Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Black family farmed at Glenmaggie, Victoria when Allan was a child however the family lost their property through the actions of a dishonest lawyer. Allan Black travelled to Western Australia from Victoria, with his father, to go on the land at Cowcowing, via Korrelocking, around about 1900.

Black enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force during September 1914 and was appointed to the 12th Battalion. He was of strapping build, almost six foot and weighed 180 lbs. He was made a Sergeant soon after enlisting.

The Anzac covering force moved to Lemnos prior to the Gallipoli landing. Allan Black became ill with German measles and caught a severe cold and was hospitalised on Lemnos on the 16 March 1915. The following day a tent collapse gave him severe concussion and head cuts, which led to some serious medical problems. He was transferred to a hospital in Egypt, unconscious and seriously ill. Although he later completed intensive machine gun training in Egypt, he didn’t rejoin his unit on the until after the evacuation of Gallipoli.

Black was transferred to the 52nd Battalion during the reorganisation and expansion of the AIF in early 1916. The 52nd Battalion was involved in the attack on Mouquet Farm on 3 September 1916. Heavy casualties were suffered by the unit in the fiercest of fighting to take the strongly held German position.

Allan Black was outstanding during battle, and was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He reorganized the left of the line, and led them in to the enemy's trench. He showed marked skill with his machine guns, and later repaired and brought into action an enemy gun until he was wounded on the afternoon of 4 September. He was absolutely the right-hand man in the trench. He set a splendid example of courage and determination throughout.”

Allan was seriously wounded by a gunshot wound in the neck during this action and whilst making his way back, the shell hole in which he took shelter from the heavy bombardment was blown in on top of him, the rubble causing him back injuries. It was just over a week before he was admitted to a hospital, in Keightley, England.

He spent almost a year in hospital being treated for his severe head wound.

He re-joined his unit during November 1917 where it had been moved to the Ypres area for the winter. Allan’s injuries allowed him to carry out duties as long as he had no bending. It seems his skills as a machine gun specialist were very highly regarded. He was promoted to Company Sergeant Major soon after. He suffered another light leg wound at Dernancourt during early 1918.

He was then sent to an Officer’s course in England and was appointed a Second Lieutenant on 4 November 1918. He was given leave to attend Leeds University for several months and was promoted to Lieutenant in March 1919.  

He eventually returned to Australia in late 1919, although it was likely that due to his father’s advanced age his farm had been lost when Allan Black returned.

Allan Black seemed to struggle with his war injuries for much of his life, his ailments and wounds are detailed in 111 pages of his medical file, and it includes a letter from his younger sister, Isabel, which states “I was his youngest sister and have looked after my brother since WW1 and was dependent on him. I have had to live rather an isolated life as my brother owing to his head wounds could only live a very quiet life.”

Allan Bennison Black passed away in Harvey, Western Australia during May 1949.