Thanks
to Coburg Historical Society member Lois Williams for pointing out the
following teacher soldiers whom she found when going through the Victorian Education Department’s Record of
War Service, 1914-1918. Lois’s father-in-law was presented with the book some
years ago and it has remained in the family. It is a wonderful source of
information and often includes photographs of the soldier-teachers.
The
following information comes from the Victorian
Education Department’s Record of War Service, 1914-1918; the soldiers’
dossiers which are located online at the National Archives of Australia;
information from VPRS 892/1119, Letters of condolence etc, Public Record
Office of Victoria.
All
of these men are featured in the World War One Pictorial Honour Roll of
Victorians
Group portrait of the
personnel of the 2nd Sanitary Section attached to the 5th Division at Samer,
France. Photo taken 30 December 1917. John Norman Bartley is the short man, 4th
from the right in the back row.
18150 Pte John Norman
Bartley of the 1st Sanitary Section of the Australian Medical Corps
Twenty-one
year old John Bartley was from Northcote but taught at Coburg High School at
the time of his enlistment and is listed on the Coburg High School honour board. He
enlisted in October 1916, embarked August 1917, was sent to hospital in London
with influenza in February 1919 and returned to Australia a month later. Unlike so many others, he
survived the war and the influenza.
68888 Pte Edward Theodore
Ebbels of the 15th Reinforcements.
Nineteen
year old Edward Ebbels of Brunswick was teaching at the Moreland School at the
time of his enlistment in 1918. He did not see service because the war was over
by the time he reached Europe.
Raymond Gardiner. Image courtesy AWM, P05248.047
2325 Pte Raymond Aubrey Gardiner of the 38th
Infantry Battalion.
He and his brother Reg were Coburg boys. They attended Coburg State
School and are featured in the Coburg State School Soldier’s Book that can be
consulted at the Coburg Historical Society Museum (82 Bell Street, Coburg on
the 1st Sunday of the month, except January, from 2 to 4.30pm). The
family lived at 18 Chandos Street, Coburg, although at the time of enlistment 26
year old Raymond was head teacher of SS3316 Cororac South, in rural Victoria. He
enlisted in July 1917 and was killed in action at Ypres only three months
later. At the time of his death, his father Alexander was engaged in war work
in England, his brother Reg was serving as a Lieutenant in the 55th
Infantry Battalian and another brother Claude was in camp at Broadmeadows.
303 Lieutenant Reginald Scott Gardiner of
the 55th Infantry Battalion
At the time of enlistment, Reg Gardiner was a 22 year old student
teacher and resident at the Teachers’ College in Parkville. He suffered from
influenza in 1915 at Gallipoli and was gassed in November 1917. He was awarded
the Meritorious Service Medal and returned to Australia in May 1919. On his
return he completed a law degree and on 1 March 1922 was admitted to the bar as
a barrister and solicitor. He did not survive the war long, however, and died
on 14 November 1922 at home in Chandos Street, Coburg. He is buried at Fawkner
Cemetery. (Argus, 2 March 1922, p.6)
Image courtesy AWM, DASEY1422. Photographed by Darge Photographic Company, c. 1915
24 Sgt Woolstan James Govan
of the 13th Light Horse Regiment
At
the time of his enlistment, Woolstan Govan was the Head Teacher at SS2287
Mangalore. His brother Gavan was a clerk in the Lands Department. He did not
see action because he died of a heart attack on 2 April 1916, shortly after
arriving in France.
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