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War Memorial
Australia

Born 11 December 1875 at St Vincent Street, Port Adelaide, South Australia

Son of Cincinnatus DENTON and Mother Margaret (nee SMITH) of Fremantle, Western Australia.

He was educated in Melbourne, and subsequently proceeded to Western Australia, where he was residing at the outbreak of the Great War.

In 1896 he entered the Western Australian Government Railways, and for some time held the position of 2nd in Command of the Ways and Works Workshop, at West Midland. He subsequently left the Western Australian Government Railways to go farming.

In 1899 he married Eleanor Anne, daughter of the late John Hembry.

He was always keenly interested in military training, and on 11 November 1890 received his first commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 11th Australian Infantry Regiment.  He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the same regiment on 1 August 1902 and attained his captaincy on 1 November 1907.

He officiated as military Adjutant from 1 July 1910 to 30 June 1911.  Upon the introduction of universal military training on 1 July 1912, he was transferred to the 88th Infantry with rank of Captain and attained his majority in that unit on 3 August 1914.  He held this commission at the time of joining the AIF, and was one of the first Officers in Western Australia to offer his services for abroad.   He was one of the first Company Commanders selected by Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston of the 11th Battalion, and was appointed a Captain in the AIF on 25 August 1914.  He first came in contact with the 10th Battalion at Fremantle, Western Australia, when on 1 November 1914 be embarked with his company on the transport Ascanius, and in this manner accompanied the 10th to Egypt. 

At Mena during the company reorganisation he was appointed Commander of ‘D’ Company of the 11th Battalion and promoted to rank of Major on 1 January 1915.  He accompanied the 11th Battalion to the Dardanelles, and landed with his company from the destroyer Chelmer at the historic landing on 25 April 1915.  Shortly after the actual landing had been made he distinguished himself in the fighting, and was Mentioned in Despatches (MID), vide London Gazette, 3 August 1915, the official citation being:

 “During the operations in the neighbourhood of Gabe Tepe on 25 April 1915, for valuable services in obtaining and transmitting information to ship’s guns, field and mountain batteries, and subsequently for holding a trench, with about 20 men, for over six days during which he repulsed several determined attacks.”

He was the first Officer of the 3rd Brigade, and also of the 11th Battalion to receive a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on 3 June 19156, amongst the King’s Birthday Honours, the official citation being:

“For gallantry and devotion to duty in connection with the operations in the Dardanelles (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force).”

After the landing at ANZAC he received a severe wound in the leg through slipping down a slope on to one of the bayonets of his men.  He was compelled to evacuate and after receiving hospital attention returned to Gallipoli on 12 May 1915.  He remained on the Peninsula until 18 July 1915, when he evacuated the second time and was invalided to Malta, where he was admitted to St Andrew’s Hospital, being an inmate there at the same time as Captain C F Minagall, of the 10th Battalion.

On 3 January 1916 he rejoined his unit in Egypt, and subsequently accompanied the 11th Battalion to France from 22 September to 11 October 1916, with the exception of 27 – 30 September 1916, when he temporarily Commanded the 10th Battalion during Temp. Lieutenant-Colonel G E Redburg’s three days’ absence. 

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 27 September 1916, and that day assumed Command of the 10th Battalion, which at the time was in the line at the famous “Hill 60” at Ypres.  This was the first occasion that the 10th had been Commanded by any other than an original 10th Officer. 

He returned to the 11th Battalion as Commanding Officer (CO) until 11 October, when he proceeded to England, where at Windmill Hill, he was appoint Commanding Officer of the 70th Battalion.  He was subsequently appointed CO of the 49th Battalion on 20 March 1917 and returned to France on 10 September 1917, remaining on the field until 22 May 1918, when he was wounded and forced to evacuate.

During his absence from Australia he was made an Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in the Australian Military Forces on 27 September 1916.   On 1 October 1918 he was appointed Major in the 2/11th Infantry and on 1 January 1920 was listed on Reserve of Officers with same rank.  He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel Reserve of Officers on 1 October 1920.

He represented the District of Moore in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 13 April 1921 to 1927.

In 1935 he was General Secretary of the New Settlers’ League Branch, 89 St George’s Terrace, Perth, WA.  He was awarded the Volunteer Decoration.

In 1935 was residing at 21 Clarke Street, Nedlands, Perth, WA.

Extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; kindly supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.