Lance Corporal Walter Sommerville
Service #: 2212
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
Walter Sommerville was born c1890 in Temora.
ATTESTATION
He was single farmer, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Ballina on 15th February 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his mother, Mrs. A. Sommerville, of Uki
His medical showed he was 24 years 11 months old, 5ft 5 ¾ inches tall (1.6m), weighed 137lbs (62kgs), with a brunette complexion, yellowish grey eyes & brownish black hair. His eyesight was good
The Examining Medical Officer stated that Walter “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, Walter Sommerville, 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.”
He was Presbyterian and had 2 vaccinations marks on his left arm. He was enlisted as a private into the 9th Infantry Battalion with service No 2212
TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA
As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together
Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months
The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet
VOYAGE OVERSEAS JUNE 1915
Walter & the other recruits embarked at Brisbane aboard HMAT Karoola on 12th June 1915. 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.
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, 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.
APPROACHING EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. For most, it was their first sight of a foreign country, and the reality of leaving home truly sank in. Walter would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.
EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP
After disembarking in Egypt, Australian troops bound for Gallipoli trained in the Egyptian desert, at camps such as Mena (near the Pyramids) or Zeitoun, where the focus was on fitness, musketry, bayonet work, and adapting to the heat and dust. These camps also served as staging points for the movement of reinforcements to the front.
Daily life followed a strict military routine. Reveille was sounded around 5:30 am, followed by physical training, which included route marches and endurance work in the desert conditions. After breakfast, the men began structured morning sessions focusing on drill, bayonet practice, and rifle handling. Training resumed after lunch, often with practical field exercises such as digging trenches, constructing defences, and simulating attacks on mock enemy positions. The day ended with roll call, personal time, and lights out around 9:00 pm.
The training itself covered a wide range of military skills. Soldiers learned close-order drill, musketry (rifle shooting), bayonet fighting, and basic tactics. Musketry was particularly important: the men practised with their Lee-Enfield rifles on firing ranges, learning how to load, aim, fire rapidly, and judge distances accurately. Bayonet training was also emphasized, with troops practising thrusts, parries, and charges on straw-filled dummies to build aggression and confidence.
Physical fitness was a high priority. Route marches of 10 to 15 kilometres in full kit were a regular part of the schedule to build stamina and discipline. Troops also received instruction in field engineering—learning how to dig trenches, build parapets and revetments, and position barbed wire obstacles effectively.
Other important areas of training included basic first aid, battlefield communication (such as flag and lamp signalling), and map reading.
Sanitation and hygiene were stressed throughout the training period. Soldiers were taught how to prevent disease by maintaining clean clothing and equipment, constructing latrines, and purifying drinking water. This was crucial in the Egyptian climate, where illness could spread rapidly.
Although the training was demanding, there were occasional opportunities for leave. Many soldiers visited the bazaars, cafés, and sights of Cairo, or made trips to the pyramids near Mena. Morale was generally high, though the men understood active service was approaching.
Training would be for eight hours a day six days a week. All day long, in every valley of the Sahara for miles around the Pyramids of Giza were groups or lines of men advancing, retiring, drilling or squatted near their piled arms listening to their officer. For many of the battalions many miles of desert had to be covered in the morning and evening to and from their allotted training areas. At first, to harden the troops, they wore full kit with heavy packs. Their backs became drenched with perspiration, and the bitter desert wind blew on them as they camped for their midday meal and many deaths from pneumonia were attributed to this cause.
GALLIPOLI AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1915
When Walter joined the ANZAC forces on 4th August 1915, the Gallipoli campaign had already been running for just over three months. The August Offensive was about to begin — a series of large-scale attacks intended to break the stalemate, including the battles of Lone Pine, The Nek, Chunuk Bair, and Hill 971. While the 7th Battalion was engaged at Lone Pine (6–10 August), many reinforcements like Walter were quickly assigned to front-line or support duties, carrying ammunition and water, repairing trenches, and manning positions under almost constant sniper fire and artillery bombardment.
Gallipoli in August was sweltering. The sun baked the steep, dusty gullies, and the stench of unburied dead and poor sanitation was ever-present. Flies swarmed over everything, making eating a miserable affair. Soldiers existed on tinned bully beef, hard biscuits, and whatever could be scrounged from supply ships.
By September, the front had settled into trench warfare. Walter would have endured long spells in narrow, sandbagged trenches, keeping watch over the enemy only a few dozen metres away, interspersed with back-breaking fatigue duties — digging, wiring, hauling supplies up steep tracks from the beach. Disease was rife, with dysentery, diarrhoea, and enteric fever weakening the men almost as much as enemy fire.
In December 1915, the decision was made to evacuate Gallipoli. Walter’s departure followed the same carefully executed plan that saw the ANZAC forces withdraw without alerting the Turks. Men were quietly moved to the beaches in the dark, and by late December, Walter was on Lemnos (Mudros Harbour), the main staging and hospital base. From there, he boarded the Grampian and sailed for Alexandria, arriving 4 January 1916.
