Page 72 - History of War - Issue 10-14

e

WORDS STEVE WRIGHT

hen we talk about World War I, the Dalziel would continue to fi ght for the 15th
focus seems predominantly on the FORVALOUR Battalion throughout the Gallipoli Campaign
W battles of attrition fought between serving as a machine gunner, for which he
the British and German forces. We hear so The Victoria Cross (VC) is the earned the nickname ‘Two Gun Harry’. The
much about the individual stories that it’s highest military honour awarded most notable skirmish he was involved in was
easy to forget the roles that troops of other to service men and women in the the Battle of Sari Bair in August 1915, which
Commonwealth. It is awarded for valour in the
nationalities took on in the fi ghting. marked the British forces’ fi nal attempt to take
face of the enemy and can be given to anyone
One such individual whose story stands under military command. control of the Gallipoli peninsula. Like other
out is Australian Henry Dalziel. Born in the attempts before it, this would result in massive
small mining community of Irvinebank, WHYDIDHEWINIT? casualties, and it didn’t come as a surprise
Queensland on 18 February 1893, Dalziel For the utmost bravery and dedication when the whole costly operation was curtailed.
lived the life of a miner from a young age. He to duty while serving for the Australian Before this, however, Dalziel’s Gallipoli
and his brother Victor were just children when forces in World War I, in the process truly Campaign was to end early. Having developed
they were credited with the discovery of a going above and beyond his duty while rheumatism, he was evacuated to a hospital
ensuring the success of his mission.
profi table abundance of tin samples – leading in Egypt, before being sent to London General
to the establishment of a mine that remained WHERE WAS THE BATTLE? Hospital, England, to recover. As it turned out,
in operation until the 1960s. Prior to the Le Hamel, Somme, France he didn’t miss much of the campaign, and with
completion of his education, he worked as an military operations being ceased soon after,
apprentice fi reman, before encountering the WHEN DID IT TAKE PLACE? the ANZAC forces themselves were transported
event that would change his life. 4 July 1918 to Egypt to recuperate. It soon became a case
Britain’s entry into the war in August 1914 of ‘out of one frying pan, into another’ though,
automatically meant the involvement of the WHEN WAS HE AWARDED THE CROSS? as they were pointed in the direction of the
entirety of its empire – including Australia. 13 December 1918 dreaded Western Front.
Over 416,000 Australians volunteered to fi ght Dalziel returned to battle in France on 14
during the course of the war, with Dalziel being WHAT WAS THE POPULAR REACTION? August, just in time to serve in the Battles
among the earliest to go. Having enlisted as a News of his citation for the Victoria of the Somme – one of the bloodiest series
private in the Australian Imperial Force on 16 Cross was published in the 17 August of exchanges to take place on the Western
January 1915, he was posted as part of a wave 1918 edition of the London Gazette. Front. Serving as both a driver and gunner, he
of reinforcements for the 15th Battalion, which Upon his return to Australia, he was participated in the engagements at Mouquet
was stationed in Gallipoli, Turkey. It was here reported as having received a hero’s Farm, Pozieres, Flers and Gueudecourt. All in
that he, like many others, would discover the welcome from every train station on the all the combined Allied forces suffered over
horror of war fi rst hand. way back home. 623,000 casualties – yet Dalziel survived.
The Australian Imperial Force joined with As the war progressed, Dalziel was to
the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to form fi nd himself involved with some of the most-
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps losses, with the ANZAC forces alone taking a renowned skirmishes on the Western Front:
(ANZAC) for the Gallipoli Campaign, fi ghting loss of 36,000 casualties. fi rst fi ghting at the Battle of Messines in June
alongside the British and French forces, It was into this mess that Dalziel arrived in 1917, and later the Battle of Passchendaele of
among others. Despite this show of strength, July 1915 as part of 500 reinforcements for the 1918. It was here that Dalziel would incur his
the campaign was plagued by disaster right 15th Battalion. Having originally numbered over second battle-infl icted hospitalisation. On 16
from the start. Facing a well-drilled Ottoman 1,000 men, the Battalion’s strength had fallen October, he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel
army and hampered by bad luck and numerous to under 600. The entire unit was eventually in Polygon Wood, and again sent to England
tactical blunders, the Allies suffered terrible replaced and restored to around 720. to rest and recuperate. Returning to France

72