World War One Soldiers from Malakoff Street St Kilda and Malakoff Street Caulfield

I have an interest in place names and street names and there are a number of such names in Victoria which are connected to the battles and personalities of the  Crimean War. The Russian War, also known as the Crimean War, was fought on the Crimean Peninsula between Russia and an alliance consisting of Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. It began in October 1853 and ended on March 30, 1856. (1)

A prime example of these Crimean War names can be seen in the suburb of St Kilda which has a Crimea, Odessa, Sebastapol, Raglan, Alma, Inkerman (2), Malakoff, Redan, Balaclava, Nightingale,  Pakington and Carrington Street. St Kilda is also next to the suburb of Balaclava.

Odessa is a port on the Black Sea, near the Crimean Peninsula; Sebastapol is named for a city on the Crimean Peninsula, which was besieged for eleven months from October 1854. It is also the source of the name of the town of Sebastapol, near Ballarat. Raglan is named for Baron Raglan (1788-1855) a commander of the British troops during the War and there is also a town called Raglan, near Beaufort. Alma, Inkerman, Redan and Balaclava were Crimean War battles. Malakoff was named for Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier, duc de Malakoff (1794-1864), the last French commander in chief in the Crimean War. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the 'Lady with the Lamp' and in charge of nursing services to British soldiers during the Crimean War, gave her name to Nightingale Street. Pakington was named for John Somerset Pakington, 1st Baron Hampton (1799-1880), Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from July 1852. Carrington Street was named for Lieutenant Edward Carrington who was killed on June 6, 1854 in a Naval battle. (3)

J.B. Cooper in his history of St Kilda, published in 1931, explained the history of the naming of the  street names -

St. Kilda has other street name legacies from wars, and heroes of wars. Among them are Waterloo, Nelson, Wellington, and Nightingale Streets. Alma Street, now called Alma Road, commemorates the first battle of the Crimea War won by the allied armies of Britain, and France, under Lord Raglan, and Marshall St. Arnaud. Alma Road was the name seed of the group of martial names in St. Kilda, which came to fruition in this way. Thomas Earles, a tailor, was a friend of Colonel Gould, who was killed at the battle of Alma. When the news came to Melbourne of the victory, and of the Colonel's death, Earles was living on St. Kilda Hill in his shop, situated on an unnamed Government Road. He painted on the side of his house the words, "Alma Street," and he told those interested  that he would ask the Government to name the road "Alma". The Crown Land authorities agreed to Earles' suggestion, and on consideration went further. They named other streets in honor of military men, and British victories, and ended their newly found inspiration by calling the district Balaclava. Present war place names are Pozieres Avenue, Cavell Street. Such names for streets increase in numbers as time passes. (4) 

Marshall St Arnaud, as mentioned by J,B, Cooper, more formally known as Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798-1854), was the Commander of the French forces and gave his name to the town of St Arnaud. (5)

Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier, duc de Malakoff (1794-1864)

Image: https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/fine-art-prints/French-School/1047550/

Because I like the sound of the word Malakoff, and that is the only reason, I thought we would look at the soldiers who served in the First World War who are connected because their address was Malakoff Street. There is also a Malakoff Street  near the eastern end of Inkerman Road where it crosses Hawthorn Road in what is now called Caulfield but was then known as Malvern, so we are looking at these men as well. In fact even then some of men who lived in the street used Caulfield as their address and some Malvern.  I may eventually research the Great War soldiers who lived in the other St Kilda Crimean War streets.

St Kilda - Malakoff Street subdivision, c. 1860.

Plan of 34 building lots, East St. Kilda, State Library of Victoria http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/164955

Malakoff Street, East St Kilda, is a dead-end street running off Inkerman Street; it originally had 19 houses on each side, so 38 in all. It appears that Malakoff and neighbouring Sebastapol Streets were sub-divided around 1860 as they appear that year in the St Kilda Council Rate books as vacant blocks of land, most of which have a thirty foot frontages. Malakoff Street in Malvern/Caulfield runs from Hawthorn Street to Carnarvon Street and originally had 24 blocks with frontages from fifty to sixty feet; so it was a more 'middle class' street than it's St Kilda counterpart.  It was part of the Carnarvon Park sub-division, first advertised for sale in March 1888.

Carnavon Park Estate, Malvern 1888

State Library of Victoria image http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/130937

The AIF Project - https://aif.adfa.edu.au/index.html and other sources lists ten soldiers who enlisted from Malakoff Street, East St Kilda (sometimes listed as St Kilda on the Attestation papers) and thirteen from Malakoff Street in  Malvern/Caulfield. What follows are some details of their service, their family life and their life after the War. I have included their service number (SN) and you can look up their full service record on the National Archives of  Australia website, www.naa.gov.au Other information comes from records at the Australian War Memorial, www.awm.gov.au - the Embarkation and Nominal rolls and Roll of Honour; the Electoral rolls on Ancestry.com; the Indexes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages and newspapers articles as specified.

Malakoff Street, St Kilda East

Beach, Victor Henry (SN 1655) 1 Malakoff Street, St Kilda. Victor was born in Coolgardie in Western Australia in 1897 to Henry and Annie Priscilla (nee Fuller) Beach. They had moved to St Kilda by 1908 and by 1915 had settled at 1 Malakoff Street. Henry enlisted on February 7, 1916 at Prahran  when he was 18 years, 9 months old and his occupation was a market gardener. Henry Returned to Australia September 6, 1919. He married Dorothy Elizabeth Mary Taylor in 1920 and they lived in various addresses in St Kilda.  He died in 1975, aged 78. 

Coulthard, Roland Claude (SN 782) 29 Malakoff Street, East St. Kilda. Rowland was 22 years, 4 months old, a carpenter, when he enlisted in Melbourne on August 18, 1914; less than a year later he was dead, injured at Gallipoli, gun shot wound to the abdomen on May 8, and as a result died on May 11, 1915. Roland was born in Ulverstone, Tasmania on April 28, 1892 to Walter and Sarah (nee Sponge) Coulthard; they first appear in the Electoral Roll at 29 Malakoff Street in 1914. Walter and Sarah's daughter, Beatrice, married Paul Osborne of 23 Malakoff Street; he and his brothers are written about, below.

Roland Coulthard (1892-1915)

The Argus, June 23 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1526476

Death notice of Roland Coulthard - Deeply loved, deeply mourned. 

For King and country he laid down his life. 

The Age, June 12, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154953846

Coulthard, Walter Fenwick.  29 Malakoff Street, East St. Kilda  Roland's brother Walter, also enlisted; he was also born in Ulverstone, in November 1899, and enlisted on October 21, 1918, one month before his nineteenth birthday. He was discharged on December 24, 1918 due to the War ending. Walter married Viola Duncan in 1940 and he died in 1976, aged 77.

Walter's death notice; interestingly his sister Beatrice is listed as Patrice. 

The Age, August 4, 1976, p. 23 from newspapers.com

Fookes, Charles Thomas (SN 7971)  20 Malakoff Street, St Kilda East. Charles was 35 years old when he enlisted on September 11, 1915; he was a chemist storeman and his next of kin was his wife, Edith. Charles was Killed in Action in Belgium on October 1, 1917.  Charles was born in Fitzroy in 1880 to William and Mary (nee Keneley) Fookes and he married Edith May Dalton in 1907. They had three sons George (born 1907), Charles (1910) and Frederick, who only lived one day, in 1914. In the 1930s Edith was living in Perth where her sons lived; however in 1949 she was back in Melbourne at 49 Ebden Street, Brighton and was still at that address when she died on August 4,  1964, aged 81.

