Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

Pte Lewis James STEWART

Someone once said weird things happen around me. Certainly, I gave up believing in coincidences years ago – synchronicity has a habit of doing that. And it it appears that someone was definitely watching over my latest quest for a subject.

It all began with a keyword search of my favourite newspapers. I chose to begin looking for a student of Ballarat High School. Now, Trove (at the National Library) is a fabulous resource, but it can also be extraordinarily frustrating: the programme used for scanning the old newspapers often reads the images poorly and they require infinite corrections. There is also the added problem that the article preview can be misleading. So, when I saw the the unusual name “Frank Laxton” I decided to investigate. Unfortunately, he was not a High School boy – the actual reference was at the bottom of the article and it mentioned a soldier with a relatively common name; I pulled the pin and kept searching.

I spent what seemed like hours scrolling and digging and just couldn’t find what I was looking for. After deciding to change my search parameter, I went back to my own index for the Ballarat Courier (1914-1919) and began looking for a prisoner of war. Again, I scrolled for ages, checking and re-checking, but still nothing. Finally, I found an L. J. Stewart that looked interesting; so, it was back to the newspapers once again.

I entered “L. J. Stewart” as the phrase and hit enter. One of the first articles that came up was headed “Sergeant Frank Laxton”…and the soldier with the relatively common surname who went to Ballarat High School was L. J. Stewart.

Yet again it seemed I had been “told” whose story was the next.

When Lewis James Stewart was born at Ballarat on 31 December 1894, his family already had strong links to the district. His father, David McLellan Stewart, grew up in the farming community of Mount Rowan with his many brothers and sisters. The new baby was given the name of his mother, Joanna Amelia “Millie” Lewis, who was from another Ballarat family that sprang out of the goldrush population boom. Both David and Millie were the children of Scottish immigrants.

In an era of excessively large families, it was unusual to see couples rearing one or two children. This particular branch of the Stewart clan had just two sons: Lewis and his younger brother, Errol.

As a boy, Lewis lived in Nelson Street, Ballarat East, just a short walk from the expanse of ground known as Russell Square that is familiar to all Ballaratians. Unlike his paternal grandfather, and several of his uncles who were all successful farmers, Lewis’ father worked as an engine driver for the Victorian Railways in the yards at the Eastern Railway Station. He was also an instructor for the local Railway Institute and president of the Engine Drivers’ Association.

Lewis began his education at the Queen Street State School, which was just a short walk from home, crossing the railway bridge on the way. No doubt, he, like so many children, watched with delight as the steam locomotives passed underneath, belching out their delightful aroma of coal smoke, running from one side to the other in a game of giant Pooh Sticks.
When the family moved to Hunt Street, near the Eastern Oval, the boys were moved to the larger, two-storey Humffray Street State School. The school had an enviable reputation for turning out well-rounded scholars. They enjoyed ‘unprecedented success’ in the annual State School examinations and many past students went on to further academic and professional successes. The boys, in particular, were well catered for. They could participate in a range of sports or the school cadets, and the Sloyd (woodwork) programme was one of the finest in the city.

Clearly, Lewis Stewart excelled during his time at Humffray Street, and he graduated to the newly opened Ballarat Agricultural High School. He also joined the ranks of the Senior Cadets with the 71st “City of Ballarat” Regiment. By all accounts, Lewis was turning into a ‘splendid young man.’

It seems that life was going swimmingly for Lewis – his only mishap of any note came on Sunday 8 September 1912, when a fall from his bicycle landed him at the Ballarat District Hospital, where he was treated for abrasions.

After completing his formal education at Ballarat High, Lewis was given the opportunity to study farming with his uncles. His grandfather, James Stewart, farmed the property “Rockdale” at Werribee, and the elder of the Stewart brothers, John Dalgleish, was amongst the original settlers under the 1904 Closer Settlement Scheme at Chirnside Park. Another three of the Stewart boys, James Watsford, William Bettis and George Eddington, also worked the land at Werribee. The younger brothers, William and George, were very close to Lewis in age, being just nine and five years older respectively. All in all, it was an excellent set-up for the young lad to learn the skills required to make a good farmer.

