Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

# 729 TARDENT Felix Edward             42nd Infantry Battalion
 
Felix Tardent was one of twelve children born to Henry and Hortense Tardent, a Huguenot family whose ancestors had fled French persecution by crossing the border into Switzerland and settling in the Ormonts region. Felix’s father, Henry, was a skilled linguist who spoke German, Polish, French, Russian, Latin and English. He was also an accomplished horticulturalist and a trained vintner. The family emigrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney in 1877.
 
Henry Tardent established an experimental farm and vineyards in Roma where a number of children, including Felix, were born before taking up a position as the manager of the State Farm at Westbrook outside Toowoomba in 1890s. From 1898 to 1901, Henry managed the State Farm at Biggenden and it may be this fleeting association which resulted in Felix’s inclusion on the Degilbo Shire Memorial as Felix would have been of school age in those years. Felix’s mother when completing the Roll of Honour Circular stated that Felix had attended school mostly at Wynnum Central and it is likely that the family moved to Wynnum around 1905. The family home was named “Ormonts” after the Swiss district in Switzerland where Henry and Hortense were born. It is possible that Felix was engaged in farming on the Atherton Tableland or at Nanango with one of his brothers.
 
When Felix attended the recruiting office in Brisbane on 13th December 1915, he reported he was 18 years old and had served in the Atherton Cadet Corps in North Queensland. He stated his occupation as farmer. After a period in a depot battalion at Thompson’s Paddock at Enoggera, Felix was drafted into the 42ndInfantry Battalion. Also enlisting in the 42nd was Felix’s elder brother Jules who had originally enlisted in the Light Horse but had been sent back to Australia suffering the effects of enteric fever and malaria.
 
Felix and Jules both boarded the “Borda” in Sydney on 5th June 1916 as part of “C” Company, along with the rest of the 42nd Battalion, arriving in Southampton on 23rd July. The 42nd battalion was part of the 11thBrigade of the 3rd Division of the AIF. Unlike the other divisions of the AIF, the 3rd Division was being completely trained in England under Divisional Commander John Monash at camps on Salisbury Plain. The companies of the 42nd as they arrived in England were marched into camp at Larkhill. Somewhere along the way, Felix was promoted to the rank of corporal but there is no notation of this in his file.
 
Felix had only been in England a month when he reported to the Bulford War Hospital with a bout of gonorrhoea, not doubt contracted during a period of leave in the nearby towns. Venereal disease was of particular concern to the authorities as it rendered a soldier unfit for duty. Without the availability of antibiotics, treatment was slow and Felix spent a total of 74 days in hospital at Buford and Fovant, during which time his pay was stopped and he was unfit for training.
 
Felix was discharged on 2nd November and the entire 3rd Division crossed the English Channel and went into position in the Belgian/ French border later that month. The first thing that the newly arrived infantrymen had to contend with was the winter, which in 1916/17 was particularly fierce for men manning the front line or support trenches.
 
The 3rd Division had been specifically trained to take part in the big summer offensive of 1917 which was aimed at the Ypres salient in Belgium. The offensive would begin with the exploding of 19 underground mines beneath the ridge which ran south from Hill 60 through Messines and on to Warneton. Troops who would follow up the explosions, which included the 11th Brigade, were walked through a large-scale model of the area with objectives marked in the days before the battle.
 
On 5th June, two days before the beginning of the Battle of Messines, Felix was sent to the Army’s Lewis Gun School for training. It would seem that he either failed to report to the school or once there went absent. The outcome of this indiscretion was far more serious than incidents which had blotted his record earlier in his career.
 
Felix was arrested by the Military Police around the 12th June and charged with being absent without leave on 5th and 6th June. Felix faced a Field General Court Martial on 16th June. It is probable that the Court Martial was ordered in response to the fact that Felix went missing in the days before the biggest offensive of the war, to that date, and his actions could have been interpreted as desertion in the face of the enemy. His brother Julius was away at Officers School in England at the time and it is unlikely that Felix informed his family of his fall from grace.
 
The court ordered Felix be reduced to the ranks, fined the sum of six pounds and one shilling, and be sentenced to 14 days Field Punishment #2 (to spend up to 2 hours a day in handcuffs or shackles).
 
For the rest of June and July, the 11th Brigade rotated in and out of the firing and support lines. At the end of July, the 42nd was put into a major assault at Warneton. The battalion war diary noted that the action was “highly successful” with the loss of 40 men killed and 150 wounded, but with the objectives being attained.
 
During this engagement, Felix Tardent was reported Killed in Action. From comments included by Hortense Tardent in the Roll of Honour Circular, it appears that the Commanding Officer of the 42nd Battalion, Colonel Woolcock, wrote to the family at Wynnum and included the following statement. “Felix made a voluntary sacrifice of his life to save his platoon from annihilation by a German machine gun which he put out of action with hand grenades.”
 
There is an entry in Felix’s file which records that he was buried in the Wulverghem Lindenhoek Military Cemetery. This cemetery was overrun by a German counterattack in 1918 and a number of graves were destroyed, including that of Felix Tardent.
He is now commemorated on the memorial tablets of the Menin Gate at Ieper (Ypres).

