Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Walter TRACEY

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Recommended for the Victoria Cross.

Recommendation:-

'At Posieres on 28th July 1916 7th Battalion was employed in repulsing German counter attacks and No. 2718 Pte Tracey W. of 7th Battalion one of a party was conspicuously brave in repelling and delivering counter attacks. With this party (whose name has been submitted for awards) Pte Tracey endangered his life time and again under fusillades of grenades and snipers fire while building barricades and bombing and constantly got the enemy on the run by rushing along throwing grenades and sniping down on the enemy. With this party Pte. Tracey did excellent work in bombing and detonating regardless of the great danger he was in. Private Tracey remained with Captain Oates holding the trench while a barricade was built in rear when our attacking party had to fall back owing to the lack of detonated bombs. While with Capt. Oates, Pte Tracey displayed coolness and judgement in a very dangerous situation. On Capt. Oates return to trenches prior to going forward to front line in answer to request from 9th Battalion for his assistance Pte Tracey volunteered to accompany Captain Oates again’.  
Recommended A. Oates Lieut. Bowtell- Harris
Awarded DCM 19/8/16

Walter Tracey joined his 7th battalion ‘D’ Company on the cliffs of Gallipoli in late November 1915. He would survive a month in the trenches on these fateful cliffs, as the evacuation of all Allied forces off the Peninsula would take place in late December. Walter would arrive back in Egypt with the heavily depleted 7th Battalion in late January 1916.

Just two months later in late March 1916 he and the rebuilt 7th Battalion now part of the 2nd Brigade and 1st Division with fresh reinforcements from Australia would depart for a new theatre of war, the western front.

Arriving in France, the 7th entered the front line trenches for the first time on 3 May in Belgium. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme valley where it fought between 23-27 July and 15-21 August.

It would be on the opening day of the Battle of Pozieres that Walter would undertake his heroic actions described above. Initially Captain Augustus Oates from Ballarat and his Lieutenant James Bowtell- Harris from Moonee Ponds would recommend Walter for the coveted ‘Victoria Cross’, however later this would be changed to the lesser distinction of the Distinguished Conduct Medal.  

Walter would survive the three opening days of this horrific battle however, his Division would suffer a staggering 5,000 casualties mainly due to enemy bombardment, and they would retire exhausted having experienced a terrible baptism of fire in the western front trenches.

Following his demonstration of bravery under fire and the 7th Battalion’s heavy losses in early July, Walter would be appointed Lance Corporal on August 1st, 1916.

On August 17, he would be wounded with Gun Shot Wounds to both thighs at the protracted battle of Mouquet Farm and evacuated to England for treatment.

His sister back in Bendigo would receive word from the Base Records office on her brother in September 1916. The Bendigo Independent reported the following: -                                                                 ‘Mrs. G. L. Thompson, of 49 King Street. Bendigo, has been informed by the O.G. of the Base Records Office that her brother Cpl. Walter Tracey is seriously ill. He has been shot in both thighs. Cpl. Tracey is 33 years of age, single, and prior to enlisting worked on a station in New South Wales’. [1]                                                                  

Four months later in January 1918, the same paper updated the news on Lance Corporal Tracey: -                                                    'Mrs. C. J. Thompson, C/o Mrs. Zeising, ‘Linton’, Portland Place, South Yarra, is next of kin has been advised he is wounded and seriously ill. Admitted hospital. The medal was awarded for conspicuous gallantry in action. He exhibited great coolness and bravery, notably in assisting to build a barricade under intense fire, and in bombing and sniping. His excellent work under most trying conditions was invaluable.' [2]

Walter’s war would be over. He would spend nearly a year in England recuperating. The Bendigoian newspaper published the photo and story below on October 5th, 1916. The amputation referred to of his arm is not verified in his service record and he may have actually lost a leg from his wound. 

SERVICE DETAILS: 

Regimental No. 2718                                                                     Place of birth: Allandale                                                           Religion: Roman Catholic

Occupation Labourer
Address: Holt Street, Bendigo,
Marital status: Single
Age at enlistment: 32
Next of kin: Sister, Mrs Thompson, 49 King Street, Bendigo
Enlistment date: 19 July 1915
Unit name: 7th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement
Embarkation Roll number 23/24/2
Embarked: HMAT A68 Anchises on 26 August 1915
Final Rank: Corporal
Fate Returned to Australia 10 September 1917

Source: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 14 December 1916 on page 3384 at position 9

At Pozieres on 28th July 1916                                                     'On this day, the Australians took all the objectives they were set except for the old German lines. As artillery had turned the area into a virtual moonscape locating objectives and determining exact positions became extremely difficult. The Germans had also decreed that any ground lost was to be retaken at once, at any cost. The Australian forward troops deepened their trenches in preparation for a German counter attack'.[3]

[1] Bendigo Independent, Sept 14, 1916.
[2] Bendigo Independent 15/01/1918
[3] ANZACS in France website http://www.anzacsinfrance.com/1916/