Seven New Identified WW1 Soldiers – Fromelles

The following information was passed on by our Association Secretary, Tony Wadeson:

Our Honorary Member Pierre Seillier, Volunteer Guide of Fromelles Battle Field & Cemetery’s has advised us of the Identity of the 7 newly Identified Soldiers in the Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery – Fromelles.

The remains of these soldiers were previously buried by the Germans in Mass Graves behind their Lines in Pheasant Wood after the Battle of Fromelles on 19th July 1916. These were the bodies of soldiers who died behind the German lines when the Germans counter attacked those Battalions that had successfully broken through the German Front line (31st Bn being one).

The Graves were never identified, until a Greek born Melbourne School Teacher, “Lambis Englezos AM” realized that the Graves of Unidentified bodies from the Battle, fell far short of the number of Missing. The determined & dedicated Lambis set out to find the whereabouts of these remains. After years of research & then having to convince the authorities that the bodies were buried by the Germans at Pheasant Wood, 250 bodies were eventually recovered in 2009. The remains were reburied in a new Cemetery closer to the Town & named Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery. Through a process of DNA supplied by relatives approximately 166 Bodies have so far been identified.

These 7 Soldiers are the latest to have been identified & their names and Unit details will be engraved on the previously blank Headstones. They will be formally recognized and Headstones unveiled, at the Annual Fromelles Commemoration Ceremony to be held on the 19th July 2019. (Refer the Photo below taken at the 100th Year (2016) Ceremony at Pheasant Wood Cemetery . Our Member Bruce Lees & his Daughter in attendance at the Unveiling of his Grand Fathers Headstone. Note the other unveiled Red covered Headstone).

THE 7 NEW IDENTIFIED SOLDIERS:-

641 Pte. Leslie Clark Dunn – 31st Bn

715 L/Cpl Ralph Johnson – 31st Bn

77 L/Cpl John Alexander Crawford – 32nd Bn

352 Pte. Arthur George Batt – 32nd Bn

1291 Pte. George Honey – 32nd Bn

3433 Pte. Peter Paul Shannon – 53rd Bn

4188 Pte. Edward James Hope – 54th Bn

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

Our Honorary member resident in France Pierre Seillier laid a wreath at the Fromelles Ceremony in Pheasant Wood Militaru Cemetery on 19th July 2019 on behalf of the 31st Inf Bn Assoc (See photos taken at the service below).

Member Bruce Lees with his Daughter at the grave of his Grandfather

In Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery in 2016

Honorary Member Pierre Seillier Laying Wreath at the Service at Fromelles, Northern France

31st Battalion Association Wreath laid by Pierre at the Battle of Fromelles Commemoration, France

Headstone of Pte Leslie Clark Dunn in Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles

Headstone of Cpl Ralph Johnson in Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles

Anzac Day 2019 – 31st Bn

The 31st Battalion Association was well represented at the Anzac Day march through the city of Brisbane this year. Additionally, we had WW2 veteran from the 31st/51st Battalion, Noel Pilcher, from Bowen in a wheel chair in front of our 31st/51st Battalion Banner. After the march our main group of 16 were joined by a couple of extras for a photo (see photo below). We then adjourned to the Grand Central Hotel where we had 2 tables booked. Lunch and enjoyable fellowship followed.

31 Bn Association (Brisbane members)

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One of our Victorian members Peter Nelson has sent pictures of the march through Melbourne (see below and photo at head of this article).

The 31st Battalion Banner being paraded through Melbourne

Pte Leslie Clark Dunn

The following is another tribute done by our Honorary Member in France Pierre Seillier. Pierre reports on the identification of another 31st Battalion man Pte Leslie Clark Dunn:

Hello all. If I read well the Facebook page “Fromelles Descendant Database” compiled by our friend Tim Lycett, Carolyn Gardner wrote “My husbands grandfather Pte Leslie Dunn has just been identified by DNA. He also fell in Pheasant Wood. His headstone commemoration is to be held on 19/7/19 which happens to be his granddaughters birthday. Sadly my husband died several weeks previous to receiving the long awaited news.”
I have done research and I assume that the soldier is 641 Private Leslie Clark DUNN 31st Bn He is the only Leslie Dunn KIA during WW1 at Fromelles. Once again a man of our beloved 31st Bn, also listed as KIA on 21st July… Commemorated over many years at Villers Bretonneux, now at VC Corner and soon at Pheasant Wood, when I know more about the graves location, I will let you know
Cheers
Pierre.