Whilst at Werribee, Lewis also joined the local Methodist Church, where he became an active member of the choir. But he was given an exemption from his military training due to the travelling involved.

When war was declared, Lewis immediately sprang into action and offered himself at the first opportunity. However, the early requirements for applicants in the Australian Imperial Force were particularly stringent, and, like so many of his cohorts of the time, Lewis had some problems with his teeth. He was rejected as a result.

But it wasn’t long before the need for fresh recruits resulted in a consequent lowering of the standards required, and Lewis volunteered once again. This time, at Melbourne on 12 July 1915, he was successful.

The examining medical officer found Lewis Stewart to be quite a fine physical specimen – at 20-years and 6-months of age, he had matured to 5-feet 7¼-inches tall, weighed 12-stone 8-pounds, and could expand his chest to 37-inches. His clear, fresh complexion was enhanced by blue-grey eyes and dark brown hair. He’d been vaccinated in childhood and also had a scar on the inside of his left kneecap – possibly from his bicycle altercation three years earlier.

Being underage, Lewis was required to present written consent from one or both of his parents. This he duly did on 13 July. ‘…We hereby consent to our son, Lewis James Stewart, enlisting as a member of the Australian Expeditionary Force…’

Later the same day, he joined the 46th Depot Company. Just a week later he was at Seymour Camp and had been assigned to the 4th reinforcements to the 23rd Infantry Battalion with the regimental number 2224.

Lewis received just a bare two months training before he embarked from Melbourne on 27 September. The troopship that carried him through to Egypt was the Hororata, a smallish single-funnel vessel on loan from the New Zealand Shipping Co Ltd, London.

The Hororata arrived in Egypt on 28 October and the new reinforcements were transferred through to one of the many training battalions. There doesn’t appear to have been any attempt to push them quickly into the frontline, even though the Gallipoli Campaign still had nearly two months to run. It wasn’t until the 11 January 1916 that Lewis finally joined the 23rd Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir.

The men found the training tough: long, hard route marches through the desert during the days and night marches were both equally taxing. Sore feet were an ongoing problem – especially for those breaking in new boots. Bayonet and bombing practice, and rifle training on the firing range was designed to guarantee an attacking force that was primed and ready. Being stationed in the Canal Zone, there was also the ever-present threat of enemy attack and the men were on constant alert.

It wasn’t long, however, before the 23rd was warned to prepare for transfer to the Western Front.
At 6am on 19 March, Lewis arrived in Alexandria with his unit. The baggage was immediately loaded onto the transport Lake Michigan and the men boarded the ship in preparation for embarkation. They moved out into the harbour and sailed for France the following day.

The crossing of the Mediterranean took six days, as the Lake Michigan carefully wended its way through to Malta, and then on to Marseilles, where they arrived on 26 March. A troop train was waiting to immediately transport them through to Wittes in the north of France. The three-day trip included stops at Orange, Mâcon, Les Laumes, Montereau, and Juvisy. They arrived at Aire-sur-la-Lys on 9am on 29 March and then marched through to billets at Wittes. A Mr Outron joined them there to act as Battalion Interpreter.

The 31 March was a busy day for the battalion, with a route march and company training in the morning; the afternoon was spent cleaning the roads of the village and cultivating the fields for the villagers. The day didn’t end well for Lewis though – he was absent from Tattoo roll call and received a punishment of 24-hours Field Punishment No2 as a result.

Lewis’ first experience in the trenches came in the Armentieres sector, where the 23rd arrived on 10 April. It was said to have been a relatively gentle introduction to the Western Front, but it was less than 24-hours before the first of their men was killed.
However, it did prove to be good preparation for the coming battles at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. Lewis was to experience some of the toughest fighting faced by the AIF, and the 23rd Battalion was to ultimately lose almost 90 per cent of its original members in a bitter six weeks of fighting.

As the year drew to a close and winter chill began to bite hard, the 23rd moved to Factory Corner, north of the village of Flers. On 8 November the battalion companies began a rotation of relief into the frontline and D Company moved up the next day, relieving B Company on the right flank. Heavy shelling immediately caused several casualties; amongst the wounded was Lewis Stewart – he had suffered a mild shrapnel wound to the scalp that required medical assistance. He was triaged at the 5th Australian Field Ambulance, before receiving further treatment at the 36th Casualty Clearing Station at Heilly. The 23rd was still at Flers when Lewis returned just two days later.

