Private Samuel Browning
Service #: 7782
Summary
BACKGROUND
According to his attestation Samuel Browning was born on the 21st November 1889 in Cudgen son of George Browning and Mary Lenwick, although Samuel BROWNING #7782 | State Library of Queensland his mother’s name as Mary William. There is no registration of the birth in NSWBDM. Nor QLDBDM.
Sam travelled to Lismore on the 28th August 1917 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 labourer. His next of kin was his mother, Mary Lenwick, c- Mrs Bamberry, Fingal Caves. Sam also states that address as his permanent home address.
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, Samuel Browning, 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
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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MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Sam was 28 years 9 months old. He stood 5ft 4 ½ inches tall (1.63m) and weighed 8stone 6 lbs (53kgs). He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was dentally fit and his eye sight was good. Sam had a tattoo shield and anchor on the back of his right hand and one of clasped hand on the back of his left hand. He also had a scar on the back of his left wrist.
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. Sam was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 17th October 1917. 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 a private with 26th reinforcements, 15th Battalion with service number 7782
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.
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.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO ENGLAND
On the 29 October 1917 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on 31st October they embarked on the HMAT Euripides.
Alongside his comrades, Sam 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.
ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP- CODFORD
The ship arrived in England on Boxing Day- 26th December 1917. When the recruits arrived in England, they boarded the troop train for Codford training camp on the Salisbury Plains. 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 the 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 the camp 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 in the camp 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, the 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.
In a letter to his mother Sam wrote “"I am longing for a good feed of oysters and pippies. I'd give ten bob for a feed”
After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.
FRANCE APRIL 1918
Sam arrived in France during the final and most intense year of the war. On 1 April 1918 he proceeded overseas from Codford via Dover and arrived at the Australian Base Depot at Calais. Newly arrived reinforcements were not sent directly to their battalions. Instead, they passed through the reinforcement system where they underwent medical inspections, administrative processing, equipment checks and brief refresher training designed to prepare them for the realities of the Western Front. The German Spring Offensive had begun only days earlier, creating a critical need for trained reinforcements, but the army still sought to ensure men were physically fit and properly equipped before joining their units.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH APRIL 1918
On 17 April 1918 Sam was taken on strength of the 15th Battalion. 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
At that time the battalion was heavily engaged in defensive operations as the Australian divisions helped halt the German advance towards Amiens. During the following months Sam would have experienced the demanding routine of front-line service, including trench duties, patrols, carrying parties, working parties and periods in reserve. As the Allied armies gradually regained the initiative, the battalion participated in the operations that would eventually become the Hundred Days Offensive.
THE HUNDRED DAY OFFENSIVE (OPERATION MICHAEL)
MARCH TO JULY 1918
In March 1918, the new Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia ended its role in the First World War by signing the Brest-Litovsk Treaty with the Central Powers.
This had a significant impact on the war in Western Europe, giving rise to the German Spring Offensive, also known as the ‘Kaiserschlacht’ (the Kaiser’s battle).
The Russians had been beaten by the Germans in a number of battles early in the war, but they had also inflicted substantial defeats on the Ottomans, Germans troops and Austrian-Hungarian forces.
With the signing of the treaty, however, the Germans ‘freed up’ their forces on the Eastern Front, reinforced their army on the Western Front, and raised it to 206 Divisions.
In response, the Allies raised 172 Divisions on the Western Front, including a growing number of Americans, which provided sufficient impetus for the Germans to mount their Spring Offensive.
Erich Ludendorff, the commander of the German Army on the Western Front, believed if Germany did not act, the Allies would achieve ascendancy.
The Germans were aware the balance of power was shifting and, while they held a superiority in numbers, this would soon change if they did not strike a decisive blow.
The German offensive was spearheaded by Operation Michael and supported by operations Georgette, Gneisenau and Blücher-Yorck, supported by smaller operations to deal with battlefield contingencies.
Operation Michael began with a devastating barrage of nearly 10,000 artillery pieces and mortars. The attacks were spearheaded by path-finding ‘Stormtroopers’, followed by immense numbers of infantry.
The German attack worried Australia’s diggers as much as those in high command, with soldiers bitter about the German successes.
Barwick though was aware this was the German’s ‘last throw of the dice’ and he was supremely confident the Australians would check the German advance.
Operation Michael seemed a success in terms of captured territory, prisoners and equipment, but it did not deliver an over-arching strategic blow to the Allies.
It did not destroy the British Army nor drive a wedge between the British and French forces.
Michael, along with the other German Spring Offensive operations, failed to achieve the desired aim of bringing the Allies to their knees.
After the Spring Offensive finished in July 1918, the initiative crossed to the Allies who — with the addition of American troops — brought Germany to its knees in a number of subsequent battles.
Germany surrendered less than six months after the last operation in its Spring Offensive
WOUNDED IN ACTION- GASSED- AUGUST 1918
On 25 August 1918 Sam's war changed dramatically when he became the victim of a severe gas attack. By this stage of the war the Germans commonly employed mustard gas, one of the most feared weapons on the battlefield. Unlike earlier gases, mustard gas often produced delayed symptoms, meaning a soldier might initially believe he had escaped injury only to become increasingly ill hours later.
For Sam, the attack may have begun with the arrival of enemy gas shells bursting around his position. The explosions often produced little noise compared with high-explosive shells, and a faint oily mist or garlic-like smell might linger in the air. Even with his respirator fitted, exposure could occur through contaminated clothing or skin contact. Within hours he would likely have experienced burning eyes, inflamed skin, severe irritation of the throat and lungs, coughing, and increasing difficulty breathing. Many gas casualties described a feeling of suffocation, intense chest pain and temporary blindness as their eyes became swollen and inflamed.
