Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Andrew Day was born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales in 1894. His parents were Andrew and Catherine Day of Beaudesert Queensland. He was working as a labourer when the Great War began in 1914. 

Andrew enlisted in Brisbane on the 21st of August 1914 aged 19 years and 10 Months. His attestation papers describe him as five feet eight and a half inches tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

He was posted to A Squadron of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Enoggera, Queensland for initial training. Embarking in September of 1914, Andrew travelled to Albany, Western Australian on the troopship A15 Star of England. This convoy left Albany on the 1st of November 1914 and was the first with Australian troops heading for the Middle East for entry into the Great War.

The 1st AIF spent several months training in Egypt before embarking for Lemnos, Greece in March of 1915 and the commencement of the Gallipoli campaign, however the Light Horse Regiments were left in Egypt and entered at reinforcements in early May 1915.

Andrew spent several months in and out of the front line at what became known as ‘Quinn’s Post. On the 7th of August 1915, as a part of the August offensive, A Squadron of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment attacked the Turkish Trenches opposite Quinn’s Post. The attack was disastrous and in the first wave alone the unit had 14 men killed and 36 wounded. Andrew Day was one of the wounded, he received a bomb wound to his left wrist. He was evacuated to Heliopolis, Egypt for treatment and recovery. He spent 24 days in hospital.

Some time prior to March 1916 (likely January 1916), Andrew’s father died. Andrew was allotting money home to the family from his pay to the value of three Shillings and Sixpence (in today’s currency this is around $25.00). This allotment had to be changed to now be allotted to his Mother, Catherine. Many soldiers did this to help their families out and as Andrew would have been on around six Shillings a Day, an allocation of half of this to his family was significant.

Following his recovery, he was seconded to the Supply Section of the Australian Army Service Corps in January 1916, and allocated as a Driver. Over the next six months Andrew had a couple of hospital visits due to contracting influenza, and for another treatable illness.  He returned to the Regiment in Egypt in late July 1916.

The 2nd Light Horse Regiment then went on to campaigns defending the Suez Canal from raiding Senussi Arabs. In the early hours of the 2nd of August 1916, Andrew was a member of a camel train escort delivering water to an Australian Outpost known as ‘Hill 110’ in what was known as the ‘Canal Zone’. During the journey the Australians encountered a strong Turkish position near Romani. The Turks opened fire, wounding and unhorsing three Australians. One of whom was Andrew Day. He and one of his wounded comrades were subsequently captured by the Turkish whilst the third man was missed and recovered by the Australians the next day.  

Whenever men were reported missing or killed there was always an internal enquiry conducted to try to confirm what had happened. The inquiry into Andrew’s disappearance was convened on the 25th of August 1916 ‘for the purpose of investigating and reporting on the circumstances surrounding the men posted as missing as listed in back hereof.’ Various witnesses were called and they stated that they had seen men fall of their horses after running into a strong Turkish outpost and coming under heavy fire. None could say for sure if the missing men were wounded, killed or captured.

The entry in his service record on the 28th of August 2016 states:

 ‘Proceedings of the opinion that there is a great possibility of being injured or wounded and being made prisoner of war. Until a list of prisoners captured has been published by the Turkish Govt, the court cannot report definitively on this matter. Confirmed by C.F. Cox Brig. Genl [sic] G.O.C 1LH Bde. He wasn’t officially reported as a POW until October 1916 via the International Red Cross.

Andrew’s personal effects were sent to the family in Beaudesert to his father in October 1916, however tragically, his father had died by this time and the package was received and acknowledged by his sister Eliza. Andrew’s personal effects left in barracks upon capture consisted of silk goods, a knife, and some post cards.  A further package of effects was dispatched in November 1916 consisting of 1 glove, razor, muffler, writing pad, 2 badges, 1 comb, 1 handkerchief, a piece of a shell driving band.

Andrew was marched out of the Middle East and travelled on foot and by train to a POW at Afion-Kara-Hissar in Turkey. This camp was about 450km South East of Constantinople and was considered a fairly good camp by the prisoners despite the prevalence of communicable diseases. Andrew was reported transferred to Angora Camp in December 1916. Angora Camp was to the North East of Afion-Kara-Hissar but still around 450km South East of Constantinople. Prisoners kept at Angora were more likely to die than in any other Turkish POW camp due to the swampy surrounds, poor rations and hard work.

Andrew’s family was ‘Officially’ notified that he was a POW via telegram on the 3rd of May 1917 that he was captured and a POW at Afion Kara Hissar, Turkey. Despite his father being dead, and the family notifying the military that this was the case, correspondence was still addressed to Mr A. Day.

