28th Battalion

28th Battalion

Shoulder patch

28th's arrival parade in Cairo 1915. AWM photo P00700.001

Brief History

The 28th Battalion came into existence on 16 April 1915 when it was raised at Blackboy Hill Camp, in Western Australia. the 28th Battalion's first batch of volunteers came from personnel who had originally been allocated to the 24th Battalion (subsequently the 24th became a Victorian raised battalion). It was allocated to the 7th Brigade, which besides the 28th and several support units, also consisted of the 25th, 26th and 27th Battalions. The 28th Battalion sailed for Egypt aboard HMAT A11 Ascanius on 9 Jun 1915, arriving at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 2 Jul 1915 and, after travelling in a convoy of four trains with other units, concentrated along with the rest of the 7th Brigade at Abbassia near Cairo, where they were assigned to the newly formed Australian 2nd Division.

In September 1915 elements of the division were dispatched to Gallipoli to provide reinforcements for the Australian and New Zealand forces that had been fighting around Anzac Cove since April. Following further training in Abbassia and a period manning the 'Citadel', the battalion boarded a train at Qubba Station for Alexandria on 3 Sep 1915 where they boarded HMT Ivernia which sailed that night for Mudros harbour on Lemnos. On 10 Sep 1915 they were transshipped to HMT Sarnia for Gallipoli where they were taken to Williams Pier by barges. The Battalion's service on Gallipoli ended when the the battalion less its Machine Gunners boarded the crowded HMT Osmanieh on 12 Dec 1915 (she sailed for Mudros on 13 December, disembarking her troops the following day). The Machine Gunners were landed at Mudross on 20 Dec 1915. THe battalion's casualties for their time on Gallipoli was 50 dead, 84 wounded and 355 evacuated due to illness.

After spending Christmas on Lemnos, the 28th returned to Egypt in early January 1916. Further training followed before the 7th Brigade was deployed in defence of the Suez Canal. The 28th Battalion was transferred to France, as part of the first body of Australian troops to deploy to the European battlefield, boarding HMAT A32 Themistocles in Alexandria which sailed at 5:30pm on 16 March for Marseilles where it arrived at 3:30pm on the 21st. The battalion's Transport Officer Reginald Grove Sexty MID and twenty five others had preceded the battalion by two days travelling on HMT Minneapolis. The battalion entrained for Thiennes in northern France where they arrived at 6:45pm on the 24th, and then marched to Morbecque, west of Armentieres.

The 28th's first major action came during the Battle of Poziéres in late July and early August when they took part in two attacks. During the first attack, the 28th suffered heavily when they were committed to a night-time attack on the heights that got held up in heavy wire entanglements that the preparatory bombardment had failed to destroy; the battalion's losses were the heaviest in the 7th Brigade, amounting to 10 officers and 360 other ranks. A follow up attack was undertaken on 4 August, which proved more successful, eventually securing the objective. The following day, the Australians were subjected to heavy shelling before they were withdrawn on 6 August.

During 1917 the 28th Battalion was mainly used in supporting roles in a series of battles that followed the German strategic retreat to the Hindenburg Line. Actions were fought at Bullecourt, Menin Road, Broodseinde and Poelcappelle, before the battalion wintered in Belgium. in 1918 it was transferred to the Somme again in response to the German Spring Offensive. In late March and early April, they held the line around Villers-Bretonneux as the Allies fought to defend the vital railhead of Amiens, before providing support to the 6th Brigade's attack on Ville-sur-Ancre in May.

In June and July as the Allies attempted to regain the initiative, the 28th was involved in a minor action around Morlancourt. On 8 August, the Allies launched their Hundred Days Offensive during which the 28th Battalion was initially engaged around Villers-Bretonneux. In late August, the Australian 2nd Division advanced to the Somme River, and on 29 August, as the 7th Brigade attacked around Biaches, the 28th was assigned the task of capturing the Amiens–Peronne railway bridge. The following day, they forced their way across the river around Peronne, and during the subsequent Battle of Mont St Quentin–Peronne, they joined the 7th Brigade's advance towards Aizecourt-le-Haut. They continued fighting until early October 1918 when they were withdrawn from the line following an attack on the Beaureviour Line, near the village of Estrees. Throughout the war, casualties amongst the 28th totaled 787 killed and 2,241 wounded.

