Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Gallipoli, 1915
 
Captain Mervyn James Herbert, 10th Battalion Australian Infantry, was wounded 26th/27th April 1915 and returned to Australia.

On 23rd July 1915, some of his “D” Company men [1] wrote to him from Anzac.

“As we have heard definitely that you are not returning to us, we wish to express our regret, and hope you will soon make a complete recovery. You, no doubt, have heard of the gallantry of old “Don” Company, and in your disappointment at not being able to return to us we hope it has been of some consolation to you. There have been two D.C.M.'s gained by the 10th Battalion, and it will please you to know that they are both men of your old company, namely, Private C. P. Green [2] and Lance-Corporal J. C. Weatherill. [3] It will be needless for us to tell you news of our battalion, as it will be given you by others. In conclusion, we thank you for your sound instruction in the past, and our sincere wish is that when we return we shall see you well.” [4]

[1] The men who signed the letter were:
Sergeant Arthur Robert Baker, later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry on the Western Front in 1918.
Sergeant George Tippett.

Lance-Corporal Frederick James Stanley Mead was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery on the Western Front in 1917. Commissioned, he added a Military Cross in 1918.

Lance-Corporal Joseph Cook Weatherill, who had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions on 25th April 1915.

Pte. Simon George Pack was killed in action on 17th February 1917. Buried in Bazentin-Le-Petit Military Cemetery, France, he was the son of Simon Pack, of Brigstack, Thrapston, Northamptonshire.

Private, later Lance-Sergeant Leslie Clarence Toovey returned to Australia on 4th May 1917.

Driver Charles King was killed in action on 6th August 1915. He is buried in Lone Pine Cemetery; the son of the late Thomas and Mary King, of Manoora, South Australia.

[2] Private Cyril Patrick Green. His citation for the D.C.M. was published in the 'London Gazette' on 6th September 1915: “For conspicuous gallantry on the 25th April, 1915, during the landing at Gaba Tepe (Dardanelles). He had reached shelter on the beach, when he saw a wounded man struggling in the surf, which was under heavy fire. Without hesitation he turned back, reached the man in the water, and brought him successfully to shore and subsequently to a place of shelter.”

[3] Weatherill's citation for the D.C.M. was published in the 'London Gazette' on 3rd July 1915: “On 25th April, 1915, during operations near Kaba Tepe, for exceptionally good work in scouting and in an attack resulting in the capture of two of the enemy's guns.”

[4] 'The Advertiser' (Adelaide, South Australia), 2nd September 1915.

Born on 15 September 1887 in Melbourne, Victoria.

At the outbreak of the Great War was residing at Marlborough street, New Glenelg.

He received his first commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the SA Scottish on 28 August 1911 and was transferred to the 78th (Adelaide Rifles) Infantry on 1 July 1912.

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 January 1913 and obtained his Captaincy on 16 July 1914 and held this commission at the time of joining the AIF.

On 16 April 1914 he was appointed Area Officer at Prospect.  He was one of the first Company Commanders selected by Colonel Weir for the 10th Battalion, and was appointed a Captain in the 10th at Morphettville on 19 August 1914.

He was posted to the Command of original D Company and embarked on HMAT A11 Ascanius on 20 October 1914.  He landed with his company form the destroyer Scourge at the historic landing on 25 April 1915 and later that day was wounded in the hand, which necessitated the amputation of a finger.

He evacuated and proceeded to Egypt and subsequently returned to Adelaide with the second lot of wounded to return to Australia on the Ballarat.

He arrived in Adelaide on 3 August 1915 and was the third original Battalion Officer to be invalided home.

After leaving Anzac he had been transferred to the 9th Battalion.  On 4 August 915 he attended a monster recruiting meeting at the Adelaide Exhibition Building, and with other wounded Officers and men was requested by the Governor, Sir Henry Galway, to go up on the platform.

After recovering from his wounds he returned to Egypt and was re-transferred to the 10th, rejoining the Battalion at Lemnos on 5 December 1915.  He proceeded with the Battalion to Egypt and on 1 March 1916 was promoted to the rank of Major.

He arrived in France with the 50th Battalion on 6 June 1916 and remained with the unit until 8 November 1916.

On 28 October 1916 he was seconded for duty as OC of the 13th Infantry Training Battalion and subsequently proceeded to England.

On 4 May 1917 he was seconded for duty as Permanent President Courts-Martial, AIF Depots in United Kingdom. 

He subsequently returned to Australia, his services with the AIF terminating on 26 April 1919.

During his absence from Australia he was appointed an Honorary major in the Australian Military Forces on 3 March 1916.

Returning to civil life he commenced duties with the Department of Defence, but subsequently decided to settle on the land, and on 1 June 1921 secured an irrigation perpetual lease over 20 ½ acres situated in the Moorook irrigation area.  In 1923 he acquired a further 45 acres, in 1927 29 ½ acres, and also 4 ¾ acres, and in 1930 14 acres, making a total holding of approximately 114 acres.

On 26 August 1911 at New Glenelg, he married Dorothy Matilda, daughter of James John Royals, and had two sons and a daughter.

In 1935 he lived on his block and was Manager of the Moorook Distillery Ltd.

Upon relinquishing command of D Company at Anzac in 1915, the following letter under date of 23 July 1915 was dispatched to him:

“As we have heard definitely that you are not returning to us, we wish to express our regret, and hope that you will soon make a speedy recovery.  You, no doubt, sir, have heard of the gallantry of the old 'Don' Company, and in your disappointment at not being able to return to us we hope it has been of some consolation to you.  There have been to DCM's gained by the 10th Battalion, and it will please you to know they are both men of your old company, namely Private C P Green and Lance Corporal J C Weatherill.  It will be needless for us to tell you news of our Battalion, as it will be given you by others.  In conclusion we thank you for your sound instruction in the past, and our sincere wish is that when we return we shall see you well.  (Signed)  Sgts A R Baker,  G Tippett; Lance Corporals F J S Mead, J C Weatherill,  Privates S G Pack, S C Toovery; Driver C King.”

He received this letter of commendation whist in Adelaide in August 1915 before returning temporarily to the 10th Battalion.  After leaving Anzac, and whilst in hospital in Egypt, he succeeded in preparing a splendid article dealing with the landing of the 10th Battalion at Anzac, and same was subsequently published in The Advertiser.

Extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.