TRANSFER TO 49TH INFANTRY BATTALION FEBRUARY 1916
On 25th February 1916 Walter was transferred from the 9th Battalion to the 49th Battalion. For Walter, being taken on strength with the 49th Battalion at Serapeum in February 1916 meant he officially became part of that unit during this reorganisation. At the time, the 49th was a new battalion — half made up of Gallipoli veterans from Queensland units, the other half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Training at Serapeum included:
· Long route marches through desert terrain to build endurance.
· Musketry and live-fire exercises.
· Bayonet fighting drills.
· Field engineering, trench digging, and wiring practice.
· Tactical manoeuvres in open desert to simulate attack and defence.
The camp’s location by the Suez Canal also meant soldiers were assigned canal defence duties, manning outposts, and patrols in case of Turkish raids from the Sinai Peninsula.
APPOINTED DRIVER APRIL 1916
After several months at Serapeum, training in desert conditions and performing canal defence duties, Walter was appointed Driver on 1st April 1916 — a role critical to the battalion’s logistics. As a driver, he would have handled horse-drawn wagons carrying rations, ammunition, and equipment, often under difficult or dangerous conditions.
TRANSFER TO FRANCE JUNE 1916
On 3rd June 1916, Walter left Alexandria aboard a troop transport bound for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 13th June. The battalion travelled north by rail through the French countryside to the Western Front, where the conditions could not have been more different from the deserts of Egypt. The lush fields of northern France quickly gave way to the churned mud of trench lines, with cold, damp weather replacing the searing Egyptian sun.
WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE
The soldiers now found themselves fighting the Germans in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats
The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:
· Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.
· Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.
· Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.
The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.
BATTLES OF POZIERES, MOUQUET & THE SOMME JULY- AUGUST 1916
The 49th Battalion entered the front in the Somme sector during one of the bloodiest periods of the war. Through July and August 1916, they took part in the fighting around Pozières and Mouquet Farm, part of the larger Battle of the Somme. The fighting here was intense, with relentless artillery bombardments reducing villages to rubble. Even as a driver, Walter would not have been far from danger, as transport lines were frequent targets for German shellfire. Moving supplies to the front often meant working at night, navigating shell-pitted tracks, and coping with the ever-present risk of gas attacks.
NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 1916
After the Somme battles, the 49th rotated between front-line duty, support trenches, and short periods in rest areas. The end of 1916 brought a bitter winter; frostbite, mud, and illness were constant enemies. In November and December, the battalion was active in the Flers sector, where freezing rain and knee-deep mud made every movement exhausting.
GRANTED LEAVE DECEMBER 1916 TO JANUARY 1917
Walter was granted leave beginning 30th December 1916, returning to his unit on 14th January 1917.
HOSPITALISED VENERAL SORES MARCH – MAY 1917
On 10th March 1917, Walter was admitted to a Field Ambulance with venereal sores, remaining there until 17th March before being transferred to the 51st General Hospital at Étaples on 27th March. Étaples was one of the largest Allied medical bases in France, where thousands of soldiers passed through for treatment. Walter was discharged to the Base Depot on 10th April, moved to the Australian Base Depot at Étaples on 14th April, and finally rejoined the 49th Battalion in the field on 19th May 1917.
PACK MULE CORP JUNE 1917
Barely a month later, on 20th June 1917, Walter was detached to the Pack Mule Corps. This unit was vital in moving ammunition, rations, water, and medical supplies to front-line positions where wheeled transport could not go. The terrain near the front was often churned into deep mud by shelling, and narrow communication trenches made motor vehicles useless. Mules, led by soldiers on foot, could navigate these treacherous paths, often at night and under enemy fire. It was exhausting, dangerous work — the animals and their handlers were prime targets for artillery, and every trip forward carried risk. Walter returned to his battalion ten days later, on 30th June 1917.
THIRD BATTLE OF PYRES JULY- AUGUST 1917
Through July and August 1917, the 49th Battalion was engaged in operations in Belgium as part of the build-up to the Third Battle of Ypres. The battalion spent much of this time in and around the Messines and Ploegsteert sectors, rotating between front-line duties, reserve positions, and training areas. The work was a constant cycle of repairing trenches, strengthening defences, and conducting patrols into no man’s land.
BATTLE OF POLYGON WOOD SEPTEMBER 1917
BATTLE OF BROODSEINDE RIDGE OCTOBER 1917
In late September, the 49th moved into the Ypres sector, supporting the Australian advances during the battles of Polygon Wood (26 September) and Broodseinde Ridge (4 October). These actions were characterised by short, intense attacks preceded by heavy artillery barrages. Even when not directly assaulting enemy positions, the battalion endured continuous shelling, wet and muddy conditions, and the ever-present risk of gas attack.
APPOINTED LANCE CORPORAL SEPTEMBER 1917
Walter’s steady conduct during this demanding period was recognised when he was appointed Lance Corporal on 7th September 1917. The promotion meant increased responsibility, including overseeing small working parties and ensuring orders were carried out in the field.
REST & REORGANISTION
By November, the battalion was worn down by the unrelenting conditions of Flanders. They rotated into quieter sectors for rest and reorganisation, although the cold and mud made even “quiet” postings miserable.
