Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert Henry Mackness, also known and spelt as McNess was born in Stepney London, England in March 1882 to parents Henry William and Emma Rebecca Mackness (nee Patmore) who were married at St Thomas Mile End Old Town, Stepney in December 1880. Herbert was one of seven siblings with six sisters, with Herbert the oldest sibling.
 
Herbert was baptised at St Thomas Stepney, London in April 1882. He attended the Colegrave Road School, Stratford London. After his schooling it is recorded that Herbert was employed as a railway porter, he was 19 years of age at that time.
 
In 1908 Herbert emigrated from England aboard the ship Orontes, arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia in May of that year. Records indicate he was travelling alone, he was 25 years of age when he arrived in Fremantle.
 
His movement in Western Australia are not well known, however there are several newspaper articles in March 1912 placing him at Katanning, a farming region southeast of Perth. The newspaper article was titled “Missing Friends” describing Herbert and that he was from Stepney London, working as a labourer, farm work arrived in this state and was last heard of at Katanning in January 1911. The newspaper notice was placed in the Daily News Perth and the Eastern Districts Chronicle York. It is not known if Herbert was located by the person who had placed the notice in the newspapers. It was not until 1915 on Herbert’s enlistment papers that he can be placed at Wickepin north of Katanning.
 
It was in July of 1915 that Herbert enlisted into the A.I.F. conducting his medical at Wickepin on 7th July 1915 and was declared fit for service on enlistment into the A.I.F. He recorded his next of kin as his sister Edith Mackness (McNess) Manor Park Essex, England. It was on 21st July 1915 that he attended at Blackboy Hill training camp at Helena Valley conducting his basic training attached to 32nd Battalion. Two companies C and D of 32nd Battalion were formed at Blackboy Hill. It was in September 1915 that these two companies sailed from Fremantle for Adelaide South Australia to join A and B companies to form the remainder of the battalion which had been raised at Adelaide, forming part of the 8th Brigade.
 
Herbert embarked from Adelaide, South Australia in November 1915 aboard HMAT Geelong A2, attached to C Company. Arriving in Egypt in December 1915 the battalion conducted further training at Tel-el-Kebir. In May 1916 he was found guilty of refusing to obey a lawful command given by his superior office, when ordered to move off with a fatigue party he stepped out and refused to go. He was awarded 28 days “Field Punishment No 2”.
 
In June 1916 Herbert embarked from Alexandria to Join the British Expeditionary Forces in France. On arrival at Marseilles France, Herbert was sent Morbecque near Hazebrouck in northern France.

It was in July 1916 that Herbert with the battalion moved to their billets at Fleurbaix in preparation for an assault on the German trenches at Fromelles. The plan was to use Brigades from the Australian Fifth Division to conduct a diversionary assault of the German trenches at Fromelles.

The Australian 8th Brigade which 32nd Battalion was a part of along with 31st Battalion were to assault the German trenches on the left flank crossing only 100 metres of no man’s land to get the trenches. The 32ndBattalion was on the extreme left flank their job made more difficult, not only did they have to protect themselves, but advancing on the German lines they had to block off the Germans on their left, to stop them from coming around behind them whilst advancing. The assault was due to commence at 6pm on 19th July 1916.

Herbert in C Company along with A Company formed the first and second waves of the attack. Even before the attack commenced the Australians not only suffered casualties from the German artillery but also from their own inexperienced Australian artillery who lacked the skills to provide artillery cover for the assault.

With the 32nd and 31st Battalions commencing their assault and suffering heavy casualties, against all odds the men were able to capture the German frontline trenches opposite them. Pushing onto their final objective, the support trenches they failed to find these trenches which turned out to be ditches or abandoned trenches overgrown with grass and half full of water. The failure to locate these trenches was due to the poor planning by the commanders who had selected the final objective for the 8th Brigade. It came down to the reading of unreliable aerial maps that were taken in the previous year of 1915 when the Germans first dug these trenches.

With the 32nd Battalion suffering heavy casualties from continued German counter attacks during the night, the German infantry were able to penetrate the gaps in the Australian lines. The Australians maintained their positions until about 3.45am before being surrounded. It was at this time the Australians decided to withdraw from the trenches to fight their way back to their lines.

Herbert’s fate is unknown during the initial assault as there are no witnesses or reports on him making it to the German trenches. He was initially reported as “missing in action”.
 
It was in September 1917 his mother wrote to ‘Carlton House Terrace’ for any news on her missing son as she had a letter from Herbert dated 6th July that he had arrived in France. The official response from the army was that they regret to inform her that they had no news on her missing son.

It was a court of inquiry held in the field on 12th August 1917 that Private Herbert Henry Mackness of 32nd Battalion C Company was pronounced as killed in action, 20th July 1916. He has no known grave, he is commemorated on VC Corner Australian Military Cemetery, Fromelles France.