Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

Capt Horace Ferdinand Selleck

Around Ballarat there are many hidden treasures that add to the historical beauty of the city. Sometimes it requires closer scrutiny to discover the depths of meaning and connection that prompted particular gifts and bequests. At the Christ Church Cathedral in Lydiard Street, there are many Great War tributes. The beautifully ornate processional cross has a special significance – it was donated in memory of one of Ballarat’s most popular officers.

Horace Ferdinand Selleck was born on 1 June 1886, at Buninyong, Victoria. He was the eldest surviving child of Harry Francis Selleck and Sophia Brown Johnston; their first child, Harry, died as an eighteen month old toddler, their second child, daughter Alexia, died in 1888 aged only three years. The successful arrivals of Horace, then Thomas in 1889, Howden in 1890 and finally Elsie in 1897 brought great happiness to the couple.

As a boy Horace was a student at the Macarthur Street State School. Upon leaving school he joined the commercial staff of the Ballarat Courier. Whilst in his position of Clerk, Horace 'came into contact with a wide circle of the public and business people of Ballarat, all of whom entertained for him the greatest respect'. He was also highly regarded by his employer, where he proved to be ‘…thoroughly conscientious in all he did, and he was a most valued member of the staff…’

Horace also became interested in the local militia joining the 'old 7th' as a private in 1903. This interest continued through the ensuing years with promotion to the rank of Sergeant in 1907 and a highly prize commission in 1912. After the re-configuration of Victorian militia, Horace became Adjutant of the new 70th Regiment. He was promoted to Captain in 1915.

Tall and dark with an impressive physique, Horace Selleck cut a formidable figure. He developed an early interest in rowing and gymnastics. A particularly fine rower, he crewed as a member of the 7th Regiment 8's crew that were successful in rowing competitions in 1899, 1910 and 1912. His broad community contributions also included the position of Treasurer of the 70th Infantry Rifle Club, President of 70th Infantry Band and, at one time, Secretary of the Military Gymnasium Class.

On the 4 August 1909 Horace's father died. This was to be the first of several life-altering occurrences in his young life. In 1913 the family were devastated by the tragic death of Horace's younger brother Howden. An outstanding footballer, Howden, or Charlie as he was known, was playing for Golden Point in the Ballarat Football League on 2 August in a match against South Ballarat when he was seriously injured in a marking contest. He was stretchered from the field and later that evening rushed to a private hospital. Horace carried his brother to the waiting ambulance. Howden's final words before leaving were, 'Care for Mother; I'll be alright'. On Sunday evening 3 August 1913 Howden died from massive peritonitis: it was simply beyond the medical help of the day to do anything for him. The funeral three days later was one of the largest seen in Ballarat with the cortege itself stretching for over a mile. In a touching tribute the Golden Point football team marched behind the hearse in the positions they had occupied on the field during the fateful game, all save for Howden's position, which was left vacant. The subsequent inquest into his death was difficult and draining for his family. The finding of 'death by misadventure' gave little comfort.

On 18 July 1914 Horace married Olive Evelyn Hall, the Sunday School Teacher from the family Church, Christ Church Cathedral. May Selleck, Horace's little sister was particularly impressed with this arrangement, as Olive was adored by the junior members of the congregation. The wedding took place at the cathedral, with the service conducted by the Venerable Archdeacon Julius Lewis, and was attended by many of the couple’s family and friends.

In the ensuing weeks after the eventful landing on the beaches of Gallipoli Horace made the decision to enlist for active service. His application for a commission came on 29 July 1915 and he was attached to the 38th (Bendigo) Battalion. Horace's administrative talents were immediately put to good use in both Ballarat and metropolitan training camps.

It was not until 20 June the following year that Lieutenant Horace Selleck sailed from Melbourne onboard HMAT Runic. After a further three months, Horace finally embarked for the battlefields of the Western Front, landing in France in late November 1916.

