Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From the book Fallen Saints

Andrew Lambert Reid of Malvern was born at Hawksburn Victoria in September 1889.  He was educated at Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria and the Collegiate School of St Peter and served in the cadets at both schools.

After leaving school he studied engineering and at the time of enlistment was working as a Refrigeration Engineer as well as serving part time as a Lieutenant with 48th (Kooyong) Infantry.

He enlisted at the Melbourne Town Hall on 18 February 1916 and held in transit at 23rd Depot Battalion, Royal Park where three days later, he was made an acting sergeant.

On 7 March, a week after the 38th Battalion was formed at Bendigo he was appointed second lieutenant and posted to D Company.  

A severe outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis disrupted early training and all non-infected men were moved to a camp at Campbellfield before training could continue. 

Second Lieutenant Reid sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Runic on 20 June 1916, and after disembarking in England was seconded to the 10th Training Battalion. He proceeded to France on 21 October and was taken on the strength of the 51st Battalion at the end of the month and promoted to Lieutenant on 12 December.

Formed in Egypt in the first week of March 1916 the 51st Battalion with the 49th 50th and 52nd Battalions made up the 13th Infantry Brigade, 4th Australian Division. Within two weeks of arriving in France, the division fought at Mouquet Farm 14 August - 3 September during which time the 51st alone suffered almost 680 casualties. 

As the Germans retreated to the Hindenburg Line in 1917, the battalion took part in the follow up and on 2 April along with the 50th Battalion launched an attack at Noreuil. When operations moved to the Ypres sector, the 51st fought in the battle of Messines and it was there on 9 June 1917 that Lieutenant Reid was killed in action; he was 27 years of age.

Ten days after his death Lieutenant Reid’s Commanding Officer wrote to Andrew’s family and respectfully described the circumstances surrounding his death.

After expressing his deepest sympathy, Lieutenant Colonel Ridley informed them of how highly he was regarded in the Battalion and what ‘a loss his death has caused.’ He wrote that during the operations, which had commenced on 7 June, the company to which Andrew belonged was ordered to reinforce another, which he said ‘had been rather badly knocked about whilst making a certain advance a few hours previously.’

Lieutenant Reid’s company had set out in darkness and when the guides inadvertently led the company too close to the enemy’s line and were unexpectedly fired upon and Reid was killed. In his letter, Lieutenant Colonel Ridley told Andrew's parents their son had been killed ‘while gallantly keeping his men in hand and so preventing confusion during the first moments of surprise.’  He reassured them their son’s body had been recovered and was buried by a party of men from the Battalion with an official record kept of his grave. He said Andrew had not taken part in many actions with the Battalion, ‘but had proved himself in every way most efficient, and in fact, so much above the average that I was keeping a special eye on him for future advancement.’

In April, Andrew had completed a four week course at an Army School of Instruction in France and his report read that he was ‘a capable and efficient officer.’

 He has worked hard. Always smart on parade. Quite worthy of promotion. Discipline very good. At a battalion competition held by us a few weeks ago, his platoon, under his personal command, came a very good second and the Brigadier who was present and acting as a judge commented to me on his special smartness and capability. ... [i]

On 26 June 1917, the 51st Battalion’s Chaplain, Father Michael Bergin wrote to offer the family his sincere condolences and about the circumstances surrounding the death of their beloved son.  Although he was not of my flock – I am the R.C. Chaplain – we were the best of friends and he asked me in case anything happened to him to let you know.

Father Bergin described Andrew as ‘a universal favourite, and, a born soldier.’

 His superior officers had the highest opinion of him and he had the confidence of all his men. I never heard any of the officers say a hard thing about ‘Andy.’

He told them how during the attack on Messines ridge he had been on a ground reconnaissance with two other men out in front of the company and because it was at night, they could not see any distance.

He was going on from shell-hole to shell-hole when he saw some Germans in a trench about 15 or 20 yards from him. He immediately gave the alarm to his company and told the men to go back as fast as they could. Just then the Germans opened up with rifle and machinegun fire.

One of his men, Private Markham, had just enough warning to make it safely into a shell-hole but unfortunately, Lieutenant Reid was hit and fell back wounded and unconscious into the water at the bottom hole.

Private Markham immediately lifted him out of the water and tried to help by laying him on his on the side but died about twenty minutes later.

 Markham was able to get a little further back later on, but it was three days before he got into his own lines. He was buried where he fell in the accomplishment of his duty. His friends I know will feel his loss. God’s will is what is best. [ii]

Chaplain Bergin was killed in action at Zonnebeke on 12 October 1917; he was posthumously awarded the Military Cross.

Andrew’s brother 714 First Class Air Mechanic Leslie Reid served with the 3rd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps and returned to Australia after the war.

[i] St Peter’s School Magazine - W K Thomas & Co, Adelaide, May 1918, p. 73-74
[ii] ibid., p. 73

ANDREW LAMBERT REID who was killed in action at Messines on 9th June 1917 was the eldest son of Mr. H. Newman Reid. He was born in 1890 and entered the School in 1907, after leaving St. Peter's College, Adelaide, where he represented the college in the football and gymnastic teams, and passed the Junior and Senior
University examinations. He represented the School in the football eighteen of 1908 and the athletic teams of 1907 and 1908, and won the School Championship Cup for 1907. He passed the Junior Public in 1907 and left in 1908, going into business in Melbourne. He was a champion ice skater, and represented Victoria for several years against New South Wales at ice hockey.

Prior to enlisting he held a commission in 48th (Kooyong) Infantry, and spent several months in camp at Royal Park training recruits, where he was most popular. He was one of the first Citizen Forces officers to give up his commission and enlist, and so he became
a private at Royal Park in the company he had commanded on the previous day.

He passed through Duntroon Military College, obtained his commission on 16th April 1916, and sailed for the front in June 1916 as 2nd Lieutenant in the 38th Battalion, and after transfer to 51st Battalion on 31st October 1916 went to France, where he served throughout the winter, being promoted Lieutenant and Second-in-
Command of his company on 12th December. He subsequently attended a school for company commanders in France, and was recommended for promotion to Captain. He spent ten days' leave in London, where he met his brother "Snowy," of the Australian Flying Corps, and returned to France just in time to take part in
the big attack at Messines, where he was killed two days later.