DRAKE, Sydney Joseph
| Service Number: | 1934 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Drysdale, Victoria, Australia, February 1896 |
| Home Town: | Drysdale, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Stonemason |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Drysdale St James' Anglican Church Roll of Honor, Drysdale State School No 1645 Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1934, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1934, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1934, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 1 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1934, 14th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 8 Aug 1915: | Imprisoned The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, At Abdel Rahman Bair, which is the ridge line immediately before, and leading up to Hill 971. | |
| 25 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1934, 14th Infantry Battalion, RTA 5 March 1919 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
On 8 August 1915, Monash’s exhausted 4th Brigade troops (they had already been in action for more than 24 hours) were attempting to seize Abdel Rahman Bair, which is the ridge line immediately before, and leading up to Hill 971, when they were caught in the open by well sighted Turkish machine guns and were driven back with significant casualties.
The official 14th Battalion unit diary of 8 August 1915 records:
03:00 “…..an advance was made under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and consequently casualties were very heavy. After the 15th Battalion on our immediate front had practically withered away, the 14th continued to advance suffering heavily and the Turks were met in great force on our front and left. As we drove them back they counter attacked on our left flank several times.
The Battalion thus got very split up and it is impossible to say exactly what happened. Orders were then issued to dig in and consolidate the position gained……”
“A Sikh Machine Gun detachment took up a position to protect our left and rear from attack. Here the enemy’s shrapnel opened up on our shallow fire pits and considerable damage was done. No reply whatever was made by our artillery and our men continued to suffer from shrapnel casualties.”
08:30 “…..order to retire received……stating that the whole Brigade was retiring. Orders were immediately issued to collect all wounded, arms and equipment and take same to behind the lines.
10:00 “Retirement completed and all get atable (sic) wounded and arms brought back.”
The ANZACs never again penetrated this far inland. The action has also been described by some as the worst day of the entire war for the 14th Battalion (save perhaps for Bullecourt in April 1917).
Official Battalion casualties from the actions on 8 August totalled 254 (from a starting Battalion strength of 806) and included: 36 Killed, 93 wounded and 128 missing (later confirmed as killed/captured).