Battalion Personnel

A

• David Forbes Abernethy 3 Jul 1917 - 1 Jun 1918 - WIA by bomb
• Rolf Montgomery Allom 26 Oct 1918 - June 1919 - Returned to Australia
• Gerrie Anderson ?? Aug 1915 - 19 Jan 1916 - Medical and Returned to Australia
• Edward Armstrong 26 Sep 1916 - 16 Nov 1916 - POW Warlencourt
• † Reuben Arnold MM 18 Dec 1916 - 1 Nov 1917 - DOW received 29 Oct 1917 (gas)

B

• † Gilbert Henry Balinswella - 14 Jul 1916 - 9 Apr 1918
• † William Barge 16 Apr 1915 - 1 Jun 1918 - KIA near Albert
• † Charles Barnett 16 Apr 1915 - 30 May 1916 DOW from artillery near Armentieres
• Albert William Barratt 3 Jul - 13 Sep 1917 - Medical and Returned to Australia
• Gordon Edgar (George) Bennett 24 Sep 1916 - 1 Jun 1918 - WIA Morlancourt area
• Joseph George Benton Snr 10 May - 17 Aug 1915 - Medical and Returned to Australia
• † Frederick James Bishop 11 Oct 1915 - 10 Mar 1916 - to 32nd Battalion
• Percy James Blake 30 Oct 1916 - ?? May 1919 - Returned to Australia
• Robert Henry Blake 2 May 1917 - 3 Apr 1919 - Returned to Australia
• William Michael Bowman 18 Aug - 2 Oct 1915 - to Service Corps
• Arthur Percy Thomas Boyle 16 Apr 1915 - 31 Oct 1917
• Patrick Francis Brennan 4 Dec 1916 - 3 May 1917 - WIA Second Bullecourt
• Edward Briggs late Mar 1915 - 18 Jan 1919 - Returned to Australia
• † David Edward Bromley 18 Nov 1916 - 14 Jun 1918 - KIA Third Morlancourt
• † Henry William Buckland 31 Jul 1917 - 10 Jun 1918 - died of illness in Australia
• Sylvanus Benjamin Buckland 18 Nov 1916 - 6 May 1917 - Medical and Returned to Australia
• † James Willie Bush 9 Jan 1917 - 1 Oct 1918 - KIA near Bellicourt
• † Leonard Butcher 17 Aug 1916 - 3 May 1917 KIA - 2nd Bullecourt
• Allahbuse Jan Butt 4 Oct 1918 - 16 May 1919 - Returned to Australia

C

• Frederick Ernest Capstick 20 Oct 1917 - 20 Mar 1918 - Medical and Returned to Australia
• Frederick John Chester 15 Aug 1917 - 3 Oct 1918 - WIA Beaurevoir Line
• Ernest Henry Chisholm 7 Nov 1916 - 20 Sep 1917 - WIA Menin Road
• Oswald Chorlton 16 Apr 1915 - 21 Apr 1916 - transferred to 7th Light Trench Mortar Battery
• Joseph Clough 18 Jan 1917 - 26 Sep 1918 - Medical and Return to Australia
• Herbert Dunbar Cousens 18 Nov 1916 - 3 Oct 1917 - to Engineers
• † Reuben Leeuwin Cousens 18 Nov 1916 - 8 Jan 1917 - KIA Delville Wood

D

• † Angus Dearden 12 Jun 1917 - 23 May 1918 - DOW received at Ville-sur-Ancre
• Oliver John Dowell 11 Oct 1918 - 24 Mar 1919 - transfer to Transport unit
• Alexander Dowle 5 Feb 1917 - 19 Feb 1919 - Medical and Return to Australia

E

• Leslie Norman Elkington 20 Oct 1918 - 25 Aug 1919 - Returned to Australia
• Harold Empsall 18 Jan 1917 - 11 Mar 1919 - Medical and Return to Australia

F

• Joseph Charles Joshua Farnell 5 Oct 1917 -24 Mar 1919 - Return to Australia
• Charles Glyn Firns 11 Oct 1915 - 2 Sep 1918 - WIA Mount St Quentin

