Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Samuel O'DONNELL

Military Medal

Recommendation:-

'20th September 1917. This N.C.O. was controlling the traffic from the CULVERT to HOOGE. On the day in question the MENIN Road between these points was heavily shelled. Through his energy, coolness and utter disregard of personal danger he controlled the traffic on the road (traffic at all times being exceptionally heavy) and materially assisted in expediting the evacuation of the wounded.'

Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31

Date: 7 March 1918

Samuel O’Donnell commenced his enlistment process in mid November 1915 however, he would not take the final oath till January 26, 1916. His older brother Domonick, would enlist in the same month and they both would go into camp and embark with the 16th reinforcements for the 7th Battalion.

In March 1916 we read of Samuel’s farewell in the Bendigo Independent newspaper:

‘On Monday night at Sim's Hall, Epsom, a farewell concert and social was tendered to some of the departing soldiers, namely, S. O'Donnell, W. Matthews, and R. Hyett (who is now in Egypt), and easily excelled anything previously attempted. The hall was not half large enough to hold, the crowd which attended.

Cr. Buckland, in a few well chosen remarks, impressed on the soldiers the necessity of avoiding temptation. He knew the men personally. They were, going away good men, and hoped they would return the same…….The Councillor made the presentations, which consisted of a wristlet watch each to P’tes. O'Donnell and W. Matthews, and a gold medal suitably inscribed to Mr. B. Hyett, for his absent son, Rex.[1]

The O’Donnell brothers would arrive in England with the 7th Battalion in mid 1916, however the following February, 1917 both brothers would be ‘Taken on Strength’ into Australian Provost Corp, to continue training at the AIF Tidworth camp in Hampshire.

Samuel writes home in late 1916 describing conditions in the camp and the local Epsom lads he has seen since arriving: -

‘Lance-Corporal S. O'Donnell, who is doing military police duty in England, writes to his father, Mr. D. O'Donnell, of Epsom, of his travels. He says:— "The Canadian troops felt the cold keenly at Salisbury Plain last winter. The Australians are in huts, and are fairly comfortable. There is a good number of Huntly boys at Lark Hill camp, and the two Piggots from Goornong, and Arthur Knight and young Fullerton, from Avonmore. Jack Pocock, from White Hills, and Bob Busst are in camp at Codford. They have a mob of German prisoners at Lark Hill. They are a weedy lot. England is dishing up Germany's 'Zeps.' I was in London when the last 'Zepp' fell. Everything was in darkness, and the roar of anti-air craft guns and airships buzzing about was interesting to us. I met Walter Blandford, of Huntly, and Arthur Meager, of Epsom’."[2]

The Australian Provost Corps (APC) was raised in the United Kingdom, early in 1917, with its HQ at Tidsworth, Hampshire. The scope and nature of the duties of members of the Provost Corps were established in Egypt in 1916 to keep order among the troops.

Their duties included:-

-Rear area duties included town patrols, VIP, hospital and PoW escorts and detention barrack duties.

-Field duties included route reconnaissance, water discipline, field security (spies, saboteurs, guarding of stores etc), PoW escorts and discipline.[3]

The following headline was published in the Bendigo Independent of June 1918 read; -WOUNDED - PRIVATE S. O'DONNELL, M.M.     'Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell, of Epsom has received word from the Defence  Department that their son, Private S. O'Donnell. M.M, of the Anzac Provost Police Corps, late 7th Battalion, has been wounded.[4]

Attached to the photo below came news that Acting Corporal Samuel O’Donnell had been awarded the Military Medal for his efforts on September 20, 1917 during the battle for Menin Road.

SERVICE DETAILS: 

Regimental No.5162

Place of birth: Bendigo

Religion: Roman Catholic

Occupation: Labourer

Address: Epsom, Bendigo, Victoria

Marital status: Single

Age at enlistment: 21

Next of kin: Father, Mr D O'Donnell, Epsom

Enlistment date: 16 November 1915

Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll 26 January 1916

Embarked: HMAT A23 Suffolk on 1 April 1916

Final Rank: Corporal

Unit name: 7th Battalion, Australian Army Provost Corps

Fate- Returned to Australia

CULVERT to HOOGE on the MENIN Road. (the action where Samuel O'Donnell would be recognised for his brave deeds.)

Menin Road is named for the road that connects the towns of Ypres (these days Ieper) and Menin. Entry from Frank Hurley’s (official AIF photographer) diary: - 20th September- It has been a glorious and frightful day. The Battle is over & we have achieved our objectives. Fortune has favoured us with weather which in very great measure attributed to the success.[5]

[1] The Bendigo Independent (Vic. : 1891 - 1918)  Thu 30 Mar 1916  Page 3  SOLDIERS FAREWELLED.

[2] Bendigonian (Bendigo, Vic. : 1914 - 1918)  Thu 30 Nov 1916  Page 13 LANCE-CORPORAL S. O'DONNELL
[3] Digger History Website - http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-discipline/mil-police-ww1.htm
[4] The Bendigo Independent (Vic. : 1891 - 1918)  Sat 8 Jun 1918  Page 8  WOUNDED.
[5] The Western Front Diaries of Charles Bean Edited by Peter Burness. 2018. P347

Photo: Bendigonian Dec 20, 1917. Page 3.