A letter home describing his views of life in the trenches was published by his colleagues at the Ballarat Courier:

'…We came here sooner than was expected, but the boys just revel in it. They were getting tired of the continual drill, etc., but on the other hand we were gradually losing men as reinforcements for others in the line, and we hardly knew what stuff we were handling, or how they would shape when the test came. We have been more than satisfied with their behaviour, which has been excellent.

We have a big job on, and the other chap is no fool, and we have to exercise all our wits to try and outdo him. He has been at it for some time, and our men, being new, have to pay for their experience, but the strides made are wonderful. We are bombarded sometimes for days in succession, and some of the shells and bombs shake things up, and rather alter the appearance of our lines. One shell in particular, Minenwerfer, dives into the ground and sinks eight or ten feet, and as it is time fuse ignites on time, and a hole some 30 feet across and 10 to 15 feet deep results.

The portion of the line we hold is low and near a river, which is deep but not very wide. Slushy mud is prevalent. We have boards down to walk on, but these are placed narrow ways, and it is easy to miss the step on them, especially at night, and then one gets a dose of mud. It is remarkable how soon one gets used to the conditions. We have to work pretty hard, and we wonder at times what the meaning of the word rest is. However, it is wartime, and war conditions must prevail. In addition to ordinary duties, I am acting as chief censor of the battalion, and that entails a lot of work. Trench life, however, has its humours…’

On 17 February 1917 Horace had the first of several close calls when a high explosive shell detonated very close to him. He was admitted to hospital suffering from deafness, which lasted for several days. He was discharged to light duty and rejoined his unit in mid-March.

Then on 4 October 1917 the 38th Battalion went into action at Broodseinde Ridge. Horace Selleck was wounded for the second time while leading a party to attack a machine-gun nest. He was carried behind the lines before being evacuated to England, where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, suffering from severe gunshot wounds to both arms.

After a period of recuperation Horace was offered a post in England, which he declined, preferring to return to his men. He rejoined his unit at the Catacombs near Messines on 21 February 1918.

It was one of those seemingly random incidents of war, when a soldier has survived everything that the enemy can legitimately throw at him that finally brought about the death of Horace Selleck. In the early hours of 20 July 1918, he was checking the frontline posts in front of Vaire Wood, which the Australians had captured during the Battle of Hamel. Things were fairly quiet and Horace was sitting on top of a trench talking to Lieutenant Poole and some of the men, when a stray sniper's bullet struck him in the head, penetrating his steel helmet and killing him instantly. His close friend, Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffry Hurry, Commanding Officer of the 38th Battalion, wrote immediately to Horace's widow, describing him, in the complimentary language of the day, as '…one of the whitest men I have ever known - a splendid soldier, our best captain. I can safely say the most loved man in the battalion…’

Lt-Col Hurry continued to relate the circumstances that surrounded her husband's death:

'We have had a particularly rough time since we came to this part, and have been in the firing line practically ever since 27th March, where we helped to stop the rush. Both 'Sell' and myself have been at it all the time, except for a few days when we had a spell off to attend classes. Last Wednesday (17th July) we took over a new part of the line, which the Boche had only been kicked out of a few days before, so all the cleaning up and consolidating work had to be done. The first night we had a very rough spin, but after that all went well until Friday night, when his company - the good old 'C' - was holding the left of the line, and a very awkward corner it was. He had been all round his front posts, which were, of course, just holes in the ground, and were in process of being joined up. He had arrived at the last, and was giving the post commander some instructions and was nearly ready to go back to the trenches, some hundred yards away further back, when an unlucky shot came along and went clean through his head, killing him instantly. Thank God he had no suffering, and probably didn't even hear the shot fired. This was about 1.30 on Saturday morning, 20th July. His body was brought down the same morning, and at 11am we buried him in a little cemetery on a hill overlooking a pretty valley running down to the Somme - a glorious outlook that we had both admired several times. Round him are waving crops, which will never be harvested, in which are growing most luxuriantly scarlet poppies and blue cornflower in wild confusion. On his left is a gentle slope, on which are trenches. On the right is a steep bank, into which we have burrowed and made our homes for the time being. In front is the valley, and away in the distance forward some high ground on the other side of the river.

