Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From: In Remembrance: Hungerford and Associated Families in the Great War 1914-1918

Pte Lovick Tyrrell 'Tyrrell' GARLAND,
Regimental Number: 1570
Unit Name: 8th Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcement

Religion: Church of England
Occupation: Grazier
Address: Union Bank, Hamilton, Vic.
Age at Enlistment: 20 years
Enlistment Date and Place: 30 July 1915, Melbourne, Vic.
Next of Kin: Father, James Garland, Union Bank, Hamilton, Vic.
Rank on Enlistment: Private
Embarkation Details: Unit embarked from Melbourne, Vic., on board HMAT A11 Ascanius, on 10 November 1915
Rank from Nominal Roll: Private
Unit from Nominal Roll: 8th Light Horse Regiment
Campaigns Served: Egypt
War Service/Promotions: Reported for duty, Heliopolis, Egypt, 26 December 1915. Marched out to Serapeum ex Heliopolis on 26 February 1916, where he was Taken on Strength, 12/8th Light Horse Reinforcements. Admitted sick to hospital, 23 April 1916, returned to duty 26 April 1916. Admitted to 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, 15 August 1916, then returned to duty 20 August 1916. He passed as 2nd Class Gunner in 8th Light Horse, on 19 March 1917. Sick to Military Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, on 5 May 1917, and admitted to 14 Australian General Hospital. Discharged on 1 July 1917 to Moascar, Egypt, from 14th A.G. Hospital, Abbassia, Egypt. Taken on Strength the same day. Trooper detached to Headquarters on 31 July 1917, and Taken on Strength same day. Struck off Strength at Moascar on 25 September 1917. Transferred to 8th Light Horse Regiment on 26 September 1917. To be acting Lance Corporal, 8 December 1917. On 26 February 1918 to Port Said Rest Camp, Egypt, returning from rest camp on 10 March 1918. Then on 25 April 1918 to School of Instruction, El Arish, Jericho, Palestine, returning on 22 May 1918. To be T/Corporal on 13 June 1918. To Hospital 31 July 1918 with sprained ankle, received by slipping on a stone while avoiding enemy fire the day before. Then to Jerusalem, Palestine (now Israel) and the 34 Casualty Clearing Hospital on 2 August 1918. Admitted to 47th Stationary Hospital, Gaza, Palestine, with malaria on 8 August 1918. Transferred to 31 General Hospital, Abbassia on 17 August 1918 with severe malaria. Discharged on 7 September 1918. Marched in to rest camp Moascar, 12 September 1918. Marched out to his regiment on 27 September 1918. Promoted to Temporary Vice Corporal on same day. On 10 November ceased to hold temporary rank. On 22 March 1919 marched out to 3rd Brigade Motor Corps. Temporary vice Sergeant on 10 May 1919, till return home.
Fate: Returned to Australia per HT Malta, 3 July 1919, disembarking 7 August 1919. He married Coriene Ruth Browne ('Toby'), 31 March 1930, 'Greylands' Station, Delungra, NSW.
Place of Death: 18 April 1972, Dunkeld, Vic.
Place of Cremation: Northern Suburbs Crematorium, North Ryde, NSW
Medals/Citations: 1914/15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal

The following are extracts reproduced from an article titled The private war of Sgt Tyrell Garland in The Sun Herald, 24 April, 1977, pages 41-42: (Note: Tyrell was spelt incorrectly, should be Tyrrell.)
'This is the dairy of one who will not be marching. The pages are yellowed with age, and the pencilled writing often scrawled and stuttered. Reading them, you feel the guilt of an intruder. Without heroics or faniciful feats of arms, it is a humble account of the private war of Sergeant Lovick Tyrrell Garland. That was his rank when he was demobilised in November 1919, after serving 1,367 days in the Middle East during World War I as a member of the Third Light Horse Brigade.

