Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reproduced in part from 'Diggers and Mates' published by the Department of Veteran Affairs' NSW 1995

Glen Bracken was born at Dulwich Hill, Sydney, on 17th January 1895, the son of an architect and the grandson of the headmaster of the Prepatory School, St Marks, Darling Point which later formed part of Sydney Grammar. He had a happy boyhood and a privileged schooling, completing his schooldays at Newington College. Sport and fishing were interests he shared with his father and they would ride their bikes over dirt roads, from Summer Hill to Cronulla for a day's fishing. After trying and rejecting further education at Hurlstone Agricultural College, he embarked upon a banking career with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney. 

He was profoundly influenced by what had happened to the Australian forces on the original landing at Gallipoli. The propaganda machine was placing enormous pressure on all young men and local communities were presenting white feathers to those who had not signed on. That anyone would consider him a coward was unthinkable, so on the 4th of June 1915 he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force in Brisbane (after previously being rejected in NSW), Private 1661, 25th Battalion. During training he formed a close bond with another Queensland recruit, Scottish immigrant Private 1652, Robert Armstrong of Bell. They sailed together on the HMTS Shropshire in August 1915, bound for the Gallipoli Peninsular via Egypt. On arrival at Gallipoli in October, he was positioned at the Apex - the most advanced position on the Allied lines where showing yourself to the enemy was often fatal. 

Glen believed he was one of the lucky ones; by the time he reached Gallipoli, the worst of the fighting was over. Still on the 27th October, a sudden Turkish bombardment killed 4 members of the 25th Battalion including his mate Robert Armstrong sitting next to him during a meal break, Glen did not receive a scratch. They had been on the Peninsular for 15 days. His Battalion was among the last soldiers removed in the brilliant evacuation of Gallipoli on 19th December whereafter they went to Egypt for rest and recuperation.

At this time an officer asked if anyone knew anything about camels. Young Glen, during his days in the bank at remote Bourke NSW, used to see the Afghan camel trains passing the window, and so volunteered his limited understanding of that strange and somewhat temperamental animal. He was transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps, serving with them in Egypt, Sinai and Palestine. In Palestine he took part in the Battles of Gaza. After the Second Battle of Gaza he developed appendicitis and required urgent surgery. He was taken the two miles by cart, without springs or rubber tyres, to Ismailia for surgery without anaesthetic! His recovery was reasonably uneventful for the times and conditions, and he returned to the Corps in Palestine. 

With the scaling back of camel operations in Palestine due to the unsuitable terrain, in December 1917 Glen transferred to the 1st Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, and served with them in Lebanon and Syria untiil the end of the war. He always maintained that the glimpse of camels passing a window in Bourke saved his life, for the rest of the Battalion were sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium, where many of them were to die in appalling conditions. According to the Australian War Memorial, statistically the 25th Battalion had the highest amount of Australian casualties in WW1 - 1,026 killed and 2,821 wounded!

Following his return to Australia on board HMTS Port Sydney, and discharge from Military Service on 21st June 1919, Glen embarked once more on his chosen career of banking which took him from Moree in Western NSW to many other country towns including Picton, Singleton and Pambula, before eventually finishing his bank service and then retiring in Wingham. He rose to the position of manager.

In 1921 he married the girl he left behind when he enlisted to serve his country. Their love and partnership was to last almost sixty years. Sport was his great love, particularly golf and lawn bowls; however he had a good voice singing in amateur musical productions; he was a mason for seventy years and a life long member of the RSL. Glen also served as a church warden in every parish that he lived. In 1986 after his wife's death and a stroke, he moved to Campbelltown NSW to be with his daughter.

In 1990 Glen had applied for and was selected as one of many diggers to return to Gallipoli for the 75th Anzac Commemoration. The 95 year old made a late decision to withdraw however as he did not want to be a burden for anyone. 

Edward Glen Bracken was never a burden to anyone, he died peacefully on 20th September 1994 aged 99 years. He left 3 children and 13 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren who are all grateful for his glimpse of camels in Bourke.

Richard Noble (grandson)