"At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man - they were an awe inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze - knee to knee and horse to horse - the dying sun glinting on bayonet points..." Trooper Ion Idriess
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General Service Reinforcements, Outline Topic: AIF - DMC - GSR
GSR, AIF
General Service Reinforcements
Outline
By late 1917, the pool of Australian volunteer recruits had dried up. This created difficulties for individual battalions and regiments as recruiting was specific to that particular formation. To overcome this problem, it was determined to place recruits into a pool from which the battalions and regiments could draw their reinforcements. In the latter part of 1917 and throughout 1918, men who enlisted with the Light Horse became part of this reinforcement pool known as the GSR (General Service Reinforcements).
For men who embarked with the latter regimental reinforcement, from the 33rd Reinforcements, the men in these cohorts were sent into the General Service Reinforcements pool and thence allotted on the same principle as those who entered specifically the GSR through the recruiting office.
As they arrived in Egypt, the men were allotted to a Light Horse Training Regiment, one being established for each of the four Light Horse Brigades. This system lasted until July when these training regiments were abolished and a single training camp was established for new recruits at Moascar, known as the ATD & DC (Australian Training Depot and Details Camp). From there they were allotted to a regiment, usually a regiment of the state from which the man originated. While this did not overcome the manpower shortages in the regiments, it was a system that allotted men according to the greatest need.
One peculiarity in recording the details of these men who enlisted within the Light Horse GSR that did not occur for the other GSR, no Embarkation Rolls were created as they existed for the infantry. This has meant that these particular soldiers do not show up in the major institutional data bases. It is through intensive research of individual service files held by the National Archives of Australia, the various unit Routine Orders and available ship rolls that the Light Horse GSR rolls on this site can be re-constructed and placed in their present form. The consequent rolls are a living monument to the research dedication of a small group of volunteers.
General Service Reinforcements, Roll of Honour Topic: AIF - DMC - GSR
GSR, AIF
General Service Reinforcements
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the Australian General Service Reinforcements known to have served and lost their lives during the Great War.
Roll of Honour
Clive Edgar AFFLECK, Died of Disease 27 October 1918.
Joseph AUGER, Died of Disease 21 September 1918.
Stanley John Redvers BARKER, Died of Disease 29 November 1918.
Douglas Bruce BLACK, Died of Disease 12 December 1918.
John COLLINS, Died of Disease 13 October 1918.
Daniel Ruben CURTIS, Died of Disease 23 February 1919.
Matthew William DAWSON, Died of Accident 27 January 1919.
Alfred Sydney Douglas James Priestley ELDRIDGE, Died of Disease 25 November 1918.
John Frederick FERRY, Died of Disease 13 July 1919.
Alfred Edgar GRAY, Died of Disease 28 October 1918.
Henry Edgar HARE, Died of Disease 13 March 1919, and subsequently was buried at sea.
Robert Rueben HARVEY, Died of Disease 11 June 1919.
Walter James LEWIS, Killed in Action 25 September 1918.
William John Henry MARCH, Died of Disease 4 December 1918.
Roy Louis McGUIRE, Died of Disease 24 July 1918.
James Egbert MORRELL, Died of Disease 24 November 1918, and subsequently was buried at sea.
Stanley Robert MUDDELL, Died of Disease 14 October 1918.
William James RIDOUT, Died of Disease 28 November 1918.
Joseph Edmund RYAN, Died of Disease 4 December 1918.
Charles SMITH, Died of Disease 19 November 1918, and subsequently was buried at sea.
George James STODDART, Died of Disease 26 September 1918.
John TACHON, Died of Disease 22 October 1918.
Percival Stapleton THOMSON, Died of Disease 29 November 1918.
Marines Cornelius VAN DER KAADEN, Died of Disease 20 October 1918.
Lest We Forget
Sources Used:
National Archives Service File.
Nominal Roll, AWM133, Nominal Roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-1918 War.
Collected Records of Steve Becker.
Acknowledgement: Many thanks to Steve Becker who provided much of the raw material that appears in this item.
General Service Reinforcements, Roll: A - C Topic: AIF - DMC - GSR
GSR, AIF
General Service Reinforcements
Roll: A - C
The following is a composite alphabetical roll of all those Light Horse General Service Reinforcements who are known to have embarked overseas during the Great War.
Each man is listed with:
Service Number
Rank at Embarkation
First Names
Family Name
If applicable, the false name used
Each entry is linked to a specific Embarkation Roll which contains the following details:
General Service Reinforcements, Roll: D - J Topic: AIF - DMC - GSR
GSR, AIF
General Service Reinforcements
Roll: D - J
The following is a composite alphabetical roll of all those Light Horse General Service Reinforcements who are known to have embarked overseas during the Great War.
Each man is listed with:
Service Number
Rank at Embarkation
First Names
Family Name
If applicable, the false name used
Each entry is linked to a specific Embarkation Roll which contains the following details:
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