ANTHON, Daniel Herbert
| Service Numbers: | 19, N60017 |
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| Enlisted: | 27 April 1915, An original of A Company |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Petersham, New South Wales, Australia, 9 August 1890 |
| Home Town: | Petersham, Marrickville, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Store manager |
| Died: | 1951, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Moss Vale WW2 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Apr 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 19, 20th Infantry Battalion, An original of A Company | |
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| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 19, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 19, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 17 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 6 Dec 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 28 Jun 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Oct 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| 9 Oct 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Major, N60017 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Lieutenant Daniel Herbert Anthon DSO, MC and Bar, MID, 20th Battalion AIF, one of those young men who served as a Private at Gallipoli and later won the highest decorations for gallantry and was promoted to officer.
Daniel was born during August 1890 at Petersham, New South Wales. After a primary school education, he worked as a clerk and in 1912-14 was employed in Port Moresby by Burns Philp & Co. Ltd, merchants and shipowners.
Anthon enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 3 May 1915, was posted to the 20th Battalion and embarked for Egypt seven weeks later. He first saw action at Gallipoli towards the end of August when his battalion relieved the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek, and then served at Russell's Top until the evacuation. Anthon was promoted corporal on 17 March 1916 and next day left Egypt for the Western Front where he fought in the early stages of the Somme offensive—at Le Bridoux in May and June and at Pozières in July. On 7 August, during the battle for Pozières Heights, he was wounded and did not rejoin his unit until November. Promoted sergeant next month, he was sent to England for officer training and, on being commissioned second lieutenant in June 1917, returned to the front. During the battle of Menin Road he was wounded for the second time but remained on duty and was awarded the Military Cross for 'great initiative in superintending and consolidating after the battalion objective had been gained at Hannebeek Wood'. In October he was promoted lieutenant.
In the early months of 1918 Anthon was involved in patrolling and raids and on 11 March was wounded again; for bravery at Mont St Quentin on 30 August, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for capturing a strongly held machine-gun post, raiding a trench and taking fifty-four prisoners. A month later, near Beaurevoir, he ran forward through heavy machine-gun fire and, single-handed, captured an enemy-held farm; this action earned him a Bar to his Military Cross. His final honour was mention in a dispatch by Sir Douglas Haig.
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