"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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3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF, Roll of Honour Topic: AIF - 3B - 3 Sig Trp
3rd LH Sig Trp, AIF
3rd Light Horse Signal Troop
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men enrolled within the 3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF known to have served and lost their lives during the Great War.
Roll of Honour
Reginald Frank CLARKE, Died of Disease, 8 April 1919, 2nd Australian Light Horse Signal Squadron.
Albert Reginald Stanley GARTRELL, Died of Disease, 26 March 1916, 1 Australian (Wireless) Signal Squadron.
Jesse HUMPHRYIS, Died of Disease, 2 April 1915, 3rd Australian Light Horse Signal Troop.
George ROBINSON, Killed in Action, 11 August 1918, 5th Division Signal Company.
Lewis THORNTON, Died of Wounds, 28 September 1917, 4th Division Signal Company.
Unit embarked from Melbourne on board the HMAT A51 Chilka 2 February 1915
Rank from Nominal Roll
Corporal
Unit from Nominal Roll
3rd Signal Troop
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)
Military Medal
Recommendation date: 20 September 1918
Fate
Discharged 20 October 1919
Medals
Military Medal
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 119 Date: 17 October 1919
Other details
Medals: Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Also served in World War II: enlisted, 17 June 1941, Royal Park, Victoria; discharged, 19 September 1944, as V16185 Sergeant, 3rd Garrison Brigade.
Court Martial
Alfred Sydney Goldthorpe absented himself without leave. When he reported for duty was found guilty by a Field General Court Martial of being absent without leave. He was sentenced to one year hard labour although half the sentence was remitted for brave conduct at Gallipoli.
The following is a letter written by Alfred Sydney Goldthorpe in an effort to explain the circumstance related to his absence.
On 14th February, 1916, I absented myself from the unit with the intention of renewing acquaintance with some old ship mates on board the SS "Patani", (Capt. J. W. Lawson), lying at Port Said. (I was in the Merchant Service prior to enlistment in the AIF). The following day (15/2/1916), after a drinking bout with my friends, I awoke to find myself on board this vessel and before I could be placed ashore, the ship was ordered to proceed immediately on its journey to Salonica with supplies for the British Troops. On the Captain being informed of my presence on board ship, he stated that it would not be possible to put me ashore and I was then prevailed upon to sign on the ship's articles as Assistant Cook. At the time there did not appear to be much opportunity of the Light Horse being engaged in immediate hostilities and, as I was informed the ship would return to Egypt after discharging her cargo, I was not unduly worried about my position, particularly as the ship was engaged on Government Transport Service.
Instead, however of returning to Egypt, the ship proceeded to Canada to pick up a cargo of locomotives and other railway material for delivery at Le Havre. From Le Havre we went to Newport, Monmouthshire, where on 19/5/1916 I was paid off owing to a recurrent attack of dysentry contracted on Gallipoli where I had served from approx. 15 May to the end of September. As soon as I was recovered from my illness, I reported to AIF Headquarters at Horseferry Road, where I was placed under arrest and sent to Salisbury Plains where I remained for about two months awaiting court-martial. As so much time was spent in preparing the charge against me, I considered that if I could be tried by Light Horse Officers, my case would be treated more leniently than by officers of a different arm of the Service and I accordingly broke arrest and by devious ways (I like that bit!!!) returned to Egypt where on 9th December, 1916, I reported in uniform to my Unit.
The finding of the Court is probably known to you as also is my subsequent service, promotion and award of the Military Medal, and I would like you to know also that when I decided to visit the "Patani" at Port Said there was absolutely no thought in my mind of desertion from the Service. Had I desired this could easily have been accomplished at the various ports of call of the "Patani", particularly in Canada, but, as the ship was engaged on transport work, I was doing my bit towards the successful conclusion of the war.
I trust therefore that the above explanation will be satisfactory to you and that my transport service may be considered work of a military character.
Military Medal.
Award: Military Medal
Date of London Gazette: 3 July 1919
Location in London Gazette: Page 8356, position 81
Date of Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 17 October 1919
Location in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: Page 1530, position 77
The Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917, 3rd Signal Troop, War Diary Account Topic: AIF - 3B - 3 Sig Trp
The Battle of Rafa
Sinai, 9 January 1917
3rd Signal Troop, War Diary Account
3rd Signal Troop, War Diary Account
The following is a transcription of the 3rd Signal Troop, War Diary Account detailing their role at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.
Masaid 8 January 1917
1200 Leave Masaid at 1200. Watered horses at 52nd Division troughs at El Arish.
Rafa 9 January 1917
Action at Rafa. Visual communications very successful. Sapper Gardiner wounded.
Sheikh Zowaiid 10 January 1917
Arrived Sheikh Zowaiid at 0230 watered horses, drew rations left at 0700 watered horses at El Arish arrived Masaid 1600.
War Diaries
All War Diaries cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:
3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF, Embarkation Roll, Roll: A - Z Topic: AIF - 3B - 3 Sig Trp
3rd LH Sig Trp, AIF
3rd Light Horse Signal Troop
Embarkation Roll: A - Z
The following is a composite alphabetical roll of all members of 3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF 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
Notes
Note 1: All soldiers’ names are linked to the specific unit and date when embarkation occurred. By utilising the link, upon the Embarkation Roll is a brief military biography of the individual. Also on the page are details and picture of the ship in which embarkation occurred for that specific soldier.
Note 2: There are duplications of some names in the following list. The reason for this is that the soldier embarked on more than one occasion. This was the simplest way of resolving the problem of multiple entries for a single individual.
Note 3: In comparing this roll with the official Embarkation Rolls published by the Department of Defence during the Great War, it will be noticed that some names are absent. The reason for this lies in the fact that when the official Embarkation Rolls were compiled, last minute absentees for one reason or another were recorded as embarking whereas in actuality, no embarkation occurred. In addition, there are other names that have been included that do not appear in the official Embarkation Rolls and yet they embarked with that particular group.
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