World War 1 - The first 'Collie Boys' killed in action.

“HERE IS THEIR SPIRIT, IN THE HEART OF THE LAND THEY LOVED; AND HERE WE GUARD THE RECORD WHICH THEY THEMSELVES MADE.”

(AWM - Charles Bean, 1948)

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The first ‘Collie Boys’ Killed in Action, in WW1, were;

1594, Pte, 16th Bn, Joseph Francis BUNWORTH.

‍Killed in Action, 02 May 1915, (Quinns Post-Dead Man’s Ridge),
Gallipoli Peninsula, age 20 yrs (Collie)                                                                                                        

372, Pte, 16th Bn, Peter KNIGHT.    

Killed in action, 02 May 1915,
Gallipoli Peninsula, age 27 yrs (Lyalls Mill)

1384, Pte, 16th Bn, James PARK.

Killed in action, 02 May 1915,
Gallipoli Peninsula, age 36 yrs (Collie)

308, Pte, 16th Bn, Francis Russell WEBB.

Killed in Action, 02  May 1915,
Gallipoli Peninsula, age 35 yrs (Collie)

890, Pte, 11th Bn, Robert (George) EDWARDS.

Killed in Action, 02 May 1915,
Gallipoli, age 25 yrs (Worsley)

The 16th Battalion AIF (Australian Imperial Force) was a composite Infantry Battalion, of South Australians and Western Australians. At about 6 pm, on 25th April, the 16th Battalion went ashore at Anzac Cove and made their way into the hills.  At nightfall on 2 May, the 16th went into attack again up a hill called the Bloody Angle towards Quinn’s Post. At the landing on 25 April, the 16th had been about 1000 strong. Overnight on 2 May, they had lost 8 officers and 330 men. At roll call on 3 May, only nine officers and 290 men answered their names. The battle became known as ‘The Battle of the Landing’, during night operations at the Bloody Angle and Quinn's Post the 16th Battalion suffered 338 casualties, (killed and wounded).  Amongst those casualties were the four ‘Collie Boys’.                                                                  

The 11th Battalion AIF was the first Western Australian Infantry Battalion raised for WW1, a number of ‘Collie Boys’ were among the foundation members of the Battalion. The 11th Battalion went ashore at Anzac Cove Gallipoli on the morning of the 25th April. Private Edwards, from Worsley, was killed in heavy fighting on the 2nd May.

The last ‘Collie Boys’ Killed in Action – WW1 were;

565, Lt, 11th Bn, George Arthur LAMERTON, (M.C.)    

Killed in Action, 10th August 1918,
France, age 30 yrs (Collie) ,

4423, L/Cpl, 28th Bn, John Arthur FALLON.  

Killed in Action, 11th August 1918,
France, age 23 yrs (Bowelling)

1880, Sgt, 1st & 28th Bn, Richard Hugo HART, (MM)

Killed in Action, 23rd August 1918,
France, age 31 yrs (Collie)

Battle of Amiens

The Battle of Amiens, which began on 8 August 1918, was the opening phase of the Allied offensive later known as the Hundred Days Offensive that ultimately led to the end of the First World War.  Allied forces advanced over 11 kilometres  on the first day, one of the greatest advances of the war. The armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. Both the 11th Infantry Battalion and the 28th Infantry Battalion (Western Australian Battalions), were involved in that last major battle of WW1. Three ‘Collie Boys’ were Killed in Action during this Battle.

Lieutenant George Arthur LAMERTON MC, one of the ‘Collie Boys’, was among the first founding members of the 11th Infantry Battalion. The Battalion was raised in September 1914, made up solely of Western Australians. He enlisted shortly after the outbreak of war and embarked with the first contingent of the AIF. He was quickly promoted to Sergeant, and was amongst the first ashore at Anzac Cove, on the morning of the 25th April. He survived the Gallipoli Campaign but soon found himself heavily involved in the Horrors of the Western Front, France/Belgium. He was soon recognised as a fine leader of men and was promoted to Lieutenant.  Lt Lamerton was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in action in the Hindenburg Line near Bullecourt, France, on the 8th May 1917. Sadly Lt George Arthur LAMERTON was killed in Action on the 10th August 1918, in the early days of the last Major Battle of WW1, The Battle of Amiens. He had survived four long years of continuous fighting and was only three months away from surviving that terrible War. The LAMERTON family suffered terribly in the Great WAR, having earlier lost the brother of George; 1188, William LAMERTON, Killed in Action, FRANCE, 22 July 1916, (not associated with Collie).

Sergeant Richard Hugo HART MM, another ‘Collie Boy’, was working as a blacksmith in Collie when he enlisted in May 1915. He joined the 28th Infantry Battalion, in France, August 1916. The 28th Battalion was raised in April 1915 at Blackboy Hill, and like the 11th Bn, was made up of Western Australians. He was badly wounded in November 1916 and hospitalised in England. He was then transferred to the 1st Battalion and again badly wounded (gassed) in March 1918. He re-joined the 1st Battalion for the final push of WW1, the Battle of Amiens. Sadly, he was killed in Action on the 23rd August 1918, near Harbonnieres France. Sgt HART is buried with Lt LAMERTON in Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres, France.

Lance Corporal John Arthur FALLON, another ‘Collie Boy’, was a farmhand from Bowelling, he enlisted in the AIF in Collie, February 1916. He joined the 28th Infantry Battalion, in France, August 1916. The 28th Battalion was raised in April 1915 at Blackboy Hill, and like the 11th Bn, was made up of Western Australians. L/Cpl Fallon was with the 28th Bn in the final push of WW1, The Battle of Amiens. Sadly, he was killed in Action on the 11th August 1918. Like George Lamerton, he was only three months away from surviving that terrible War. John Fallon also had a brother serving in WW1; 4547, Vernon Daniel FALLON, was taken prisoner of war (POW), in April 1917, at Reincourt, FRANCE.  He survived the War and returned to Australia in 1919.

The last known casualty from Collie in WW1 (Died on Active Service) was;

2308, Gnr, 12th Bde, Aust Field Artillery, David JONES.

Died of Illness, 26 February 1919,
England, age 33 yrs (Muja Siding, via Collie)                                                    

Gunner David JONES, another ‘Collie Boy’, was a mill hand from Muja Siding, he enlisted in the AIF, in May 1915 and joined the 16th Infantry Battalion, as a Private, in August 1915, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. He was wounded during the Gallipoli Campaign. Gunner JONES transferred to the Australian Artillery in March 1916 and served in France. He was hospitalised in England with Influenza on 8th February 1919 and died on the 26 February of Illness (Pleurisy).

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