Back in Ballarat, Lewis’ parents were preparing a move to Stawell, where David Stewart was to take up a promotion as foreman at the local railway station. (They were to spend several years at Stawell before further moves to Ararat, North Melbourne and Traralgon). The stress of moving was exacerbated by the arrival of telegram from Base Records on 13 December, stating that their eldest son had been wounded in action.

The scant amount of information contained in the telegram caused David and Millie untold anxiety, but as they waited for further news the worry became intolerable. After more than two weeks had passed without any update, David Stewart wrote to Base Records on 2 January 1917. ‘…Sir, If you have any information to hand…will you kindly forward to us. We have not heard anything since yours of he 13.12.16…’
Of course, Lewis was back with his unit and relatively safe long before the communication had reached his parents – but the untold exigencies placed on an over-stretched department simply did not allow for the rapid gathering, collating and delivery of information. Unfortunately, it was the families, desperately waiting for news, who paid the price.

The New Year began in freezing conditions – the most bitter in living memory. It was a particularly miserable existence for Lewis and his mates, who were in and out of the trenches around Flers. They struggled to cope, standing in icy mud and water, that was often knee-deep, and illness was rife. Lewis spent a significant amount of time at in the frontline at Needle Trench and in camp at Scots Redoubt and Ribemont during the early months of 1917.

On 1 March, Lewis was appointed to the rank of lance-corporal.

Things were beginning to heat up again, if only in a battle sense. On 19 March, the 23rd Battalion moved into supports at Vaulx-Vraucourt in preparation for action the following day. At 3am on 20 March, the 23rd (in the vanguard of the attack and in conjunction with the 21st Battalion) was ordered to advance and occupy the village of Noreuil. The enemy held their line strongly due to heavy casualties. After repeated attacks, the 23rd established a line at Maricourt Wood.

Around midday, Lewis was taking shelter in a dugout with several other men. He had suffered a head wound that had limited his ability to take any further part in the fighting. Private George Thompson had just left the dugout when he realised that the Germans were about to surround them. He managed to escape, but the then had to watch as the Germans closed in and took the other men, including Lewis Stewart, prisoner.

At this point, the wounded men were extremely fortunate; it was not unheard of for German officers to order wounded prisoners shot if they perceived any difficulty in getting them to the rear. But, Lewis was immediately processed and taken back to Germany where he was first treated at Karlsruhe before eventually being interned at Gefangenenlager Limburg.

However, it WAS a process – from both sides. After the 23rd Battalion roll was called, Lance-Corporal Lewis Stewart was listed as Missing in Action. His parents were received official notification on 25 April and, from that moment, their life was filled with dread, hope, and anxiety in equal measure.

Lewis used the Red Cross to get word home that he was safe. One of those who were contacted was Miss Myrtle Bolwell, a girl from Werribee, who was to become sister-in-law to his aunt, Mavis Stewart.

On 15 June, Base Records was finally able to inform David and Millie Stewart that their son was a prisoner of war. All who knew the likeable young man were relieved – ‘…It is pleasing to know that he is safe…’
The Red Cross had initiated an investigation of their own and compiled a file on Lewis Stewart. Private William Francis Melbourne was the only one to provide a witness statement and it was his information that revealed the events of 20 March 1917 and Private Thompson’s first-hand account.

On 28 May, Millie Stewart wrote to the Red Cross asking for a letter to be forwarded to her son; it was clear that the worry was still hanging heavy on them. ‘…If you can kindly forward the enclosed letter to him you will be conferring a very great favour on his sorrowful parents…’
Accordingly, Lewis’ personal belongings were returned to his father – his handkerchiefs, razor strop, pocket knife, his personal Testament, a writing wallet, cards, scarf, a mirror that was damaged, a soldier’s “housewife” (containing such necessary things as a needle and thread), a holdall and wristband.

