Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

We visited David's grave near Harbonniere in 2004. My wife is his Great niece. We placed some poppies on his grave and wondered how many family members had had the privilege of visiting his grave. It was very touching, especially knowing he died less than 3 months from the end of the war.
The cemetery is kept immaculately and is a wonderful tribute.
Two of his cousins also died in WW1, one at Pine Gap, Gallipoli and one at Flanders. Neither of these cousins have known graves. Another cousin (Duncan Carseldine) was a prisoner of war, who is immortalised at the AWM by a jumper he knitted from bits of sack thread and scrap wool. The jumper and a photo is at the AWM.
Husband of Sue Hogg (nee Kemp, born Kilcoy)

David George CARSELDINE #7226 9th Battalion

David Carseldine was born at Woodford to David and Lucy Carseldine. The family lived at “Oakleigh” Linville and David attended school at Linville. When David presented himself at the Brisbane recruiting depot on 7th October 1916 he had just turned 21. David stated his occupation as farmer.

David was placed in a depot battalion at Enoggera for preliminary training. He was granted home leave in late November and upon returning to camp was allocated as part of the 24th reinforcements for the 9th Battalion, part of the 3rd brigade of the 1st Division AIF. In late January 1917, the reinforcements travelled to Sydney by train where they boarded the “Ayrshire” on 24th January. The transport ship sailed via South Africa and Sierra Leone before docking in Devonport two and a half months later. David and the reinforcements were marched out to the 3rd Training Battalion camp at Codford. On 20th May, while still in camp, David reported sick with a serious case of mumps. He spent time at Perham Downs and Larkhill before being passed fit for overseas service.

David joined his unit for the first time on 27th October1917. The end of October heralded the end of the costly Flanders campaign which is often referred to as the battle for Passchendaele. When David joined his battalion, the 9th had been relieved from front line duties and was in rest areas around Poperinghe. During the winter, all Australian Infantry Divisions would rotate between frontline duties, training, rest and sporting competitions.

On 20th January 1918, while still in Poperinghe, David reported sick to a Field Ambulance. He was transferred on to a casualty clearing station and ultimately was evacuated to a military hospital in England where he was finally diagnosed with trench fever. David spent three months moving between hospital at Colchester and convalescent depots at Dartford and Hurdcott. On the 31st May 1918, David was posted to the 5th Division Signals School for two weeks before being released to the overseas depot at Sutton Veney.

David rejoined his battalion on 22nd July 1918 in the Hazebrouck area of Northern France. The 1st Division AIF, of which the 9th Battalion was part, was the only AIF division left in Northern France. The other 4 divisions had been deployed south to the Somme to meet the German advance that had commenced on 21st March. Finally on 1st August, the 1st Division also received its movement orders. The 9th Battalion arrived in the reserve areas behind the lines near Villers Bretonneux on 6th August. The 1st Division had arrived on the Somme too late to be included in the Order of Battle for what would become the largest single engagement by Australian troops in the entire war.

The Battle of Amiens began in fog on the morning of 8th August with four divisions of Australian infantry supported by three Canadian divisions and two British Divisions. The battle had been meticulously planned by Lieutenant General John Monash and at the end of the day had crashed through all the German defensive lines into open country. The men of the 1st Division were finally called up to hold the newly won positions.

Over the next two weeks, the 9th Battalion was tasked with keeping contact with the enemy as they frantically withdrew to regroup. The battle had moved eastwards along the south bank of the Somme River and the Somme Canal which ran parallel to the river and on 25th August, the 9th Battalion with the canal on its left were advancing towards Cappy when David Carseldine was killed. He had been back with his battalion less than a month.
David was originally buried in the French Cemetery at Cappy but when the Imperial War Graves Commission was rationalising British and Dominion burials, David’s remains were reinterred in the Heath British Cemetery. His parents chose as an inscription on his headstone: A VOICE WE LOVED IS STILLED, HE FOUGHT AND DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE.