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Our boys of the 9th Battalion

ordinarymen9thbtnRecently I came across a new publication “Ordinary Men: Extraordinary Service” by Chris Lowndes, 2011 which is a history of the 9th Battalion. I was aware that some of our boys served in that Battalion and were part of the first contingent to sail from Brisbane on the Omrah in September 1914. Research of our Adopt a Digger database reveals that, in fact, 52 of our boys served in the 9th throughout the course of the war.

Here is a brief history of the 9th Battalion, taken from the Australian War memorial website and a list of our boys who served.

The 9th Battalion was raised as part of the First Australian Imperial Force for service in the First World War. Completely recruited from Queensland, along with 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions, the 9th Battalion formed the 3rd Brigade, of the 1st Division. The battalion was raised within two weeks of the declaration of war and departed Australia on 22 September 1914 on board the SS Omrah (HMAT A5). Whilst en route to Egypt members of the battalion provided a guard for the 44 survivors of the Emden, before they finally arrived in Egypt on 2 December 1914.

The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the Anzac landing on 25 April 1915, and went ashore at around 4.30 am. Lieutenant Duncan Chapman was the first soldier ashore at Gallipoli. The battalion served at Gallipoli until the evacuation in December.

After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt. The battalion was split to help form the 49th Battalion and was later brought up to strength with reinforcements. In March 1916, it sailed to France and deployed to the Somme. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozières in July 1916, it was during this action that Private John Leak earned the battalion's only Victoria Cross during the war. Later the battalion fought at Ypres, in Belgium, before returning to the Somme in winter.

