Private Sydney Charles Aburrow
Service #: 6456A
Summary
BACKGROUND
Sydney Charles Aburrow was born in Jul 1898 in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, son of Jesse & Alice (Marsh) Aburrow.
ATTESTATION
Sydney travelled to Melbourne from his home in Tyalgum on the 3rd June 1916 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as farmer. His next of kin was his mother, Alice Berriman, of Petersfield, England. He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Sydney Charles Aburrow, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
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MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Sydney was 18 years 2 months old. He was 5ft 6 ½ inches tall (1.69m) and weighed 112lbs (51kgs). He had a medium complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. His eyesight was good. Sydney was Church of England.
CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. Sydney was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 26th September, 1916. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as a private in the 15th Battalion with service number 6456
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 recruits 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 could take several months
INNOCULATIONS
All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting. Sydney received his on the 12th June, 26th June & 10th July 1916
THE UNIFORM
The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.
SOLDIER’S KIT
Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.
· Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.
· Braces: worn with breeches.
· Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.
· Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.
· Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.
· Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.
· Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.
· Jersey
· Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.
· Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.
· Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.
· Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.
· Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.
· Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.
· Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.
· Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.
· They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.
· No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.
TRANSFER BETWEEN UNITS.
While in camp, Sydney was transferred to the 11th Infantry Battalion on the 5th June 1916. He was then transferred to the 15th Battalion on the 21st July 1916. This did not impact on his training routine- it was paper only at this stage. As casualties mounted and units required replacement personnel, soldiers were frequently transferred wherever their services were most needed. These movements formed part of the vast administrative system that enabled the Australian Imperial Force to maintain its fighting strength throughout the war. In the training camp, the officers would have been advised which units needed reinforcements and they would change the trainee’s unit accordingly.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM BRISBANE TO ENGLAND
On the 21st October 1916, the recruits left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT Boonah. Alongside his comrades, Sydney 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, 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 only wonder at the sights and sounds they could see as they watched the ship being refuelled and goods taken on board
ENGLAND
About a fortnight later 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.
ROLLESTONE- ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP
The unit disembarked at Plymouth on 10th January 1917. ROLLESTONE TRAINING CAMP
During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.
· Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.
· Received equipment and uniforms: This included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
When the recruits entered Rollestone Camp, they joined one of the Australian training establishments on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. By this stage of the war, the Australian Imperial Force had developed a highly organised training system designed to ensure that every reinforcement arriving in France possessed the skills needed to survive on the Western Front.
The time they spent at Rollestone were among the most important of their military career. Rather than being sent directly to the front, they underwent intensive preparation under instructors who were often veterans recently returned from France. These men had firsthand knowledge of trench warfare and passed on lessons learned through hard experience.
Life at Rollestone followed a demanding routine. Reveille sounded early each morning, followed by physical training designed to build strength and endurance. After breakfast, the men spent long hours on the training grounds learning and practising the skills they would soon need in battle. Rifle shooting remained a fundamental part of instruction, and the men would have spent considerable time on the ranges improving his marksmanship and learning to care for his weapon under all conditions.
Much of the training focused on trench warfare. Practice trench systems had been constructed across Salisbury Plain, allowing recruits to experience conditions similar to those they would encounter in France. They learned how to move through communication trenches, occupy front-line positions, stand sentry duty and maintain defensive works. They practised digging trenches, constructing parapets and revetments, and laying barbed wire obstacles.
Bombing instruction was another important part of the syllabus. Recruits learned how to throw and handle grenades safely, a skill that had become essential on the Western Front. They were also taught how to react during enemy bombardments, how to seek cover and how to move forward under artillery fire.
Field exercises frequently involved entire companies and battalions. During these manoeuvres, the recruits practised attacks on mock enemy positions, advancing behind simulated artillery barrages and coordinating movements with neighbouring units. Such exercises often lasted for many hours and could continue regardless of rain, cold or mud. The instructors were determined that recruits experience something of the hardships they would face in France.