Lewis was to be held as a prisoner in Germany for just three months short of two years. He faced ongoing hardships with nutrition often being very poor – many a returned POW spoke of the black bread and dirty water that was all too common. Punishment was frequently employed and it was common for food to be withheld. The prisoners were forced to wear easily identifiable black uniforms that made it difficult to launch an escape. Men from the ranks were required to work, and despite articles of the Hague Conventions that governed the type of work, prisoners were often detailed to perform backbreaking and psychologically damaging tasks, such as removing dead bodies for burial. They were also subjected to propaganda and various forms of humiliation, with their incarceration just a part of the methodical exploitation that occurred. Many Australians returned after the war carrying deep scars from their time as POW’s.

With the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, the repatriation of prisoners of war began in earnest. Nearly two and a half million men were held in German prison camps, so it proved a lengthy process to move them back to their countries of origin.

Lewis Stewart arrived in England on 6 December 1918. He was granted leave on 9 January 1919, but it appears that there was a lack of communication between Australian Headquarters in London and the Command Depot at Sutton Veny, where Lewis was due to report. On arriving at Sutton Veny, he was charged with having been absent without leave from 10am on 9 January until 21 January. Major C. H. Howard admonished him, but nevertheless docked him 12-days pay.

Then, on 22 January, a second charge of being absent without leave was added (from 10am 22 January to 27 January 1919) with an additional five days forfeiture of pay and the humiliation of having his lance-corporal’s stripe removed.

It was the apparent adding of insult to injury.
On 26 February, Lewis was again charged with being absent without leave – this time from 4pm on 9 February until 4pm on 21 February. Major Percy Eckersley ordered him to undertake 14-days of Field Punishment No2, with a total forfeiture of 26-days pay.

The significant discrepancies in the paperwork and communication made it all seem that Lewis Stewart was being rather poorly treated.

Fortunately, it was not long before he received the welcome news that he was slated amongst the early returns to Australia. On 31 March 1919, Lewis boarded the P&O liner, Khyber, to begin the long voyage home.

The drama, however, was far from over.

Concern about the transmission of influenza by returning troops was very real in 1919. There was also the added problem of an outbreak of smallpox onboard the Khyber – three men had to be landed at Colombo, and a further case was reported at Fremantle. Nineteen cases of pneumonic influenza were also reported. The ship continued on to Victoria under strict quarantine conditions.

There were about 467 Victorians onboard the Khyber and all had to undergo a period of eleven days quarantine at Point Nepean before they could continue onto Melbourne.

They landed at New Pier, Port Melbourne, at 3pm on 12 May, where a fleet of cars were waiting to transport them through to Victoria Barracks in Sturt Street, Melbourne.

Brigadier-General Thomas Dodds, who had travelled from England, was reported as having said they were ‘the best behaved lot of troops that it had been his privilege to come into contact with.’

Lewis, and his fellow returnees, were immediately given leave, but were required to report to the depot the following day for a final examination prior to discharge.

His formal discharge from the AIF came just two months later on 14 July 1919 – almost four years to the day since he had enlisted.

Returning to civilian life, Lewis joined his parents in their new home in Lower Main Street, Stawell. His occupation continued to be given as farmer, although there is no certainty he ever returned to the land.
In 1923, Lewis married Stawell girl, Ada Muriel Stiff. Their first home together was in Glenorchy Road, Stawell. It was there that their son, Ian James Stewart, was born on 29 May 1927.

By this time, Lewis had followed his father’s career path and joined the Victorian Railways.

During the Great Depression, Lewis and Ada moved to Newport – home of the railway workshops, where all the rolling stock was built, maintained and refurbished out of the well-known facility.

The Stewart’s first their home in Newport was at 34 Home Road. They lived there for a number of years before moving into a splendid California bungalow at 55 Farm Street. Following the death of his wife on 25 October 1938, David Stewart moved in with Lewis and Ada – clearly there was a strong, ongoing bond between father and son. He remained with them until his death on 15 February 1949.

As it was, Lewis Stewart only outlived his father by a mere ten years – he died at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on 28 September 1959.
Ada Stewart continued to live in their Farm Street home until her death on 17 February 1977.