Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Robert William Dailey was born in 1884 Goodwood SA and was a natural-born. He was the age of 33 and a half years old when he first signed up for the war in 1917. Robert lived in Adelaide, specifically at 22nd Market Street. Had a wife called Mary Dailey and a child under the age of 18 when he first signed up, however, the gender, name and specific age are unknown. He had sallow skin or now known as olive, grey eyes (blue/brown/green), brown hair and was 5 foot 3 ¾. His calling or occupation was a driver, A driver could’ve done any of the following, a person who oversaw convicts, work parties and slave gangs, a train driver, or a coach driver. Robert died at the age of 46 in 1930 in Adelaide, 11 years after WWI.

Robert first signed up on the 22nd of January 1917, 3 years after the war had commenced and was embarked on the 23rd of January 1917. Shortly after he was embarked, he arrived at the camp in Egypt on the 30th of January where Robert trained for the next 5 months before departing to Europe. All Australian men who had signed up were meant to train in England but because of limited supplies, they had to send recruits to Egypt. Life wasn’t easy at camp, these men had to train 8 hours a day for 6 days practising drills or manoeuvres. However, at first, they were ordered to wear full kits and heavy backpacks trying to mimic life at war, but a few men died of pneumonia or became ill with heatstroke. 

On the 21st of June 1917, he boarded the HMAT A30 Borda and left camp. Robert was assigned to be in the 10th Battalion and 24th reinforcement and fought at the Western Front. He first travelled by the HMAT A30 Borda to Durrington on the 25th of august, then on the 2nd of March 1918, he and his Battalion arrived in France but arrived in London on the 19th of March 1918, meaning he was only at the Western Front for around 3 weeks. He boarded the HT ‘Ormonde’ and left England on the 16th of June 1919 and arrived back in Adelaide on the 29th of July. Robert was then discharged exactly a month later the 29th of August 1919.

It is unknown exactly what he did during his time overseas, but we do know what the 10th Battalion had to face and how it helped the allies lead to victory. The Battalion took part in fighting in the huge British offensive in Belgium in 1917, but the first major attack the 10th Battalion participated in was at Poziere in the Somme valley in July. After Pozieres the 10th Battalion fought at Ypres in Flanders, before returning to the Somme for winter. As well as taking part in defeating the German offspring offence on March 21st to 18th of July 1918, the great allied offence where they fought in Amiens on August 4th, 1918, and many more operations until late September.

Robert’s role in the war was private and it's unknown what exactly his responsibilities were or even where he was located on the Western Front as he left so soon according to his service record. Robert was very fortunate as he didn’t have any records of being ill or getting wounded, for which he was extremely lucky. 

Bibliography:

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‌ Details 2016, Adfa.edu.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=71056>.

‌ Victory Medal: Private Richard Thomas Hibbert, 56 Battalion, AIF 2016, Awm.gov.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C957941>.

‌ ACT, R 2022, Department of Defence, Defence.gov.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/medals/imperial-awards/world-war-one/british-war-medal-1914-20>.

‌ Mena Camp, Egypt 2019, State Library of South Australia, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/429>.

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‌ Genge 2021, Training Australian army recruits during World War I, Anzac Portal, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training>.

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‌ 10th Infantry Battalion 2017, Vwma.org.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/1>.

‌ 10th Australian Infantry Battalion 2016, Awm.gov.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51450>.

‌ The Spirit of ANZAC - ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee 2022, Anzacday.org.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://anzacday.org.au/the-spirit-of-anzac>.

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Robert William Dailey 2016, Awm.gov.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1750431>.

‌ Terrace, V 2022, View digital copy, Naa.gov.au, viewed 2 April 2022, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3482439>.

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