FAMILY LIFE

Horatio Bertram Warner-Bubb was born in Murwillumbah in 1895, the son of Oswald Charles & Melena Hardcastle (née Sabine) Warner-Bubb.  He was one of three sons, all of whom were born in Condong & enlisted in the war. Horatio received his education at Condong Public School. He was attached to the cadets from 1908 to 1910, the senior cadets from 1911 to 1915, and the militia from 1913 to 1916.

ATTESTATION

He was a single engineer, eager to do his bit. He had been an apprentice engineer at Colonial Sugar Company for 5 years and was living at 461 Glebe Road, Glebe Point, at the time of his enlistment. On 6^th May 1916, he completed his application in Sydney. It showed his next of kin as his father, Oswald, of Condong

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Horatio “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, Horatio Bertram Warner-Bubb, 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 21 years and 2 months old, 5 ft 9 inches tall (1.75 m), weighed 144 lbs (65 kg), with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and fair hair. His eyesight was good. He was Church of England and had a scar under his chin on the right side, another on top of his chest, and scars on both shins. He was enlisted as a private in the 1st Pioneer Battalion, 5th Reinforcement, with service number 2692.

HOLDSWORTHY TRAINING CAMP

Horatio was soon posted to the military training camps on the outskirts of the city. Like all new recruits, he began with the fundamentals — drill, saluting, and learning to march in step until such movements became second nature. At the rifle range, he was introduced to the .303 Lee–Enfield, the standard infantry weapon of the Australian Imperial Force, and spent hours practising his aim and weapon handling. Bayonet fighting, too, was an essential part of his early instruction, with repeated lunges and parries against stuffed targets that tested his stamina as much as his skill.

But Horatio was not joining an ordinary infantry battalion. As part of the 1st Pioneer Battalion, he was training to fight and to build. In between route marches and musketry, he learned the skills of an army engineer — digging and shoring up trenches, constructing timber footbridges, repairing roads, and laying light railway lines that could keep supplies moving up to the front. Under the watchful eyes of his instructors, he and his fellow recruits practised driving pickets into hard ground, wiring defences, and camouflaging positions until they seemed to vanish into the landscape.

The final weeks before embarkation were spent in a reinforcement camp, where the days were long and the work relentless. Horatio was put through full-pack route marches that covered miles of dusty road, carried out mock attacks on sandbagged trenches, and toiled over field construction projects designed to harden both muscle and resolve. By the time he marched up the gangway of HMAT Anchises on 24 August 1916, Horatio had been transformed from civilian to soldier, ready to put both rifle and pick to use on the battlefields ahead.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

Alongside his comrades, he marched aboard, Horatio’s 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 were 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, sing-alongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. In an attempt to keep morale up, 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 of 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.  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.

APPROACHING ENGLAND

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. For most, it was their first sight of a foreign country, and 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.

ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP

After disembarking in England in October 1916, Horatio was sent by train to the broad sweep of the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, home to a sprawling collection of military camps. This was no quiet English countryside now—it was alive with the constant tramp of boots, the rattle of rifles on parade grounds, and the whistle blasts of sergeants drilling new drafts of men. Rows of bell tents and long timber huts stretched across the muddy fields, while wooden cookhouses sent up the smell of tea and boiled meat that clung to the air.

Horatio was posted to a Pioneer Training Battalion, where the work was far more than just learning to fire a rifle. Pioneers were expected to be soldiers and tradesmen in one. His days began at dawn with physical drill—marching in formation, bayonet practice, and route marches over the chalky downs that left boots caked in white dust. Then came technical instruction: building and repairing trench walls with timber and sandbags, laying duckboards over sodden ground, stringing barbed wire under timed conditions, and digging communication trenches to precise army specifications.

