Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Jack Siseman was not quite 19 years of age when he died during the taking of Pozieres village. An English lad, he come out to Australia when he was 16 years of age.

A letter was published in the Wellington Times (NSW) during September 1916, entitled, Letters from the Front, Pte. Will Reidy of Wellington, NSW. Will Reidy won a Military Medal during the war and was a great mate of Jack Siseman. He published several death notices in memory of Siseman.

“Private Will Reidy writes to his mother from France (5/8/16):— At last I am able to pull myself together enough to write you a line or two, and to tell you of the bad news, and really I don't know how to break it. The news of the death of dear old Jack Siseman. I know, you will be shocked, dear Mum, and very sorry, but try not to worry, as you know someone has to go, and we all have to die, sooner or later, and what better death can anyone have than die fighting for his country. You can't imagine how I miss poor Jack, who I always regarded as my brother, and we had been together for twelve months, and to have him killed, alongside of me was awful. I'll never forget the calm and peaceful look on his face the last time I saw him, lying among the dead on the battlefield. I will now tell you how it happened, as far as possible, but there is a lot of little things too terrible to tell you of, and if I tried to describe the charge, it would only be a waste of time, as you could not realise it. Well, on Saturday afternoon, 22nd July, Jack and I shook hands and wished each other safely through the venture of the early hours of Sunday morning, and we promised each other if either happened to get killed that we would let each other's people know, and little did I think that in less than twelve hours afterwards Jack, the best mate I ever had would be dead. Just after midnight on the same night, Jack, another mate of ours, and myself were sitting together having a yarn, waiting for the time to "hop over," when all at once a German gas shell landed almost on top of us. When I came to my senses, I was lying face downwards almost completely buried, gasping for breath, with my stomach running around like a merry-go-round. I at once recognised the smell of gas, and felt for my helmet. The first one I got hold of was damaged by the shell, and I then grabbed the other, and put it on, and it was like walking out of a red-hot furnace, into an ice chest (my word Mum the gas helmets are a great thing). I then looked around for my mates, and I saw Jack lying back dead, with a piece of shell through his forehead. I could hardly believe he was dead, and I kept shaking him. and asking him to speak to me, but he was gone. I then looked for my other mate, and he, too, poor chap, had shared Jack's fate. I took a vow over Jack's dead body that I would have my revenge and shoot every Hun I saw, and I got my revenge too just after….”