Death notice for Charles Fookes

The Argus, December 8, 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1669302

Hall, Arthur  (SN 762) 30 Malakoff Street, St Kilda.  Arthur enlisted on August 15, 1914; he was 19 years and 2 months old, and his occupation was a cellarman. He was part of G Company, 5th Infantry Battalion and he had an interesting military career. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal but was court-martialed; charged with absenting himself without leave for six weeks from the end of October 1917. The hearing was held in January 1918, and he refused to be cross-examined but stated - I joined the AIF in 1914. I was present at the landing on Gallipoli and served eight months there. I have had sixteen months service in France and was evacuated on 20th July 1917. 

His commanding officer Lieutenant Meikle said in his evidence that he had known Arthur for three months and  his work had always been carried out satisfactorily and he has always borne an excellent character. He is one of the best N.C.O's I have in the Company.  The Court recommended mercy due to Arthur's previous good character and long service; he was found guilty and was sentenced to be reduced to the ranks.  

1918 was an extraordinary year for Arthur - he was awarded the Military Medal and two Bars and then was wounded in the August  - gun shot wound right leg,  femur - and the leg was amputated. He finally returned to Australia in August 1919, five long years after he enlisted as a young man of 19.

Arthur Hall awarded the Military Medal

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Arthur's next of kin on enlistment was Frances Hall (nee Stapley) of 30 Malakoff Street, more of her later; his birthplace was listed on his Attestation papers as St Kilda East. In the Electoral Rolls from 1905 until 1927 Frances Louise Hall and James Hall (occupation - gardener and later a mason's fixer) were listed at 30 Malakoff Street and from 1928 until 1934 they lived  six doors down at 18 Malakoff Street. After the War, Arthur (occupation - mechanic) was listed with them in the Electoral rolls from 1921 until 1924, but not in 1925.

I lost track of Arthur after 1924 until I looked at his Inquest at the Public Records Office of Victoria. Arthur died on June 10, 1961 from a Subdural Haemorrhage. He was living at the time at 218 Wellington Street,  Collingwood, boarding with Mrs Anne Christy. In her evidence she said that In January 1947 I put the advertisement in the paper for a room. Mr Hall came in answer to the advertisement. He formally lived  in Harmsworth Street [Collingwood]. Arthur had got up that morning and had breakfast, and then he remained in the kitchen whilst she was tidying his room. When she returned to the kitchen she said to Arthur, "Don't you feel well today, Mr Hall" and he replied "No, anything but well." He then fell from his chair but managed to crawl back to his room. He laid on his bed and Mrs Christy heard that he was breathing heavily, and Dr Thompson was called. The Doctor came about an hour later, and by this time Arthur was comatose. Arthur was then taken by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital where he died that day. He is buried at the Cheltenham Memorial Park.

His friend, Arthur Gordon, greengrocer, of Napoleon Street, Collingwood also gave evidence. He had seen him the night before. Mr Gordon stated that Arthur said he was feeling the best and he did not look best. His eyes were going and he was going deaf. He used crutches. Dr Thompson's evidence was that Arthur had high blood pressure, didn't always take his tablets, that he often complained of  dizzy spells and at times when it was suggested that he go to hospital he refused to do. 

Arthur didn't leave a will but his probate papers list his assets as just over £426 - £216 in the bank; a radio valued at £4; cheques belonging to the deceased from the Repatriation Department, £129 and £76 due from Limbless Soldiers Provident Fund. 

There are a few mysteries surrounding Arthur. I can't find any reference to his birth in the Indexes to Victorian Births, but given his age on enlistment he must have been born around 1895. Frances is listed as his mother on his death certificate, and as she would have been 50 years old when he was born, I believe that he was adopted or fostered by Frances and her husband James. 

I  purchased their marriage certificate and discovered that Frances and James had married in Melbourne on May 8, 1897, that she was born in England, was 48-year old years old (she was actually 52, she appears to have taken a few years off her age every now and then); and a widow, who had five children, but only one of whom was living at the time. James was 28 years old, a bachelor, born in Windsor in Melbourne and his occupation was a gardener.  Frances had actually been widowed twice - her first husband was Robert Holmes, with whom she had a daughter, Flora Louise in 1880; he died in early 1883. 

In September 1883, when Frances was 38, she married 29 year-old Felix Werry, a lithographer. Frances, Felix and little Flora migrated to Melbourne arriving in February 1885.  Felix died at only 32 years of age in December 1886 and Flora died on June 2, 1893 aged 13 years eleven months. Frances died on May 3, 1934, and James on August 18, 1943 and they are buried at the Brighton General Cemetery with his brother Archibald.  I have written more about Frances Hall and her life in more detail here.

I feel for Frances, who was widowed twice and gave birth to five children, only one of whom it seems survived to adulthood and she deserves credit for looking after Arthur and raising him to be a man who served his country with distinction. I hope Arthur, who never married, had some happiness in his life, he sounds modest and uncomplaining.  For a man who fought for his country throughout the duration of the entire War and was awarded the Military Medal, and two Bars for conspicuous service,  he deserves more recognition and I can't help but feel if he wasn't just a working class boy that he would have had that recognition. (6)

Hodges, Edward (SN 1078)  13 Malakoff Street, St Kilda. Edward, born in Balaclava to Angus and Annie Hodges, was 19 years old when he enlisted on January 11, 1915; his next of kin was his mother Mrs Annie Bailey of 13 Malakoff Street and his occupation was a farm hand. Edward Returned to Australia March 23, 1919. In 1924 he married Eileen Coyne and they had four daughters - Bernice, Wilma, Margaret and Valarie. Edward also enlisted to serve in World War Two  in April 1941 (SN  V92230). His occupation at the time was a cleaner in the Defence Department; he was discharged in August 1944 due to his age, which was 49, and chronic bronchitis. Edward died in 1969, aged 74. 

Osborne - Three sons of William and Johanna (nee Griffin) Osborne, of 23 Malakoff Street, St Kilda enlisted in the First A.I.F. - Vincent, Paul and Joseph. They all survived the war and returned home.

Osborne, Vincent Bernard (SN 8988)  23 Malakoff Street, St Kilda. Vincent, the eldest of the three boys who enlisted was born in Warrnambool in 1893. He enlisted at the age of 21 years, 10 months on July 17, 1915. His occupation was a diamond setter, an unusual occupation. Vincent Returned to Australia April 27, 1919 and he married Matilda Kathleen McAllister in 1921. They are listed in the Electoral Rolls at Rosanna and later at West Brunswick; his occupation was watchmaker. Vincent died on July 10, 1958, aged 64. 

Death notice of Vincent Osborne

The Age, July 12, 1958. p. 21 from newspapers.com

Osborne, Paul Clement (SN 1034) 23 Malakoff Street, St Kilda. Paul was 19 years and 2 months old when he enlisted on November 10, 1914. He was born in Warrnambool in 1895 and was a sawyer.  He embarked in June 1915, but before he left he married Beatrice Coulthard, the sister of  Roland and Walter, as listed above, of 29 Malakoff Street. After four years, Paul Returned to Australia December 24, 1918. Paul was a plumber and he and Beatrice lived at various addresses in St Kilda, Prahran and Malvern; they had two children, both born in St Kilda, Claude in 1915 and Norma in 1920. Paul died in 1959, aged 63 and  Beatrice in 1993, aged 98. 

