Western Australian Militia

York Rifle Volunteers

The following is an extract from the book written in 1962 by George F. Wieck called The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia 1861-1903, p. 45:

York Rifle Volunteers

A meeting of York citizens held on 30 June 1861 favoured the raising of a Volunteer corps, preferably Cavalry.

Tentative approval was given for the loan of muskets. Differences arose between the Committee and the Military Commandant and so the proposal was dropped. On 30 September 1874 the Commandant received a memorial bearing the names of 60 persons desirous of forming an Infantry Volunteer corps at York. The reply was "no funds available". A fresh memorial dated 26 November 1875 evoked the reply "the required sum of £100 was not available and the matter must remain in abeyance". In reply to a further approach made on 2 October 1876 the Military Commandant said it was then too late to have an amount included in the 1876-77 Estimates. The next memorial reached the Commandant on 20 June 1877; this was refused on the score that no suitable person to Command or a drill-instructor was available.

Eventually, authority for raising a corps to be designated the "York Rifle Volunteers" appeared in the Government Gazette of 8 November 1878. Capt. J. W. Hope was appointed to Command.

The corps strength was 40 in 1879, 38 in 1882, and 36 in 1885. The dwindling numbers suggest that the Commandant's earlier doubts were justified and that the district could not maintain a corps of the desired strength. Disbandment of the corps was ordered as from 20 September 1886.


Officers of the York Rifle Volunteers

Captain JW Hope, 30 September 1878

Captain R Hardman, 12 June 1883

Lieutenant JRM Thompson, 12 June 1883

Lieutenant C Edwards, 12 June 1883

 

Previous:  Albany Rifle Volunteers

Next: Naval Artillery Volunteers 

Further Reading:

Western Australian Militia, Light Horse

Western Australian Militia, Infantry

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 4 September 2009 10:25 PM EADT

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Surafend, the massacre

Palestine, 10 December 1918

Barton Account

Corporal Edward Hugh Barton's account of his actions

The following account by 1302 Corporal Edward Hugh BARTON, 6th LHR, details events he witnessed during the day leading up to the events at Surafend.

On the morning of December 10th about 1000, I was with other men marking out a football ground near 6th LH Camp when a New Zealand soldier rode up an told us that the New Zealanders were going to raid the village of Kh. Surafend that night and said if any of us cared to join in, we would be welcome. He then rode away. I know he was a New Zealand soldier because he wore New Zealand pugaree and tunic. I did not notice his colours.

At about 1900 two New Zealand soldiers walked to the door of my tent and one said he was a friend of the New Zealand lad who had been murdered and told us the New Zealanders intended to raid the village that night and that a meeting to be held at about 1930 to decide plan of the raid and he invited any of us to attend the meeting. 

(Sgd. ) EH.Barton. Cpl .

Further Reading:

Surafend

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 20 January 2010 1:32 PM EAST

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Australian Light Horse

Roles within the Regiment

Regimental Orderly Trumpeter

The following entries dealing with the roles and duties within the hierarchy of a light horse regiment are extracted from a very informative handbook called The Bushman’s Military Guide, 1898. While written in 1898, the information contained in the entries held true for the next twenty years with only minor modifications with the principles remaining as current then as now.

Regimental Orderly Trumpeter

 

(1.) He will come on ditty and parade with the Guard daily.

(2.) He will attend all parades, and when not in the field will remain at the regimental orderly tent.

(3.) He will regulate the time of his watch with that of the adjutant, the regimental sergeant major, and the orderly-room clock.

(4.) He will sound all calls laid down in Regimental Orders, and will only take orders to sound special calls from the Adjutant or regimental sergeant-major or their representatives.

(5.) He will sleep in the guard tent so as to be available to sound "the alarm" and "Reveille", at time ordered.

