Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Selby Braddock RUSSELL was born in Brisbane, Queensland on 9th May, 1892

His parents were Joseph Douglas RUSSELL and Mother Sophia Louisa CHANDLER who lived at "Lynwood," Prospect Terrace, South Brisbane, QLD.

Selby had lived with his parents prior to embarking for service.

Siblings:
Brother    Joseph Spurling Russell
Sister       Louisa Russell
Sister       Sophy Alexander (nee Russell)
               m. John Thomas Alexander, of Rockhampton
Sister       Stella Beer (nee Russell)
                m. Horace Beer, of Ipswich
Sister       Olive Russell Russell (hospital nurse)

Described on enlisting as 23 years 8 months old; single; 5' 10 1/2" tall; 140 lbs;
fair complexion; grey eyes; fair hair; Church of England

24/1/1916        Enlisted in Brisbane, QLD

24/4 -17/5/'16  Corporal, Reserve Company

17/5/1916        Sergeant, 5th reinforcements, 47th Infantry Battalion

4/9/1916          Commanding Officer appointed Selby to 5th reinforcements,
                        47th Infantry Battalion, Enoggera Camp

19/9/1916        Embarked from Brisbane, QLD on board HMAT Seang Choon A49
                       as a Private with 47th Infantry Battalion, 5th reinforcements
9/12/1916        disembarked into Plymouth, England

9/12/1916        marched out to 12th Training Battalion

24/1/1917        promoted to Corporal

18/9/1917        proceeded overseas to France, ex 12th Training Battalion

Oct 1917          The 47th Battalion participated in the Passchendaele battle.

12/10/1917       Gun shot wound to leg (severe), Passchendaele, France
21/10/1917       embarked on hospital ship Western Australia for England
22/10/1917       Corporal admitted to 5th South General Hospital, Portsmouth

30/10/1917       taken on strength into 47th Battalion

14/2/1918         proceeded overseas to France, ex Southampton
25/2/1918         rejoined battalion

27/3/1918         The 47th Infantry Battalion was part of the Attacks on Dernancourt.

Dernancourt, a village on the River Ancre in France, was the scene of much desperate fighting during the German offensive of March and April 1918. The 12th and 13th Brigades first occupied positions around Dernancourt on 27 March. Elements of the 50th (Prussian) Reserve Division launched an attack on the morning of the 28th that was repulsed by the 12th Brigade, using the embankment of the Albert-Amiens railway line as a defensive barrier. This action, however, was only a precursor to a larger, more determined effort by the Division later in the day, mounted right along the Australians' thinly held front. Fighting continued until the early evening, but the Germans were eventually defeated, with approximately 550 casualties, and at a cost of 137 to the Australians.

The Germans launched a new attack in the vicinity of Dernancourt on the morning of 5 April 1918. On this occasion, they were able to breach the railway embankment by forcing their way under a bridge, outflank the Australian posts along it, and penetrate between the 12th and 13th Brigades. The forward battalions of both brigades were forced to retire upon their support positions and for a time even their supporting artillery was threatened. A counter-attack, however, was launched from the support positions with the brigades' reserve battalions just after 5 pm, which halted the German advance and pushed it back toward the railway embankment. The embankment was regained on the Australians' right, but in the centre and on the left they were forced to ground about 1,300 metres short of it. Exhausted, the 12th and 13th Brigades could do little more.

5/4/1918           promoted to Sergeant, 47th Battalion

***initially stated as Killed in Action, France

**Stated from German Capturers"**:-

5/4/1918          Sergeant Russell was captured at Dernancourt

Hit by a shell in left foot, admitted to hospital, had left foot amputated.

Taken to:         POW Hospital, Guben Brandenburg, Germany

15/6/1918       died of double Pneumonia - whilst a POW in German Camp (age 26)

16/6/1918        a letter received by Prisoner Office Help Committee states:-
                       "Reported - died in POW Hospital, Guben Brandenburg, Germany.
                        double pneumonia 15/6/1918".

buried in:          POW Cemetery, Buderose, Germany
                        Guben, Grave No.88

23/4/1925         his remains were exhumed and interned in:

buried in:          Plot XI. Row D, Grave 5
                        Berlin South Western Cemetery
                        Stahnsdorf, Berlin, Germany

Medals:
British War medal (48033); Victory medal (47469); Memorial Plaque
and Memorial Scroll (347870)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 16/5/2015.  Lest we forget.