Osborne,  Joseph Alphonsus (SN 51669) 23 Malakoff Street, East St Kilda. Joseph, a grocer, had just turned 18 when he enlisted on April 19, 1917, he had been born in St Kilda in 1900. His parents did not allow him to embark for overseas service until he turned nineteen, thus it was June 1918 before he sailed. He Returned to Australia July 22, 1919.  Joseph married Marjorie Margaret Reynolds in 1933 and they lived at 13 Arthur Street, Moonee Ponds. His occupation in the Electoral Rolls was a transport officer. Joseph died on July 16, 1961 aged 60, leaving behind Marjorie and children Eileen, William and John. 

Joseph's death notice 

The Age, July18, 1961, p. 14. from newspapers.com

Young, Gavin Glenday (SN 8011) 11 Malakoff Street, East St Kilda. Gavin enlisted on July 22, 1915. He was 31 years old and his occupation was Slot collector, Gas Company. He embarked in November 1915 and Returned to Australia March 28, 1919. Gavin was born in Macedon in 1884 to David and Isabella (nee Smith) Young. He married Alice Lucy Wilson in 1913; he died on June 16, 1950, aged 66 at their home at 20 Packer Street, Murrumbeena. 

Gavin Young's death notice

The Argus, June 19, 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22836489

Malakoff Street, Malvern/Caulfield

Aitken, Herbert (SN 3676) Chatterton, 24 Malakoff Street, Caulfield. Herbert was a 25 year old mechanical engineer when he enlisted on August 3, 1915. In September 1916, whilst serving in France,  he suffered a gun shot wound to the arm (severe); after treatment he returned to the Front and in May 1918 was shot in both legs and the left thigh. Herbert Returned to Australia September 15, 1918 and was discharged on medical grounds in the December. Herbert was born in Geelong in 1890 to Charles and Alice (nee Cooper) Aitken. After the War Herbert was listed in the Electoral Rolls at Oakleigh, occupation mechanic.  He died in 1958 aged 67.

Death notice of Herbert Aitken

The Age, May 24, 1958, p. 21 from newspapers.com

Crisp, Thomas Reginald (SN 887/234)  Malakoff Street, Malvern. Thomas first enlisted at the age of 36 on December 16, 1914. He fractured his tibia in September 1916, Returned to Australia in the November and was medically discharged in January 1917. After he recovered, and when he was 39, Thomas re-enlisted on December, 11 1917 as a clerk at Base Records in Melbourne and was discharged from that position in November 1919. Thomas was born in Brighton to Thomas and Jessie (nee King) Crisp and was  a clerk with the State Savings Bank (SSB).  He died at the Repatriation Hospital on January 6, 1953, aged 74. In 1912, the following article appeared in the newspaper, where apparently Thomas was paid £750,000 by a millionaire syndicate in America for an invention which will entirely revolutionise the cold storage industry. That was an extraordinary amount of money at the time, but given that Thomas was still employed at the SSB when he enlisted, he either loved being a bank clerk or the money did not eventuate.

Thomas' fortune

The Border Mail, December 9, 1912 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111408513

Edwards, Murray Francis (SN 545) Corona, Malakoff Street, Malvern. Murray was a 28 year old Mining Engineer when he enlisted on September 14, 1915 in the 2nd Company Miners Corp. After serving overseas he Returned to Australia on April 21, 1918 for discharge due to pleurisy. Murray was born in Malvern in 1887 to Edward and Mary (nee Murray) Edwards. After the War Murray was listed in the Electoral rolls at various addresses in the Caulfield-Malvern area and his occupation was a manger and later a merchant. He died in 1964, aged 77 at the Repatriation Hospital.

Murray's death notice

The Age, March 12 1964, p. 18 from newspapers.com

Gartly, John George (SN 5966) 22 Malakoff Street, Malvern. John enlisted on March 11, 1916; he was a 35 year old salesman and had been born in Richmond, the son of  Robert and Mary Ann (nee Strachan) Gartly.  Before he Returned to Australia September 6, 1919 he was granted two months leave to study Wholesale Trade at Messrs Buckley and Nunn Ltd in London. In 1920, John joined the firm of Grutzner & Tobias, Furriers, operated by Albert Grutzner, whose premises were in Queens Walk, off Collins Street; by the end of that year the company was known as Grutzner and Gartly. (7) John married Florence Lilian Thorpe in 1924 and they lived in Malvern  He died on  July 3, 1954, aged 74.

Grutzner and Gartly, Furriers

Table Talk, March 22, 1928 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146843998

Hamilton, Robert Charles Gordon (SN 6106) 20 Malakoff Street, Malvern. Robert enlisted on August 2, 1915. He was a 28 year old bank clerk. Robert was stationed initially at Broadmeadows and did not embark for overseas service until July 1916. He attained the rank of Lieutenant, and in June 1918, he suffered a gun shot wound to the right arm and scalp. Robert Returned to Australia November 7, 1919. Robert was born in Daylesford to James and Elizabeth (nee Brown) Hamilton. He married Hilda Kathleen McBride in 1915, after he had enlisted. They had three children Anne, Elizabeth and James. Robert died on October 3, 1959, aged 72

Death notice of Robert Hamilton

The Age, October 5, 1959, p. 14 from newspapers.com

Johnston, John George (SN 3052) 28 Malakoff Street, Malvern.  John, born in Bendigo, enlisted on July 12, 1915. He was a 39 year old electric tram fitter. His next of kin was his wife Minnie Riverina (nee Wright); her middle name came from the fact that she was born in the Riverina at Deniliquin.  John Returned to Australia March 21, 1919. After his return the couple lived in Buxton Street, Elsternwick and John resumed his employment with the Tramways. John died on July 7, 1950 aged 74. As you can see from his death notice, below, he was the father of William, Jean, John, George and Marjorie; George was the journalist, war correspondent and novelist, whose perhaps most famous novel is My Brother Jack. (8)

John Johnston's death notice

The Argus, July 10, 1950 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22898125

Lamont, Robert William (SN 33) Springburn, Malakoff Street, Malvern. Robert enlisted on August 17, 1914 and embarked two months later; he was a 23 year old clerk. He served in the Gallipoli campaign and in France. He Returned to Australia October 23, 1918. Robert was born in St Kilda in 1890 to Malcolm and Harriet (nee Forsythe) Lamont. After the War Robert lived in Narong Road in Caulfield and continued his occupation as a clerk. He married Doris Lanceter in 1930 and they had two sons, Ian and Wallace, and later moved moved to McCrae. Robert died on September 6, 1963.

Death notice of Robert Lamont

The Age, September 7, 1963, p. 23 from newspapers.com

Robert Lamont was one of the men who left Australia in 1914, and needed to be relieved by new volunteers

The Argus, July 25 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1638310

Simonson, Paul William (Captain)   17 Malakoff Street, Malvern. Captain Simonson was the only soldier I found who wasn't living at Malakoff on enlistment, but whose parents moved there during his service. Paul enlisted as a 19 year old on July 14, 1915; he embarked a few months later in September. Paul received an Order of the British Empire Medal (OBE) for valuable services rendered in connexion with military operations in France; he was also Mentioned in Despatches and received the Distinguished Service order. Paul Returned to Australia September 28, 1919. Paul, born in Brighton,  was the son of Max and Sarah (nee Moss) Simonson.  At the time of enlistment they lived at 52 Auburn Road, Auburn but around 1917 moved to 17 Malakoff Street.  Paul attended Scotch College and their World War One website - https://portal.scotch.vic.edu.au/ww1/honour/simonsonPW.htm - notes that  On 10 July 1917 Paul was seconded for duty as aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding 3rd Division, General Monash, an arrangement which seems to have become permanent in September. In August 1917 Paul was promoted to full Lieutenant and in December to Captain. He was hospitalised in April 1918, but on 1 June 1918 he was seconded as ADC to the General Officer Commanding the Australian Corps, again General Monash.  General Monash was actually Paul's uncle, as he was married to Sarah Simonson's sister, Victoria Moss - see more here - https://www.greatwarforum.org/blogs/entry/1632-monashs-nephews-the-simonson-brothers/

Before returning to Australia  Paul married Beatrice Fleming Inglis in London and on their return they lived in Manning Road in Malvern and his occupation was an Importer, the same occupation as his father. They had two sons Donald and Robert. Paul died March 31, 1966, aged 70. 