There was musketry on the rifle ranges, firing at moving and stationary targets to meet strict accuracy scores, as well as grenade-throwing practice with both live and dummy bombs. Horatio would have handled tools almost as often as weapons—pickaxes, shovels, saws—learning to construct strongpoints, lay corduroy roads over mud, and reinforce dugouts against shellfire. In the evenings, lectures on field engineering, gas defence, and map reading were held in draughty huts lit by flickering oil lamps.

The weather was often cold and damp, and the plain’s notorious winds seemed to cut straight through greatcoats. Mud clung to everything in winter, while in dry spells the chalk dust was so fine it coated uniforms, rifles, and skin. Yet the men adapted, bonded by shared hardship and the growing realisation that these long days were preparing them for the front.

FRANCE AND TRENCH WARFARE JANUARY 1917

By January 1917, Horatio’s training shifted to final battle preparation. He likely moved to an embarkation camp on the coast, then crossed the Channel to France in late January. There, a short period at the Base Depot in Étaples completed his readiness—more route marches, live-fire exercises, and trench familiarisation—before he finally joined his unit in the field on 15 March 1917.

Horatio & the other recruits 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 harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous living environment for the men. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but many health risks 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.

THE SOMME MARCH 1917

Horatio reached the 1st Pioneer Battalion in mid-March 1917, joining them in the tail end of one of the harshest winters France had seen in years. The Pioneers, part of the 1st Division, were based in the Somme sector, where the German Army had just executed its planned withdrawal to the fortified Hindenburg Line. The retreat had left a trail of demolished villages, booby traps, and smashed bridges in its wake, and it was the Pioneers’ task to clear, repair, and make the ground usable again for the advancing Australians.

In those first months, Horatio would have been engaged in a mix of heavy engineering and dangerous patrol work. He helped repair roads churned into knee-deep mud by winter, strengthened trench systems for defence, and built forward dugouts capable of withstanding artillery fire. The work often took place in full view of the enemy, meaning shells could fall at any time. By April, the battalion was active near Bullecourt, constructing strongpoints and carrying supplies to the infantry during the bitter Second Battle of Bullecourt. While the infantry fought to take sections of the Hindenburg Line, the Pioneers followed up to link captured positions with the rear, laying communication cables and digging fresh trenches under sniper and artillery fire.

SUMMER 1917 THE BATTLE OF MESSINES

The summer of 1917 brought no real rest. The battalion shifted to Flanders, where preparations were underway for the massive Allied offensive at Ypres. June saw the Battle of Messines, where the Pioneers were employed in the aftermath of the mine explosions, clearing debris from the shattered German front line and repairing the routes forward for guns and ammunition columns. Afterwards came weeks of relentless labour in the Ypres sector: repairing plank roads destroyed by shellfire, cutting new trench lines across sodden fields, and hauling supplies forward at night along tracks lit only by the flash of guns.

SEPTEMBER 1917 BATTLE OF POLYGON WOODS

By the time September arrived, Horatio was a seasoned Pioneer, accustomed to the mix of engineering skill and front-line grit his role demanded. The battalion was supporting operations around Polygon Wood, working close to the front line in a sector under constant artillery fire. This was the world Horatio knew in the weeks before 29 September—long days of physical toil, nights of dangerous supply runs, and the ever-present awareness that one unlucky shell could end it all. It was here, in this punishing environment, that his act of bravery would soon bring him to the attention of the entire division.

THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES LATE SEPTEMBER 1917

By late September 1917, Horatio and the 1st Pioneer Battalion were deep in the thick of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known to the men as Passchendaele. Since early in the month, the Pioneers had been working day and night behind the fighting troops of I and II Anzac Corps. Their job was to keep the attack supplied and connected: digging new communication trenches across shell-torn ground, repairing plank roads so mule trains could get forward, and strengthening pillbox positions the infantry had captured. The ground was a shattered, waterlogged wasteland—each shell crater brimmed with brown water, and every yard forward seemed to require backbreaking labour.