G

• Lionel William Gibbs 19 Jan 1916 - 24 Oct 1918 - Military prison
• † Stephen Gittins 23 Oct 1917 - 11 Aug 1918 - KIA Lihons
• † Herbert Goodman 3 May - 5 Nov 1916 - KIA - Gueudecourt
• Charles Gorringe 6 Sep - 5 Nov 1916 - WIA The Maze
• William Edward Clarence Green 4 May - 13 Oct 1915 - WIA Gallipoli
• † Arthur William Griffin 30 Oct 1916 - 4 Oct 1917 - KIA Broodseinde

H

• † William Hall 4 Dec 1916 - 20 Sep 1917 - KIA - Menin Road
• Thomas Percival (Percy) Hanretty 4 Dec 1916 - 2 Sep 1918 - WIA Mont St Quentin
• Alfred James Hansen MM 18 Dec 1916 - 11 Jan 1919
• Walter Hayward 26 Apr 1915 - 3 Sep 1918 - WIA x 3 - Pozieres, 2nd Bullecourt, and Antigone Trench north of Péronne.
• Roby Helliwell 30 Oct - 6 Nov 1916 & 28 Oct 1917 - 2 Sep 1918 - WIA x 3 - Gueudecourt, La Houssoye & Mont St Quentin
• Paul Henzell Hemy 18 Nov 1916 - 17 Jan 1917 & 23 Oct 1917 - 13 Apr 1919
• Frederick Hobbs Apr 1915 - 11 Aug 1918 - WIA x 2 - 2nd Bullecourt and Lihons
• † John Hobbs Apr 1915 - 29 Aug 1918 - 3 x WIA - KIA Biaches Wood, Flaucourt
• Frederick George Hodges ?? Nov 1915 - 21 Apr 1916
• George Henry Holroyd 17 Nov 1917 - 3 Oct 1918 - WIA Beaurevoir Line
• † Stephen Henry Horrocks Mar 1915 - 2 Aug 1916 - DOW as a POW - Pozières
• † William John Howe 16 Jun 1916 - 17 Oct 1917 - DOW as a POW - Pozières

J

• † Gordon Weston Johanson 9 Jan 1917 - 2 Oct 1918 - KIA Bellicourt
• † Joseph Reginald Jones 18 Jan - 31 Oct 1917 - KIA Broodseinde

K

• Leo Patrick Kane 18 Dec 1916 - 2 Mar 1919 - WIA X 2 - Warlencourt 11 Mar 1917 & Morlancourt 10 Jun 1918
• Henry Richard Keefe 16 Apr 1915 - 28 Sep 1916 - transferred to Base Depots
• † Basil Kelley 16 Apr 1915 - 10 Jun 1918 - KIA Morlancourt
• † Osborne King 18 Jan - 26 Mar 1917 - KIA Lagnicourt

L

• William Alfred Leaver MC MM 16 Apr 1915 - 22 Jan 1919- transferred to Australian Army Pay Corps
• † Arthur Lewis 27 Jan - 28 Feb 1917 - KIA Warlencourt
• Ernest Alfred (Jack) Lewis -18 Nov 1916 - 10 Mar 1919
• † John Richard Lewis 5 May - 3 Nov 1916 - KIA The Maze (Warlencourt)
• † Reginald Peter Lewis 20 Oct 1917 - 29 Aug 1918 - KIA Flaucourt (Mount St Quentin battle)
• William Wilfred Gerald Liddington 2 May - 12 Oct 1917 - to 16th Battalion
• † Frederick Thornton Lindley 3 May 1916 - 20 Sep 1917 - KIA Menin Road

M

• William Mathews 3 May - 29 Jul 1916 - WIA Pozières
• Sydney Chadwick McDonald 4 Oct 1918 - 24 Mar 1919
• William Edward McKenna 23 Jan - 20 Sep 1917
• Robert George McLean 5 Feb - 3 Mar 1916 - to 48th Battalion
• Patrick Michael 30 Oct - 5 Nov 1916 - WIA Gueudecourt
• Albert Thomas Myers 3 Jul 1917 - 22 Jan 1918

