S2847
PONTIFEX, Friend Warren
| Service Numbers: | 2715, S80635 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 April 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kybunga, South Australia, 26 September 1895 |
| Home Town: | Melton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Melton Coconut Primary School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | South Australia,, 8 November 1965, aged 70 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Arthurton Memorial Oval Gates, Arthurton WW1 Honour Roll, Bute District Council WW1 Roll of Honor, Kadina & District WW1 Roll of Honor, Kulpara District Council Roll of Honour, Kulpara Methodist Church Honour Roll, Kulpara Methodist Church Roll of Honour, Paskeville Honour Roll WW1, Paskeville R.S.S.&A.I.L.A. Sub Branch Honour Roll, Paskeville Soldiers Memorial Gates |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 2715, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 2715, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Adelaide |
World War 2 Service
| 23 Apr 1942: | Involvement Corporal, S80635 | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Corporal, S80635 | |
| 23 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Paskeville, SA | |
| 21 Oct 1945: | Discharged |
Friend Warren Pontifex
Friend Warren Pontifex was born on the 26th of September 1895, Kybunga SA AUS. He was a brother of 4 while his other two died as babies. He went to Melton Coconut Primary School. His hometown was in Melton, South Australia, Australia. His occupation was a farmer and his religion was Methodist.
Private Pontifex joined on the 22nd of August 1916, he served from the 22nd of August to 1st of May 1919. His service number was 2715. The date of his embarkation was 23rd of October 1916. The place of his embarkation was in Adelaide on the HMAT Port Melbourne A16 ship.
The ship landed at Egypt on the 20.16.1916, he did training in Egypt then proceeded to France, Western front between France and Belgium. On the 18th of October 1917 he got mustard gassed. He returned on the 8th of December 1917. On the 5th of April 1918 in Dernancourt, he was shot in the arm and leg wounded in action. He got sent to London 5 days later, returned to Australia 28th of February 1919.
By June 1916 the 50th Battalion was on the Western Front. They fought in the Battle of Mouquet Farm as part of the Somme Offensive. In 1917 the 50th participated in battels at Messines and Polygon Wood before assisting in the recapture of Villers-Bretonneux from the Germans on Anzac Day 1918. The 50th fought their final action of the war at Amiens in September 1918.
The Germans launched a new attack in the vicinity of Dernancourt on the morning of 5th of April 1918. On this occasion, they were able to breach the railway embankment by forcing their way under a bridge, outflank the Australian posts along it, and penetrate between the 12th and 13th Brigades. The forward battalions of both brigades were forced to retire upon their support positions with the brigades’ reserve battalions just after 5 pm, which halted the German advance and pushed it back toward the railway embankment. The embankment was regained on the Australian’s right, but in the center and on the left they were forced to ground about 1,300 meters short of it. Exhausted, the 12th and 13th Brigades could do little more.
His life after the was pretty good apart from having mustard gas in his lungs and being shot twice. He reunited with his family, Isabella Pontifex and James Price Pontifex. He got married to his wife Olive Pontifex they had 4 children, Jack, Gladys, Kenneth and Nancy Pontifex.
His Mother Mrs. Isabella Pontifex was born on the 12th of October 1863 Ballarat, got married 1885 SA AUS, she died on the 25 April 1937 and was buried in Kulpara SA AUS. His Mr. Father James Price Pontifex was born on the 24th of August 1853, he died 1939 Port Wakefield SA AUS and was buried in Kulpara SA AUS. Of Liondile, Abergavenny, WLS; Emigrated to SA the Lochee’ 9 November 1886, arrived in Adelaide 1 February 1877; In 1886 James purchased land in the hundred of Clinton. The mallee scrub cleared from this land was sent to Moonta to be used as fuel in the mines. This land was later run by James’ grandson, Kenneth Lloyd Pontifex and more recently by his grandson Neil Colin Pontifex (and even more recently Benjamin Paul Pontifex and Grant Jason Pontifex). “Brynderrie” was part of a later addition which was part of the Cocoanut Sheep Station, altogether totaling some 1160 acres. In 1990-11 the “Brynderrie” homestead was built 3 miles from Melton in the Hundred of base there. The only water available for the tanks for households use, mains water came to the farm later. There was no electricity in those days, only kerosene ad fuel. A large number of Clydesdale horses were used in the farm. Sons Garnet, Kenneth and Stepney each had teams of 10 plus the spares and they would work from dawn to dusk. The main production of the property were cereals of wheat and oats and merino sheep for wool.
Submitted 17 April 2023 by Charlie Pontifex
Biography contributed
- Completed by Investigator College
In a small country town, in the mid-north of South Australia, Friend Warren Pontifex was born in Kybunga on the 26th of September,1895. Friend was born into a loving family, his mother Isabella Pontifex and father James Price Pontifex, having five children. Friend was the second youngest of all his brothers; Garnet, Stephney, Elliot, Friend and Kenet, a large, haywire family.(i) At four years of age, the family moved to the rural town of Melton, South Australia where he began his education. It was at Melton Coconut Primary School where he formed many friendships and earned his long-lasting nickname ‘Friendly’. This bond proved to be vital in the coming years as he fought alongside his classmates, including Wesley Curnow. Their hardworking farm life provided the base for their resilience and stamina they would need in their future service.
