Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Louis and Mary Ann Delley of Dallamil, Queensland 

His father Louis said of his son Joseph;

"He was determined to go to the war, though rejected 9 times, he underwent 2 operations and passed. A good son and brave lad, never tasted strong drink, no cigarettes in his life."

Joseph Delley was the elder of two sons born to Louis and MaryAnn Delley in Bundaberg. The boys attended school at South Bundaberg and Mount Perry State Schools. By the time that Joseph presented himself for enlistment in Brisbane on 16th March 1916, the family had taken up farming at Tarwah, Dallarnil. It is possible that Joseph and Charles had attempted to enlist together but both were rejected. Joseph’s attestation papers record that he had been rejected nine times which might have been at a number of recruiting centres. The cause of Joseph’s rejection was almost certainly filaria.
 
Filaria is caused by an infestation of a nematode type worm which infects the lymph nodes and in men may produce swelling of the testicles. Some forms of the disease also cause elephantitis. Filaria, the larvae of which are spread by mosquitoes, was present in South East Queensland at the time, probably having been introduced by South Sea Islanders who were indentured to work in the sugar industry. The fact that the family had lived in the Bundaberg district for some time heightened their exposure and the boys may well have had the infection since childhood. Joseph’s file indicates that he had four operation scars in his groin and abdomen. He also had a bullet wound in his thigh.
 
Joseph’s efforts to fight for his country were finally realised and he was accepted into the AIF. He spent some time in a depot battalion at Enoggera before being allocated as part of the 15th reinforcements for the 26th Infantry Battalion; the sister battalion of the 25th which was his brother Charles’ battalion. On 7thSeptember 1916, Joseph boarded the “Clan McGillivray” in Brisbane and arrived in Plymouth on 21stNovember. Joseph was marched into the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone and probably was reunited with his younger brother Charles who was also attached to the 7th Training Battalion.
 
Joseph was shipped off to France quite quickly and he had joined the 26th Battalion in the rear areas at Fricourt on 19th December 1916. Joseph was in the battalion lines for about three weeks before reporting sick on 7th January 1917. He was shipped out to the Northampton War Hospital where he was assessed as suffering from filariasis. In spite of the treatments Joseph received before he was accepted for service in the AIF, his filaria infection had flared up again. In fact, even in the present day, filariasis cannot be cured, only managed. Joseph almost nine months in hospital and convalescent depots before being classed as fit for duty. He spent a month in a training battalion at Hurdcott before crossing the channel once more to re-join his battalion.
 
By the time that Joseph arrived back with the 26th Battalion, the entire AIF had been withdrawn from the front in Belgium. The 26th spent time in training, re-equipping and rest after a gruelling campaign in the mud around Ypres. The 26th was rotated in and out of the line at Warneton as winter set in.
 
The British Commander on the Western Front, General Douglas Haig, was anticipating a large German offensive in the spring of 1918. Haig incorrectly guessed that the main thrust of the offensive would be in Flanders and he kept his best troops, the Australian divisions in Flanders to be ready to meet an attack.
 
The Spring Offensive began on 21st March 1918; but not in Flanders. The German blitzkrieg was aimed back along the old battlefields of the Somme in France. Haig began to shift most of the AIF divisions to the Somme to defend Amiens. The 26th Battalion travelled by bus, train and forced march to arrive in a defensive position on the south bank of the Somme in early April. This area was virgin battlefield and there were few pre-existing defences. When in the line, the Australians had to dig a series of forward posts while under observation by enemy aircraft, and then join the posts up into one firing line. By the end of April, the German advance had been halted in front of Amiens. The Australian Corps Commander John Monash had his troops engage in harassment and active patrolling at night to unsettle the enemy through May and June.
 
Joseph was hospitalised in the Rouen Military Hospital with a case of gonorrhoea on 20th June. While he was receiving treatment, the 26th Battalion was engaged in several major battles at Hamel and the Battle of Amiens, which turned the tide on the Somme battlefield. The 26th also captured a German tank which had become bogged. The tank, Mephisto, was shipped to Queensland as a war trophy and gifted to the Queensland Museum where it has remained until the present day.
 
Joseph returned his battalion on 23rd September. At this stage in the war, the Australian forces were exhausted after three and a half years of fighting. Battalions such as the 26th were down to half strength and it was thought that there was probably only one more fight left in them. This occurred on the night of 1st/ 2ndOctober when the battalion pressed home an attack against the Hindenburg Line across the Torrens Canal.
 
Ten days after the Hindenburg attack, the 25th Battalion and the 26th Battalion were combined into a single unit; the 25th Battalion ceased to exist. Regardless of the strength of the newly constituted battalion, the 26thBattalion would see no further action. On the day that the two groups of survivors were combined, Joseph Deeley was granted a period of leave in England.
 
