Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of David ZACHARIAH and Eve nee SCUDDS
Of Stirling West, SA

Zachariah, David Henry Monty was born on the 2nd of November 1893. He was an only child and his only family where his mother and father, he was never married and he never had any children.  He was born in Mount Lofty. He was in great condition and was a 22 year old labourer before he enlisted in WW1 on the 7th of July 1915 in Keswick.

When he joined, he was placed in the Australian infantry, A.I.F, 32nd battalion. When he first joined the battalion he underwent basic training in Mitcham, South Australia. Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Donald Coghill. After completing basic training, the battalion left Australia in November aboard the HMAT Geelong, bound for Egypt. His battalion sailed from Adelaide on 18 November 1915. They joined the newly raised 5th Australian Division in Egypt, and arrived amidst the aftermath of the failed Gallipoli campaign, which saw a reorganisation and expansion of the AIF in preparation for its dispatch to France and Belgium to take part in the fighting against the Germans along the Western Front.

In Egypt, the battalion became part of the newly formed 8th Brigade, which was attached to the 5th Division. After a further period of training, the battalion was shipped to France in June 1916, to join the fighting on the Western Front the 32nd Battalion fought its first major battle at Fromelles on 19 July 1916, having only entered the front-line trenches 3 days previously. The attack was a disastrous introduction to battle for the 32nd battalion it suffered 718 casualties, almost 75 per cent of the battalion's total people, but closer to 90 per cent of its actual fighting strength.

Although it still spent periods in the front line, the 32nd played no major offensive role for the rest of the year. Here is where David Zachariah was captured. He had suffered quite a lot of wounds from being in war and they were starting to get infected whilst he was being held captive. After being held captive for about a about a week he fell sick with sepsis due to the wounds he had received form battle.  Sepsis is the presence in tissues of harmful bacteria and their toxins, typically through infection of a wound. He was taken to Hammelberg hospital, yet sadly passed on the 10/09/1916. There was one other Australian that died whilst being held captive by the Germans.  They were both buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Germany on the 11th of September, plot: 111.H.10.

There was no record of his family holding any type of funeral for him.  Everything he owed was left to his mother, yet on upon the delivery of his things his mother sent a letter to the general asking if there was anyone else that they could give his belongings to as she did not want them. 

A 22 year old labourer prior to enlisting on 7 July 1915, he embarked for overseas as a Private with B Company from Adelaide on 18 November 1915 aboard HMAT Geelong. While undergoing further training in Egypt, he was promoted to Lance Corporal and then arrived in France on 23 June 1916. After being wounded at Fromelles, France he was captured by the Germans and subsequently died of his wounds at the prisoner of war camp at Hammelburg, Germany. He is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery, Cassel, Germany. (AWM accessed 1/5/2014)