THE BATTALION’S WAR DIARIES
The diary for the 25th August states that the soldiers did not feel the effect of the gas until they arrived back to their home site. Then their eyes began to swell and hey had violent headaches. 75% of them were affected, some very bad. It was thought that it was a new gas that Fitz used. The bombardment lasted 5 hours
MEDICAL CHAIN
Sam was evacuated to the 4th Field Ambulance on the day he was gassed.
A Field Ambulance was a mobile front line medical unit (it was not a vehicle), manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Field ambulances were crucial mobile medical units in World War I, responsible for the immediate care and evacuation of wounded soldiers from the front lines. When it was at full strength a Field Ambulance was composed of 10 officers and 224 men. The theoretical capacity of the Field Ambulance was 150 casualties, but in battle many would need to deal with very much greater numbers.
Medical personnel there would have immediately removed contaminated clothing where possible, washed exposed skin, treated irritated eyes and ensured his respirator remained properly fitted if contamination persisted. Because mustard gas injuries often worsened over time, close observation was essential. Once stabilised, he was evacuated to the 31st Casualty Clearing Station later the same day.
A Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in World War I played a critical role in treating gassed soldiers. Located a few miles behind the front lines, CCSs were semi-permanent medical facilities set up near railways to receive, triage, and stabilize wounded men before sending them to base hospitals if necessary.
At the Casualty Clearing Station doctors were able to provide more specialised treatment. His eyes would have been irrigated and bandaged, if necessary, his breathing carefully monitored and his chest examined for signs of lung damage. Oxygen therapy, soothing inhalations and medications intended to relieve pain and respiratory distress might have been administered. The medical staff would also have assessed whether he was fit to remain in France or required evacuation to England.
By 29 August 1918 Sam had been admitted to the 6th General Hospital at Rouen. Here he came under the care of specialist medical staff experienced in treating gas casualties. Treatment focused on protecting the lungs from secondary infection, easing breathing difficulties, managing painful eye inflammation and treating any blistering of the skin. Gas casualties often required prolonged observation because the full effects of mustard gas could continue to develop for days after exposure.
The seriousness of Sam's condition resulted in his evacuation to England aboard the hospital ship Aberdonian on 30 August 1918. During the Channel crossing, doctors and nurses would have regularly checked his breathing, pulse and temperature. They would have cleaned and redressed any affected areas, administered medications, encouraged rest and monitored him for complications such as pneumonia, which was a significant risk following gas exposure. The voyage provided a safer and more comfortable environment than the hospitals near the front, allowing patients to receive continuous care.
Upon arrival in England on 31 August, Sam was admitted to Bath War Hospital. This large military hospital specialised in treating wounded and sick servicemen. His treatment would have concentrated on recovery from the effects of gas poisoning. This often included prolonged bed rest, fresh-air therapy, breathing exercises, treatment for inflamed eyes and throat, and gradual rehabilitation as lung function improved. Many gas victims remained weak and short of breath long after the initial exposure, and recovery could take weeks or months.
As his condition improved, Sam was granted furlough at Littlemoor Camp, Weymouth, from 18 September until 2 October 1918. This was essentially a period of convalescent leave designed to help recovering soldiers regain their health. Away from the strict routines of hospital life, he would have enjoyed fresh sea air, light exercise, recreation and a more relaxed environment while continuing his recovery. The Dorset coast was considered particularly beneficial for men recovering from respiratory illnesses and gas injuries.
In Sam 's letters to his
mother Mary, his heartbroken bride-to-be, and 10-year-old sister, there is no
mention of the horrors of the Western Front nor of his gassing in the trenches
near Rouen in northern France in August 1918, just a few months before the guns
fell silent.
In an undated letter from Bath, where he was convalescing, Sam wrote urgently
to Fingal, anxious that his younger brother stay away.
"Dear Mother, tell George to stop where he is instead of enlisting — one
is enough from home, so don't forget."
On 2 October 1918 Sam reported to Administrative Headquarters at Weymouth. Here his medical classification and future military employment would have been reviewed. Administrative headquarters processed recovering soldiers, arranged medical examinations and determined whether men would return to active service, undertake further convalescence or be prepared for repatriation.
On 10 October he was transferred to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny. Command depots accommodated soldiers who no longer required hospital treatment but were not yet fit enough for active service. Sam would have participated in light duties, medical inspections, physical training appropriate to his condition and various administrative procedures while awaiting further decisions regarding his fitness.
His recovery continued, and on 16 November 1918 he was transferred from Sutton Veny to Longbridge Deverill, another Australian military establishment associated with rehabilitation and training. The war had ended only five days earlier, and by this stage the Australian authorities were increasingly focused on determining which men would return to duty and which would be repatriated home. Sam likely spent the following weeks undergoing medical assessments, participating in rehabilitation activities and completing the paperwork necessary for discharge from military service.
GOING HOME JANUARY 1919
Having been judged unfit for further active service, Sam embarked for Australia aboard the transport Orsova on 15 January 1919. The voyage home was a welcome contrast to the dangers and hardships of the Western Front. After more than a month at sea, he disembarked in Australia on 20 February 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
DISCHARGE MARCH 1919
Following the completion of demobilisation procedures, Sam Browning was formally discharged from the Australian Imperial Force on 29 March 1919. Although he had served at the front for only a few months, he experienced some of the fiercest fighting of the war and suffered the effects of one of its most dreaded weapons. His severe gassing ended his active service, but he survived to return home after the Allied victory and the end of the Great War
AFTER THE WAR
Samuel married Charlotte Slabb in Murwillumbah in 1919. According to NSWBDM the couple had 2 sons and a daughter.
DEATH AND BURIAL
Sam died on the 17th July 1961 (aged 71) in Fingal Point and is buried in Fingal General Cemetery
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
Final Point Cemetery