It was this engagement notice that led me to discover Paul Simonson and his connection to Malakoff Street; and the further discovery of his connection to General Monash, and then finding out he had a brother Eric (see below).

Weekly Times, February 8, 1919 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221836211

Major General John Monash, General Officer Commanding, 3rd Australian Division, with Captain (Capt) P. W. Simonson, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) (left) and Capt A. M. Moss, ADC Camp Commandant (right), at the Divisional Headquarters, in the Villers-Bretonneux sector, May 25, 1918. 

Captain Aubrey Moss was another nephew of General Monash. 

Australian War Memorial image E02351

Simonson, Eric Loudon (Captain) Paul's younger brother Eric, who was an engineering student at Monash University also enlisted; he was commissioned as a Lieutenant on July 16, 1915 and embarked a few months later in September. The following information comes from https://www.greatwarforum.org/blogs/entry/1632-monashs-nephews-the-simonson-brothers/ 

In common with his brother, Eric also worked closely with his uncle, General Monash and on  the 4th of January 1916, Eric was transferred to Brigade HQ as Monash’s Orderley Officer and later became his Aide de Camp. 

Reporting to the No. 1 School of Aeronautics at Reading on the 7th September [1917], Eric was then attached to the 29th Training Squad, AFC at Shrewsbury in November, followed by the 43rd Tng Squad, RFC at Fernhill in December. On the 18th January 1918 he was appointed Flying Officer Pilot, and then a couple of weeks later posted to 28 Tng Squad, Castle Bromwich for higher instruction.....At the beginning of April Eric finally headed back to France, where he was posted to No. 2 Squadron, AFC the following month. It wasn’t until the 24th of September however, that he shot down his first enemy plane and then proceeded to tally up 5 more in the following two months.....On the 19th December, Eric also returned to England, and from the 10th January 1919 to the 9th of September he was granted leave with pay. His leave time was spent at the Boulton & Paul Aircraft Dept in Norwich. During the war the company had been building planes and it was decided to continue this practice, so they also opened a design department.

After his return to Australia in 1923 Eric married Olive Jenkins and they lived in Dandenong Road, Caulfield, his occupation was a contractor.  They had two daughters Lesley and Vivienne. The marriage did not last and Eric filed for divorce in 1931 - it seems that as Olive was an only child and they lived next door to her parents and that they were constantly interfering in our domestic affairs and this and other reasons led to coolness between the couple.  Eric served again in World War Two as a Squadron leader in the RAAF and he died on July 17, 1954 aged 60. His address at the time of his death was Majestic Mansions, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. 

Death notices for Eric Simonson

The Herald, July 19, 1954 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248329129

Taylor, George Geoffrey (SN 7447) 11 Malakoff Street, Malvern. George, a bank clerk, enlisted when he was 21 on August 10, 1915. Sadly he was Killed in Action in France on August 26, 1917. George was born in Elmore to George and Adeline (nee Cotton) Taylor. At the time of his enlistment his father who was a Lieutenant was stationed at the Victoria Barracks and the family home was 11 Malakoff Street. A short obituary for George in the Elmore Standard of September 22, 1917 (see here) noted that - a promising young life has been cut off in the bud like many another in response to the call that has brought together gallants who are men in every sense of the word to battle for the cause of Humanity.

Gunner George Taylor

The Herald, November 10 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242448471

Watts - Harold and Arthur were the sons of Thomas Salter Watts and his wife Anna (nee Ankatell). They were born in Caulfield. When they enlisted their next of kin was their mother, Anna, of Ki-u, Malakoff Street; their father had died in 1910.

Watts, Thomas Harold Anketell (SN 334/6440) Ki-u, Malakoff Street, Malvern. Harold, as he was called, enlisted on August 15, 1914. He was a 27 year old builder. He was sent back to Australia for change in January 1916 and re-embarked in November 1916; during this time back in Melbourne he married Beatrice Elizabeth Ripper. In October 1917 he suffered gun shot wounds to  his thigh, left knee and neck. Harold Returned to Australia December 12, 1918.  After the War, the couple lived for a time in Merino, in the Western District, where they operated a farm and they later moved back to Melbourne - Camberwell then Balwyn.  Harold died on August 16, 1971 aged 84.

Harold Watt's death notice.

The Age, August 17, 1971, p. 25 from newspapers.com

Watts, Arthur Thomas Salter (SN 7118)   Ki-u, Malakoff Street, Malvern. Arthur was a 27 year old grocers assistant when enlisted on April 3, 1916. He embarked in November 1916 and then Returned to Australia July 22, 1917 and was medically discharged in the November of that year due to rheumatic pain. Arthur married Mary Alma Stonehouse in 1919 and they lived around Camberwell, Auburn area. Arthur's occupation was listed as a salesman and a porter; he seemed to have various jobs. Arthur and Mary had four children - Eileen, Robert, Ian and Wilma. Arthur died on November 2, 1965 aged 76


Footnotes
(1) https://www.britannica.com/event/Crimean-War

(2) Inkerman Street was originally spelt as Inkermann, which was how the town on the Crimean Peninsula was actually spelt. I don't know when the last n was dropped. (Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a City and after, 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (City of St Kilda, 1931), p. 93)

(3) https://www.britannica.com/event/Crimean-War; Raglan - https://www.britannica.com/biography/FitzRoy-James-Henry-Somerset-1st-Baron-Raglan; Malakoff - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aimable-Jean-Jacques-Pelissier-duc-de-Malakoff ; Nightingale - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Florence-Nightingale; Pakington - Victorian War Navy website   https://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1669; Carrington - https://sites.gold.ac.uk/goldsmithshistory/the-secret-history-of-goldsmiths-crimean-war-heroes/

(4) Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a City and after, 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (City of St Kilda, 193), p. 98. Cavell Street - https://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2019/07/unnamed-street-in-st-kilda-given-name.html

(5) St Arnaud - https://www.britannica.com/biography/Armand-Jacques-Leroy-de-Saint-Arnaud

(6) The information about Arthur, Frances and James Hall comes from birth, baptism, marriage and death certificates - both Victorian ones and the English ones on Ancestry.com; the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry; family notices in the newspapers; Shipping records and Arthur's Inquest  and Probate papers at the Public Records Office of Victoria; Court Martial file at the National Archives of Australia.
(7) I am basing this information on - The Argus, April 2, 1917, see here;  advertisements for staff - The Age, October 11, 1919, see here; this advertisement - Table Talk, May 13, 1920, see here; and this Table Talk, November 4, 1920, see here.

(8) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/johnston-george-henry-10632

Trophies from the Crimean War

In January 1858, The Age reported that a communication was received from Lord Panmure, by the Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City of Melbourne, in which that nobleman, as Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's Forces, offered to the City of Melbourne two Russian Guns, to be preserved in the City as Russian War Trophies. The offer was made in consequence of the manner the citizens of Melbourne displayed their loyalty to the Sovereign, and the handsome way in which they came forward with their subscriptions for the relief of the sufferers by the late Russian War (1). 

Russian Trophies, Botanical Gardens, 1862. 

