FAMILY LIFE

Sidney Buck was born in Robertson in 1890, son of John & Isabella Christina (Colville) Buck. He was the first born of five children. His father and sister, Ethel, are buried in Murwillumbah Cemetery. Ethel’s son, Oscar, also enlisted.

 ATTESTATION

Sidney was single carpenter, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Casino on 17^th November 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his father, John, of Zara. He had been previously rejected due to his flat feet.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Sidney “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Sidney Buck, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

His medical showed he was 26 years 4 months old, 5ft 10 ½ inches tall (1.79m), weighed 11stone 6lbs (72kgs), with a dark complexion, hazel eyes & brown hair.  His eyesight was good. He had a top dental plate the rest of his required dental treatment

He was Church of England.  He was enlisted as a private into the 31st Infantry Battalion – 12th Reinforcements with service No 4657

NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 1916

After enlisting, Sidney was passed fit for service and entered camp, where he was issued with his first uniform and equipment. The weeks that followed were taken up with medical checks, inoculations, and the first steps of soldiering life. At the reinforcement depot he received hurried training—route marches, musketry practice on the rifle range, bayonet drill, and endless hours of foot drill on the parade ground. By this stage of the war, the demand for reinforcements was so great that the full training program in Australia was shortened, with the expectation that men would complete their preparation in England. In the days leading up to embarkation he was granted a short period of leave to farewell family and friends

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

On 21^st December his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on 23^rd December 1916 they embarked on the HMAT Demosthenes. Alongside his comrades, he marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.

The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.

Sleeping & Living Arrangements

Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.

Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.

Daily Routine

Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.

Meals

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.

Health & Sanitation

Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.

The Voyage Experience

Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. In an attempt to keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.

The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection

CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY

The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

SIGHTS AT SEA

On the way to Egypt, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.

SECURITY

By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.

EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. They could stare in wonder at the sights & sounds of the busy port while the ship refuelled & took on goods.

ENGLAND

On 3^rd March 1917, the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the training grounds of England, preparing for what lay ahead.

HOSPITALISED MARCH 1917

On arrival in England on 3 March 1917, Sidney was admitted straight into hospital at Devonport, most likely suffering from one of the common ailments brought on by the long voyage in crowded troopship conditions. He remained under care for nearly two weeks before being discharged on 16 March and sent to the 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott, by way of the Perham Downs depot

HURDCOTT TRAINING CAMP

At Hurdcott, Sidney entered a world designed to transform new arrivals into front-line soldiers. The camp stretched across the bleak and windswept downs of Wiltshire, with long rows of huts and parade grounds that quickly became muddy quagmires in wet weather. Days began early with bugle calls and physical training, followed by hours of drill that taught the men precision, discipline, and endurance. Much of the work centred on trench warfare. The men practised digging fire bays and communication trenches, learning how to strengthen them with sandbags, duckboards, and revetments. They took part in bombing classes, where live Mills bombs were thrown on practice ranges, and were schooled in the use of bayonets during brutal, close-quarters fighting exercises.

Gas warfare was another grim focus. Sidney and his fellow reinforcements were marched into gas chambers filled with chlorine or phosgene, ordered to put on and adjust their masks under pressure, and to understand the lethal consequences of any delay. Long route marches across the downs, sometimes extending over twenty miles, hardened the men for the long days ahead in France. Live-fire exercises were conducted to simulate battle conditions, with machine guns and artillery firing over their heads while they advanced across open ground or crawled through the mud of mock trenches. Evenings were often spent cleaning rifles and kit, attending lectures on map reading and field discipline, or standing extra fatigues and guard duties.

Hurdcott was demanding and, for many, disheartening. The English winter was cold and damp, the food monotonous, and the routine relentless. Yet it forged the reinforcements into disciplined soldiers ready for the front. By the time Sidney completed his training, he had endured the full program of preparation designed to bring him as close as possible to the realities of the Western Front before ever setting foot in France.

TRANSFER TO 1^ST AUSTRALIAN MOTOR TRANSPORT COMPANY JUNE 1917

Sidney’s path then took a different turn. On 17 June 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Motor Transport Company. Here he received specialist instruction in handling and maintaining the heavy motor lorries that kept the front supplied with food, ammunition, and equipment. Men were taught not only driving skills but also how to repair breakdowns under field conditions, maintain convoys under enemy fire, and navigate the dangerous roads of the Western Front.

FRANCE APRIL TO OCTOBER 1918

After months of preparation, Sidney finally left England on 1 April 1918, embarking from Southampton for the crossing to France and the war itself.

When Sidney was taken on strength on 11 April 1918, the Australian Motor Transport Companies were in constant demand. Their role was the vital movement of supplies: ammunition, rations, engineering stores, and sometimes troops. These units operated heavy lorries in convoys, often under difficult and dangerous conditions.

SPRING 1918 – THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE
When Sidney joined, the Allies were reeling from the massive German Spring Offensive. The Australians were rushed into the line near Amiens, and motor transport was critical in keeping them supplied. The 1st Motor Transport Company would have been hauling ammunition and rations along congested and shelled roads, often at night to avoid enemy aircraft.

