STOCK, Cyril John
| Service Numbers: | 3492, 4030 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 July 1915, Keswick, West Torrens, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Norwood, South Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Manoora, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk in Manoora Branch |
| Died: | Died of the effects of his service, Brinkworth, Wakefield, South Australia, 16 January 1930 |
| Cemetery: |
Brinkworth Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide English, Scottish & Australian (ES&A) Bank Great War Honour Roll, Brinkworth WW1 & WW2 War Memorial, Manoora Pictorial Honour Roll, Manoora Roll of Honour WW1, Port Lincoln & District Honor Roll WW1, Riverton Holy Trinity Anglican Church Honour Roll WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3492, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick, West Torrens, South Australia | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3492, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3492, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Nov 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: RMS Mongolia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' |
|
| 22 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, RMS Mongolia, Fremantle | |
| 23 Jul 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , Wounded - evacuated to the UK |
|
| 9 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres | |
| 11 May 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, Merris (France) | |
| 9 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days" | |
| 15 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 4030, 11th Infantry Battalion |
Military Medal
Cyril was awarded the Military Medal “for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during the period 16/17th September, 1918 to 11th November 1918. During the attack on VILLERET on the 18th September, 1918, Pte STOCK rendered valuable services throughout the operations showing great resource and initiative regardless of personal risk and was undoubtedly a great strength to his company’s morale.”
Submitted 29 November 2014 by tony griffin
Biography contributed by Kathleen Bambridge
He was awarded his Military medal by General Birdwood (UK) on 6 March 1920 in Adelaide.
Biography
Cyril John Stock was an 18 year old bank clerk originally from Norwood in Adelaide's eastern suburbs and then for a time in Port Lincoln, where his father resided and then in the employment of the bank at Manoora near Clare, when he enlisted in July 1915.
He had prior service in the 76th Battalion senior cadets under the Universal Training System. He had been working at the Manoora branch of the bank but cited his address as 'Norwood' on his enlistment documents.
There are two listings in the Embarkation Roll for Cyril John Stock - one Regt Number 3492 listed as the 11th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion, embarked HMAT Benalla 27 October 1915, the other details per this entry. Both share the same NoK but different street addresses. It is safe to assume they are the same person. It appears that he was enlisted and embarked as outlined above but was disembarked at Freemantle with Measles and re-embarked on 22 November with the 11th Battalion, with which he served throughout the war.
He disembarked in Searapeum in Egypt at the time the ANZAC force was re-organising in preparation for embarkation to join the British Expeditionary Force in France' Cyril was admitted to hospital with the Mumps in March 1916.
The 1st Division relocated to France and cycled through the Armentieres "Nursery" sector near Fromelles / Fleurbaix. In mid July they entrained for the Somme and shortly after on 23rd July, the fighting for Pozieres began.
He was wounded several times - on the first occasion at Pozieres / Mouquet farm, on 4 August 1916, the result of shrapnel wounds requiring evacuation to the UK. It appears he spent nearly 12 months at the convalescent hospital and at the Command Depot at Perham Downs in the UK before retuning to France in September 1917. by this time the Battalion was engaged in the Third Ypres campaign.
He was wounded again on 3 June 1918. AT this stage the Battalion wasd in action in northern France around Mont de Merris where the 1st Division was occupied for most of May - July 1918.
After recuperation and return to his unit in early August, the Battalion was by now engaged in the Last Hundred Days campaign was again wounded (3rd time) with a GSW (can variously be Gunshot wound or General Shrapnel Wound) and evacuated to the UK on 18 September 1918. It was during this action near Villeret on the approaches to the Hindenburg Line just to the East that he was recommended for and subsequently awarded the Military Medal. He was also awarded a Mention in Despatches with a group comprised entirely of senior NCO for services rendered to the Battalion between February 1918 and the date of his wounding. An unsubstantiated judgement is that it is highly likely he was a runner (message carrier) for either Battalion or a Company headquarters. It is a vital but high risk role which ties in with the tenor of both the MM and MID recommendations.
By the time he recovered the war was over and he was a priority for return to Australia.
Cyril commenced his return to Australia on board HMAT 'Demosthenes', 16 January 1919; disembarked Adelaide, 26 February 1919; discharged (cessation of hostilities), Adelaide, 15 April 1919.
Like many AIF veterans, Cyril died young, at only 33 years old in 1930. The circumstances of his death are yet to be established but his grave at the Brinkworth cemetery bears an AIF headstone like those at the AIF West Terrace Cemetery in Adelaide.
Medals:
Military Medal
1914/15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal and MID
Original entry by Tony Griffin. Additional research by Steve Larkins Jan 2015
Click images to start slideshow.