Private Daniel Higgins
Service #: 7808
Summary
BACKGROUND
Daniel Higgins, known as Dan, was born in Murwillumbah on the 4th of October, 1900, son of John Bernard (“J B”) Higgins & Mary Alice (Cowan) Higgins. He was one of 8 children. His brother Dan also enlisted. His father is listed on the memorial at Banner St, Murwillumbah which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district and many members of the family lived and died in Murwillumbah and are buried in the local cemetery. His brothers Joseph & James also enlisted
ATTESTATION
Dan travelled to Brisbane, from his home in Bilambil, on the 20th February 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 farmer. His next of kin was his mother, Mary Alice Higgins, of North Tumbulgum. He resided in an exempt area for compulsory training. 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, Daniel Higgins, 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
SO, HELP ME, GOD.”
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Dan was 18 years 4 months old. He was 5ft 7 inches tall (1.7m) tall and weighed 130 lbs (64kgs). He had a medium complexion, grey eyes ands brown hair. Dan was Roman Catholic. His eyesight was good and he was dentally fit.
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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. Dan was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 12th 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 as a private in the 9th Infantry Battalion with service number 7808
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 29th October 1917 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on the 31st October, they embarked on the HMAT Euripides Alongside his comrades, Dan 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 SUTTON VENEY DECEMBER 1917
They disembarked at Devonport on the 26th December 1917 and marched in the English training camp at Sutton Veney. When the recruits arrived in England, they entered a period of intensive preparation that was both physically demanding and strategically vital. 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.
Then formal training began. Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the English weather, and the damp cold of the Plain came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and/or Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.
Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions.
Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.
Between training cycles, the battalion undertook further instruction at nearby camps on Salisbury Plain, including periods at Perham Down, another major training area used to relieve overcrowding and provide additional field space. Here the emphasis was on large-scale exercises involving entire brigades, practising attacks behind creeping artillery barrages, night operations, and movement under cover. These exercises often lasted days, with men sleeping in the open, reinforcing the endurance and discipline required for front-line service.
Despite the hard routine, there were moments of respite. When training schedules allowed, the men may have been granted short leave to nearby towns such as Salisbury or even London, where Australian soldiers briefly escaped the rigours of camp life. These interludes, however, were short-lived, and the training intensified as the battalion’s departure for France drew closer.
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.
HOSPITALISED FEBRUARY 1917
However, while in the camp, Dan became sick and was admitted to the Military Hospital at Weymouth on the 2nd February 1918- no details have been stated in attestation. There are also no details for the length of stay
FRANCE APRIL 1918
Dan must have recovered as he was left Dover on the 1st April as part of the 15th Battalion and arrived in Calais.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH 15TH INFANTRY BATTALION APRIL 1918
He was marched out to his unit on 4th April. From there they were not sent directly to their battalion. Instead, they entered the Australian Base Depots, where records were checked, equipment inspected and final preparations made before they moved forward. 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. He was officially taken on strength on the 17th April 1918.
When Dan arrived in France on 4 April 1918, the war was at a critical stage. Just weeks earlier the Germans had launched their great Spring Offensive, known as Operation Michael. The British Army had been driven back in many areas and there were genuine fears that the Germans might break through before American forces could arrive in strength. Reinforcements arriving from England were rushed into frontline battalions with very little delay.
On 17 April 1918 Dan was taken on strength by the 15th Battalion. He joined a unit that had already established a formidable reputation. The battalion had fought at Gallipoli, Fromelles, Bullecourt, Messines and Passchendaele, but by 1918 many of the original soldiers were gone. The battalion was now a mixture of veterans and newly arrived reinforcements such as Dan.
APRIL AND MAY 1918
During April and May 1918, the 15th Battalion was heavily engaged in defensive operations designed to halt the German advance. The battalion occupied trenches and defensive positions in the Somme region, conducting patrols, raids and working parties. Although there were no major set-piece attacks involving the battalion during this period, the men were constantly under artillery fire and frequently engaged in small but dangerous encounters with German patrols.
As the German offensive lost momentum, the Australians began preparing for a series of local attacks intended to seize the initiative. One of the most successful of these was the capture of Morlancourt and the operations around Ville-sur-Ancre during June 1918. The 15th Battalion participated in these actions, gaining valuable experience in the new style of warfare that was emerging. Infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft were increasingly being coordinated into carefully planned attacks.
JUNE 1918
By June 1918 Dan would have become accustomed to life in the front line. He would have learned how to move under shellfire, conduct patrols in no-man's-land, throw Mills bombs accurately and work with his section in battle. These skills would prove crucial a few weeks later.
