POORE, Robert James
| Service Numbers: | 22, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 August 1914, Rosebery, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 56th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sale, Victoria, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Surry Hills, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Engine-Driver |
| Died: | Barossa Valley, South Australia, 15 July 1940, cause of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Nuriootpa Cemetery, South Australia RSL Section, Nuriootpa Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Fernbank & District Boys Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Rosebery, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Signaller, 22, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' |
|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Signaller, 22, 1st Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Star of Victoria, Sydney | |
| 12 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Signaller, 22, 1st Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 24 Jul 1915: | Wounded ANZAC / Gallipoli, Shrapnel wound to left foot | |
| 4 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Signaller, 22, 4th Division Headquarters | |
| 12 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Signaller, 22, 5th Division Headquarters | |
| 23 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 56th Infantry Battalion | |
| 30 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 14th Machine Gun Company | |
| 25 Nov 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 14th Machine Gun Company | |
| 1 Jan 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 56th Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 Apr 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 56th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line | |
| 2 Apr 1917: | Wounded The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, Gun Shot Wound to thigh | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 56th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second) | |
| 2 Jul 1917: | Honoured Bullecourt (Second), Military Cross | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 22 - service number relinquished on commissioning, 56th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood | |
| 26 Sep 1917: | Wounded Polygon Wood, Gun Shot Wound to Buttock | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 56th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
Military Cross Recommendation - 19 May 1917
In the Trenches opposite REINCOURT on 14th the Battalion sector was subject to an intense bombardment. During the bombardment this Officer showed very fine leadership and coolness while in charge of a dangerous sector of the line and was largely responsible for checking the losses of his two platoons. He was throughout a splendid example to his men, showing devotion to duty and utter disregard for shell fire. Later, when the Battalion which joined up with his left was attacked he took two sections of grenadiers across a considerable spare amount of open ground to render them assistance.
Although he never actually closed with the enemy, he rendered valuable assistance in establishing bombing posts in the sector attacked, to help break down any further attack by the enemy. This Officer has at all times carried out his work extremely well, this work being specially noticeable during my Battalion's attack on Louverval. I recommend that he be awarded the Military Cross.
[Last two sentences are crossed out.]
Recommended by Lieut-Col A.H. Scott, DSO, CO of the 56th Battalion.
Submitted 27 December 2014 by Nathan Rohrlach
Biography
Born in Sale, Victoria in 1886, Robert James Poore was married, working as an engine driver and living at 118 Flinders Street Surry Hills, Sydney when he enlisted in the AIF on 25th August 1914. Given the service number of 22 he was allocated with the rank of Private and embarked at Sydney aboard HMAT Star Of Victoria (A16) on 20 October 1914 with B Squadron of the 1st Light Horse Regiment.
Robert Poore served on Gallipoli but was later evacuated to Malta and then to England after being wounded in the foot in July 1915. He did not return to his unit until March 1916 when they were back in Egypt. Upon returning however, he was allocated to the 1st Reserve Light Horse Regiment before been transferred, within days, to the 4th Division Headquarters then at Tel el Kebir. A week later he was again transferred to the 5th Division Headquarters and stayed with them as they proceeded overseas to France. In the direct aftermath of the Battle of Fromelles (July 1916), Robert Poore was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and transferred to the 56th Battalion in August 1916. This move was to cover for causalities the Battalion had suffered during the battle of Fromelles. Soon, however, he was transferred again to the 14th Machine Gun Company in September 1916.
On 2 April 1917, Poore received a gunshot wound to the thigh during the heavy fighting near Louverval and spent a month recovering in England. Returning to the 56th Battalion in May 1917, he was soon taking part in the fighting at Second Bullecourt. For his actions there he received the Military Cross for his bravery during an enemy artillery barrage on 14th May.
By September the 56th Battalion was participating in the Third Battle of Ypres and whilst there Robert Poore was wounded - for the third time - on 26th September 1917 during the fighting at Polygon Wood near Ypres in southern Belgium. After he was evacuated he spent almost three months recovering in England. He re-joined his unit in December 1917.
Luckily for Robert Poore he had a peaceful 1918 amid the Spring German 1918 offensive and then later that Great Allied August Offensive. In September of 1918 was seconded to a training battalion. He returned to Australia on '1914 Leave' on 8th November 1918.
After the war, he moved to the Barossa Valley, in South Australia and joined the Nuriootpa Branch of the then RSS & AILA (Returned Sailor's, Soldier's and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia) the fore runner of the RSL. He died in 1940 and had a special headstone erected in Nuriootpa Cemetery.
Adapted from information from AWM
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