THE BATTLE OF MENIN ROAD SEPTEMBER 1917

On 20 September, during the Battle of Menin Road, and again on 26 September at Polygon Wood, the 1st Pioneers had moved up close behind the assaulting brigades. They built strongpoints under fire and cleared debris from the approach routes so stretchers could get the wounded out. German artillery was heavy and constant, forcing the men to work in short bursts, diving into craters when salvos came over. Horatio would have spent those weeks living under the steady howl and crash of enemy shells, with little real rest between tasks.

DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL

On 29 September 1917, during the fighting that followed Polygon Wood, the Pioneers were working near a forward dressing station, where wounded men from the front were being treated. A truck loaded with artillery shells and small-arms ammunition stood nearby—critical supplies for the front. Somehow, enemy shellfire or a stray spark ignited the load, and the vehicle burst into flames. Explosions began to rip through the truck as the fire reached the munitions. With the dressing station full of wounded and medical staff only yards away, disaster was seconds from claiming many lives.

Horatio acted without hesitation. He grabbed buckets of water and, under the deafening blast of bursting shells, fought to keep the flames from spreading. For ten long minutes, he worked in the open, smoke and shrapnel swirling around him, until an explosion sent fragments into his body and knocked him to the ground. His bravery had bought the time needed to control the fire and save those in the dressing station.

COMMONWEALTH GAZETTE NOTICE

Distinguished Conduct Medal

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. A truck of ammunition close to a dressing station was set on fire, and several shells exploded, endangering the lives of the wounded and others. For ten minutes, he continued to pour water onto the burning truck until severely wounded by an explosion. His prompt action undoubtedly saved many lives.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 95 Date: 27 June 1918

EVACUATED TO HOSPITAL

Evacuated to hospital—though the record does not note which—Horatio’s wounds were treated, likely involving shrapnel removal, cleaning and dressing of the burns, and days under watch for infection, a constant risk in the muddy Ypres sector.

REJOINED UNIT NOVEMBER 1917

His recovery was swift enough that by 30 November, he returned to duty, wearing the quiet satisfaction of knowing he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his courage. Horatio settled back into the demanding routine of a pioneer. The battalion had recently come out of the heavy fighting at Passchendaele and was now occupied with the constant labour of repairing roads, laying duckboard tracks across the mud, strengthening trenches, and building dugouts to withstand the harsh winter. Life at this time was a mixture of exhausting working parties close to the line—often carried out at night under shellfire—and quieter periods in billets, where the men trained, cleaned their equipment, wrote letters home, and took part in battalion sports and church parades. The winter of 1917–18 was bitterly cold, and much of the work centred on keeping the front-line positions habitable. By January, the Australians were gradually moving toward the Messines sector, and the pioneers played a key role in preparing defensive works there.

LEAVE ENGLAND JANUARY 1917

After these weeks of unrelenting duty, Horatio was granted a well-earned period of leave to England on 24th January 1918.

HOSPITALISED JANUARY NO DETAILS

During this time, however, he was admitted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. The records do not state the reason for his admission, but he remained under care there until being discharged on 14th December. He rejoined his unit in France two days later, on 16th January 1918, ready to resume duty with the battalion.

JANUARY TO JULY 1918

After rejoining the 1st Pioneer Battalion in France on 16th January 1918, Horatio returned to the steady grind of pioneer work on the Western Front. The first months of 1918 were relatively quiet in terms of large battles, but the pioneers were kept constantly busy. Their duties included maintaining roads and tramways, repairing trenches, and constructing dugouts and strongpoints to prepare for the expected German spring offensive. Much of this work was carried out under difficult conditions in the cold and wet, often at night, and sometimes within range of enemy artillery.

When the German offensive opened in March, the 1st Pioneers were employed in hurried defensive works, reinforcing positions and helping to keep communications open as the front shifted. By April and May the battalion was in the Somme region, supporting Australian infantry units by repairing forward roads, erecting wire entanglements, and constructing machine-gun posts. At times, the pioneers also fought alongside the infantry when their work details came under attack. Although not involved in a major battle of their own during this period, the constant movement, long hours, and exposure to the elements made it exhausting work.

