Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Martin Joseph and Anna Lobwein of Queensland. Brother of Frank Levine of Meringandan, QLD and Mary Cutler nee Levine

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Also served in the Garrison Artillery

 
# 462 LEVINE (aka LOBWEIN) Michael                      15th Battalion
Michael Lobwein was born in Toowoomba. His parents, Martin and Anna were farmers at Goombungee and young Michael attended Goombungee State School along with his brother Frank and sister, Mary. As an adult, Michael probably left the family farm and worked at labouring jobs around the Downs area. His brother, when completing the Roll of Honour Circular stated Michael’s occupation as shearer. At the outbreak of the First World War, anti-German sentiment increased and like many other people of German descent, Michael and his brother both changed their surname to Levine.
 
Using his new surname, Michael presented himself to the Darling Downs Recruiting Office in Toowoomba on 10th October 1914. He stated his age as 27 and occupation as farmer. He also stated he had served 4 years with the Garrison Reserve Artillery. Michael named his brother as next of kin, even though both parents although elderly were still alive. He passed the medical examination and was given a travel warrant to travel by train to the Enoggera Camp where he was drafted into “C” Company of the 15th Infantry Battalion on 13rdOctober 1914.
 
The 15th Battalion was raised as one of the two Queensland battalions that would make up the first contingent of the AIF. The Battalion was composed of eight companies; six coming from Queensland and two from Tasmania. The Battalion was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Cannan, a well-known Brisbane businessman and officer of the volunteer defence force. Training was provided by civilian rifle club members at Enoggera and once sufficient recruits had been processed, the battalion embarked on a number of route marches to Sandgate with an overnight bivouac. Cannan was very particular about the men in his battalion and had reason to dismiss a number for breaches of discipline, mainly drunkenness.
 
In early December, the battalion travelled by train over several days to Broadmeadows near Melbourne where the Tasmanian companies joined the battalion. While in camp at Broadmeadows, Michael went Absent Without Leave for two days. He was fined 2/6d. The complete 15th joined the three other battalions to form the 4th Brigade of the AIF commanded by Colonel John Monash. The 15th boarded the “Ceramic” in Port Melbourne on 22nd December 1914 and sailed for Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on 3rd February 1915.
 
The first contingent of the AIF, comprising three brigades, had been in Egypt since December 1914, and had been training as a division. It was decided that the 4th Brigade would join with the New Zealand contingent to create the New Zealand and Australian Division. The 15th marched into the Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis, a suburb of Cairo and began intensive training for the next two months.
 
On 14th April 1915, the 15th boarded two troop ships, the “Australind” and the “Seang Bee” for the voyage to the Greek island of Lemnos where the invasion force of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was being assembled at Mudros Harbour in preparation for the assault on the Gallipoli Peninsula. There was insufficient room for all of the Australian and New Zealand force to be billeted on shore and so the late arrivals, such as the 15th Battalion, remained on board the transports while practicing boat and landing drills.
 
At dawn on the 25th April, the 15th Battalion set sail for the beaches of Gallipoli. Those on board the “Australind” stood off the beach at Cape Helles and observed the British landings there before sailing north to Gaba Tepe where the “Seang Bee” was waiting. The entire battalion was disembarked during the night of the 25th/26th April and bivouacked in a gully until dawn when the troops moved up the gully to relieve the exhausted men who had been holding the precarious position at Pope’s Hill since the previous morning. For the next few days, companies of the 15th Battalion were moved up to reinforce various positions that were coming under attack by the Turkish defenders. During May, the 15th Battalion continued to hold the line at Popes Hill and Quinn’s Post (named after the commander of “C” Company, 15th Battalion).
 
For most of the month of May, both the Turks and the Australians attempted to take ground from each other. In most cases the attacks were easily repelled. On 19th May, during one such Turkish attack at Courtney’s Post in the 4th Brigade defensive line, Albert Jacka of the 14th Battalion fought off and killed seven Turks who had captured part of the trench that Jacka was defending. Jacka was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action, the first VC awarded to an Australian during WW1. On 24th May, a brief armistice was agreed to so that the dead which littered the ground between the Turkish and Australian positions could be taken in by both sides. Fighting resumed at 5:00 that afternoon. On 29th May, a Turkish mine was exploded under the front line at Quinn’s post, blowing in the trench and giving the Turks access to the position. The 15thbattalion, which had been resting in Monash Gulley was ordered to move up to Quinn’s and retake the position.
 
Frantic fighting involving bomb throwing and hand to hand fighting eventually won the day but at the cost of 10 men killed; including Major Quinn (after whom the post was named) and Michael Levine. Michael’s mates carried his body back to Monash Gulley (which was also known as Shrapnel Valley) where the Reverend Green officiated at his burial. Michael was buried beside the other 15th Battalion men killed at Quinn’s Post on 29th May.
 
Communications from the Gallipoli front were slow and due to the nature of undersea telegraphic cable traffic, often garbled or lacking detail. Michael’s brother and sister both wrote to the authorities in Melbourne, then the temporary national capital, seeking details of his death. Letters were also sent to the Federal Member of Parliament for the Darling Downs area. In neither instance was there any news for the simple reason that no details of a soldier’s death were recorded in official documents, save that he had been killed in action.
 
In due course, Frank Levine received a package of Michael’s effects; wallet, notebook, cards and letters. His sister, Mary, wrote to the authorities from Kulpi, a small community to the west of Goombungee, requesting the date of his enlistment as she was compiling a photographic honour board of men from the district who had enlisted.
 
In 1922, Michael’s mother received her son’s three campaign medals; 1914/15 Star, Empire Medal and Victory Medal as well as a memorial bronze plaque and a memorial scroll signed by King George V.