N

• Reuben Douglas Naughton 30 May 1915 - 19 Apr 1916 - medical discharge

O

• Robert George Orrock 9 Jul - 1 Oct 1917 - WIA Bellicourt

P

• † Harry Pickard 18 Aug 1915 - 29 Jul 1916 - KIA Pozières 29 Jul 1916
• William Augustus Povah 24 Aug 1916 - ?? Mar 1919
• Bertram Ernest Powell 5 Feb 1917 - 11 Aug 1918 - WIA Lihons
• Frederick James Powell 18 Nov 1916 - 0 Aug 1918 - DOW Péronne
• † Charles William Price 19 Jan - 29 Jul 1916 - KIA Pozières
• Henry George Price Jun 1915 - 19 Apr 1917

R

• Robert Lauden Rayner 8 Aug - 4 Nov 1916 - WIA Pozières

S

• † Douglas Gordon Scott MC 9 Sep - 3 Oct 1918 - WIA Beaurevoir Line
• † Albert Edward See 23 Jan - 20 Sep 1917 - KIA Polygon Wood
• Reginald Grove Sexty MID 5 Jan 1915 - 27 May 1917- medical return to Australia
• † Thomas Joseph Sheehan 23 Jan - 4 Oct 1917 - KIA Broodseinde
• Roland Parker Shelley Jul 1915 - 1 Mar 1916
• Ephraim Shepherd 2 May 1917 - 25 May 1919
• Luke Siford 9 Jun - 29 Jul 1916 - KIA Pozières
• Keith Herbert Sloan 14 Oct 1917 - 12 Apr 1919

T

• † Samuel Simpson Thompson 16 Apr 1915 - 19 Aug 1916 - DOW received 29 July at Pozières
• William Thomson 1 Jul 1917 - 20 Sep 1917 - WIA Menin Road
• Arnold Thorp 15 Mar 1915 - 29 Jul 1916 - POW Pozières
• Henry Albert Thorp 27 Jan - 1 Nov 1917 - WIA (gassed) Broodseinde
• † Hubert Harris Thorp 12 Oct 1915 - 29 Jul 1916 - KIA Pozières
• Sidney Francis Till 4 Dec 1916 - 9 Aug 1918 - WIA Lihons

U

• George Charles Unwin 10 Oct 1918 - 3 May 1919

V

• † Arthur John Verrall 5 Feb - 28 Sep 1917 - KIA Menin Road

W

• † Albert Edward John Walls 3 May 1916 - 10 Jun 1918 _ KIA Morlancourt
• Joseph Watson 10 Oct 1918 - Jan 1919
• Stuart Alan Webb 19 Jan 1916 - 17 Dec 1918 - POW - The Maze 16 Nov 1916
• Ernest Wells 23 Apr - 29 Jul 1916 - WIA Messines area
• † Claude Algernon Wright 8 Jun - 29 Jul 1916 - KIA Pozières

Battle Honours

• Gallipoli 1915
• Egypt 1915–16
• Somme 1916–18
• Poziéres
• Bullecourt
• Ypres 1917
• Menin Road
• Polygon Wood
• Broodseinde
• Poelcappelle
• Passchendaele
• Amiens
• Albert 1918
• Mont St. Quentin
• Hindenburg Line
• Beaurevoir
• France and Flanders 1916–18.

Individual Honours

• 1 Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
• 5 Distinguished Service Orders (DSOs)
• 20 Military Crosses (MCs) and two bars (Douglas Gordon Scott MC)
• 14 Distinguished Conduct Medals (DCMs)
• 69 Military Medals (MMs) and two bars (Alfred James Hansen MM)
• 5 Meritorious Service Medals (MSMs)
• 21 Mentions in Despatches (MIDs) and (Reginald Grove Sexty MID)
• 6 foreign awards

Notes

Content for the history and honours sections has come from a combination of Wikipedia and the Australian War Memorial websites. For further reading see:

• The 28th - A record of War service with the AIF 1915 - 1919, Colonel HB Collett, 1922, Trustees ofthe Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of WA
• The Blue & White Diamond - 28th Battalion Neville Browning, Advance Press, undated