Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

In 1914 with the outbreak of World War I Herbert, son of George and Eliza Shearing, decided to sign up and joined the 15th Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade of the AIF and was on his way to Gallipoli. In May 1915 Herbert is at Quinn’s Post which during that time was one of the most dangerous places at ANZAC Cove. The importance of this location could not be underestimated as it was on the northern edge of the front line along Second Ridge and close to Deadman’s Ridge next to Turkish trenches. The Turkish only had to advance a few metres to be able to capture Quinn’s Post which would mean the loss of the whole area occupied by the ANZACs at this time.

From the beginning of the year, right through until June 1915 the fighting at Quinn’s Post between the ANZACs and the Turkish forces was ferocious. If anyone raised their head above the trench, more likely than not it would get shot off. It was during this intense period of fighting that Herbert was killed in action at Quinn’s Post on 9 May 1915.

The first news his family heard was a telegram saying their son had been reported missing and this started over 12 months of pleading correspondence between his father and AIF officials trying to find out what had happened. In a letter dated 6 July 1915, George is asking for an update on his son who at that time was still reported as missing and he is desperate for any news at all. In line with the times though, he concludes the letter with an apology saying, “trusting you will excuse me, but which you will understand is caused by my great anxiety as to my dear son.”

At this point George thought his son may have been taken prisoner by the Turkish forces as a number of ANZACs had been captured around the time Herbert disappeared. However, in the AIF’s response to the 6 July letter they note, “the members of the Australian Imperial Force, who were taken prisoner and are at present interned in Turkey, are not yet available,” and they concluded saying they will relay any news once they can clarify the situation.

George kept pressing for information about his son and later in July 1915 a Court of Enquiry found that Herbert had in fact been killed in action. This Enquiry had actually commenced a few months earlier but the news that they were investigating his death was never relayed to the family. Around May 1916, one year after Herbert’s disappearance, George received a telegram confirming his son’s death. George then started to enquire about where his son’s effects were and if there were any medals to be awarded posthumously to his son.

What made communication difficult was that George moved from Hobart out to Mangalore and the AIF was not informed and ended up putting an ad in the Hobart newspapers in 1920, asking for information on George Shearing. A friend spotted this and sent George’s new address to the AIF so that communication could re-commence.

George did not give up and in July 1921, he again approached the Base Records Office of the Australian Imperial Force to say:

“I regret to say we had no official news excepting that he was missing on 9th May 1915 and twelve months later we got a wire saying killed in action on 9 May 1915. We heard from some of his friends after they returned that he was killed at Quinn’s Post that is all the information we got concerning his death. Should you find out anything will you let me know as I have tried so hard to find out regarding his death.”

It is obvious that George is devastated and struggling to come to terms with his son’s death, so any tiny snippet of news about him would have been so precious. In August 1921, six years after Herbert’s death, George was sent a Memorial Scroll and a message from the King acknowledging the death. A recognition yes, but still no concrete details as to what happened to Herbert.

By 1923 a service pension is being paid to Herbert’s mother, Eliza, in recognition of his service. George had died in October 1921, most likely impacted by his absolute grief and lack of information about his son’s loss.

For giving his life, all that was left of Herbert was a rifle case, some letters and his hairbrush which were returned from the battlefield to his father. For his service Herbert was posthumously awarded the 1914/15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.