Friend Warren Pontifex enlisted to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the 22nd of August 1916 at the age of 20 and 11 months in Adelaide. His healthy and strong physique, earning him a swift placement for active service and assigned to the 50th Battalion.(ii)
The 50th Infantry Battalion also known as the Barrier Battalion was where Friend was assigned with many soldiers who would soon become incredibly important to him. He bravely left Melton and travelled to Melbourne to embark on the HMAT A16 also known as the HMAT Star of Victoria ship to Egypt on the 23rd of October 1916.(iii) This ship was the first carrying, the 1st Light Horse Brigade, holding over 500 horses.iv After approximately 78 days of travelv, an anxious Friend, eager to serve his country arrived at Mena Camp, just outside of Cairo, Egypt on the 28th of December 1916.(vi) What a sight this would have been for the boy from Melton.
Training in Egypt was excruciating, exercises included a 6 am breakfast which contained a slice of bread and butter with a cup of tea, at 7am there was a six-hour march across the desert, in sand up to their ankles. Dinner was often at 3pm followed by another two-hour march at night.(vii) Friends age and farm fitness would have served him well with the rigorous routine, and no doubt supported his future experiences throughout the war.(viii)
Friend departed from Egypt and arrived in France on the 11th of June 1916. There, the 50th fought in its first major battle at Mouquet Farm between the 13th and 15th of August. This resulted in over 400 casualties and even more injured. The battalion stayed alternating between training, labouring behind the line and front-line duty for the rest of the year, continuing through the bleak and harshness of winter 1916- 1917. (ix) Early 1917 the 50th Battalion battled against the Germans on the Hindenburg line. (x) After fifty-six hours of brutal, relentless and muddy fighting Friend and his comrades, successfully pushed the Germans six defensive lines back proving victory. On April 2nd , Friends battalion and the 51st Battalion united to attack once again, against Germany, in the small town of Noreuil.(xi) Friend was under constant heavy machine gun fire, hundreds of soldiers dead and the destroyed village, they battled on, pushing the Germans to retreat.(xii) The significance of these battles has been well documented, due to the intensity, high casualty rate and importance of the advancement for the troops. It is no doubt that Friend was witness to the horror of war, watching fellow comrades fall around him and being in the most helpless of states.
During the 7th and 12th of June 1917 the battalion battled in the Ypres sector of Belgium, resulting in the launch the Battle of Messines. This operation was meticulously planned and had 2.19 million mines detonatedxiii, some could be heard from London. On the 8th of June, under heavy shelling and heatxiv, Friend was an eyewitness to the death of George Hemsley. This would have been an awful experience that would have impacted Friend tremendously.(xv)
On the 26th of September only the fittest from the 50th Battalion fought in the battle at Polygon Wood. (xvi)This included Friend. It was a period of intense fighting with devastating land loss and heavy casualties on both sides.xvii During this time Friend endured multiple mustard gas attacks while the trenches from 19th-25thth of October 1917.(xviii)
Treatment onboard the HMAT for 51days ensued, returning to the battlefield on the 8th of December. Blisters and burns all over Friends torso were evident, he was constantly coughing. (xix) It would have been a painful and scary experience.
On the 5th of April 1918, Friend and his battalion arrived in the small French town of Dernancourt, immediately going into action. (xx) Forcing their way under a bridge, and flanked by the 12th and 13th brigades, Friend was part of the important securement of the railway embankment.xxi With exhaustion, the troops comradery secured the railway embarkment and halted the German advancement. Two days after arrival in Dernancourt, under relentless intense fire, Friend was shot in the leg and arm. (xxii) Friend made the arduous journey for treatment in London. Requiring specialist care, Friend was evacuated by a hospital ship to London.xxiii This painful and enduring trip to medical care, once again showing his strength of character and ANZAC spirit.
Nineteen days later, on the 24th of April 1,1918, Friend returned to Villers-Bretonneux. Without hesitation, Friend began fighting in what would be known as one of the most famous, legendary and influential battles in WW1. The Germans captured the settlement in a surprise attack. Fortunately, Friend and the other soldiers counter attacked, recapturing the town on the 25th, now known as ANZAC day.(xxiv) This battle is deemed crucial in halting the German advance. (xxv)
Friends final battle was in the Hindenburg outpost line. The Australian and British troops had been constantly in battle here since 1917 including Friend in his last battle with the 50th Battalion. Finally, on the 18th of September 1918 the line was broken and success rained through the soldiers. xxvi On the 6th of March 1919, with so few soldiers left, Frends Battalion was officially disbanded, merging with the 51st and 49th.(xxvii) Overall, the 50th Battalion suffered 720 killed and 1,557 wounded.(xxviii)
Friend’s valiant efforts, resilience and strength endured the relentless brutality of war. It is plausible that Friend suffered many losses of loved ones made from the 2 years and 253 days of service to his country. For his service Friend was awarded two medals including the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. (See Appendix B) An exhausted Friend valiantly returned home on the 3rd of July 1919 to Melbourne, Australia.