GRANTED LEAVE DECEMBER 1917
In December, Walter was granted leave to England from 10th to 28th December 1917, a welcome break from the hardships of the front.
FRANCE -WINTER 1917-1918
Walter returned from his well-earned leave on 28th December 1917 to rejoin his comrades on the Western Front. The 49th Battalion at that time was enduring the bitter winter in the front-line and support trenches in northern France, rotating between the forward positions, the reserve lines, and rest billets in nearby villages. The winter of 1917–1918 was particularly harsh, with freezing rain, sleet, and snow making movement difficult and daily life miserable. When not on active duty in the trenches, men carried out routine fatigue work—repairing duckboards, improving dugouts, hauling supplies, and training for the spring campaigning season. There was also the ever-present task of maintaining weapons, cleaning mud from rifles and Lewis guns, and keeping uniforms as dry as possible in the damp conditions.
WOUNDED MARCH 1918
In the early months of 1918, the German Army was preparing for a major offensive, and Allied units, including the 49th, were kept on high alert. Patrols were sent out regularly to probe enemy positions, while artillery exchanges and sniper fire made even quiet sectors dangerous. It was in this tense and unpredictable environment that Walter sustained his injury.
By 1 March 1918, the 49th Battalion remained largely in this routine: rotating in sector, carrying out patrols, trench maintenance, drills, and supply tasks—no major offensive yet, but the tension and readiness were high. It was in this unforgiving environment, post-leave, and pre-offensive, that Walter likely suffered his left knee wound, perhaps from a stray shell fragment, sniper’s bullet, or accidental injury during fatigue work. The wound, although described as “slight,” was enough to require evacuation from the front.
HOSPITALISATION
Walter was first treated at the 1st Field Ambulance before being transferred the following day, 2nd March, to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station. These medical units, positioned just behind the lines, stabilised wounded soldiers before sending them further back. On 5th March, he was moved to the 1st Canadian General Hospital at Étaples, a major base hospital complex that handled thousands of cases from the front.
EVACUATION TO ENGLAND
His injury warranted further treatment, and on 26th March he was evacuated to England aboard the hospital ship Scotia. On arrival, Walter was admitted to the Horton (County of London) War Hospital in Epsom, a facility that specialised in treating severe and lingering war injuries. His stay there lasted until 5th April, when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford, a convalescent hospital for recovering soldiers. Just three days later, on 8th April, he was moved again, this time to the 3rd Command Depot at Hurdcott in Wiltshire, where men underwent further recovery and light physical training.
RECOVERY AT OVERSEAS TRAINING BRIGADE MAY 1918
By early May Walter was well enough to re-enter the reinforcement system. On 5th May, he was posted to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill, where recovered soldiers were prepared physically and mentally for return to the front. Here, the training was intensive, with route marches, bayonet drill, musketry practice, and tactical exercises—all designed to rebuild stamina and fighting readiness after months away from the line.
FRANCE 1918
After completing his recovery and training in England, Walter rejoined the Australian forces in France on 28th June 1918. Although he was back on the continent, he was not immediately sent into the front-line trenches with the 49th Battalion. Instead, he was posted to the Australian Base Depot which was responsible for holding, equipping, and administering soldiers until they could be sent forward as reinforcements.
During this period, the 49th Battalion was engaged in some of its most intense and decisive operations of the war. In August 1918, as part of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, the battalion took part in the Battle of Amiens on 8th August, launching a massive surprise attack that broke through German lines and marked the beginning of the final push to victory. Following Amiens, the 49th was involved in a series of advances through August and September, including actions at Chuignes, Herleville, and the capture of Péronne. In early October, they fought in the Battle of Montbrehain, which proved to be the final infantry engagement for Australian troops on the Western Front.
Walter, however, remained at the depot throughout these battles. Men in the base depots carried out vital but often unseen work: unloading and moving supplies, maintaining equipment, assisting with the flow of reinforcements, and helping manage the return of wounded men from the front. While it lacked the glory of battle, depot work was physically demanding and essential to keeping the front-line units operational.
WAR ENDED NOVEMBER 1918
When the Armistice came on 11th November 1918, Walter was still in France. 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.
The months that followed were dominated by the gradual process of winding down the Australian Imperial Force. Soldiers at the depots assisted with stocktaking stores, guarding camps and supply dumps, helping with transport duties, and preparing for the repatriation of men and materiel to Australia. For some, it was a time of rest and sport; for others, it was monotonous waiting for their name to come up on the repatriation list.
ENGLAND JANUARY 1919
On 15th January 1919, Walter left France for England, moving into the network of Australian camps there—likely spending time at Sutton Veny or another major demobilisation centre. Here, men underwent medical inspections, completed the necessary paperwork, and received final pay arrangements before embarkation.
RETURNED HOME APRIL 1919
Finally, on 5th April 1919, Walter boarded the troopship Warwickshire for the voyage home. After six weeks at sea, he disembarked in Australia on 28th May 1919, his military service officially complete.
For his service Walter was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal
HOME LIFE
Walter married Florence Cameron in Lismore in 1924.
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
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