Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Benjamin Chadwick was born on 14 February 1891 in Petersburg, South Australia. At the time of his enlistment, he was living in Richmond, South Australia. In 1915, James followed in his brother James’s footsteps by enlisting. At the time of his enlistment in Morphettville in August 1914, he was 23 years old. His enlistment papers describe him as 5.8 feet tall and a physically fit young man with a fair complexion, hair, and blue eyes, with the strong build expected of an infantry soldier. He was single at the time and had no children. Before the war, he worked as a compositor, a physically demanding occupation that would have prepared him well for the physical strain of military life.

Chadwick began his military training in the 10th Battalion attached to D company at Adelaide at Morphettville Racecourse in 1914, where he learned the basic skills of a soldier, including marching, rifle handling, and discipline. Training continued at Belair National Park and Glenelg, where recruits were organised into units and prepared for coordinated combat. He embarked on the HMAT Ascanius (A11) on 20th October 1914, and arrived in Fremantle, WA1, at 8 am on Sunday 25th October, waiting for the 11th Battalion to finish boarding. On the 31st, he began travelling to Egypt, arriving later that year before moving to camps near Cairo, where training intensified in desert conditions.

Just 10 days later, after embarking in Australia, his convoy intercepted a distress signal reporting that the German cruiser Emden had attacked the Cocos Islands to destroy allied communications. So, the escort ship HMAS Sydney was sent to respond, eventually forcing the German ship to run aground. Although he was not directly involved in the fighting, this event would have given him an early awareness of the reality of war before reaching the battlefield of Gallipoli. On the 21st of November, his troopship collided with the HMAT Shropshire (A9), another one of the first allied ships going to Egypt. Which he accounts in a letter written on 7.1.15. Despite the “26ft” hole mentioned, the Ascanius managed to continue its journey after temporary repairs.

Chadwick landed at Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915, where he faced extremely harsh and dangerous conditions. Soldiers lived in cramped trenches dug into steep hillsides, constantly exposed to heavy enemy fire. A battalion diary entry from this period describes how “our men were thoroughly exhausted…nerves died after 96 hours of continuous fighting with no sleep…under rifle fire and shelling,” highlighting the relentless physical and mental strain experienced by Chadwick and his fellow soldiers. Chadwick’s own experience is reflected in his letter written after he was wounded, where he describes the conditions at Gallipoli, noting how “bullets were hitting the ground all around us while we lay on the beach,” and how soldiers endured “the nasty sensation of dodging shrapnel.” He highlights the lack of protection, explaining that there was “hardly enough natural cover” and that he had to “dig a hole for myself…I had to dig for my life.” The violence of the Gallipoli campaign is made clear in Chadwick’s own words when he remembers that “the man in front of me was shot down” and that “several in the boat were hit, some being killed,” revealing how suddenly death surrounded the soldiers from the moment of landing.

His account of being wounded in his left thigh is equally powerful, as he recalls that “my leg bounced on the ground, but I felt no pain” before the realisation struck him: “I’m hit.” These words capture the numb shock and confusion that often came in the first moments of Injury. Yet even in such horrifying conditions, Chadwick also wrote of the comradeship between the men, describing how they helped dress one another’s wounds. After being shot, he remained at Gallipoli for five days before being evacuated for treatment. He received sea-based treatment aboard the Itonus, then was taken to No. 17 General Hospital, Alexandria, and after a long passage through military hospitals, he was finally discharged (13.6.15) after spending 34 days recovering at Mustapha Depot in Egypt.

Beyond physical danger, his letter reveals the psychological toll, particularly when he recounts the “tiresome job” of tending to a wounded soldier, where he “had to take off the poor fellow’s putties and cut off his boot,” highlighting the distressing responsibilities the soldiers faced. He concludes that “the nervous strain had been so great,” that once in safety “, I could not keep my hands from trembling,” clearly conveying the lasting mental impact of these experiences. He also showcases that soldier survival was measured in a matter of inches and seconds between life and death.

He returned to duty and was transferred to the 16th Battalion due to his brother being a reinforcement. According to his recount in the London County War Hospital, Epsom 4, he fought from the 19th of July, holding reserve trenches behind the frontline at Anzac Cove in preparation for the August Offensive. Diary entries read they were under regular artillery bombardment, observing Turkish troop movements, repairing trenches, and in late July, his battalion expected a major battle to begin soon. Resulting in the August Offensive.

August Offensive

In August 1915, Benjamin Chadwick was a member of the “Big Push” at Gallipoli as a part of John Monash’s 4th Infantry Brigade. His experience was defined by a significant night march through a “green labyrinth” of deep ravines and dense scrub as the unit attempted to seize the heights of Hill 971. Pushed to the edge of physical collapse by the vertical terrain and immense heat, Chadwick’s service became a battle of raw endurance against both the landscape and the enemy.

On August 28, he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and evacuated to the 4th Amb. Field 12. His journey to recovery took him from the medical hub at Mudros to the hospital ship Scotian, eventually landing him in the County of London War Hosp by mid-September after a “journey in a hospital train.” Where he writes his first letter back home, reassuring them that he was “doing as well as can be expected.” His words reflect the common tendency of soldiers to minimise their suffering when writing. Causing his mother to write to the Military for more information. He was suffering from pyrexia and debility caused by drinking impure water; he spent the rest of his year convalescing.

Following his time in Gallipoli, Chadwick was assigned to the Garrison Military Police (maintaining discipline, traffic control, and law and order in all areas, managing/guarding prisoners of war), and later the Anzac Provost Corps, being classified as “not fully fit” for the front lines, supervising fellow recovering soldiers, and escorting German prisoners from France to London at camps like Monte Video and Rollestone.

His records show he was a man of discipline involved in the administrative side of war from 1916 to 1917. However, not without a streak of rebellion, as seen in 1916 when he was charged for being AWL, resulting in a 22-day forfeiture of pay. In the later years of the war, he was seen moving between various training battalions and the Assistant Provost Marshal HQT. His resilience was tested after recurring health issues, including a 29-day hospitalisation in London and dental complications that required treatment.

By late 1918, he was prioritised for leave under the “1914 Scheme” for original enlistees, finally beginning his leave. After a final medical examination in London, he embarked on the steamship Leicestershire, arriving back in Australia, and was placed on the embarkation list 179 and the third military district (Victoria). Before transferring to the 4th in South Australia, for final discharge on the 23rd of March 1919. 

Following the war, Benjamin Chadwick returned to civilian life and resumed the trade he had known before enlistment. His occupation as a compositor was formally reinstated when his former employer, H.S. Taylor of Renmark, signed a document on the 23rd of January 1919 guaranteeing him back into steady employment. In total, Chadwick served for 4 years and 195 days, including 4 years and 95 days abroad. In March 1919 he married Mabel Annie and lived at 31 Arthur Street, Plympton Park, SA. On the 8th of April 1942, he reenlisted in Adelaide to serve in World War 2, which, at the time, he was working as a linotype printer. He lived a long life following his service, ultimately passing away from old age on the 8th of November 1977 at the age of 86 years and 8 months.