AASC

Australian Army Service Corps

AASC Reinforcements not recorded on the Embarkation Rolls

During the Great War, when the AIF was being transported overseas, the Military authorities required a centralised information system to record those soldiers who embarked. The reason for this was simple. The men embarked from various ports all around Australia which created a disparate and uncollated circumstance. Men who subsequently made claims for overseas service could not be readily checked. To ensure that all the various administrative offices of the various Military Districts had the same data about the men, the massive task of constructing Embarkation Rolls began. Once collected, they were printed by the government printer and made available to all relevant offices.

In undertaking this task, errors crept in. Men might have fallen sick or deserted but still were recorded on the Embarkation Roll. Men with similar names might be omitted. There are cases of men on active service being wrongly identified as deserters because of mistakes on the Embarkation Roll. But for all its many failings, the Embarkation Rolls are one of the most important and useful documents in undertaking research upon soldiers in the AIF.

One of the errors is now about to be corrected. The following is a list of identified men who enlisted in the AIF and embarked for service as Australian Army Service Corps reinforcements but were never recorded on the Embarkation Rolls.

 

7529 Driver Arthur James BAILIE, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7526 Driver Leo Stanley BOYLE, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7541 Driver William David BRISTOW, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7548 Driver Clarence Morten BUTTERS, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7511 Driver Alexander CLARK, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7547 Driver Archie McKenzie DANN, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7533 Driver Timothy John JENSEN, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7512 Driver Horace Manuel LAWRENCE, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7513 Driver Hugh Hay MacINTOSH, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

12980 Driver Victor McLEAN, Australian Army Service Corps October Reinforcements

7516 Driver Alexander MacMILLAN, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7543 Driver William John MAGOR, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7514 Driver Geoffrey Osborn MAWBY, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7531 Pte Donald McKINNON, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7515 Driver Alexander Stewart MOLLISON, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7527 Driver Charles Leslie NEVILLE, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7528 Driver Albert Victor REIN, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

12982 Pte Harold SCARCE, Australian Army Service Corps October Reinforcements

7530 Pte Percy William STANGER, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7544 Driver Donald Malcolm THOMPSON, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7532 Pte Jack Kettle THRUCHLY, 2 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (6th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7545 Driver Walter John WATSON, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7546 Driver Joseph WHELAN, 3 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (12th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

7517 Driver William Aubrey WILLETT, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

 

7518 Driver Alexander YOUNG, 1 Light Horse Brigade Train 11th Reinforcements (5th Company Australian Army Service Corps)

Few of these men remained in Egypt with the AASC. Most went onto France with other units.

Acknowledgement: This list was largely drawn up from the research of Steven Becker who has given permission for its production. 

Further Reading:

Australian Army Service Corps

Australian Army Service Corps (AASC), Roll of Honour

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 11:40 PM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 9 March 2011 2:43 PM EAST

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1081 Lance Corporal William Colin McELIWEE, 7th Reinforcements, "C" Troop, "A" Squadron, 8th Light Horse Regiment. 

One of the wonderful things about being involved in history is occasionally coming across a mystery which exposes a fabulous story of a life well lived. Out of the blue, this empty envelope turns up in a private collection. It is as seen in the picture below. Nothing else. The letter is long gone. 

Envelope of letter for 1081 Lance Corporal William Colin McELIWEE

Here is a brief summary of his military service from The AIF Project - ADFA - WW1 Search:

William Colin McELIWEE

Regimental number    1081
Religion    Church of England
Occupation    Tailor
Address    263 Richardson Street, Middle Park, Melbourne, Victoria
Marital status    Single
Age at embarkation    25
Next of kin    Father, Mrs D G McElivee, 263 Richardson Street, Middle Park, Melbourne, Victoria
Enlistment date    8 June 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll    15 June 1915
Rank on enlistment    Private
Unit name    8th Light Horse Regiment, 7th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number    10/13/2
Embarkation details    Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A57 Malakuta on 23 September 1915
Rank from Nominal Roll    Private
Unit from Nominal Roll    8th Light Horse Regiment
Fate    Returned to Australia 29 April 1919

After service as Orderly Room Corporal for the 8th LHR during the Great War, William Colin "Will" McElwee became president and long serving  secretary for the 8th Light Horse Regimental A.I.F. Association.

Posted by Project Leader at 9:35 PM EADT

Updated: Monday, 28 July 2008 10:27 PM EADT

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 Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 1 October 1917

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Citation: Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 1 October 1917

Posted by Project Leader at 8:51 PM EADT

Updated: Monday, 28 July 2008 10:39 PM EADT

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The following weeks will see the various pages of the Hotchkiss Machine Gun Pack for Cavalry. The Hotchkiss Gun was introduced in the Light Horse formations during the early months of 1917. The introduction of this robust and portable gun gave the Light Horse Regiments additional mobile fire power which considereably added to their ability to sustain light combat situations and defend against vastly numerically superior forces. Apart from being an excellent weapon, it was in much demand by the Turkish forces who considered the capture of a Hotchkiss Gun well worth any risks involved in the process. This is a manual produced in 1917 and illustrates the method by which the Hotchkiss Gun was packed and moved throughout the Palestine campaign.

Hotchkiss Machine Gun Pack for Cavalry - Page 3

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Posted by Project Leader at 8:36 PM EADT

Updated: Monday, 28 July 2008 10:45 PM EADT

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Another entry from the book written by Lieutenant Colonel Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir, called Yildirim. Every day, one page of the book will be posted. This is Page 21.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Posted by Project Leader at 8:28 PM EADT

Updated: Monday, 28 July 2008 10:50 PM EADT

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