Route marches formed a regular feature of camp life. Carrying rifles, ammunition, packs and equipment, the men marched many miles across the rolling countryside of Salisbury Plain. These marches built stamina and accustomed soldiers to carrying heavy loads over long distances. By the end of his training, the men would have been capable of marching for hours while carrying the equipment required in active service.
If applicable
Winter made conditions increasingly difficult. As autumn gave way to the cold months of November and December, the winds sweeping across Salisbury Plain became bitter, and training often continued in rain, frost and mud. For Australian soldiers accustomed to warmer climates, the English winter could be an uncomfortable introduction to European conditions. Nevertheless, the harsh weather provided valuable preparation for service on the Western Front.
Beyond the formal training, Rollestone also gave the recruits the opportunity to form friendships with fellow Australians who shared anticipation and uncertainty about their future. In the evenings, men wrote letters home, attended educational lectures or spent what little leisure time was available discussing rumours from the front and wondering what lay ahead.
FRANCE APRIL 1917
The unit proceeded overseas on the 10th April 1917. The troops report to the Australian Base Depot where the administrative processing takes place. The journey to the battalion was often made in stages. Reinforcements travelled by train, lorry and sometimes on foot through the rear areas, gradually moving closer to the sound of the guns. Along the way they would encounter the immense logistical system that supported the armies in France—supply depots, ammunition dumps, field hospitals and transport columns stretching across the countryside.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH APRIL 1917
Sydney joined the 15th battalion on the 16th April 1917 and
was taken on strength. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties
For the 15th Battalion, this was a significant time. They had recently come through the fighting around the Ancre and were in the lead-up to the operations associated with the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. Sydney would have arrived to find a battalion already seasoned by nearly two and a half years of war, and he would have had very little time to settle in before sharing the dangers and hardships of front-line service.
Sydney now found himself 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.
APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 1917
During the following months he experienced the routine of trench warfare—periods in the front line, working parties, training, and brief spells out of the line. The battalion was heavily engaged during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele, where mud, shellfire and relentless combat placed enormous strain on the men.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES KNOWN AS BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE, (JULY 31–NOVEMBER 6, 1917),
This battle that served as a vivid symbol of the mud, madness, and senseless slaughter of the Western Front. The third and longest battle to take place at the Belgian city of Ypres, Passchendaele was ostensibly an Allied victory, but it was achieved at enormous cost for a piece of ground that would be vacated the following year. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on opposing sides attacked and counterattacked across sodden, porridgelike mud, in an open gray landscape almost empty of buildings or natural cover, all under the relentless harrowing rain of exploding shells, flying shrapnel, and machine-gun fire. Few gains were made.
The Third Battle of Ypres is remembered for its immense human cost and the resilience of those who fought in it
WOUNDED IN ACTION SEPTEMBER 1917
On 26 September 1917 Sydney's war abruptly changed when he was wounded in action, suffering a gunshot wound to his right forearm. Such wounds were often caused by rifle or machine-gun fire and could range from relatively minor flesh wounds to severe injuries involving shattered bone and nerve damage. He was evacuated through the chain of medical posts behind the front and eventually deemed fit for transfer to England for further treatment and recovery.
EVACUATED TO ENGLAND OCTOBER 1917
On 6 October 1917 he embarked aboard the hospital ship Peter de Coninck for England. These hospital ships carried wounded men across the Channel under the protection of the Red Cross, providing medical care during the voyage. Upon arrival he was admitted to Edmonton Military Hospital in London. There he underwent treatment and began the lengthy process of recovery from his wound. For many soldiers, convalescence involved surgery, physiotherapy, exercise programmes and gradual rebuilding of strength before they could be considered fit for active service again.
RETURNED TO FRANCE MARCH 1918
Sydney spent several months recovering in England. Once declared fit, he entered the Australian training and reinforcement system once more. On 20 March 1918 he proceeded overseas through Folkestone from the 12th Training Battalion at Codford, returning to France as part of a reinforcement draft. The German Spring Offensive had begun only days earlier, creating an urgent need for experienced soldiers at the front, and men who had recovered from wounds were quickly returned to active service whenever possible.