Tyrrell Garland (he was mostly known by that name) was a 19-years-old jackaroo when he joined the First AIF in July, 1915. He had signed on for the duration for the sum of 2 pounds and 2 shillings a fortnight. Extracts from one diary which could be deciphered showed that your Private Garland probably first saw action in September 1916. Briefly he Wrote: 'Attacked by Turks at 10 am. Casualties one horse, three men killed out of 20.' And the same day: 'Aeroplanes bombed camp. No Casualties.' In another entry on December 21, he wrote: 'Reached El Arish unopposed, and joined up with Brigade. Got order to move out for Magdhaba. Riding all night. Reached objective 5 am. Took up positions at 10 am, and went forward at 1 pm. Charged, and enemy surrendered.' This was a modest account of the battle of Magdhaba. A historian of the time recorded: 'The Magdhaba defences were well sited, yet an attack would have to succeed within a few hours, or be forced by lack of water to return to El Arish. Light Horse and cameleers assaulted the place on December 23, and broke the enemy’s resistance just as orders came to retire.'

Private Garland inserted in his dairy, Along with a picture: 'Turkisk flag taken by C Squadron, taken at Magdhaba. We do not look too bad considering we had not had a minute’s rest in 56 hours and water for 52 hours.' Then followed sketchy reports of other actions. He wrote: 'Jerry and Alf were wounded on April 19. It was hell. Four men including myself, a sergeant and a corporal cam back out of 20 that went it.' Then followed a lull in the fighting and sometimes a little levity. For instance: 'Went out with camels and captured six bags of melons.' And: 'Went into Cairo to see one of my mates. Pass did not come through so went without. Was caught and interned in barracks. After great deal of trouble was released and taken back to camp under escort.'

On March 23, 1917, he wrote: 'Moved for Gaza 5 am. Small arguments all day but nothing definite done. Enemy strongly entrenched. Stood to arms but rations very short. Had to resort to iron rations. General advance. Heavy fighting all day. We have been told to hold postions all night. Few lively moments with the enemy. Galloped for over a mile under heavy fire. Enemy big guns sped us along. One of our planes came down in flames. The siege of Gaza is at a standstill. Everything quiet. One wonders what is going to happen next.'

And from the next extract: 'Heavy bombardment and rifle fire. Noise of guns almost continuous, and like rumbling thunder. Everything spells war.' Private Garland wrote that his trousers were getting sadly worn and that his horse, Paddy, had 'gone under at last.' On April 19, 1917, Private Garland underlined in his diary FIGHT FOR GAZA, and this was his brief account: 'General Royston led us at the gallop. The enemy directly in front surrendered, and we yelled ourselves hoarse to stop the others from firing. We gathered in the prisoners, and sent them to the rear. Awful blood and death everywhere. Fighting all night. If anything tends towards pertetual motion, we poor beggars of soldiers do. One does not get much rest, and I wish to hell the war would end. We have got cold feet at last, and we are not ashamed of it.'

He wrote about the scorching winds, the sickness, the heat, and the never-ending care of the horses. The war stopped briefly because it was election day. Australia (May 5 1917) and 'every man of age was required to vote.' There was an outbreak of influenza, and Private Garland was one of the victims. He was sent to a hospital, and this was bombed by the Turks. He survived, but more than half the patients died during the onslaught. He wrote: 'The most nerve wracking two hours I have experienced or witnesssed. Some awful sounds.' There was a second battle for Gaza, and Private Garland rode with the Third Light Horse Brigade. Another historian wrote of this battle: 'The Australians fought dismounted on the right flank, and the day was the bloodiest our men have known in their Palestine fighting. For many hours they pressed forward in the face of heavy and well directed high explosive, shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire. But they beat the Turks back. They will rank with the best performances of Australian infantry in the war.'

After his return to Australia he settled on a property called 'Bingara', near Tamworth. He re-enlisted in the Second AIF during World War II and volunteered for duty overseas. However, he couldn’t disguise his wounds, and was given a desk job at Eastern Command, Marrickville, with the rank of Warrant Officer Class Two. Mrs. Toby Garland said: 'Tyrrell loathed war, but he had a sense of duty.'