldier. Importantly for our Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, Albert served on Lemnos as part of his participation in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. The famous photo below shows Albert on Lemnos. To read more about Albert and his connection to Lemnos click here.
To honour Albert and his connection to Lemnos, our Committee will be laying a wreath during this coming service.

Albert Jacka on Lemnos, August 1915. AWM

Note also that the grave of Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence are also in St Kilda Cemetery. Clarice and Ernest both served during the Gallipoli campaign and were famously married on Lemnos during the campaign. To read more about Clarice and Ernest, click here.
Members of our Committee will take the opportunity to visit their graves and pay our respects at the conclusion of the Albert Jacka Service.

Daley-Lawrence grave, St Kilda Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven 2015

Details of the service are as follows:

• 2pm - St Kilda Cemetery, Dandenong Road, St Kilda - Wreath-laying and address by Keith Payne VC AM. Keith Payne is an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross awarded due to his actions
  during the Vietnam War. He is the last living Australian recipient of the original "Imperial" Victoria Cross.
• 3-4.30pm - St Kilda Town Hall, Cnr Brighton Rd & Carlisle St, Portico Entrance (enter off Brighton Road) - Afternoon Tea and Presentation by special guests Doug Baird & Keith Payne VC AM. Doug is the father of the late Corporal Cameron Baird VC MG, the first Australian Commando to be awarded a Victoria Cross and the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia.

All Committee members are urged to attend.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee