Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born 4 October 1883 at Warrington, Lancashire, England.

Son of the late Richard John Magenis, who served in the South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Volunteers), accompanied his regiment to New Zealand and Australia, and in 1854 at the Eureka Stockade Riot at Ballarat, Victoria, was ordered to attack the miners.

His eldest brother, Richard John No. 3535, also served in the AIF, enlisting with the 8th reinforcements of the 27th Battalion and at Gebel Habieta, Egypt, on 26 February 1916 was transferred to the 10th Battalion.

He was educated at Warrington, and at an early age joined his father’s regiment (South Lancs), and at the age of fifteen was a drummer-boy serving in the South African War, subsequently attaining the non-commissioned rank of Lance-Sergeant.   After his discharge from the South Lancashire Regiment he proceeded to America, where he spent five years, and later arrived in Australia in 1910.

He joined the Instructional Staff, 4th Military District, on 9 December 1912, his appointment being confirmed on 2 June 1913.  For some time he was attached to the 20th Infantry Brigade, but upon the completion of Keswick Barracks was transferred to District Headquarters, where he was stationed at the time of joining the AIF.

On 5 December 1913 he married Margaret, daughter of John Green of Warrington, England, at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Adelaide, there being two children of the union (one son and one daughter).

His son, as the third successive Magenis generation, was serving with the South Lancashire Regiment, and in 1935 had attained the non-commissioned rank of Corporal.

At the outbreak of the Great War he was an Imperial Reservist, and was residing at Glandore, South Australia.

He was one of the first South Australian Officers of the Administrative and Instructional Staff at Keswick to offer his services for abroad, and enlisted in the 10th Battalion at Morphettville on 19 August 1914.

He was appointed Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant of the Battalion and was the senior non-commissioned officer of the original 10th.

His regimental number was ‘2’.

With Captain C F Minagall he experienced a busy time at Morphettville in 1914 in equipping the 10th for overseas. 

He embarked with the Battalion on HMAT A11 Ascanius on 20 October 1914 and proceeded to Egypt.  He embarked with the Battalion on the Ionian and proceeded to the Dardanelles, landing from the Prince of Wales at the historic landing on 25 April 1915, and from 27 June to 17 August 1915 officiated as RSM of the Battalion.

On 16 July 1915 he was appointed Acting-Quartermaster in lieu of Captain C F Minagall, and carried out the duties appertaining to this position until the return of Captain Minagall in October 1915.

On 4 August 1915 he was promoted on the field at Anzac to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, and on 8 October 1915 was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and posted to C Company and then to Headquarters as QM.

He accompanied the Battalion when withdrawn on 21 November 1915 and subsequently proceeded to Egypt, where at Serapeum on 28 January 1916 he was appointed Adjutant of the Battalion.  He took over the Adjutancy from Lieutenant B B Leane, and retained some until he finally left the Battalion a year later.

He accompanied the Battalion to Gebel Habieta, and in February 1916 as Adjutant it devolved upon him to complete arrangements for 500 of all ranks of the 10th to be transferred to the 50th Battalion, and the administration of six officers and 461 other ranks to the 10th.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 12 March 1916 and accompanied the Battalion to France, and there remained with the 10th for nine months until 14 January 1917 when he was forced to evacuate with a severe attack of neurasthenia. 

He has severed continuously with the Battalion from August 1914, and with the exception of ordinary furlough had not left the unit once.  This was a remarkable achievement, not approached by any other member of the original 10th. 

He proceeded to England, where he was admitted to the 4th London General Hospital at Denmark Hill, where he remained for several months, until transferred to an auxiliary hospital of the 4th London General Hospital, where neurasthenic cases were specially treated.

In October 1917 he embarked on the Benalla for Australia, and arrived back in Adelaide at the end of November 1917.

After eighteen months’ sick leave he returned to the AIC Staff at Keswick and on 1 November 1917 was appointed to the War Disability Supernumeracy List.

On 1 March 1923 he was appointed Warrant Officer, 1st Class, and SSM, 2nd Class, Field Troops, 4th Military District.  He was also eligible for Honorary rank of Captain, should he have received a commission or cease to belong to the Australian Military Forces as and from 12 March 1916.

For his splendid work at the attack on Pozieres in July 1916, he was Mentioned In Despatches, vide London Gazette on 2 January 1917 and for his distinguished service in the field was awarded the DSO, which was promulgated in the London Gazette amongst the New Year’s Honours on 1 January 1917.  This decoration was awarded simultaneously with that of Colonel S P Weir.

He had practically been a professional soldier all his life.

In 1935 he was residing at No. 10 Byron Road, Black Forest Estate.

Extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; kindly supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.