Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Mort was born on 26 Feb 1892 at Fulham to George Noble and Marion Noble (nee Reich).  He was the fourth youngest of 10 children in the family, 9 boys and a girl. His father was a market gardener at Reedbeds (near West Beach SA) before purchasing a farm at Kononda (near Darke Peak SA) and moving to that location in 1915.

Mort worked in the gardens and received rudimentary schooling before undertaking an apprenticeship as a carpenter. He must have been successful in gaining his trade as on enlistment at Keswick he listed his occupation as carpenter, his address as Lockleys (SA) and next of kin as his father

He was then sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) for training, on completion of which he was allocated to 10th Reinforcements/10thBn. On 14 Sep 1915 He embarked aboard HMAT “Ballarat” at Adelaide, disembarking at Mudros; he was taken on strength by his unit (10th Bn) on 27 Nov 1915 at Mudros.

On 26 Feb 1916 he was transferred to 50th Bn on the raising of that unit; a day later he was taken on strength by his new unit at Serapaum (Egypt) and two days later promoted to Lance Corporal. Three months later he embarked, with his unit, aboard HMAT “Arcadian” at Alexandria, bound for France, disembarking at Marseilles (Fr) on 11 Jun 1916.

The 50th Bn was raised in Egypt on 26 Feb 1916 and consisted predominantly of men from SA. The Bn arrived in France on 11 Jun 1916 and fought its first major battle at Mouquet Farm in Aug of that year, suffering heavy casualties.  It was after this battle that Mort was promoted to Corporal on 27 Aug 1916. The Bn partook in another battle in the same area 2 weeks later before being withdrawn from the front line. It then rotated in and out of the line through a very cold winter.

On 2 Apr1917 the Bn attacked at Noreuil; it was after this action that Mort was promoted to Sergeant. The Bn then moved to Belgium and was involved in the battles of Messines (7 - 12 Jun 1917) and Polygon Wood (26 Sep 1917): he must have been an exceptional soldier as it was after this battle that Mort was promoted to Company Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer, Class 2). The Bn was then destined for another winter of trench warfare.

The German’s launched a major offensive on the Western Front at the end of Mar 1918. At Dernancourt, in Apr 1918, the 50th Bn was involved in repulsing the largest German attack launched against Australian troops during the war. As a counter, the 50th Bn was then involved in an attack to recapture Villers-Bretonneux: it was during this action that Mort was killed in action (KIA) on 25 Apr 1918.

He was buried in the field of battle, 500 yards (approx. 450m) south of Villers-Bretonneux. On 20 Jun 1919 he was reinterred in the Adelaide British War Cemetery 2.5 miles (approx. 4 Km) south of Corbie

The usual delay in the passage of information then followed. On 13 Nov 1922 the family finally received the soldier’s personal belongings, details of where he was buried and his memorial plaque. His medals arrived a few days later. This was not helped by the fact that the soldier’s Next of Kin had changed address from Lockleys to Kononda.

One can only imagine the distress caused when a further message addressed to his father arrived on 1 May 1925 advising that his son’s body had been reinterred at Corbie.