CALCUTT, Brendan
| Service Number: | 2124 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 April 1915, Echuca, Victoria, Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Williamstown, Victoria, Australia, 1896 |
| Home Town: | Williamstown, Hobsons Bay, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria; Longerenong Agricultural College |
| Occupation: | Timekeeper Victorian Railways |
| Died: | Septicaemia, Belemedik, Turkey, 18 December 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery Plot XX1, Row U, Grave 2, Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Melbourne Grammar School WW1 Fallen Honour Roll, Williamstown Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Echuca, Victoria, Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2124, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2124, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Melbourne | |
| 8 Aug 1915: | Imprisoned The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, Reported missing 8 August 1915. Confirmed POW 26 August 1915. Died of septicaemia, Belemedek, 18 December 1916. | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 14th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Captured 8 August 1915 – During the (unsuccessful) attack on Hill 971 as part of the Gallipoli August Offensive (along with Lone Pine, The Nek). There is a very high probability Brendan Calcutt was captured at or near a place called Abdel Rahman Bair, which is the ridge line immediately before, and leading up to Hill 971.
On 8 August, Monash’s exhausted 4th Brigade troops (they had already been in action for more than 24 hours) were attempting to seize Abdel Rahman Bair when they were caught in the open by well sighted Turkish machine guns and were driven back with significant casualties.
The official 14th Battalion unit diary of 8 August 1915 records:
03:00 “…..an advance was made under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and consequently casualties were very heavy. After the 15th Battalion on our immediate front had practically withered away, the 14th continued to advance suffering heavily and the Turks were met in great force on our front and left. As we drove them back they counter attacked on our left flank several times.
The Battalion thus got very split up and it is impossible to say exactly what happened. Orders were then issued to dig in and consolidate the position gained……”
“A Sikh Machine Gun detachment took up a position to protect our left and rear from attack. Here the enemy’s shrapnel opened up on our shallow fire pits and considerable damage was done. No reply whatever was made by our artillery and our men continued to suffer from shrapnel casualties.”
08:30 “…..order to retire received……stating that the whole Brigade was retiring. Orders were immediately issued to collect all wounded, arms and equipment and take same to behind the lines.
10:00 “Retirement completed and all get atable (sic) wounded and arms brought back.”
The ANZACs never again penetrated this far inland. The action has also been described by some as the worst day of the entire war for the 14th Battalion (save perhaps for Bullecourt in 1917).
Official Battalion casualties from the actions on 8 August totalled 254 (from a starting Battalion strength of 806) and included: 36 Killed, 93 wounded and 128 missing
Source: 14th Btn unit diary
Biography
14 Battalion
Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 1 August 1915.
Reported missing, Gallipoli, 8 August 1915.
Reported prisoner of war, Constantinople, 26 August 1915.
Interned at Bazanti, nr Taurus, Turkey, 21 February 1916.
Died of septicaemia, Belemedek, 18 December 1916.
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Son of Joseph Richard and Lucinda Matilda Calcutt, of 12, Victoria St., Williamstown, Victoria, Australia
Brother of Charles and Robert served in the Boer War; Gerald, 7th LH and Clare, 8th LH served at Gallipoli
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