Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Oliver Stanley Pollard was born in 1886; he was a Methodist market gardener who lived in Forest Range, South Australia. He was a single man who lived with his mother and father Mrs. Susannah Walker and Mr Joseph Pollard in forest range. He enlisted for the Great War on the 28th April 1916 and his rank at his enlistment time was private. Oliver’s regimental number was 2621 and when he enlisted he was 30 years old. On the 23rd of October 1916, Oliver Stanley Pollard embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, he was on board the HMAT A16 Port Melbourne. Oliver fought on the Western Front in the 50th battalion, 6th reinforcement and his AMW embarkation roll number was 23/67/3. His rank from nominal roll was lance corporal and his unit from roll number was in the 50th battalion.

The 50th battalion was raised in Egypt on the 26th of February 1916. Half of the people in the battalion were originally from the 10th battalion and the other half were from the 50th battalion; most of the people in total from the 50th were South Australian. The battalion became a part of the 13th brigade of the 4th Australian division. After arriving in France on the 11th of June 1916, the 50th fought in its first major battle at Mouuquet Farm between the 13th and 15th of August and suffered heavily. They took part in another assault launched there on the 3rd September.

Oliver had other family, He has sisters and brother’s whose names were:

William Jarvis, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 6 November 1870)

Edward Henry, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 16 October 1871)

George Joseph, (born in MT Barker, SA, born 13 May 1873)

Sarah Jane, (born Mt in Barker, SA, 2 April 1874, died in Mt Barker, SA 13 August 1892)

Rhoda Elizabeth, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 2 April 1878, married name Dockett)

Frank Leslie, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 4 June 1880)

Herbert Oliver, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 11 October 1883)

Sydney Ernest, (born in Mt Barker, SA, 24 February 1891, died 11 April 1919)

Oliver died in action on the 10th of June 1917 and he today has no known grave. Some of the memorials he has been commemorated at are: the Adelaide 1 National War Memorial, Lenswood & Forest Range M1, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth memorial to the missing of the Ypres salient,) Mount Barker HB1, Mount Barker WW1 War Memorial and Woodside- District of Onkaparinga WW1.

By Caitlin Cearns 

Bibliography 

Roll of Honor: Oliver Stanley Pollard | Australian War Memorial. 2016. Roll of Honor: Oliver Stanley Pollard | Australian War Memorial. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1654526/. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

History Group: World War One. 2016. Pollard, Oliver Stanley | History Group: World War One. [ONLINE] Available at: https://frlhganzac.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/pollard-oliver-stanley/. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

2016. Details. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=242983. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

POLLARD Oliver Stanley: Service Number - 2621: Place of Birth - Mount Barker SA: Place of Enlistment - Adelaide SA: Next of Kin - (Mother) POLLARD Susanna | Discovering Anzacs | National Archives of Australia and Archives NZ. 2016. POLLARD Oliver Stanley: Service Number - 2621: Place of Birth - Mount Barker SA: Place of Enlistment - Adelaide SA: Next of Kin - (Mother) POLLARD Susanna | Discovering Anzacs | National Archives of Australia and Archives NZ. [ONLINE] Available at: http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/records/156690. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

Oliver Stanley Pollard | Discovering Anzacs | National Archives of Australia and Archives NZ. 2016. Oliver Stanley Pollard | Discovering Anzacs | National Archives of Australia and Archives NZ. [ONLINE] Available at: http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/282172. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

AncientFaces. 2016. Oliver Stanley Pollard (died 1917) - Genealogy and Biography. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ancientfaces.com/person/oliver-stanley-pollard/164719063. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

Oliver Stanley Pollard. 2016. Oliver Stanley Pollard. [ONLINE] Available at: https://nekropole.info/lv/Oliver-Stanley-Pollard. [Accessed 10 May 2016].

Centennial Park. 2016. Stanley Oliver Pollard - Centennial Park. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/stanley-oliver-pollard-587317/. [Accessed 10 May 2016].