"Mr. and Mrs. Tardent, Ormonts, Wynnum, have just received the sad tidings that their youngest son, Corporal Felix Edward Tardent, has been killed in action. Corporal Tardent enlisted over 18 months ago, and was made a corporal the day he left Australia. He has been almost constantly in the firing line for the last seven or eight months. His brother, Sergeant Jules L. Tardent, writing about him some time ago says: "Have no anxiety about Ted. He takes a pride in his work, and is a great favourite with both officers and men. He is in the pink of health, and full of enthusiasm. He has just put some splendid work in 'No Man's Land.' He is as game as they are made, and came through a couple of dusty bombardments with all his men safe. He put us all in a roar of laughter when recounting that night's experience, and how he and his little party came through a barrage out into safe ground." There is so far no details about where and how he died." - from the Brisbane Courier 22 Aug 1917 (nla.gov.au)

"LETTER FROM A SOLDIER.

The late Corporal Edward Felix Tardent, who was killed in action in France on the 31st July, wrote to his parents, under date 9th July, a letter, just received, in which he says:—

"I was very pleased to receive some letters from you a couple of days ago, when I came out of the trenches. Dear ones, we had an awfully trying time in the line this time. Can you. imagine a fellow doing 18 days in mud and slush up over his knees, and enormous 5.9 shells — not to speak of "whiz-bangs" — coming, as it seems, straight at you — yet somehow you miss being knocked. Oh, it is a rare and marvellous experience we are having here. I don't mind the hardships, for I have endured and stuck it out where strong and big men in the prime of life have chucked it in. I have hung out eight months of it, and, if need be, I can go as long again. I am in perfect health, but, like a few who are still jogging along, I am absolutely run down. You know 18 days and nights, and practically no sleep, but, working by day and keeping a very watchful and tedious look-out by night then again, working when you are off watch, is a rather severe strain. For a time we used to get a few hours' sleep from about 5 a.m. till 10 a.m., or, if lucky, one might sleep till 12 o'clock, and get up for the midday meal. In spite of all these hardships, it is really marvellous how you quickly recover. When one is for a few days out of the line, one starts joking and laughing at one's past troubles. I am proud to say that the Australians are about the only troops of so gay and cheerful disposition. Of course, a fellow is often growling and roaring about something, but next moment he is laughing. It is rather funny when a big shell comes at you. For a moment every face looks grave, and when the shell bursts, per- haps just past you, you laugh and say, 'My regimental number was not on that shell' - and you settle down to await the next. It is truly strange how a man gets accustomed to danger and doesn't care a continental for anything. It is the worst thing a man can do to think about getting skittled. In the biggest strafes, I never give a thought to being knocked. I turn my mind and my thoughts towards how I could most easily get Fritz if he came over to us. Anything at all is better than allowing yourself to get nervous, for once you get nervous you are no good at all. When someone gets nervous, we call it "getting the wind-up." The other night I was one of a raiding party, who had to capture a Hun machine gun position. Our party crawled out across "No Maris, Land" and took up a position ready for at- tack. Before I go any further, let me assure you that it is a very thrilling and dangerous job — crawling up to one of Fritz's machine gun positions. He turned down his machine gun on us twice while we were getting out, but did not knock any of us. Another chap and I were in charge of a ma- chine gun each, to fire at the Huns, and on our right was another L.M.G. When we had our guns in position the bombers and bayonet men crawled on further, and were ready to rush the Huns as soon as our two guns would cease firing. Well, the time came for us to let fly, and we pumped a fair amount of lead into Fritz, while he in return was throwing bombs all around us. Well, what happened next I cannot say, because all one could see was smoke and men. Anyhow it was a very successful raid, for we only got six wounded, whilst mine and the other machine gun fairly mowed down the Huns. So you see, my dear ones, that we have plenty of fun, if it is a bit dangerous sometimes. For the last few days we have been living in a ridge which is undermined, and quite like a city with its electric lights and good dry bunks — a big item. We go carrying material from here up to the line of a night, and then we sleep during the day, so that we are not too badly off. In a day or two we shall move out to billets for two weeks to reorganise." - from the Brisbane Telegraph 29 Sep 1917 (nla.gov.au)

"A HERO'S DEATH.

Writing from France under date August 3, to the parents of the late Edward Felix Tardent, Captain J. Leahy, O.C., says:—

"The news that your son, Edward Felix Tardent, was killed in action during the recent of- fensive has probably reached you some time since, but I feel sure that a few lines from myself will be appreciated. Your son faced an ordeal, which called for the fullest exercise of personal courage and powers of endurance, and I am proud to say that he discharged his duties with steadiness and entirely to the satisfaction of his officers, and at the same time setting a good example to his comrades. He was much liked by his fellows, and I share with all ranks the keen feeling of regret at his untimely end. His end was sudden, and he suffered little or no pain, which knowledge, I am sure will be a relief to you. You will readily understand the fact that I am unable to go very freely into circumstances at the moment, and in conclusion, offer you my sincere sympathy, and assure you of my personal feeling of regret and loss in this matter.

Writing to his parents from New College, Oxford University, Cadet Jules L. Tardent says:—

"I learned of my dear brother's death from an officer, who cannot say too much for the dear boy's heroism and coolness. His death was not caused by fooolhardiness, as a finer and more typically soldier's end could not be imagined. He was killed by a big shell early in the morning of the 31st July, soon after his unit had captured its objective. It is almost comforting to know that death was instantaneous. I feel his loss keenly, as we were attached to each other as few brothers are."

Lieutenant R. D. Fisher, in the course of a long and sympathetic letter to the parents of the late Corporal Edward Felix Tardent says:—

"I took a great interest in him ever since I met him in Queensland. He proved himself to be a very energetic and ambitious soldier. In my opinion he was one of the bravest and most fearless fighters I have ever met. We are in need of men, and I trust that those who enlist now will follow in the footsteps of your son, in being upright, trustworthy, and fearless." - from the Brisbane Daily Standard 13 Oct 1917 (nla.gov.au)