We are used to these things by now, but it caused quite a gloom, and there were few jokes that day. He died like a soldier, doing his duty to the end, and he has left behind him a memory that is as fragrant as the flowers round his grave. He was always ready to help anyone who asked him, and did it in such a pleasant way that you always felt that he didn't mind how much trouble he took over it. We all feel his loss most terribly, as he was, of course, one of the seniors, and the juniors could always look up to him for a splendid example, and as much help as they wanted.
He was one of my few real friends…’

According to Lt-Col Hurry, Horace Selleck was to have been promoted to major within days of his death. There was a sense of utter desolation throughout the letter he had penned in tribute to his friend.

Chaplain-Captain Archie Moor, who also wrote to Olive Selleck about her husband's death, conducted the funeral service. He reinforced the love and respect that was felt for Horace within the battalion. According to Chaplain Moore, three stretcher-bearers were wounded by a bursting shell as they reached the regimental aid post with Horace's body. One of the bearers later died from his wounds.

We have not had many Ballarat men through our ranks, the majority being in our sister battalion, but we are at present mourning the loss of one of the best officers this battalion has ever had, in the person of Captain H. F. Selleck, who most worthily represented your city. Though this gun was captured after his death, we shall be glad if it could be associated with his name, as it was captured by the company of which he was OC…’

For Horace realised that he could well die in the service of his country and this would be a grievous blow to the mother he had promised to care for. He had, before sailing for the Front, made out his last Will and Testament leaving the bulk of his estate to his wife. But, ever mindful of his mother, he made a special clause that saw her financially secure for the rest of her life. For Olive there were no children to give her solace, only reminders of what might have been. She sought and found comfort in her music and, although she never remarried, she was remembered affectionately years after her death by the people whose lives she touched with her beautiful singing and organ playing.

After the cessation of hostilities and with the need to centralise the cemeteries, many bodies of servicemen were re-interred, as was the case with Horace Selleck. In 1920 Olive received communication from the Base Records Office conveying the news that the remains of her late husband had been exhumed from the Vaire Wood British Cemetery and re-interred in the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery. From the tiny cemetery overlooking the beautiful valley with its crops, poppies and cornflowers Horace had been removed to one of the most significant Australian burial sites of the Western Front. The Australian Memorial, which crowns the cemetery, looks out over the land where so many of our young men died.

And back in Ballarat, a grieving family presented the cathedral, where Horace had forged so many memories, with an engraved golden cross. In such a significant way, he would continue to be a tangible part of ongoing traditions.

'…"Gone West" - with the glory of the setting sun
To an endless day of a well-earned rest.
For another hero's part is done,
And another soul "Gone West"…’

From Ballarat & District in the Great War
 
Most apt soldierly tribute to Captain Horace Ferdinand Selleck, who was killed in action on 20 July 1918.

WAR TROPHY COMING TO BALLARAT.
The Mayor of the City, Cr T. T. Hollway, has received the following letter from Lieut-Colonel G. Hurry,
C.O. of the 38th Battalion in France, stating that as a result of the recent advance (September, 1918) on the
Somme, in which the 38th Battalion has been engaged we are able to earmark the following trophies, for the the citizens of Ballarat, from which place some of the men of our battalion have come. We hope that ultimately you will receive this trophy through the A.I.F. War Museums department, from
which it will be forwarded to Ballarat when the final allotment is being made.

The trophy is a heavy machine gun, No. 6510 (08 Pattern Spandau, 1917), captured at Clery sur Somme on 31st August, 1918."

A post script states—"We have not had many Ballarat men through our ranks, the majority being in our sister battalion, but we are at present
mourning the loss of one of the best officers this battalion has ever had, in the person of Captain H. F. Selleck, who most worthily represented your city. Though this gun was captured after his death, we shall be glad if it could be associated with his name, as it was captured by the company of which he was O.C."