Artist: George Stafford; Engraver: Samuel Calvert. 

State Library of Victoria Image H4205

The Russian War, also known as the Crimean War, was fought on the Crimean Peninsula between Russia and an alliance consisting of Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and Sardinia. It began in October 1853 and ended on March 30, 1856.  For people like me, who are not military historians,  the Crimean War is remembered due to its connection to Florence Nightingale who was in charge of nursing the British and Allied soldiers and improved the standard of care, cleanliness and food provided to the wounded. On her return to England she established a school of Nursing to improve the training of nurses. (2)

The other interesting thing about the Crimean War is that a number of Victorian place and street names are connected to the battles and personalities of the War. A prime example can be seen in the suburb of St Kilda which has a Crimea, Odessa, Sebastapol, Raglan, Alma, Inkerman (3), Malakoff, Redan and Balaclava Street. St Kilda is also next to the suburb of Balaclava.  Odessa is a port on the Black Sea, near the Crimean Peninsula. Sebastapol is named for a city on the Crimean Peninsula, which was besieged for eleven months from October 1854. It is also the source of the name of the town of Sebastapol, near Ballarat. Raglan is named for Baron Raglan (1788-1855) a commander of the British troops during the War and  there is also a town called Raglan, near Beaufort. Alma, Inkerman, Redan and Balaclava were Crimean War battles. Malakoff was named for Aimable-Jean-Jacques Pélissier, duc de Malakoff (1794-1864), the last French commander in chief in the Crimean War. (4)

The town of St Arnaud, was named for Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798-1854), the Commander of the French forces.  Napier Street in St Arnaud is named for Sir Charles Napier (1786-1860), commander of the British Baltic fleet in the War. (5)

In Cranbourne there are three streets with a Crimean War connection -

Codrington - Sir William John Codrington (1804 - 1884) was Commander in Chief of the British Forces in the War; Clarendon - George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800 - 1870) was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1847 to 1852 and the British Foreign Secretary on three occasions from 1853 to 1870. He negotiated a favourable outcome for Britain at the end of the Crimean War in 1856 at the Congress of Paris Peace talks. The third Cranbourne street is Lyons Street - named for Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons (1790-1858), 1st Baronet Lyons, who commanded the Black Sea fleet during the War. (6)

I also believe that Pakenham was named after Lieutenant-Colonel Edward William Pakenham (1819 -1854) who was killed at Inkerman during the Crimean War. This has been disputed, but I stand by my research. You can read more about the naming of Pakenham, here.

The Russian cannons and the rotunda, Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, c. 1870.

State Library of Victoria Image H10788

Back to the cannons - the loyal citizens of Melbourne were indeed happy to accept the war trophies and a year later, they had arrived and The Age reported in January 5, 1859 -

A platform of stone work is now being erected in the Botanic Gardens, for the accommodation of the Russian guns presented to the colony, trophies of the late war, by the Home Government. The platform is in the immediate vicinity of the music pavilion (7). 

Two days later, The Argus had this detailed report - 

Trophies from the Crimea - Two of the Russian guns taken at the Redan fortification in the Crimea, and forwarded by the Imperial to the Victorian Government, have recently been placed in the Botanical Gardens, on an  elevated spot overlooking the southern and eastern portions of the city. The peculiar construction and formidable powers of these enormous engines of warfare render them well worthy of Inspection, not to take into consideration the ideas which they must naturally suggest of the sufferings and triumphs of the allied armies in the late war. 

The cannon weigh each three tons, and their comparatively light-looking carriages weigh a ton-and-a-half each. The carriages are of very peculiar form, being entirely of iron, and in some degree resembling that of the English field-gun, with the exception that the wheels are not more than 2½ feet in diameter, and are fitted with double-spokes of crossed iron bars. The sockets into which the elevating screws are turned project from the back part of the carriages, and when the screws are entirely removed form a rest for the breach, keeping the guns at point-blank range, beyond which range the muzzles cannot be elevated. The muzzles may, however, be so far depressed as to bear upon a force within a very short distance of an embrasure, in which they were no doubt placed. Each gun is 9 feet 4 inches in length, and about 2 feet in diameter at the breech. The calibres are 7¾ inches, and will receive balls weighing about 40 lb. When loaded with the full or distance charge (12¾ lb.) of powder, these imposing-looking iron magnates would propel their iron globes with much greater velocity than lighter guns of the same calibre to a distance of nearly 4,000 yards. 

One of the guns is "spiked"-that is, a brittle steel rod has been driven into the vent, and then broken off, of course rendering the gun useless until the steel is drilled out again. This must have taken place at the storming of the Redan. The other gun has the vent so enlarged from constant firing, that the finger may be readily introduced. Besides these evidences of use, one of the cannon bears a singular mark, caused by the bursting of a shell upon it breach. The projectile must have been thrown from a howitzer from the English trenches, as it has evidently entered the narrow embrasure in which the gun was placed in a horizontal direction, and has scored a horizontal trace along one side of the metal, and finally burst at the breech. The mark made on the metal where the shell burst is a deep circular dent, from which radiate pretty equally and pretty thickly, in every direction, grooves cut into the solid iron, some of them an inch wide and a third of an inch deep. Of course, the Russian artillerymen on that side of the gun must have been killed, and the man stationed at the breech, who would occupy a position similar to that occupied by an artilleryman No. 4 in working an English gun, must have been blown to pieces. The guns are of excellent workmanship, and bear the date 1836 on the trunnions. The sight of them will well repay a visit to the spot where they are placed (8). There is more on the date of manufacture, below.

At this time, just after the end of the Crimean War, Victorians were happy to display these trophies and  on occasions the cannons were fired. The Geelong Advertiser reported in March 1859 that a Military Band performed at the Botanical Gardens, the highlight of which was -

a performance of a Battle Sinfonie, descriptive of British troops leaving their native shores for the seat of war, the composition of the band-master, Mr Johnston. During the performance, one of the Russian war trophies placed in the gardens, was called into requisition and fired, to represent the daybreak morning gun. Owing to some negligence in not warning the spectators, a man who was crossing within range of the gun, was struck to the ground with a piece of wadding, which caught him in the face, and carried away a portion of his nasal organ. When removed from the ground, he was bleeding most profusely, and it will be fortunate if he has not received any severer injury (9). 

However, the relationship between England and Russia thawed as the years went on. They thawed to such an extent that on January 23, 1874 Queen Victoria's second eldest son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (10) married  the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the daughter of the Russian Emperor, Alexander II, at the Winter Palace at St Petersburg (11). After this it was thought inappropriate to have such war trophies on display in such a prominent location so they were, as the Herald reported in February 1882, bundled into the barrack yard where they now lie (12).  By 1889, they were located either side of the central door at Victoria Barracks, St. Kilda road (13), where they are today.

The wedding of Prince Alfred to the the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, January 1874.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/russia-royalty-the-romanovs/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/the-marriage-of-prince-alfred-and-grand-duchess-maria-alexandrovna

I don't have a specific date as to when they were moved from the Gardens to the Barracks, even though I do like to know these things - the best I can do is between 1874, when the Royal wedding took place and 1882. 

The Age report from 1859 said the guns bear the date 1836 on the trunnions. Major Bill Billett, in his book Victoria's Guns: a field guide (14) notes that the guns were restored  at the Ordnance Factory in Bendigo in 1989 and an attempt was made at translating the marks of  their origins. Major Billett, who was the curator of Arms and Armour at the Melbourne Museum, also says the guns were made in 1838, possibly at the Alexander Arsenal in Russia to a design  by Armstrong, or supervised by him,  for the Tsar of Russia.  He lists the guns as a Type 36-Pr SB with the numbers 26028 and 26046 (15).