TRANSFERRED TO 13 BATTALION MAY 1918- NEW REGIMENTAL NUMBER
On 22 May 1918 Sydney was marched into the Australian General Base Depot in France from the United Kingdom as a reinforcement for the 13th Battalion. At this time, he was re-allotted the regimental number 6456A. The addition of the suffix letter was an administrative measure used to distinguish him from another soldier who already held the same service number within the battalion's records. After processing through the depot, Sydney would have been forwarded to the 13th Battalion, bringing with him the valuable experience he had gained during his earlier service with the 15th Battalion and his survival of the fighting at Passchendaele.
After being marched into the Australian General Base Depot in France on 22 May 1918 and allotted to the 13th Battalion, Sydney joined the AIF at a critical stage of the war. The German Spring Offensive was underway and experienced reinforcements were urgently needed to replace casualties. Having already served with the 15th Battalion and recovered from his wound, Sydney would have been a valuable addition to the battalion's ranks.
MAY TO AUGUST 1918
The 13th Battalion spent much of the period from May to August 1918 engaged in defensive operations and intensive training while the Allies prepared to seize the initiative. On 8 August 1918 the battalion participated in the Battle of Amiens, the opening blow of the great Allied offensive that would later become known as the Hundred Days Offensive. The attack achieved remarkable success and marked the beginning of a series of victories that steadily forced the German Army back towards its own frontier.
SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER 1918
During the months that followed, Sydney and his comrades advanced through the devastated battlefields of northern France. The battalion took part in operations against successive German defensive positions and endured the familiar hardships of shellfire, mud, exhaustion and the constant threat of enemy action. Although his service record contains no further personal entries, it is likely that he shared in these advances and witnessed the gradual collapse of German resistance during the closing stages of the war.
NOVEMBER TO JUNE 1919
Eventually Sydney received orders to return to Australia. He embarked aboard the transport Marathon and arrived home on 10 June 1919.
CLOTHING AND NECESSITIES GIVEN TO SOLDIERS FOR SOLDIERS PROCEEDING TO AUSTRALIA FOR DEMOBILISATION
Badges Hat Badges Collar (2) Bags kit universal
Bags kit sea Braces (pair) Brush, shaving
Brush, tooth Breeches M.S (Military service)
Cap comforter (warm cap) Comb, hair
Disc identity with cord Drawers (2 pairs)
Great Coat Hat, Khaki fur Hat, white
Holdall Housewife (compact sewing kit)
Jackets Cardigan Jackets S.D (service dress)
Leggings 1 pair Laces, leather 1 pair
Puggarees, small (a traditional Indian head wrap, worn in warm conditions
Puttees, 1 pair (cloth bandages worn by soldiers, to provide support and protection
for the lower leg)
Razor Shirts, flannel (2) Socks, 3 pairs
Singlets (2)
Strap chin Soap piece Suit, working
Towels, hand (2)
Titles “Australia” (4)- Australian soldiers and non-commissioned officers wore an “Australia” title at the base of their shoulder straps. Each serving soldier also wore unit titles above this which indicated the units to which they belonged
DISCHARGED JULY 1919
After nearly three years of service that had taken him from the training camps of England to the battlefields of France, included a serious wound and many months of recovery, he was finally discharged on 19 July 1919. His attestation may reveal little of his final year in uniform, but it is almost certain that he shared in the victorious advance of the Allied armies and witnessed the end of the conflict for which he had travelled halfway around the world to fight.
For his service Sydney was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal
DEATH AND BURIAL
Sydney died on the 29th June 1982, aged 83, in Brisbane and is buried in Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, Holland Park, Qld, plot Columbarium 12, section 26
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
We do not know the memorial location of this individual
Buried Location
Mount Thompson Memerial Gardens & Crematorium Queensland
