57124
BEMOLD, Cyril Ardreanist
| Service Number: | 4255 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 October 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Marion, South Australia, 13 May 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Brighton |
| Occupation: | Fruit Hawker |
| Died: | Died of Illness (Pneumonia), Brighton, South Australia, 18 September 1938, aged 42 years |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) AIF section - Row 1A, Grave No. 2 East |
| Memorials: | Brighton Arch of Remembrance, Brighton WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4255, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Nov 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4255, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4255, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Jun 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 | |
| 19 Feb 1920: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal, For conspicuous gallantry and initiative during the operations near Bellicourt, between 29 September and 1 October 1918. While his company was advancing near Magny-la-Fosse he single handed, rushed forward and attacked an enemy machine gun post, securing the entire crews, comprising one officer and thirteen other ranks, together with a machine gun. He also did splendid work as observer and platoon runner. Throughout he showed marked courage and ability. | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 32nd Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
Grandfather - Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
"Awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal on the 17 June 1919 for Conspicuous Gallantry and initiative during the operations near Bellicourt, between 29th Sept and 1st Oct 1918 while his company was advancing near Nagny-la-Fosse, he , single-handed rushed forward and attacked an enemy machine- gun post,securingthe entire crews,comprising one officer and thirteen other ranks,together with a machine-gun .he also did splendid work as observer and platoon runner throughout he showed marked courage and ability".
Rank: PrivateService Number: 4255
Unit: 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion
Service: Army
Conflict: First World War, 1914-1918
Award: Distinguished Conduct Medal
Date of Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 17 June 1919
Location in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: Page 1012, position 77
Date of London Gazette: 12 March 1919
Location in London Gazette: Page 3392, position 7
Submitted 21 August 2014
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From How We Served
4245 Private Cyril Ardrearnst Bemold DCM of Adelaide, South Australia had been employed as a fruit hawker prior to his enlistment for War Service on the 3rd of October 1916 and was allocated to reinforcements for the 32nd Battalion 1st AIF.
Departing Australia on the 7th of November, Cyril was embarked for England and further training, and following this he was sent over to France, arriving at the ‘Bull Ring’ at Etaples on the 11th of April 1917. Having completed his last phases of training Cyril joined his unit in the trenches on the 21st of April, and his service after being taken on strength would be continuous until he was evacuated due to sickness on the 5th of January 1918.
By the 9th of February he had returned to England and was admitted into hospital at Harefield. Cyril would not be deemed fit enough to be returned to France until the 13th of April and by the 3rd of June he had re-joined his Unit in the field. Within months of his return Cyril was recommended for, and was to receive the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his valour during operations in the vicinity of Bellicourt.
His citation reads as follows; - 'For conspicuous gallantry and initiative during the operations near Bellicourt, between 29 September and 1 October 1918. While his company was advancing near Magny-la-Fosse he single handed, rushed forward and attacked an enemy machine gun post, securing the entire crews, comprising one officer and thirteen other ranks, together with a machine gun. He also did splendid work as observer and platoon runner. Throughout he showed marked courage and ability.’.
Cyril would remain in France until after the War’s end, and on the 28th of February 1919 he was sent back to England to await his repatriation to Australia which he would embark for on the 1st of March. After having returned to Adelaide, Cyril was formally discharged from the 1st AIF on the 11th of April 1919 and was re-entered back into civilian life. It is noted that Cyril’s health had been greatly affected by his time serving in the 1st AIF and on the 18th of September 1938 he died due to the effects of phenomena at the age of 42.
Following his premature passing Private Cyril Bemold DCM was formally laid to rest within West Terrace Cemetery, South Australia.
Biography
Cyril Bemold was born at Marion, a SW suburb of Adelaide on 13 May 1896, the son of . He was educated at Brighton.
He enlisted aged 20 years old on 3 October 1916, his occupation at the time listed as Fruit Hawker.
He was assigned to the 11th Reinforcements of the 32nd Battalion, which at that time had been significantly depleted by horrendous losses at Fromelles and was reinforcing in France. But it would be some time before the 11the reinforcements reached them in the Field. Cyril embarked with his colleagues on 7 November 1916, barely a month after enlistment, on the HMAT Afric A19.
War service: Western Front
Embarked Adelaide, 7 November 1916; admitted to ship's hospital at sea, 26 December 1916; discharged from ship's hospital, 27 December 1916; admitted to ship's hospital, 3 January 1917; discharged from ship's hospital, 5 January 1917; disembarked Plymouth, England, 9 January 1917.
Between then and early April he undertook training to preapre him for fighting in the trenches of France and Belgium.
After completion of his training he proceeded overseas to France, 10 April 1917; reverted to Private, 11 April 1917; taken on strength, 32nd Bn, in the field, 21 April 1917 in the midst of the big German retreat to the Hindenburg line.
Appointed Lance Corporal, 26 April 1917.
Admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 18 July 1917 (injury to head); discharged to duty, 19 July 1917.
Admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 5 January 1918 (varicose veins, left leg), and transferred same day to 3rd Canadian General Hospital, Boulogne; transferred to Base Depot, Havre, 8 February 1918.
Admitted to 40th Stationary Hospital, Harfleur, 9 February 1918 (varicose veins, left leg); transferred to No 4 Convalescent Depot, 13 March 1918; to Base Depot, Havre, 27 April 1918; rejoined 32nd Bn, in the field, 3 June 1918.
Found guilty, 11 June 1918, of being absent without leave in that he was absent from his billet without permission on 7 June 1918 and was absent when Company marched out to new billets on 7 June 1918: reverted to Private.
On leave to United Kingdom, 10 August 1918; rejoined Bn, in the field, 30 August 1918, by which time the great Allied offensive was under way.
He was repatriated back to Australia on the 'Fort Denison' in March 1919 arriving in Adelaide on 8 May 1919. AFter administrative procedures at Keswick Barracks he was discharged on 15 June 1919. Like many of his peers, Cyril suffered from the effects of his war service and died within 20 years of the War's end. He died aged just 42 years old in 1938 from pneumonia. His death was attributed to his war service. He is buried in the AIF cemetery at West Terrace.
War service: 2 years 256 days (of which 2 years 183 days were abroad)
Medals:
Distinguished Conduct Medal
British War Medal,
Victory Medal
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