The cannons at the Victoria Barracks, St Kilda Road, 1975.

Photographer: John T. Collins.

State Library of Victoria Image H98.251/183

Finally, even before the 1874 Royal Wedding, some Victorians were tiring of the glorification of the Allied victory over the Russians on the Crimea Peninsula - this is from the St Kilda Telegraph of August 1869, written by the journalist 'Figaro' - 

Why Redan and the Crimea? I ask the question in connexion with the naming of two new streets about to be formed in St. Kilda. I am sorry to see the council have sanctioned this ill-advised nomenclature. I do not approve of thus to perpetuating names that were brought into prominence by events which, if they cannot be forgotten, need not at least be thus ever-lastingly obtrusively forced on our notice. Have we not already Inkermann-street and Balaclava-road to keep the Russian campaign green in our memories, to say nothing of the trophy-guns in the Botanical gardens? Where, then, is the good of adding to these souvenirs of a miserable epoch in the national history? Why should we Australians in particular - who had nothing to do with the war, excepting as a matter of sympathy - thus perpetuate its sad memories? Besides, what might be justifiable when the Russians were at war with the mother-country, is, now they are at peace with her, very like an insult (16). 

I understand what 'Figaro' is saying, but I have a real interest in the origin of place and street names and find this pocket of Crimean War names in St Kilda an interesting part of our Colonial history.  There were , of course, Crimean War veterans who migrated to Australia and I have written about some of them, here. 

Footnotes

(1) The Age, January 12, 1858, see here.

(2) https://www.britannica.com/event/Crimean-War

(3) Inkerman Street was originally spelt as Inkermann, which was how the town on the Crimean Peninsula was actually spelt. I don't know when the last n was dropped. (Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a City and after, 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (City of St Kilda, 1931), p. 93)

(4) https://www.britannica.com/event/Crimean-War; https://www.britannica.com/biography/FitzRoy-James-Henry-Somerset-1st-Baron-Raglan; https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aimable-Jean-Jacques-Pelissier-duc-de-Malakoff 

(2) Inkerman Street was originally spelt as Inkermann, which was how the town on the Crimean Peninsula was actually spelt. I don't know when the last n was dropped. (Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a City and after, 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (City of St Kilda, 1931), p. 93)

(5) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Armand-Jacques-Leroy-de-Saint-Arnaud; https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sir-Charles-Napier-Conde-Napier-de-Sao-Vicente

(6) https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2021/12/street-names-in-cranbourne.html

(7) The Age, January 5, 1859, see here. 

(8) The Argus, January 7, 1859, see here.

(9) Geelong Advertiser, March 15, 1859, see here. 

(10) I have written about Prince Alfred in this blog before, read it here. 

(11) https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/russia-royalty-the-romanovs/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace/the-marriage-of-prince-alfred-and-grand-duchess-maria-alexandrovna

(12) The Herald, February 3, 1882, see here.

(13) The Herald, March 18, 1889, see here. 

(14) Billett, Bill Victoria's Guns: a field guide (Scienceworks, Museum of Victoria, 1994)

(15) Billett, op.cit, p. 39.

(16) St Kilda Telegraph, August 7, 1869, see here. 

Crimean War, Indian Mutiny and Boxer Rebellion veterans in West Gippsland and surrounds

This post looks at veterans of the Crimean War,  the Indian Mutiny and the Boxer Rebellion who had a connection to West Gippsland, and the old Shires of Berwick, Cranbourne and Dandenong.  

The veterans I have found have written about are Tom Drummond and a Mr Adams of Berwick; William Fist of Lyndhurst; Alfred West of Darnum; Edward Mills of Warragul; Charles James Jago of Springvale;  William John Ward of Hastings and  Joseph Edward Hughes of  the Koo Wee Rup Swamp, most likely Iona. As you can see it is a flexible geographical area and I would be interested in hearing about any others. At the end of the post are a list of Crimean War related street names in the area. 

We will start of with a short history of  the conflicts from the Australian War Memorial website.

The Crimean War (1853 - 1856) was fought between Imperial Russia on one side and an alliance of France, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire on the other. Most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula, with additional actions occurring in western Turkey, and the Baltic Sea region (1).

The Indian Mutiny - The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of British East India Company's army on the 10th of May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon erupted into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to the region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, northern Madhya Pradesh or Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, Delhi, and Gurgaon. The rebellion posed a considerable threat to British power in that region, and it was contained only with the fall of Gwalior on 20 June 1858. The rebellion is also known as India's First War of Independence, the Great Rebellion, the Indian Mutiny, the Revolt of 1857, and the Sepoy Mutiny (2).

What was the Boxer Uprising? Western Countries, especially France, Germany, Britain and the United States controlled most of the trade between China and the West at the end of the nineteenth century. Merchants from these countries also demanded land, the right to build railways and ‘extra territorial rights’ where they were subject only to the laws of their own country and not Chinese law. As a result, many Chinese joined anti European Secret Societies, including the violent I-ho-ch'uan (the Righteous and Harmonious Fists) who were named the Boxers by Western media. In 1899, the Boxers and other militant societies combined in a campaign against the Westerners, including merchants, Missionaries and westernised Chinese. In 1900 this uprising became more wide spread and nine Western nations responded by sending in warships and armed forces. Though Australian troops were largely involved in the Boer War in South Africa, the Australian Colonies sent Naval Contingents to China to support Britain. One hundred and ninety seven men came from Victoria, two hundred and sixty three from New South Wales and one hundred and three from South Australia. The first Australian contingents left at the end of July 1900. Many of the Australians were too late to take part in battle and instead had a role in restoring civil order, and they left China in March 1901 to return to Australia. No Australian was killed by enemy hand, although six died of illness or injury (3).

Tom Drummond and Mr Adams of Berwick
I knew we had some Crimean veterans who had migrated to Australia from England and lived locally as there is this paragraph in the book Early Days of Berwick (4) - Two Crimean War Veterans, Mr Drummond and Mr Adams, resided in High Street, Berwick. These two old gentlemen wearing their Crimean War medals, could often be observed sitting in the Boulevard, enjoying the sunshine. It was said that Mrs Drummond was contemporary with and associated with Florence Nightingale, nursing at the Crimea. (5).

I can find no information on Mr Adams, but a report in the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of August 10, 1911 noted that Tom Drummond celebrated his golden wedding anniversary on Friday evening and Private Tom wears a couple of Crimean medals of which he is justly proud  (6).  So, now we know Mr Drummond's first name and according to the Electoral Roll, his wife was called Mary.  The Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Index tells us that Tom died in 1915 at Berwick, that he was aged 86 and his mother's name was Mary and his father's name was Thomas. His obituary in the Berwick Shire News of  June 23, 1915 said that he came to Adelaide in 1875 and eight years later moved to Victoria where he lived at Toora and Mirboo North and he came to Berwick about four years ago.  Tom was attached to the Coldstream Guards and was in the trenches at the taking of Sebastapool and the battle of Alma. He was also in other minor engagements, and was awarded the Crimean war medals issued by the English and Turkish Governments, which he greatly treasured (7).  I am not sure when Mary passed away - there is a Mary Anne Drummond who died in 1927 in Cheltenham, aged 89 (parents listed as Michael Seabright and Elizabeth Tobin). This is possibly her. It is quite interesting that Mrs Drummond nursed with Florence Nightingale, I will do some more research on her (Mrs  Drummond) one day.

