Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Doesn't appear on Embarkation Roll.

"Private Lance Tiver in a letter to his parents makes light of his wound. He had only been back in the line 10 hours when he was again wounded. He was hit just under the kneecap and has been in hospital some time. Lance prefers Blighty to another continental winter, but expected to be sent back shortly to his Battalion. Mrs Tiver has received the following letter:—

"France, September 3rd, 1917. — Just a few lines to let you know a little about poor old King. He was a good soldier and one who never shirked duty. He was always cheerful and respected by all the boys in the Company and also officers. As you know, he was a Machine Gunner, and the boys always like to have a few of them with them in the trenches, especially if there is anything doing. I was talking to the Corporal and he said just before King was killed they saw a party of Germans retiring, and he told King to have a go at them and he would observe the shots. He fired and burst at them and the Corporal said, "A bit too high, they are only ducking their heads." So he gave them another, but fired a bit lower, and the Corporal reckons if every man got as many as King did, they would soon get through the lot. It was not long after, before King was unlucky and went down himself, dead. After we were relieved, a party from our Company went up and collected the boys together who were killed, and they were all buried on the corner of the cross roads near an old cemetery, just before you enter the village of Norieul. Chaplain Blackburn, I think, read the burial service over them and the following day the R.C Chaplain of our Brigade read the service over them for the boys be- longing to his church. There is a cross erected with the inscription, "In Memory of the Officers, N.C.O. and men of the 50th Battalion who were killed in the taking of the village." I will close now hoping this note finds you all well. I remain, "One of the Burra Boys." - from the Burra Record 26 Dec 1917 (nla.gov.au)