Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Milo Massey Cudmore was one of seven children born to successful pastoralist and businessman Daniel Cudmore of ‘Avoca’ station near Wentworth on the River Murray New South Wales.

In 1891, Daniel Cudmore purchased a property and cottage in Victor Harbour, which had originally belonged to the first Governor of South Australia, Governor Hindmarsh. Cudmore converted it to a mansion, which he named ‘Adare’ after a place in Ireland. In order to escape depressing summer heat and clouds of flies on ‘Avoca’ the family would travel down the Murray River by paddle steamer to Goolwa then by coach to the mansion where Milo and his siblings must have enjoyed many happy times on the beach at Encounter Bay. Milo and his brother Collier attended the School and both were good students, keen on sport and participated in numerous intercollegiate competitions.

In 1908, Milo gained a Diploma in Forestry at the University of Oxford and Collier won a gold medal for rowing in the 1908 Olympic Games. [i]

At the commencement of the war the brothers enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery; Milo was appointed temporary second lieutenant on 12 January 1915 and Collier on 13 August. Their elder half brother, Lieutenant Roland H. Cudmore had commanded E half-squadron (Murray) of the Fifth Imperial Contingent in the Boer War. [ii]

Milo had been in the trenches since February 1915, initially with a field battery but later commanded a battery of trench mortars.

In August last he was wounded in the left arm during the attack on Loos. For his conduct on this occasion he was mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the Military Cross.[iii]

In the mid February 1916, the Germans increased their activities in the Ypres salient by exploding a number of mines as well as conducting a series of infantry attacks. They attacked north of Ypres and for a brief period captured the extreme left of the British line and a narrow ridge about twelve metres high known as the ‘Bluff’ on the northern bank of the Ypres-Comines Canal.

At 4.29 a.m., on 2 March following several days of artillery barrages, the British 3rd and 17th Divisions attacked the German line and regained the whole of the front lost on the 14 February. 

When the British 9th Brigade, 3rd Division conducted an attack on 27 March to straighten the line at St. Eloi Lieutenant Milo Cudmore MC was killed in action; he was 28 years of age. 

Collier later commanded an artillery battery and although he was severely wounded on two occasions survived the war and became a famous South Australian leader and advocate for people from all walks of life. He served on the Saint Peter’s College Council of Governors for many years and was knighted in 1959.

[i] State Library of South Australia – PRG 189 Series List P 1, viewed 15 February 2006
[ii] Australian War Memorial, Boer War Nominal Roll Database - Cudmore, Roland Herbert, viewed 15 February 2006
[iii] The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889-1931) – 6 April 1916,  p. 4

News has been received in Adelaide from Lieutenant Collier R. Cudmore, of the Royal Field Artillery, that his brother, Lieutenant Milo Massey Cudmore, also of the Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action in France on March 27.
He was a son of the late Mr. Daniel H. Cudmore, of Avoca Station, New South Wales, and Mrs. Cudmore, of Adare, Victor Harbor.
He was also a grandson of the late Mr. Peter McCracken, of Melbourne. The late Lieutenant Cudmore, who was 27 years of age, was educated at St. Peter's College and at Magdalene College, Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree. When war broke out he left a North Queensland station for England, where he obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery. He had been in the trenches since February 15, 1915, first with a field battery and latterly in command of a battery of trench mortars. In August last he was wounded in the left
arm during the attack on Loos. For his conduct on this occasion he was mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the Military Cross.

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931) Thu 6 Apr 1916
Page 4 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8709251