It was during this stretch of unrelenting duty that Horatio’s health began to suffer, and by June he was forced to report sick with chronic otitis media, an ailment likely made worse by the damp conditions in which he had been labouring for months.

HOSPITALISED CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA JUNE 1918

On 13th June 1918 Horatio was admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance suffering from chronic otitis media, a persistent middle ear infection that could cause pain, discharge, and temporary hearing loss. From there he was transferred on 15th June to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, where he received more specialised treatment. In those days, management of ear infections generally involved rest, careful cleaning of the ear, and antiseptic or boric acid dressings; in severe cases, surgical drainage was sometimes attempted to prevent further complications. After a period of convalescence, Horatio was sent on 21st June to the 10th Convalescent Depot to regain his strength. He remained there until 20th July 1918, when he was considered fit enough to rejoin the 1st Pioneer Battalion in the field.

JULY 1918 TO JANUARY 1919

After returning to the 1st Pioneer Battalion on 20th July 1918, Horatio was quickly swept into the preparations for the great Allied offensive that would come to be known as the Hundred Days Campaign. Pioneers were vital to this effort, and Horatio’s work would have included repairing and extending roads to allow artillery and supply wagons to move forward, building strongpoints for infantry, and laying duckboards and tramways across shell-pitted ground.

BATTLE OF AMIENS AUGUST 1918

In early August, the Australians spearheaded the successful attack at Amiens (8th–11th August 1918). Though not in the assaulting waves, the pioneers worked relentlessly behind the lines to keep communications open and ensure that supplies and reinforcements could flow to the front.

MONT ST QUENTIN & PERONNE AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 1918

For the remainder of August and September, as the Australians pushed through places such as Mont St Quentin and Péronne, the 1st Pioneers were constantly on the move, following close behind the infantry and performing both engineering and combat roles as needed.

WITHDRAWN FROM THE LINE OCTOBER 1918

By October 1918, the strain on the Australian Corps was immense, and most units—including the 1st Pioneers—were withdrawn from the line after the costly fighting near Montbrehain on 5th October, which was the last battle fought by Australian troops in the war. For Horatio and his comrades, the final weeks before the Armistice on 11th November were spent in training, repairing equipment, and resting after months of continuous operations.

WAR ENDED

On 11^th November the fighting was officially over, so he prepared to return to Australia. 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.

FRANCE 1919

Following the Armistice, the battalion remained in France for several months while demobilisation was organised. During this period, duties shifted from combat engineering to routine maintenance, route marches, and educational classes intended to prepare the men for their eventual return to civilian life. Sports competitions, concerts, and organised recreation became a regular feature of daily life as the soldiers awaited orders to move.

LEAVE FRANCE JANUARY 1919

It was in this quieter post-war environment that Horatio was granted leave in France on 18th January 1919, a welcome break after years of service and the exhausting campaign of 1918.

GOING HOME

After his leave in January 1919, Horatio remained with the 1st Pioneers in France during the gradual demobilisation of the Australian Imperial Force. On 12th April 1919 he marched out to England, where Australian soldiers were gathered in preparation for transport home. After weeks of waiting, he finally embarked for Australia aboard the Port Darwin on 12th June 1919. The long voyage marked the end of nearly five years of service that had taken him from Egypt and Gallipoli to the Western Front.

FOR HIS SERVICE

On 11th September 1919, Horatio Bertram Warner-Bubb was formally discharged from the AIF, returning at last to civilian life. For his service Horatio was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

HOME LIFE

Horatio moved to Ingham in Queensland and was employed by Victoria Mill as a third engineer. He became engaged to Melva Edna Harvey in 1930. Sadly, Horatio died in Ingham, on 28th February, 1932 following surgery for appendicitis and is buried in the Victoria Plantation Cemetery. He & Melva had not been married at his death

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