SUMMER 1918 – ALLIED COUNTER-OFFENSIVE
From August 1918, the Australians took part in the great push starting at the Battle of Amiens (8 August), followed by the advance across the Somme. Motor Transport units followed closely behind the infantry, moving supplies forward as the front lines shifted rapidly. The speed of the advance meant that vehicles were constantly on the move, maintaining supply lines that stretched further each day.

DAILY DUTIES
Between these major actions, Sidney’s unit ran routine convoys: ration lorries carrying bread, meat, and water to the front; ammunition trucks resupplying artillery batteries; and general transport moving timber, barbed wire, and medical stores. Vehicles often bogged in mud or broke down, and drivers had to keep them running under tough field conditions. Convoys were vulnerable to shellfire and enemy aircraft strafing, and the long hours on the road were exhausting.

APPOINTMENT AS ARTIFICER, 6 OCTOBER 1918

The rank of Artificer was a specialist trade appointment in the AIF. An artificer was essentially a skilled mechanic attached to a transport or artillery unit.

An artificer was responsible for maintaining and repairing the company’s vehicles and equipment. In a Motor Transport Company, that meant working on engines, gearboxes, wheels, and tyres, often in the open and under pressure to keep the lorries serviceable.

They carried out roadside repairs during convoys, improvised spare parts when none were available, and sometimes worked through the night to return vehicles to the road by morning. The title reflected trade skill rather than command rank — artificers were highly valued because every lorry on the road kept the frontline supplied.

Sidney’s appointment to Artificer on 6 October 1918 suggests he had shown particular mechanical aptitude during his service, and his skills were formally recognised by the unit.

OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 1918 (FINAL WEEKS OF THE WAR)

After Sidney’s appointment as artificer on 6 October 1918, the 1st Motor Transport Company continued its relentless work supporting the Australian Corps as it pushed the Germans back beyond the Hindenburg Line. The final battles of the war (St Quentin Canal, Montbrehain) involved rapid advances, and motor transport units played a key role in keeping rations and ammunition flowing forward along captured roads.

With the Armistice on 11 November 1918, active operations ceased. For Sidney and his comrades, the long convoys into shell-swept areas were finally over, but the work of the Motor Transport units did not end. Vehicles were still needed to move supplies, evacuate stores, and carry troops as the front stabilised.

After the Armistice, the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes insisted Australian troops be repatriated (returned home) as quickly as possible. This logistical challenge was enormous with 135,000 troops brought home from Britain in 147 voyages, and 16,773 troops from the Middle East in 56 voyages, mostly on a first come, first go basis. There was a lack of suitable ships to transport personnel home and many had to wait many months before they were headed back to Australia.

NOVEMBER 1918 – FEBRUARY 1919 (POST-ARMISTICE DUTIES)

After the fighting stopped, the Australian transport companies were employed in a variety of essential tasks:

·      Clearing and Salvage – lorries were used to haul abandoned German material, equipment, and ammunition from the battlefields.

·      Troop Movements – motor transport helped move Australian units into winter quarters, and later to staging areas prior to repatriation.

·      Routine Supply – although hostilities had ceased, tens of thousands of Australians remained in France, and transport was required to keep camps supplied with food, clothing, and stores.

·      Vehicle Maintenance – as an artificer, Sidney would have been heavily engaged in overhauling and repairing the company’s fleet after the strain of months of continuous operation.

This period was quieter than the chaos of 1918, but the work was still demanding. For many men, waiting to return home was frustrating, and duties continued until transport became available to move units back to England.

24 FEBRUARY – 3 MARCH 1919 (LEAVE IN ENGLAND)

Sidney was granted a short period of leave in England from 24 February to 3 March 1919. Men on leave typically travelled to London or regional towns, enjoying theatres, cinemas, pubs, and the novelty of civilian life after years of military routine. Leave was an important morale boost while they waited for the slow process of demobilisation and repatriation to Australia.

MARCH–MAY 1919 (WAITING PERIOD)

After returning from leave in early March 1919, Sidney remained with the 1st Motor Transport Company in France while the AIF slowly reduced its strength. Work during these months centred on routine duties — moving supplies, transporting men to staging camps, and gradually handing over vehicles and stores to British units. For most soldiers this was a time of waiting, with daily parades and light duties while the process of repatriation was organised.

29 MAY 1919 – MARCHED OUT TO UK QUOTA 58

Sidney was marched out as part of Quota 58, one of the large drafts of Australians selected for return to Australia. The AIF organised men into quotas, each assigned to a troopship when space became available.

4–5 JUNE 1919 – TRANSFER TO ENGLAND

On 4 June he was formally transferred from France to the UK, and on 5 June he marched into No. 1 Group in England. This was one of the administrative groups that processed men awaiting embarkation. Here soldiers underwent final medical checks, clothing issue, and administrative paperwork before sailing.

RETURN VOYAGE

Sidney embarked on the transport Takada on 18 July 1919, beginning his long-awaited journey home. After a two-month voyage, he finally disembarked in Australia on 7 September 1919, marking the end of nearly three years of military service.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Sidney was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Murwillumbah War Memorial

HOME LIFE

Sidney died 13^th October 1968 in Queensland and is buried in Cairns Cemetery, Monumental East Side, Row S5, Site 799A

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