Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Dawes, known as “Corporal”, was born in February 1887 at Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England UK, the second eldest of 9 children born to his parents Richard and Mary Dawes.  His brothers were Charles, William and Richard…known as Gordon…and his sisters were Florence, Isabella, Eva, Ida and Olive.  The family came to live in Australia in 1886 when George was just 6 weeks old.  They settled at Korumburra in Gippsland, Victoria, where George attended Korumburra Primary School.  The family had a small farm for their own needs so George helped out on the farm.    

On the 25th August 1914 George enlisted for WW1 at Surrey Hills VIC and gave his age as 28.  Charles enlisted on 31st January 1916 aged 30 but for whatever reason, he gave his age as 29.  Just 5 days later the youngest brother Gordon also enlisted giving his age as 18 when he was actually under age at 17.  The only brother not to enlist was William.  Charles was assigned to the 21st Infantry Battalion and Gordon to the 6th Infantry Battalion. 

Their stories are intertwined so this biography is the story of all 3 brothers who went to serve their King and country in war and all 3 would make the supreme sacrifice.  This shines a light on the high cost of war that some families paid during WW1.  A photograph was taken in 1909 of the whole family together…most likely it was the last one…no one could have known then that in just a few short years they would suffer heartbreaking loss. 

George is described as being 5ft 8ins tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.  His service number was 344, his rank Private and he was assigned to the 8th Infantry Battalion “C” Company.  After completing his training at Broadmeadows Camp he embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Benalla on 19th October 1914 then sailed with the 1st Convoy from Albany WA on 1st November 1914.  He disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, on 8th December 1914 and proceeded to Mena Camp.  The Battalion moved to Ismailia in early January 1915 to take part in the defence of the Suez Canal then returned to Mena Camp a month later.  On 5th April 1915 the battalion proceeded to Alexandria and embarked from there on the 8th April on HMAT Clan McGillivray.  They arrived in Mudros Bay off Lemnos Island on the 11th April where they undertook more training in preparation for the landings at Gallipoli.  George with the 8th Battalion came ashore at Gallipoli in the 2nd wave at Gaba Tepe on 25th April 1915 between 8-9am and proceeded to Bolton’s Ridge where they dug in. 

On 6th May 1915, just 10 days after the landing, the 8th Infantry Battalion as part of the 2nd Brigade, was transferred from ANZAC to Cape Helles to help in the attack on the village of Krithia.  The attack captured little ground but cost the brigade almost a third of its strength.  George was promoted to Corporal on the 12th May 1915 then the battalion returned to ANZAC on 17th May to help defend the beachhead.  Two months later in early July the battalion was withdrawn to Imbros Island to rest for 5 days then they returned to ANZAC. 

A note in the unit diary on 4th August 1915 records that since landing at Gallipoli the number of casualties for the battalion was 22 Officers and 532 other ranks.  That number rapidly increased 2 days later on 6th August at the commencement of the Battle of Lone Pine which saw 100 men killed in 10mins due to heavy bombardment.  The battle continued the next day and the bombardment of 300+ shells was so terrific that it levelled the trenches.  George’s “C” Company sustained heavy casualties with 18 killed and 53 wounded.  George was one of the 18 killed in action on the 7th August 1915 aged 28.  He was buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery at Gallipoli.  News of his death reached Korumburra on the 25th August, exactly a year to the day from when he enlisted.  This was the first loss for the family and perhaps this was a factor in why Charles and Gordon both enlisted in early 1916. 

In the book “The Lost Boys” written by Paul Byrnes, he comments that when Gordon told his parents that he’d enlisted, his mother was devastated and threatened to inform the authorities that he was under age.  However, Charles having had some military experience, stepped in and said he would look after him and that it was better that Gordon go to war with his brother rather than have him go by himself a year later when he was legally old enough to enlist.  Charles kept his word to his parents…he helped to have Gordon transferred to the 21st Battalion so they could serve together.  Both proceeded to England in mid-1916 and after completing their training, the brothers embarked for France on 5th September 1916 where they joined their unit at St Lawrence Camp near Ypres in Belgium on 19th September 1916. 

On the 14th October 1916 the Battalion moved into the frontline at Hill 60 near Ypres then 4 days later they entrained for the Somme where they moved into the frontline at Flers on 4th November 1916.  On the 6th November 1916 Charles suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was evacuated to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station at Heilly where he succumbed to his wounds the next day.  He was 31.  Gordon most likely would not have known about Charles’ death on the 7th November when that same day he himself was seriously wounded with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and thigh.  He was evacuated to the 15th Field Ambulance at Becordel-Becourt where he succumbed to his wounds the next day.  He was just 17.

Paul Byrnes comments in his book “The Lost Boys” that it is no exaggeration to say that in part, mud killed both Charles and Gordon.  Mud made the trenches impassable so they were forced to walk in the open in sight of the enemy.  Mud made the rifles jam and stopped hot food from reaching the troops at the front.  Mud gave the soldiers trench foot from standing in it for hours up to their thighs.  Mud made the job of the stretcher bearers impossible as it could take 12 hours to get one man back to an aid post over a distance that would normally take an hour in the dry.  Mud made the task of the soldiers impossible and their rescue and treatment when wounded, unmanageable. 

Charles was buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Heilly, and Gordon was buried at Dartmoor Cemetery at Becordel-Becourt...a distance of 9 miles between the two.  The names of all 3 brothers killed in WW1 appear along with the names of their parents on the family headstone at the Korumburra Cemetery VIC. 

George is commemorated on panel 52 of the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra ACT and Charles and Gordon are commemorated on panel 93.  All 3 brothers are commemorated on the Korumburra Pictorial Roll of Honour, the Korumburra War Memorial and the Korumburra South & District Honour Roll.  

After the war their parents received a Memorial Scroll, Plaque and Royal Letter from the King for each one of them.  These were presented to the next of kin of those who died while serving in the Australian Imperial Force in WW1, acknowledging the service of the fallen and their loss as a family.             

George Dawes was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 4th October 2023.

Sources

"The Lost Boys" written by Paul Byrnes (Book)