In 1918 the battalion helped to stop the German spring offensive in March and April, before participating in the great Allied offensive of 1918 that eventually brought about an end to the war, launched near Amiens on 8 August 1918. The battalion returned to Australia in November 1918 having suffered 1,094 killed and 2,422 wounded and on 5 February 1919, the 9th and 10th Battalions were amalgamated.
Fifty-four of our boys fought in the 9th Battalion in Gallipoli and France. Of these men, 22 were killed and 32 returned to Australia at the end of the war.
OMRAH 24 September 1914
193 AIRD Robert of Nambour – died 2 May 1915 Gallipoli
552   ALLEN William of Cooran – died 20 December 1916 as POW, Turkey
1024 CHINN of Mapleton - RTA
686     CLIFTON Ferdinand  of Eumundi – died 7 September 1914 Gallipoli
81       DAVEY John of Woombye – died 25 April 1915 Gallipoli
196    THOMPSON Joe of Kin Kin - RTA
676    TURNBULLThomas of Teutoburg, Landsborough – died 28 April 1915 Gallipoli
484 PAGE Frank of Lake Cootharaba – died 29 October 1917 France
580    PARSONS James of Eumundi - RTA
HMAT CERAMIC 22 December 1914
1786  McINTYRE Sidney of Peachester – RTA
THEMISTOCLES 22 December 1914
1157 LANHAM Edward of Nambour - RTA
HMAT SEANG BEE 13 February 1915
1308 BROOKES Leonard of Nambour – RTA
1444 WHITE Henry of Woombye – RTA
SEANG CHOON 13 February 1915
1599 NELSON Francis of Buderim Mountain – RTA
STAR OF ENGLAND 8 April 1915
1732 BRISTOL Malcolm of Maleny – RTA
1720 BUCHANAN Donald of Elimbah – RTA
1779 HOOPER Reginald of Woombye – died 29 September 1917 Belgium
KYARRA 16 April 1915
2009 RAYNER Frederick of Peachester – RTA
KAROOLA 12 June 1915
2152 HOGG David of Pomona – RTA
2218 TAYLOR Henry of Pomona - RTA
2217 TAYLOR Peter of Pomona - RTA
SHROPSHIRE 20 August 1915
2490 WARD William of Tewantin – died 4 September 1916 France
AYRSHIRE 1 September 1915
2787 BOWMAN Vincent  of Kin Kin - RTA
WARILDA 8 October 1915
3055 HARVEY David of Montville – RTA
2nd Lieut REININGER Frederick of Nambour – died 3 September 1916 France
SEANG BEE 21 October 1915
3241 BURNETT David of Buderim – RTA
3318 DIXON Arthur of Palmwoods – RTA
3340 FOOTE Eric of Buderim – died 3 September 1916 France
3406 McGILCHRIST David of Eudlo – RTA
2913 McKENZIE Rupert of North Arm – RTA
3452 PROCTOR Edwin of Buderim – died 5 April 1918 France
2789 McKENNA Edward of Montville – died 20 April 1916 France
HAWKES BAY 23 October 1915
Lieut BARTLEY Ernest of Beerway - RTA
BOONAH 21 October 1916
6596 SMITH Charles Stanley Smith of Palmwoods – died 17 May 1918 France
ITONUS 30 December 1915
3730 DUNLOP William of Beerwah - RTA
WANDILLA 31 January 1916
3966 WALLER Thomas of Mapleton – died 11 October 1917 Belgium
4496 GILVEAR Alexander of Glass House Mountains – died 7 May 1917 France
HAWKES BAY 20 April 1916
5363 ELLIS Robert of Pomona – died 29 December 1916 France
5496 WYLIE Robert of Eudlo – died 21 September 1917 Belgium
WARILDA 5 September 1916
3046 FINNEY Roy of Tewantin – died 5 September 1916 France
CLAN McGILLIVRAY 7 September 1916
6215 ALLEN Jesse of Glass House Mountains - RTA
BOONAH 21 October 1916
6423 ALLEN Henry of Eumundi - RTA
KYARRA 17 November 1916
7028 MIKALSEN Norman of Glass House Mountains – died France 25 May 1918
4349 NORBERY Stephen of Bell’s Paddock - RTA
AYRSHIRE 24 January 1917
3562 AVERY George of Woombye - RTA
7282 LONGDEN Thomas of Nambour – RTA
7350 MURPHY James of Maleny – RTA
7355 WALSH Patrick of Cooroy - RTA
HORORATA 14 June 1917
7636 CARBERRY Michael of Nambour – died 9 June 1918 France
6833 PALK Ernest of Montville – died 19 July 1918 France
EURIPIDES 31 October 1917
7776 SINCLAIR Arthur of Cooroy - RTA
NESTOR 22 November 1917
760A LUNN Arthur of Woombye - RTA
Lieut BARTLEY Ernest of Beerway - RTA
BOONAH 21 October 1916
6596 SMITH Charles Stanley Smith of Palmwoods – died 17 May 1918 France
ITONUS 30 December 1915
3730 DUNLOP William of Beerwah - RTA
WANDILLA 31 January 1916
3966 WALLER Thomas of Mapleton – died 11 October 1917 Belgium
4496 GILVEAR Alexander of Glass House Mountains – died 7 May 1917 France
4586  SWITZER Godfrey of Buderim - died 1 October 1917 Belgium 
HAWKES BAY 20 April 1916
5363 ELLIS Robert of Pomona – died 29 December 1916 France
5496 WYLIE Robert of Eudlo – died 21 September 1917 Belgium
WARILDA 5 September 1916
3046 FINNEY Roy of Tewantin – died 5 September 1916 France
CLAN McGILLIVRAY 7 September 1916
6215 ALLEN Jesse of Glass House Mountains - RTA
BOONAH 21 October 1916
6423 ALLEN Henry of Eumundi - RTA
KYARRA 17 November 1916
7028 MIKALSEN Norman of Glass House Mountains – died France 25 May 1918
4349 NORBERY Stephen of Bell’s Paddock - RTA
AYRSHIRE 24 January 1917
3562 AVERY George of Woombye - RTA
7282 LONGDEN Thomas of Nambour – RTA
7350 MURPHY James of Maleny – RTA
7355 WALSH Patrick of Cooroy - RTA
HORORATA 14 June 1917
7636 CARBERRY Michael of Nambour – died 9 June 1918 France
6833 PALK Ernest of Montville – died 19 July 1918 France
EURIPIDES 31 October 1917
7776 SINCLAIR Arthur of Cooroy - RTA
NESTOR 22 November 1917
760A LUNN Arthur of Woombye - RTA
OSTERLEY 8 May 1918
53265  SMITH Charles of Montville - RTA