Andrew was set to work building a section of the Berlin-Baghdad Railway and conditions were dire in the Winter of 1916/1917 and Andrew was working about 30 Miles from Angora when he developed what is suspected to be Bronchial Tuberculosis. Despite being sent back to Angora to hospital, Andrew weakened and on the 11th of February 1917 aged 23 years he died from complications with his illness. There was a death certificate written for him at Angora and signed by the Camp Commandant, Doctor and three witnesses that stated

‘Grave marked and can be recognised by relatives later’

This was certainly untrue.  As was the reported case with many of the British prisoners in Angora, Andrew was buried in an unmarked grave, without ceremony, and with none of his comrades present to witness his burial. Generally, the dead were stripped of all clothing before burial, and this was to prove a huge complication in identifying bodies at later dates.

No. 958 Trooper George Albert Roberts of the 1ST Australian Light Horse Regiment wrote from Angora in September of 1917 regarding the burial of deceased POWs:

 ‘…………We are not allowed to attend the burial of a fellow prisoner, when they die in Hospital they are taken to a room in the Hospital and washed and then conveyed on a stretcher to the Hospital graveyard and buried by Turks (shrouds are unnecessary luxury according to these people) there are no marks to show whose [sic] buried in certain places, we know they are English that’s all………’

Trooper Roberts also testified post war in 1919 that:

‘The following Australians to my knowledge DIED from the below cause in the winter of 1917 between January and the end of March. These men had to march scantily clothed about six miles through snow. Typhus resulted from this exposure. These men were buried along the road and in different parts of Angora.’ Andrew Day’s name was on this list.

In 1927 when the Imperial War Graves Commission was consolidating the various cemeteries through Turkey into various more secure locations, Andrew’s burial site could not be found. As such a memorial headstone was erected in Baghdad’s North Gate Cemetery with the precursor inscription ‘Buried in Angora Cemetery’

In 1928 Defence wrote to Andrew’s mother, Catherine (his father had since died) in Casino, New South Wales regarding memorialising him in Baghdad. The families were asked if they wished to furnish an inscription for inclusion on the memorial headstone.

In 1928 the Department of Defence wrote to Catherine Day regarding the memorial in Baghdad:

‘Dear Madam, In continuation of my letter of 19th January last referring to the demise of your son, the late No. 142 Driver A. Day, 2ND. Light Horse Regiment, and the intention of the Imperial War Graves Commission to perpetuate his memory in Baghdad War Cemetery, I have now to inform you that the remains of this soldier were originally reported to be interred in Angora Cemetery, Asia Minor.

In accordance with the Commission’s policy of concentrating all isolated burials in established Military cemeteries under British control the graves in this cemetery were removed to Baghdad. Unfortunately, in the case of your son and certain other members of the Imperial and Dominion Forces, no surface markings could be traced, and it was found impossible otherwise to identify the actual place of burial of these soldiers.

…………… It is very much regretted that more definite information cannot be furnished regarding the actual burial location of your son, but it is hoped that you will appreciate the difficulties arising and realise that the action taken to perpetuate his memory and that of his comrades is most appropriate in the circumstances’

Written evidence in the form of letters back and forth to the Department of Defence, suggests that the next of kin of the soldiers relocated to Baghdad War Cemetery were, by and large, happy that their loved ones were removed from Turkish land and re-buried in (what was back then) British soil.  It must have been heartbreaking for the families of men such as Andrew Day to never know exactly where he was buried, and for him to lie buried in the land that they considered belonging to the enemy.

Along with all the other men re-interred in Baghdad, Andrew’s family were given the opportunity to place an inscription on his headstone. Catherine originally submitted:

“In loving memory of A. Day, 2ND L.H. REGT., who

Died whilst a POW in Turkey.

Australia (unreadable) fate

Who died, (unreadable)

True to country King and mate

Leaving a spotless name.

Inserted by his Mother, Sisters and Brothers, Casino”

Unfortunately, the inscription could only be 66 characters, including spaces, and it was rejected by the Imperial War Graves Commission. No further inscription was ever furnished and as such there is nothing on his headstone but his name and Regimental Details.

The families grieved for long after the war and Andrew’s family were still grieving in March 1919 when they submitted a notice to the Beaudesert Times:

“In fond and loving remembrance of our dear brother Driver Andrew Day who died a prisoner of war in Turkey, February 11th 1916.

A better brother never lived,

Nor one so true and kind,

His equal in this weary world,

We very rarely find.

No matter how we speak of him,

His name we oft recall,

There’s nothing left to answer,

But his photo on the wall.

Inserted by his loving sister and brother-in-law – Miriam, Eliza, and Ben”

Andrew was posthumously awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. His mother received a booklet titled “Where the Australians Rest” in 1920, a memorial scroll in 1921, and a memorial plaque in 1922.  

In another tragic twist, Andrew’s nephew NX53571 PTE Andrew Thomas Day died as a POW in WW2.

As at 2019, Andrew’s memorial headstone in Baghdad’s North Gate Cemetery was legible however it had some chipping damage to the top. His memorial is in a line of headstones known as the Angora Memorial along the North Eastern Boundary of the cemetery.