On return to Melton to reunite with his mother and father, Friend still had remains of mustard gas in his lungs which impacted his daily life. Despite this, he continued farming and moved 20 minutes away to Bute. This is where he met his wife Olive (McDonald) Pontifex and the two were married on the 14th of August 1924. Throughout their marriage they had four children named Jack, Gladys, Kenneth and Nancy. He had a fun-loving family orientated life for the next 48 years, watching his children grow up and having children of their own. Unfortunately, on the 8th of November 1965, Friend passed away at the age of 70, followed by his wife passing 10 years later at the age of 79 years. Friend had a well lived, meaningful life. His grave can be found in Kadina cemetery (xxix) where he will never be forgotten by the extensive Pontifex family.
References
i “Mrs. I. Pontifex - Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) - 26 May 1938.” Trove, 2025, trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/92494427. Accessed 1 June 2025.
ii Terrace, Victoria. “View Digital Copy.” Naa.gov.au, 2025, recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4375545.
iii Department of Veterans' Affairs. “Training Australian Army Recruits during World War I | Anzac Portal.” Anzacportal.dva.gov.au, 4 Jan. 2021, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training.
iv “HMAT A16 Port Melbourne - Our Contribution.” Birtwistlewiki.com.au, birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMAT_A16_Port_Melbourne.
v “HMAT A16 Star of Victoria – 1915 Coo-Ee March.” 1915 Coo-Ee March, 2017, cooeemarch1915.com/tag/hmat-a16-star-of-victoria/. Accessed 2 June 2025.
vi “HMAT A16 Port Melbourne - Our Contribution.” Birtwistlewiki.com.au, birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/HMAT_A16_Port_Melbourne.
vii Oxford Humanities 9 text book. Page 369, source 16. Egypt training routine
viii Department of Veterans' Affairs. “Training Australian Army Recruits during World War I | Anzac Portal.” Anzacportal.dva.gov.au, 4 Jan. 2021, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training.
ix “| the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51490.
x Australian War Memorial. “The Hindenburg Line: Breaking the Hindenburg Line | the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, 28 Jan. 2021, www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/1918/battles/hindenburg.
xi Wikipedia Contributors. “Chemical Weapons in World War I.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_weapons_in_World_War_I.
xii “| the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84290.
xiii “What You Need to Know about the Battle of Messines.” Imperial War Museums, www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-messines.
xiv corporateName =Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City. “Third Battle of Ypres 31 July to 10 November 1917 | Anzac Portal.” Anzacportal.dva.gov.au, 10 June 2022, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/western-front/third-battle-of-ypres.
xv “George Hemsley | South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau.” Sa.gov.au, 2025, sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/soldier/george-hemsley. Accessed 2 June 2025.
xvi “Battle of Polygon Wood.” Wikipedia, 13 Jan. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Polygon_Wood.
xvii “Disaster to Triumph: The Battle of Polygon Wood.” Www.shrine.org.au, 31 Aug. 2020, www.shrine.org.au/disaster-triumph-battle-polygon-wood.
xviii “Friend Warren PONTIFEX.” Vwma.org.au, 2025, vwma.org.au/explore/people/225699.
xix Wikipedia Contributors. “Chemical Weapons in World War I.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_weapons_in_World_War_I.
xx “Australian Battlefields of World War 1 - France - 1918.” Www.anzacsinfrance.com, www.anzacsinfrance.com/1918/.
xxi “Dernancourt: “a Desperate Defensive Battle.”” Sir John Monash Centre, 27 Mar. 2018, sjmc.gov.au/dernancourt-desperate-defensive-battle/.
xxii “50th History of the 50th Battalion AIF 1916-19 WW1.” Books on War Australia, 2025, booksonwaraustralia.com/battalion-histories/259-history-of-the-50th-battalion-aif-1916-19-ww1.html. Accessed 2 June 2025.
xxiii “| the Australian War Memorial.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51490.
xxiv Wikipedia Contributors. “Chemical Weapons in World War I.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Feb. 2019,
xxv corporateName =Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City. “Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux.” Anzac Portal, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/australian-national-memorial-villers-bretonneux.
xxvi “Hindenburg Line.” Wikipedia, 16 Aug. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg_Line.
xxvii “51st Australian Infantry Battalion.” Www.awm.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51491.
xxviii Naa.gov.au. (2015). Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=4375545&isAv=N [Accessed 5 Jun. 2025].
xxix “Kadina.” Ozburials.com, 2017, www.ozburials.com/CemsSA/kadina.htm. Accessed 2 June 2025.
xxx “That’s the ANZAC Spirit | ANZAC Day | RSL Australia.” RSL, anzacspirit.com.au/. Accessed 12 June 2024.
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