Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

- contributed by St Francis Assisi College, Renmark

Born in 1891 July 5th, in Broken Hill, New South Wales(VWMA, 2025), Avery had good relationships with his family, as evident from the letters his father wrote him. One which was received on his 21st birthday (see figure 1). In the letter was words of pride and love as well as encouragement and wisdom. His father sent him money: “You will find something to do with enclosed I have no doubt.” The letter also suggests that his mother could have been sick before and is now getting better(State Library, 2025). Overall, the letter showed that he came from a family that loved and supported him.


Avery’s early life was marked by academic excellence and a strong foundation of engineering. Avery attended his early schooling at the central school in broken hills before moving to Scotland in 1900 for a brief time where he went to Dumfries. In 1906, he moved back to NSW spending a year at South school and being awarded dux (top performing student). Avery attended St Peters College, Adelaide, from 1907 to 1908, nurturing both his discipline and leadership. Enrolling at the SA school of mines, in 1909, he excelled as the dux of preparatory, later pursuing the associate engineering course from 1910 – 1913, where he got hands on experience at sulphide corporation during his Christmas vacations. (State Library, 2025)

Before he enlisted in the war (see figure 2) he worked at the sulphide corporation after gaining the experience for three years, working in electrics. In early 1914 he worked in the electrician’s department only to be laid off along with all other single men, in July, due to a coal strike, likely influencing his decision to enlist a mere month after (State Library, 2025).

1914
After the coal strike in July, Avery enlisted as a 3rd Field Co. Engineer 1st division A.I.F on 17th of August 1914. On October 18th he and his division sailed for the assembly port of Albany W.A. On October 26th, the ship arrived at its destination. On Nov 17th Avery along with others sailed to Aden and arrived on the 25th, now embarking to Egypt, escorted by M.M.S, Hampshire & Russian cruiser Askold (State Library, 2014).

On December 1st Avery arrived at Suez and sailed to different ports until he arrived at the mina camp on the 10th close to the pyramids, where he was confined for 14 days to the barracks, after being caught wandering around in town and reported, and released on 24th. During Avery’s leave to Cairo, he described his time one of utter disgust, and disappointment with barely any freedom, showing the harsh reality of war & how the sudden loss of basic things can really be wrecking & the courage required to keep going despite it all (State Library, 2014).

1915
In January 1915, Avery trained at the Suez Canal, building pontoon bridges and defences, before landing at Anzac Cove on April 25, where under heavy fire he built roads and gun emplacements (State Library, 2014).

Despite wounds from shelling and bullets to his back, knee and chest, he showed courage & resilience while leading trench works at Shrapnel Gully, On June 2nd, after attacks from German aerospace and submarines. On July 31, after his friend Chandler was killed in a battalion, Avery took command under fire, reversed the trench defences, and was promoted to 2nd Corporal. He later fought at Hill 971, refused easy promotion out of loyalty to the Engineers, and endured months of severe illness, battling with enteric, dysentery, jaundice and malaria at 1st General hospital. Though he was meant to be released on 22nd of December he relapsed yet maintained enough determination & resilience to recover (State Library, 2014).

1916
On Feb 28th of 1916 Avery was discharged after having three relapses, praised by sisters for his spirit (figure 6). On March 10th, he was declared “fit for duty”, and left Australia, training in Egypt until June. Avery sailed on the overcrowded ‘Hungry Aragon’, through submarine-threatened waters, landing safely in England on June 23rd. Throughout July, Avery trained, and visited relatives, including his aunty Jennie and uncle Bob (State Library, 2014).

On October 5th Avery was drafted to France; by the 8th he marched to camp, for medical and route marches, gas chamber training, tear gas exposure, grenade instructions and even a lecture on women & how to avoid them. By the 28th while serving as corporal of guard, he was wrongly charged when a prisoner escaped under his watch, fortunately his clean record & services during Anzac saved him (State Library, 2014).

