Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

'...“Lost” did you think;
How can such lives be lost.
Just gathered up,
His jewels rare of cost...'

A photograph of a young lad in uniform, a portrait capturing just a moment in his short life, that would eventually carry a million memories for his family for over one hundred years. His clear grey eyes seemed to see far beyond the photographer’s lens – and far beyond the capacity of his then 21 years.

When Pte Alfred Gregory Dale was born in Ballarat East on 17 July 1894, he was already a second generation of the family to call the city home. His parents, Archibald Dale and Jemima McKissock, were both born in Ballarat East – the Dales originally haling from Suffolk in the England, the McKissock’s from Ayrshire, Scotland.

Alf was the couple’s third child and third son – eventually their family would be completed by the arrival of a further five children. He would grow up with memories of his paternal grandmother, Atherlinda Emmerson; his paternal grandfather, John Cox Dale, was able to know him for nearly a year before his death at the age of 70. Sadly, both Andrew McKissock and Logan Powell, his maternal grandparents, had died before Alf was born.

However, the McKissock family was to forge a prominent position in the Ballarat community that would cement the connection for the growing boy. Alf’s uncle, Andrew Nelson McKissock, became a prominent and highly respected politician. (His own son, Reg McKissock, would also go on to serve with distinction in both the Great War and World War II).

The Dale children were all students at the Humffray Street State School. Their father worked as a draper and they moved multiple times during Alf’s childhood and adolescent years – from Rowe Street in Ballarat East, to Errard Street in the city’s west, and then Lydiard Street and Ligar Street in Soldiers’ Hill.

Humffray Street SS had a good reputation for turning out well-rounded, educated young people. Alf was no different. The school’s sloyd (woodwork) programme led to him gaining a four-year carpentry apprenticeship at Ronaldson Brothers & Tippett.

Alf also served with the local cadets and militia – he spent a year as a volunteer with the “Old 7th” Regiment and then completed two years of compulsory service with Ballarat’s 70th Infantry Regiment.

The family worshipped for many years at Ballarat’s St Andrew’s Kirk in Sturt Street, where Alf and his brothers and sisters were all Sunday School scholars. His attendance and studious nature resulted in him regularly winning book prizes. He continued his connection with the Kirk by becoming a popular member of the St Andrew’s Young Men’s Bible class.

Whilst Archibald Dale was an enthusiastic cricketer who turned out regularly with the “Drapers” Cricket Team, Alf was drawn more towards Australian Rules Football and became involved with the Ballarat North Football Club that trained not far from where he worked. By an early age his life was already full and showing great future promise.

By the time Alf joined the ranks of the AIF he had risen to non-commissioned rank with the 70th Regiment and had achieved his majority (21 years), so did not require his parent’s consent to enlist. He volunteered at Ballarat on 1 November 1915, following his older brother, Robert, who had enlisted on 23 October.

Despite his portrait making Alf look rather slight and very young, his medical examination revealed quite a robustly built young man. Not only was he just under 6-feet tall, he weighed a substantial 12-stone 7-pounds and could expand his chest to 37-inches. The same portrait shows clearly his fair complexion and blonde hair, but instead of 21, he looks closer to 16!

According to his parents, Alf had to undergo an operation to be passed fit, however, the nature of the operation was not revealed. His medical examination mentioned a scar on the right side of his chest, but this was most likely nothing to do with the operation. One of the most common, if minor procedures, was for varicoceles. It is one of those details we will probably never be privy to.

Nevertheless, pass he did. And, on 13 January, Alf joined Robert and the other recruits with the 14th Depot Battalion at the Showgrounds Camp in Ballarat. They then moved on to Broadmeadows where both were assigned to the 15th reinforcements destined for the 8th Infantry Battalion.

After less than two months in training, Alf and Robert Dale embarked from Melbourne onboard the troopship Wiltshire on 7 March.

The bulk of the 8th Battalion had already transferred on to the Western Front by the time the Dale boys arrived in Egypt. They spent nearly six weeks around Cairo before boarding the transport Tunisian for the voyage from Alexandria to Marseilles.

On 7 June, Alf and Robert marched into the 1st Australian Divisional Base Depot at Étaples with the other reinforcements. It wasn’t until 29 July that he joined the 8th Battalion in the front line. It was to be the literal baptism of fire in the Messines Sector with the enemy shelling the trenches heavily with 5.9-inch and minenwerfers. The Battalion suffered multiple casualties during the course of the day. It was certainly a day neither Alf or Robert would forget.

The 8th Battalion spent Christmas Day 1916 in Melbourne Camp on the Somme, and the men were the recipients of hand-packed presents from Australia. Alf took the time to write a letter of thanks to a Mrs R. Burton, from the Traralgon district, for a Christmas box she had sent. He let her know just how much it was appreciated – especially the tobacco! And he spoke of the excitement amongst the troops when the parcels arrived. He also let her know that he was a Ballarat boy. It was definitely one of the lighter moments of his time on the Western Front.

During the Second Battle of Bullecourt, on 14 May 1917, Alf was appointed to the rank of lance-corporal in the Field. Then, after just over twelve-months in the trenches, Alf and his brother were granted two-weeks leave. They rejoined their unit on 10 September just before the 8th moved into an area near Vieux-Berquin.

Something that I have sadly noted with all too many of our soldiers, after enjoying leave they would return to the Front and within days they would be dead, especially if a major battle was planned. The 8th Battalion was one of the attacking units in the Battle of Menin Road on 20 September 1917. At the end of the day 62 men of the 8th were either dead or missing. Amongst them was Alf Dale – and twelve other men from Ballarat and district.

On 29 September 1918, a Court of Enquiry ‘sat to determine his fate,’ and that of the other missing 8th Battalion men. Lieutenant Alfred D. Temple MC, who was Acting Adjutant to the 8th Battalion, stated, ‘…On the dates in question 20/9/1917 and 4/10/1917 I was with the Battalion when it went into action. The shelling was intense of heavy calibre guns and it was quite possible for a man to be completely buried or mutilated beyond recognition. The ground over which the casualties lay was subjected to a terrific barrage. As the intensity of the Artillery action maintained throughout the actions in question, it was impossible to make a thorough search of the ground for dead men over which they took place. The Battalion was relieved on both occasions under cover of darkness to Reserve Area. On being relieved no trace of the above men could be obtained…’

It was believed that Alf had been buried in the vicinity of Sheet 28 J14.B and 15a & b west of line V15B.4.9 south of Polygon Wood, east of Glencorse Wood, at a spot north of Veldhoek east-south-east of Ypres with a memo dated 10 November 1920 that added ‘suppose locality of burial: near Polygon Wood and approximately 2 miles SSW of Zonnebeke, Belgium’.

In attending to his affairs, Alf had made full provision for his mother – he completed the Will in the back of his paybook, which was witnessed by Second-Lieutenant Richard Andrewartha and Lance-Corporal Leslie Arnott, making his mother his sole beneficiary. She was then granted a pension of 14-shillings a fortnight – a token sum for the loss of a much-loved son. She also received the few personal effects he had carried with him – his pipe, a gift tin, a metal bracelet, two brushes and a razor strop.

The eldest of the Dale brothers, John, who had served with the 7th Field Artillery Brigade, and Robert both returned safely at the conclusion of the war. For Robert, the loss of his young brother, must have been particularly harrowing.

Sadly, Alf’s body was never recovered from the battlefield. His name was added to the many members of the 8th Battalion on the Portland stone panels of the Menin Gate. His parents retired to Bentleigh in Melbourne’s south-east, but they never forgot their young son.

'...He, ere the glow had left youth's skies,
Went forth and made the sacrifice...'