Tom Drummond's obituary

Berwick Shire News June 23, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92089405

I found this in Punch of May 14, 1914 and I believe the article must be about Tom and Mary Drummond - An interesting presentation was made to Lady Stanley during her visit to Beaconsfield last week. This was an old Crimean veteran, as far as is known, the only surviving one in this part of the world. His wife, an elderly lady, who was also present the same afternoon, came in for much attention. She was one of Florence Nightingale's nurses, and pursued her work of healing through the horrors of the Crimean War also. The old gentleman is eighty-five, and his wife is seventy-five. The old lady was very worried because her husband had been presented to Lady Stanley whilst she had not, and "e'll be crowing over me, too, and I've got something interesting to tell Her Ladyship." Later in the afternoon the second presentation was duly made, and Lady Stanley was very interested to hear that her grandmother was also one of the volunteer nurses who went out with Florence Nightingale. When the guests departed the old couple were left happily hand in hand comparing notes over the events of the afternoon, both looking well and happy, in spite of the fact that the old lady had been operated on only six weeks ago (8).

William Fist of Lyndhurst
Another Crimean veteran, who also served in the Indian Mutiny, who lived in the area was Color-Sergeant (9) William Fist who died February 14, 1921 at the age of 80. He was also a veteran of the Indian Mutiny. William Frederick Fist is listed in the 1919 Electoral roll at 4 Grattan Street, Prahran, with his wife Fanny Maria Fist (nee Croxford) whom he married in 1912, and at Cranbourne Road, Lyndhurst, in the death notice and the short obituary which appeared in the Frankston and Somerville Standard (see below) refers to him as an old Lyndhurst identity, and who had taken part in the Siege of Lucknow.

Death notice of William Fist, Crimean War veteran

The Argus February 16, 1921 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1736766

Obituary of William Fist

Frankston and Somerville Standard, February 25, 1921 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75948196

From various newspaper reports we can build  a picture of some of William's life. In April 1875, William was brought before the Emerald Hill Court by his wife Elizabeth for maintenance. The report said that the marriage of the pair took place in India in 1860, and in consequence of the insobriety of Mrs. Fist, a separation took place some time since. The defendant, who held a commission in the 16th Lancers in India, and was now filling the occupation of coachman at Toorak (10).  The result of the court case was that Mrs Fist was granted 7 shillings and six pence per week. Mrs Fist was back in Court in August 1889, claiming the William had not paid maintenance since October 1886 and that she was thus owed £52 (11). 

Two years later William was back in Court on a perjury charge. William had given evidence at an Inquest at the City Morgue that the deceased woman, Mary Anne Keilly, who was the subject of the Inquest,  was his wife, when in fact they were not married but had been living together for years and she was known by the neighbours as Mrs Fist. His Honor said that in committing the crime of perjury the accused did not appear to have been actuated by any sordid motive. But the circumstance did not justify the prisoner in perjuring himself. His Honor believed that he swore what was untrue to save the character of the woman with whom he had been living, and for the sake of the character of her children (12). 

In 1909 the Weekly Times had some photographs of Naval and Military Veterans taken at the Victoria Barracks, and William Fist was in one of them.

Veterans of the Crimean and Indian Mutiny Wars - William Fist is seated on the right.

Weekly Times November 20, 1909. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221824966

 

Alfred West of Darnum

In 1907 The Argus reported on a Crimean War veteran from Darnum, Mr Alfred West -
One of the Crimean veterans Mr Alfred West, is a resident of this district. He is nearly 80 years of age. A movement is being initiated in Warragul for the purpose of enabling him to attend the dinner given by the Minister of Defence (Mr Ewing) on Saturday next. Mr West was a private in the Coldstream Guards, and fought in the trenches before Inkerman, Balaclava and Sebastapol. He was on the ground, and has a vivid recollection of the charge of the Light Brigade. 

"Oh, that was a mad charge," said the old veteran, in the course of conversation with a representative of 'The Argus" this afternoon "The men and horses were mown down like wheat before the sickle. But Lord Raglan was a grand warrior, for all that," and as the old man spoke he pointed with pride to a picture of his regiment hanging on the wall. He enjoys an Imperial pension of 1/- per day, but is in very feeble health. He and his wife, who is over 80 years of age, live in a little hut near the township of Darnum, about three miles from Warragul. West served in the Turkish war as well as the Crimea. The day (Saturday) fixed for the dinner is inconvenient, as the old men living in the country think they will have to remain in Melbourne over Sunday, to which they manifest a decided objection. (13)

Alfred died the next year, 1908, aged  78

Alfred West of Darnum - a  Crimean War veteran

The Argus November 19, 1907 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10133927

Edward Mills of Warragul

In 1924, Edward Mills, a Crimean War veteran passed away, at Warragul, which is two stops west of Darnum along the railway line. This is his short obituary from The Argus of February 7, 1924 -
A Crimea veteran, Mr. Edward Mills, of Warragul, has just died at the age of 89 years. He was one of the few remaining veterans of the Crimean war. He used to say that he was a blue-jacket on the man-o'-war on which Florence Nightingale was conveyed to her nursing work in the Black Sea. A service was held in St. Paul's Church, Warragul. Representatives of the Returned Soldiers' Association were present to do honour to their fellow-warrior of other days and other battles, and the boy scouts formed a guard of honour. The rector, the Rev. P. W. Robinson, conducted the service, and the coffin, covered  with the Union Jack, was conveyed between lines of choristers, scouts, and soldiers from the church to the cemetery. The Dead March was played by the organist, Mr. C. Lander (14). 

Obituary of Edward Mills, Crimean War veteran

The Argus, February 7, 1924 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1939117

Charles James Jago of Springvale

Crimean War veteran, Charles James Jago, died February 1, 1914 at the age of 77. He had been Mayor of Richmond on three occasions and then left Richmond and retired to his handsome country residence at Springvale (15). His property was called Richmond Grange. Mr Jago was the Shire President of Dandenong 1895/96 and 1901/02 (16) His obituary in the Dandenong Advertiser of February 5, 1914 mentioned his life in Richmond and his time on the Richmond Council and had this to say about his experience in the Crimean War -
At the age of 16 he was engaged as a bugler in the Crimean war, and was engaged right through the campaign, with all its hardships and privations, and later took a prominent part in the siege of Sebastopol (17).

Death notice of Charles Jago

The Leader February 7, 1914 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/89316164

Charles Jago's death notice mentions his daughters, Letitia, Clavinia and Millie. When he was  the Mayor of Richmond  he was presented with a silver cradle to celebrate the birth of one of his children (18). 

William John Ward of Hastings

William John Ward of Hastings died at the Austin Hospital on September 13, 1912 (19). This obituary appeared in the Border Morning Mail, an Albury newspaper, showing the interest that the broader community had in these veterans - 

A Crimean veteran, Mr. William Ward, died on Saturday, at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne, at the age of 75 years. Deceased was born in Surrey, England, and served right through the Crimean war in the British Navy, on board H.M.S. Albion, and took part in the shore attacks with the naval brigades, under Lord Edward Russell, at the Crimea, and Lord Charles Napier in the Baltic, and was wounded at the siege of Helsingfors. Settling in Victoria in the fifties, he resided at Hastings for 44 years, and served as quartermaster sergeant in the Hastings battery for fourteen years (20). 