Rejoining 3rd field company engineers, during Somme offensive, Avery built shelters, laid light railways and endured the occasional freezing mud, and shellfire keeping moral high with humour: “Am thinking of growing feathers & web feet. Quack Quack.” (State Library, 2014 diary entry pg.42) On December 20th, he and his troops endured terrifying shelling, showed bravery and pride. Avery’s mateship shone on Christmas where he assembled his friends in his dugout, and thoroughly enjoyed their time (State Library, 2014).

1917
In February 1917, Avery advanced into Bapaume after Germany retreated, where under fire he helped clear booby traps and maintained engineer operations. On April 2nd Avery receives the news that U.S.A started war on Germany and over the next period he survives heavy shelling near hermies. On his second Anzac Day Avery was detailed as Corporal of the guard again. His love for engineering showed when he built a 75-foot bridge in June, earning recognition from the Royal Engineers for efficiency and discipline (State Library, 2014).

By August 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres began and Avery served in it, enduring air raids and shelling yet maintained morale, even assisting locals in Vieux Beque. Advancing to German lines near Ypres, under intense bombardment and mustard gas exposure on September 20th, Avery displayed great courage. For his dedication and bravery, Avery was promoted to temporary corporal and on October 26, 1917, awarded the Military Medal—though he humbly believed he did not deserve it (State Library, 2014).

Avery pursued an engineer commission on merit alone, refusing to use influence, showing his integrity. By November 1917, his hard work paid off and he was departed to Newark where he joined Royal Engineers Cadet School and began officer training. Despite illness from gas exposure, he recovered and excelled in training, passing his military law exams with excellent marks (State Library, 2014).

1918
On February 23rd Avery was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant and was decorated with a medal on 20th of May (Trove, 1918), after spending months training in Kelham halls, Newark and travelling through the Uk where he underwent advanced bridging training at Chatham. Avery had had his doubts about the futility of war but zeppelin raids on civilians hardened his resolve to continue fighting (State Library, 2014).

On April 2nd, Avery rejoined his old unit, the 3rd field company engineer after he trained at gas school in Le Havre for the period of march. Avery’s last recording was on April 8th where he alongside other divisions were poised ready to stop the Germans advancing (State Library, 2014).

On 23rd of December Avery arrived at Melbourne and was later discharged from the military on February 21st 1919(NAA,2025), after he married Alice Edith Laudaire Jaffrey on 25 January 1919 in Mitcham, South Australia, Australia. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter and 1 son(Find a grave, 2025)

Avery started working with E.Z Co Collins House Melb as a draughtsman. By 1920, he was transferred to Risdon, Hobart design office in Tasmania for two years before he was appointed engineering order secretary for two years. On June 1924 he was appointed assistant to Suptr of Construction & Maintenance. For the next nine years he worked as a maintenance engineer, eventually working as a civil & construction engineer in March 1935. By February 2nd he was sent to Pulp & Paper as acting chief engineer and eventually returned to Risdon on the 13th of November 1944 and was due to retire on 15th of July 1953 (State Library, 2014), 27 years later Avery died aged 88 (VWMA, 2025).

Bibliography

Findagrave.com. (2015). Lieutenant Louis Willyama Avery (1891-1980) -... [online] Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/150819512/louis_willyama-avery : Accessed 20. Aug. 25
Naa.gov.au. (2015). Session expired | Record Search | National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3042011&isAv=N Accessed 20. Aug. 2025
State Library of South Australia. (2025). War diary of Louis Willyama Avery. [online] Available at: https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/2476#idx16579 : Accessed 20. Aug. 2025
State Library Victoria (2019). Research Guides: Australians in World War 1: Casualties. [online] Vic.gov.au. Available at: https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/wwone_soldiers/casualties. Accessed 20. Aug. 2025
Trove. (2025). LIEUT. L. W. AVERY, M.M. - Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) - 6 Apr 1918. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164151028?searchTerm=avery%20louis%20willyama : Accessed 20. Aug. 25
Vwma.org.au. (2025). Louis Willyama AVERY MM. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/56350 : Accessed. 20. Aug. 2025