 

Previous: Regimental Orderly Corporal

Next: Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant 

Further Reading:

Australian Light Horse

Militia 1899 - 1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:08 AM EADT

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Western Australian Militia

Naval Artillery Volunteers

The following is an extract from the book written in 1962 by George F. Wieck called The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia 1861-1903, pp. 46 - 47:

Naval Artillery Volunteers

The necessity for some form of Artillery defence in the vicinity of the Port of Fremantle was recognised at an early (late but as provision of fixed defences is always a costly business successive schemes were studied and then pigeon-holed. Eventually Mr. G. A. Forsyth proposed to raise a corps at Fremantle to be designated the "Naval Artillery Volunteers." Approval to raise the corps, and for Lieut. G. A. Forsyth to Command, appeared in the Government Gazette and was dated 10 February 1879.

Enrolment in the corps was restricted to ex-R.N. personnel and persons with seafaring associations. The technical description of the corps was a "half-battery". Naval type uniforms were worn, naval ranks used, and naval drill practised. It was in effect a naval corps under army control. The original enrolment was 25 all ranks, the highest strength of 38 being reached in 1884.

The corps was armed with two extremely obsolete muzzle-loading guns of unknown origin; these were mounted on wooden carriages but were without limbers or wagon. The corps attended the Camp held in 1884 and so far as can be ascertained this was the only occasion the guns were moved from Fremantle. When taking part in combined parades members normally carried carbines, the guns remaining at Fremantle.

On 16 December 1884 Lieutenant Forsyth was suspended from duty and ordered to hand over Command to F. Wemyss who was appointed Lieutenant (Army rank) on 23 May 1885.

About 1885 seafaring types were scarce so recruits were sought among landsmen. Soon there was a preponderance of the latter in the corps which in 1888 prompted Lieut. Wemyss to recommend that the corps designation be changed to "Fremantle Artillery Volunteers" and that uniforms and training of Royal Artillery pattern be adopted. Approval for the change was granted on 17 December 1888. Very soon all traces of naval characteristics disappeared. The new uniform was worn with the letters F.A.V. on the shoulder-straps.

The history of the corps will be continued in Fremantle Artillery Volunteers.


Officers of Naval Artillery Volunteers

Lieutenant GA Forsyth, 10 February 1879

Lieutenant F Wemyss, 23 May 1885

 

Previous:  York Rifle Volunteers  

Next: Perth Volunteer Artillery 

Further Reading:

Western Australian Militia, Light Horse

Western Australian Militia, Infantry

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 4 September 2009 10:22 PM EADT

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Australian Light Horse

Roles within the Regiment

Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant

The following entries dealing with the roles and duties within the hierarchy of a light horse regiment are extracted from a very informative handbook called The Bushman’s Military Guide, 1898. While written in 1898, the information contained in the entries held true for the next twenty years with only minor modifications with the principles remaining as current then as now.

Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant

 

(1.) He receives and delivers all orders.

(2.) Calls the roll at all parades.

(3.) When the trumpet sounds "For orders" he waits on the regimental sergeant-major with the order-book and after entering (or receiving a cylostyle copy), of the orders, he shows them to the troop officers, the staff sergeant and reads them to the troop (or half-squadron) at the appointed time.

(4.) He makes out, parade, morning and duty states etc., for the correctness of which he is responsible to the staff-sergeant, to whom they are to be shown previous to being taken to an officer for signature.

(5.) He draws the ammunition for field days etc., and he collects unexpended ammunition after a parade, and returns it to the regimental orderly sergeant for conveyance to store.

(6.) He is not to quit the Camp at any time that may interfere with his duty.

(7.) He is to ascertain if all men are in their tents, or accounted for at watch-setting, and furnish the regimental orderly sergeant with a report at the quarter-guard tent.

(8.) He will detail all men required for guards, fatigue duty, mounted orderlies, etc. etc., from his troop (or half-squadron), the numbers of which will be received from the regimental sergeant-major.

(9.) He will take care that his own troop (or half-squadron) horse-lines are kept clear.

(10.) He will take it in turn to act as troop orderly sergeant, by seniority on roll, and will in Camps for instruction be relieved daily.

 

Previous: Regimental Orderly Trumpeter 

Next: Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal 

Further Reading:

Australian Light Horse

Militia 1899 - 1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:06 AM EADT

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