While still on leave, Joseph reported to the Boscombe Military Hospital on 24th October with severe pneumonia. Joseph died on the 11th November 1918, the day the war ended. The official cause of death was influenza and septicaemia. Joseph was buried one week after his death in the Bournemouth East cemetery with full military honours; which included a gun carriage, firing party and the coffin draped in the Union Jack. Relatives from Bournemouth and Lancashire were in attendance.
 
When completing the Roll of Honour Circular after Joseph’s death, his father stated that Joseph was “determined to go to the war. He was a good son and a brave lad who never touched drink or tobacco.”

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Joseph Louis Delley was born at Bundaberg, Queensland on 3rd November, 1895 to parents Louis & Mary Ann Delley (nee Absalom). (Listed on Queensland BDM’s as Joseph Louis Delby).

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 16th March, 1916 as a 21 year old, single, Farmer from Brisbane, Queensland.

According to information provided by his father for the Roll of Honour – Joseph Delley was rejected 9 times. He underwent 2 operations & was then approved to enlist. He stated on his Attestation Papers that he had been rejected 9 times due to Filaria.

Private Joseph Louis Delley, Service number 5575, embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on HMAT Clan McGillivray  (A46) on  7th September, 1916 with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 26th Infantry Battalion, 15th Reinforcements  & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 2nd November, 1916.

Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.

He was marched in to 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone, Wiltshire, England on 21st November, 1916.

On 13th December, 1916 Private  Delley proceeded overseas to France on S.S. Victoria from 7th Training Battalion. He was marched in to 2nd Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, France on 14th December, 1916. Private Delley proceeded to join his Unit on 17th December, 1916 from 2nd Divisional Base Depot & was taken on strength of 26th Battalion in France on 19th December, 1916 from Reinforcements.

Private Delley was sent to 1st Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to 1st Anzac R. R. Station on 7th January, 1917 – cause N.Y.D. (not yet determined). He was transferred & admitted to 36th Casualty Clearing Station on 8th January, 1917 then transferred to Ambulance Train on 9th January, 1917. Private Delley was admitted to No. 6 General Hospital at Rouen, France on 9th January, 1917 – N.Y.D. He was marked for transfer to England on 20th January, 1917. Private Delley embarked from Havre, France on 21st November, 1917 on Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle with Filaria Sarguinis Hominis.

He was admitted to Northamptonshire War Hospital, England on 22nd January, 1917. Private Delley was transferred to 1st Auxiliary Hospital on 14th February, 1917. He was granted furlo from 23rd March, 1917 & was then to report to Perham Downs on 7th April, 1917.

On 9th April, 1917 Private Delley was marched in from furlo to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England.

Private Joseph Louis Delley was transferred to 69th Battalion on 24th April, 1917 from 26th Battalion. He was taken on strength of 69th Battalion at Wareham on 24th April, 1917.

He was transferred back to 26th Battalion on 19th September, 1917. He was marched out to Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 19th September, 1917 to join 69th Draft Battalion.

On 14th October, 1917 Private Delley proceeded overseas to France from Hurdcott. He was marched in to 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot at Havre, France on 15th October, 1917. Private Delley was marched out to join his Unit on 18th October, 1917 & was taken on strength of 26th Battalion in Belgium on 20th October, 1917.

Private Delley was on leave to Paris from 13th March, 1918. He rejoined his Battalion in Belgium on 20th March, 1918 from Leave in Paris.

He reported sick on 20th June, 1918 & was admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance with Gonorrhoea. Private Delley was transferred to 5th Casualty Clearing Station on 20th June, 1918 then transferred to 12th Casualty Clearing Station on 21st June, 1918.He was transferred to Ambulance Train 9 on 30th June, 1918. Private Delley was admitted to 39th General Hospital in France on 5th July, 1918 – NYD (not yet determined). He was discharged to Base Depot on 12th September, 1918 having V.D. for 85 days.

On 12th September, 1918 Private Delley was marched in to A.I.B.D. (Australian Infantry Base Depot) in France. He proceeded from A.I.B.D. on 22nd September, 1918 to join his Unit & rejoined his Battalion on 23rd September, 1918.

Private Delley proceeded on leave to UK from 12th October, 1918.

He was admitted to Military Hospital at Boscombe, Hampshire, England on 27th October, 1918 with Pneumonia (severe) whilst on leave from France.

Private Joseph Louis Delley died at 6 pm on 11th November, 1918 at Military Hospital, Boscombe, Hampshire, England from Influenza & Septicaemia.

He was buried in Bournemouth East Cemetery, Bournemouth, Dorset, England.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/bournemouth-east.html