Obituary of William Ward

Border Morning Mail, September 20, 1912 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/111406726

Joseph Edward Hughes of Iona

I have found one local connection to the Boxer Rebellion.  Joseph Edward Hughes, who was born in 1861, was part of the Victorian Naval Contingent (21).  Joseph had married Elizabeth Anna McDonald in 1887 in Sydney. His occupation on his marriage certificate was ship's mate (22). The couple moved to Victoria where their children were born - Edward Dominick, 1889 and registered at Collingwood; Emma Augusta, 1890, Collingwood; Elizabeth Anna, 1892, Carlton; Joseph Edward, 1894, Koo Wee Rup;  Neil Alexander, 1896, Bunyip South (later called Iona) and George, 1900 in Surrey Hills, Melbourne (23). 

Given the years his children were born in Koo Wee Rup and Iona it is likely that Joseph was  part of the Village Settlement scheme (24) where unemployed men from the city were given a small allotment of land (up to 8 hectares) and were to work for wages clearing the drains for two weeks and and undertake improvements on their block and hopefully become self-sufficient small farmers  on the alternate two weeks.  By 1899 the Village Settlement Scheme was abandoned, and at least one third of the settlers had left the area, including the Hughes family. The most common reasons for leaving were the fact that blocks were not a sufficient size of land to support a family, there was no alternative employment and many settlers had no previous farming experience, such as Joseph Hughes, whose occupation is listed in The Australian Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Boxer Uprising, 1899-1901 (25) as a painter. 

The family had moved from the Swamp and were living in Surrey Hills in Melbourne in 1900 when Joseph enlisted. He embarked for China on July 30, 1900 on the SS Salamis, his rank was Able Seaman,  and returned to Australia on the SS Chingtu on April 25, 1901 (26).  It then appears the family moved back to New South Wales and lived in another Surry Hills, this time in Sydney.  Joseph died at the age of 64 in 1925 and Elizabeth died  in 1921, aged 57. They are buried at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney (27). 

Joseph and Elizabeth’s sons Joseph and Neil enlisted in the First World War. Joseph was 23 when he enlisted in April 1918, but he was rejected on medical grounds due to acute rheumatism. His next of kin was his father, Joseph, of 565 Crown Street, Surry Hills, Sydney (28). His birthplace was listed as Bunyip, but as we saw before the birth was registered at Koo Wee Rup, because the first Registrar of Births and Deaths at the eastern end of the Swamp was not appointed until January 1, 1895 when James Pincott was appointed for Bunyip South (29). 

Neil (service number 3322) enlisted in August 1915 at the age of 19, his birth place is listed as Bunyip and his next of kin was his father of the Crown Street address. In July 1916, Neil suffered a gunshot wound to the back and abdomen and  later returned to Australia and was medically discharged in November 1917 (30). I do a lot of research and sometimes you are fortunate that you find a document that ties everything together, so I was pleased to find this letter written by Joseph senior in Neil's A.I.F file at the National Archives of Australia. The letter gives 19 year old Neil, permission to enlist and is signed by his father, Joseph Hughes and underneath he has written Late of the Naval brigade and China Naval Cont [Contingent].

Joseph Hughes' letter, giving his son permission to enlist, from Neil's A.I.F. file.

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Street and Place names

The other interesting thing about the Crimean War is that many Victorian place and street names are connected to the war. The battles and personalities of the Crimean War were a source of place and street names - a prime example can be seen in the suburb of St Kilda which has a Crimea, Odessa, Sebastapol, Raglan, Alma, Inkerman (31), Malakoff, Redan Street and is next to the suburb of Balaclava; the last five are named after battles; Odessa is a port on the Black Sea. Sebastapol is named for a city on the Crimean Peninsula, which was besieged for eleven months from October 1854. It is also the source of the name of the town of Sebastapol, near Ballarat. Raglan is named for Baron Raglan (1788-1855) a commander of the British troops during the War. There is also a town called Raglan, near Beaufort.  

The town of St Arnaud, was named for Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798-1854), the Commander of the French forces.  Napier Street in St Arnaud is named for Sir Charles Napier (1786-1860), commander of the British Baltic fleet in the War.

There are three streets in Cranbourne with a Crimean War connection (32) -

Codrington - Sir William John Codrington (1804-1884) was Commander in Chief of the British Forces in the Crimean War from 1853 to 1856.

Clarendon - George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800-1870) was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1847 to 1852 and the British Foreign Secretary on three occasions from 1853 to 1870. He negotiated a favourable outcome for Britain at the end of the Crimean War in 1856 at the Congress of Paris Peace talks. The Crimean War, which was a war between Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia against Russia took place largely on the Crimean Peninsula in Russia.
Lyons - Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons (1790-1858), Ist Baronet Lyons, commanded the Black Sea fleet during the Crimean War.

I also believe that Pakenham was named after Lieutenant-Colonel Edward William Pakenham (1819 -1854) who was killed at Inkerman during the Crimean War. This has been disputed, but I stand by my research. You can read more about the naming of Pakenham, here.

Trove list - I have created a list of articles on Trove on these war veterans, you can access it here.

Footnotes

(1) Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/CN500047

(2) Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/CN500048

(3) Corfield, Justin The Australian Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Boxer Uprising, 1899-1901(Slouch Hat Publications, 2001) and Australian War Memorial    https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/atwar/boxer

(4) Early Days of Berwick and its surrounding districts, compiled by Norman E. Beaumont, James F. Curran and R.H. Hughes (3rd edition published by Rotary, 1979). The book was originally published in 1948.

(5) Early Days of Berwick, op. cit., p. 32.

(6) South Bourke and Mornington Journal, August 10, 1911 see here. 

(7) Berwick Shire News, June 23, 1915, see here.

(8) Punch, May 14, 1914, see here.

(9) Listed as a Color-Sergeant in his funeral notice in the Herald, February 15, 1921, see here.

(10)The Age, April 15, 1875, see here.

(11) The Herald, August 1, 1889, see here.

(12) The Herald, July 27 1891, see here.

(13) The Argus, November 19, 1907, see here.

(14) The Argus of February 7, 1924, see here.

(15) Dandenong Advertiser, February 5, 1914, see here.

(16) https://seha.org.au/shire-presidents-mayors-and-councillors-of-the-shire-city-of-dandneong-the-shire-of-springvale-and-noble-park-and-the-city-of-springvale

(17) Dandenong Advertiser, February 5, 1914, see here.

(18) Ibid

(19) Death notice - Leader,  September 21, 1912, see here.

(20) Border Morning Mail, September 20, 1912, see here.

(21) Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1443019

(22) His marriage certificate is on-line on a family tree on Ancestry. They were married August 8, 1887. Joseph, who was 26,  was born in Monmouthshire, England (According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica on-line - see here - From the 16th to the early 20th century Monmouthshire was sometimes considered administratively a part of England and sometimes a part of Wales). His parents are George Hughes and Emily Maddox. Elizabeth, who was 24,  was born in Pyrmont, NSW to Neil McDonald and Annie Rebecca Baker. 

(23) I believe I have all the children correct - the information comes from the Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/

(24) Village Settlement Scheme - I have written about it here - http://carlocatani.blogspot.com/2018/10/koo-wee-rup-swamp.html

(25) Corfield, Justin The Australian Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Boxer Uprising, 1899-1901, op. cit.

(26) Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1443019

(27) Ancestry Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions, 1837-2003

(28) National Archives of Australia, read Joseph's file, here.

(29) Victoria Government Gazette January 4, 1895. p. 1, see here.

(30) National Archives of Australia, read Neil's file, here.

(31) Inkerman Street was originally spelt as Inkermann, which was how the town on the Crimean Peninsula was actually spelt. I don't know when the last n was dropped. (Cooper, John Butler The History of St Kilda from its first settlement to a City and after, 1840 - 1930, v. 1 (City of St Kilda, 1931), p. 93)

(32) See my post here for sources - https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2021/12/street-names-in-cranbourne.html