LCpl Ralph Johnson Identified

For some time now we have been receiving emails from our resident Honorary Member in France, Pierre Seillier.

Pierre has done a wonderful job in honoring the memory of soldiers of the 31st Battalion who served and died in France during WW1. He has, in the past arranged plaques for a number of fallen soldiers just as he has arranged the one on this page for LCpl Johnson. The hunt to identify as many of the soldiers found in the mass grave on the site of the Fromelles battlefield is an amazing and ongoing story. He has just sent this latest breaking news:

22 March 2019

Breaking News!!! Tim Lycett wrote me a message today. The descendants of 715 Lance Corporal Ralph Johnson, 31st Bn have announced he has been identified. Family told that we can share the information so I don’t see any requirement to wait for the official announcement…
You can read his story in Tim Lycett’s book “Fromelles the final chapter”. A German soldier named Fischer, wrote to Johnson’s father after the war and returned his belongings. Fischer also said he’d had Ralph buried in a military cemetery at Beaucamps ( Beaucamps Communal Cemetery, German Extension) but he was never found after war, when allied graves were removed from Beaucamp German Cemetery and transfered to Pont-de-Hem Military Cemetery, La Corque, France. A special memorial headstone was erected for him. Now we know he was in Pheasant Wood mass graves, and is identified and buried in Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery.

Lest We Forget.

Regards

Pierre.

LCpl Angelo Barbouttis

This is a story of the action in which LCPL Angelo Barbouttis was KIA. It appeared in the Townsville Bulletin on Wed 1st May 1946. He was in the 31st Battalion, The Kennedy Regiment, prior to the war and joined the 31st Bn AMF which subsequently became the 31st/51st Bn AMF

Below is a photo of a Street in Belgian Gardens named after him and an adjacent plaque describing the significance . Above is a photo of Angelo from Bob Burla’s book “Crossed Boomerangs”

THE LATE CORPORAL ANGELO BARBOUTTIS
Corporal Angelo Barbouttis, who enlisted from Townsville,
displayed great heroism during a clash with a Japanese patrol
in Dutch New Guinea in December, 1943.

He was a member of a small reconnaissance patrol that set out in a small diesel-drlven trawler to explore the inland waterways of the swamps of southern Dutch New Guinea, then held by the Japanese. The patrol kept away from all known Japanese locations, but fate finally led them to pick one channel which led them headlong into a Japanese
patrol.

The trawler rounded a bend and came face to face, about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, with two barges of Japanese. Both parties scrambled for their guns. Barbouttis, well over six feet, was standing up in the bow jerking and spitting death from a heavy machine gun at the Japanese. Every one was pouring lead at the Japs, and they were firing back. The engine room men were trying desperately to turn the boat.

The Japs shot the machine gun out of Barbouttis’ hands. He was not dismayed, but snatched up a Bren gun and carried on the fight. Then the Bren jammed, and he was seen to throw it away and grab a bag of hand grenades, and hurl them into the Jap’s barges.

By this time the trawler had been turned and was heading down stream. The battle was over, one barge was on fire and sinking, the other stranded on the bank. Some of the Japs
had scrambled ashore and began sniping, and it was then that the brave Barbouttis was shot through the head and fell dead.

The boat was riddled from end to end and there were only three sound members of the party. They headed out to sea but the dead Barbouttis had been their sole navigator. Not knowing when help would come or when they would reach their base, it was decided to bury their hero at sea. He was consigned to a watery grave with the greatness of a great simplicity by the members of the trawler.

The clash will no doubt be among the many incidents recorded in the official history of the war.

Barbouttis was awarded a Mention In Despatches (MID).

Major George Roberts the 31st Battalion 2IC after WW2) advocated over many years to have Angelo’s award upgraded to a Victoria Cross.

An Inquiry into unresolved recognition of past acts of valour in 2011 pointed out that when a serviceman dies in the action in which he is nominated for an award, he can only be awarded an MID or a VC. They pointed out that had the person lived he may well have received a MM, MC or DCM.

The Inquiry determined that Angelo’s MID should remain unchanged.

Major Roberts was also Deputy Mayor of Townsville and was involved in the naming of a Street in Belgian Gardens in honour of this brave soldier (see photos)

LEST WE FORGET