SHELLEY, Walter Albert
| Service Number: | 785 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 24th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Ararat, Victoria, Australia, December 1892 |
| Home Town: | Stawell, Northern Grampians, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Tumut, 7 May 1960, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Tumut New Cemetery, New South Wales, Australia |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 785, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 785, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 785, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 21 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 785, 15th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW Shoulder | |
| 1 Oct 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 13 Dec 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 24 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
| 9 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 4th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| 24 Feb 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 4th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| 19 Apr 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, Battle for Pozières , Who was continually in charge of 2 guns during our operations at POZIERES. No Officer was available to take charge and Sergeant SHELLEY continually stood by and saw that guns were always in action. Period, 8th/12th August, 1916, and 28th/31st August, 1916. | |
| 21 Dec 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 4th Machine Gun Battalion | |
| 19 Jan 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 24th Machine Gun Company | |
| 30 Aug 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 785, 24th Machine Gun Company, "The Last Hundred Days", Gassed | |
| 25 Mar 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 785, 24th Machine Gun Company, Gassing in August - MD |
WALTER ALBERT SHELLEY
WALTER ALBERT Bert SHELLEY (1896-1950) born at Ararat VIC, son of Charles Taylor and Catherine Shelley nee Kelly. Bert enlisted in the First AIF as Private 785 on September 23rd, 1914 at Ennoggera QLD, and received promotions to Sargent on March 9th, 1916. He sailed from Melbourne on board the HMAT Ceramic A40 as a member of the 15th Infantry Battalion. He served the full campaign at Gallipoli, wounded by a gun shot wound in the shoulder in August 1915 and received treatment at Heliopolis. Received training in England in the use of Machine Guns and then went to France with his unit – he he suffered from gas poisoning while at The Somme, Awarded the MM in October 1916 for outstanding duty with the 4th Machine Gun Section and promoted to Lieutenant . He returned to Australia o n January 31st, 1918 on board the HMT Leicestershire and received his discharge on March 25th, 1919. He received the 1914-15 Star and Victory Medal.
Our Honour Roll - Lieut. Shelley's Award
Mr C. Shelley has received the following letter from Major Lean, officer in charge of Base Records,in 1917
Melbourne:-" I have much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy of extract from supplement to the London Gazette on 8th December, 1916, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by your son, Sergeant, (now Lieut) W. A. Shelley, 4th Machine Gun Section:- "Awarded tho Military Medal". "His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal in the Field to the undermentioned non-commissioned officer:- "Sergeant Walter Albert Shelley." Lieut Shelley has been with the forces since the first contingent sailed. He was at the landing at Gallipoli,and went right through to the evacuation. He was twice wounded at Gallipoli and was three times buried by shells, so that he has had some narrow escapes. It is sincerely to be hoped that he will come through safely to wear his medal for many years. [DAVIS OF GOUNYAN - ROLL OF HONOUR - BM Pittman]
Submitted 5 May 2015 by Beryl Pittman
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
Pte. Walter Albert Shelley
From "Gallipoli, 1915"
Pte. Walter Albert Shelley, 15th Battalion Australian Infantry, described an attack at Quinn's Post starting at 10. 30 p.m. 9th May 1915.
“On May 9th we attacked the Turks' position to our right and left front. They were given a lively time, and we spent the night in the trenches. We retired in the morning, for the position could not be held. The condition of the trenches made that impossible. They were made very shallow and the enemy could enfilade them with machine guns. They had used their dead as a parapet, and when passing through the trenches, one would be knocking against heads, hands or feet. The stench was awful, yet the boys were asking each other for biscuits, so you can judge how it affected them. Our casualties were heavy, but the Turks must have lost hundreds.” [1]
[1] 'Stawell News and Pleasant Creek Chronicle' (Victoria), 8th January 1916.
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