Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The details provided are taken from the book "Just Soldiers" written by WO1 Darryl Kelly, published 2004, refer chapter 12 pages 73 to 82.
He was just 19 at the declaration of war. He chose artillery and assigned to 2nd Battery 1st Aust Field Artillery Brigade. Trained as a gunner and telephone signaller. Disembarked at Alexandria Dec 1914 and transferred to Mena camp. The Unit moved forward to Gallipoli in April 15 to find that the 18 pounder guns were not suited to the hills at that location. The Unit transferred to the Cape Hellas activity, and in October 1915 they transferred back to Gallipoli. Cecil spent some time in a hospital on Lemnos island but resumed duty before the evacuation from Gallipoli. Back in Egypt he caught up with his 2 brothers LES & LIONEL who had also been at Gallipoli as infantry and survived without injury.
He transferred to 4th Division Artillery and the Unit was transferred to the Western Front. He was not a bombardier and acting as a Forward Observer party signaller. Late 1916 he was moved back to Brigade HQ for a while, and the Command Post where he was serving on 20 Dec 1916 was heavily shelled by German artillery. The others were killed or wounded but he survived, mended the phone wires inside and outside the post many times that day before the Germans ceased the firing. He was paraded in May 1917 to receive the Military Medal plus a coveted Italian Bronze Cross for conspicuous service in that engagement. He continued to serve for the rest of the war. His brother LES was wounded at Pozieres with the loss of his left hand. His brother LIONEL was wounded and gassed and was repatriated to Australia before the end of the war and discharged as medically unfit. September 1918 Cecil reported to the Command Post and was told that he was being sent home, he became ill on the voyage across the Mediterranean and was hospitalised in Egypt for a while. He joined another ship bound for home and reached Sydney on Boxing Day 1918 to be greeted by his 2 brothers.