BATTLE OF HAMEL JULY 1918
The action referred to in his Military Medal recommendation occurred during the famous Battle of Hamel on 4 July 1918. The place mentioned in the citation is almost certainly Hamel Wood, east of Corbie. Corbie was a town on the Somme River and an important landmark in the sector.
The Battle of Hamel was planned by Lieutenant General Sir John Monash and has become one of the most celebrated Australian victories of the war. Monash meticulously coordinated infantry, artillery, tanks, aircraft and logistics to create a short, sharp attack. The operation lasted only ninety-three minutes and achieved all its objectives, a remarkable result on the Western Front.
The 15th Battalion formed part of the attacking force. As the assault advanced through Hamel Wood and surrounding German positions, fierce resistance was encountered in trenches and strongpoints that had been bypassed or only partially cleared.
AWARDED MILITARY MEDAL JULY 1918
It was in this confused and dangerous fighting that Dan distinguished himself.
“Throughout the early stages of the attack, this man figured conspicuously and showed great dash and iniative. After the final objective was gained, he took change of a party and bombed his way down Hun Walk capturing seven prisoners. He bombed down till he had the enemy well clear of the position our troops were consolidating, and then established a block, keeping the enemy at bay, until the consolidation was completed. He did excellent work throughout and I strongly recommend him for a decoration”
According to the recommendation, after the final objective had been secured Dan took charge of a bombing party and advanced down a German trench known as Hun Walk. Trench fighting was among the most dangerous forms of combat on the Western Front. Visibility was limited, corners and traverses concealed enemy soldiers, and progress was often made one bomb at a time. Dan and his men would throw Mills bombs around each bend before rushing forward to occupy the newly cleared section.
His citation shows remarkable initiative. Rather than simply holding position, he aggressively drove the Germans back, captured seven prisoners and continued advancing until the enemy was pushed well away from the area being consolidated by Australian troops. He then established a defensive block in the trench and held it against German attempts to return while Australian engineers and infantry completed the consolidation of the captured ground.
This was exactly the sort of leadership that earned decorations. Dan was not an officer, yet he took command, assessed the situation, pushed the attack forward and secured the flank of the newly won position. His actions helped ensure that the gains made during the battle could not easily be counter-attacked.
What makes the achievement even more impressive is that Dan had been with the battalion for less than three months. In that short time, he had gone from newly arrived reinforcement to a soldier whose courage and initiative were being formally recognised by his commanders.
By the time he received the Military Medal on 31 July 1918, the Battle of Hamel was already being hailed as a model operation. Many historians regard it as a preview of the tactics that would help bring the war to an end during the Hundred Days Offensive that began the following month. Dan's actions in Hun Walk placed him among the men whose individual bravery contributed to one of Australia's most celebrated victories of the Great War.
MOTHER ADVISED
Mary received a letter advising that “I have much pleasure in forwarding a copy of extract from Fourth Supplement, No. 30962 to the London Gazette, relating to the conspicuous services rendered by the under mentioned member of the Australian Imperial Forces. Awarded the Military Medal. His Majesty, the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal or bravery in the field to the undermentioned No. 7808 Private D. Higgins. The above has been promulgated in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No 23 dated 12th February, 1919”
JULY AUGUST 1918
Following the success of the Battle of Hamel on 4 July 1918, Dan and the 15th Battalion did not immediately participate in another major assault. Instead, the battalion remained in the Somme sector, holding and improving the ground won during the operation. The weeks after Hamel were nevertheless busy and dangerous. The Australians maintained pressure on the Germans through aggressive patrolling, trench raids and artillery harassment. Men were constantly engaged in repairing trenches, constructing strongpoints, carrying supplies forward and consolidating the positions captured during the battle.
By late July the battalion was preparing for what would become the opening stages of the Hundred Days Offensive. Although the great Battle of Amiens would not commence until 8 August, Australian units were already moving into assembly areas, conducting reconnaissance and making extensive preparations. The period between Dan's Military Medal award on 31 July and his admission to hospital on 8 August was therefore one of anticipation and intense activity. The men knew a major operation was coming, even if most did not know the exact details.
HOSPITALISED PYREXIA AUGUST 1918
On 8 August 1918, the very day the Battle of Amiens began, Dan was admitted to the 13th Field Ambulance suffering from pyrexia, a term simply meaning fever. In AIF records pyrexia was often used when a soldier had a significant fever but the exact cause had not yet been determined. It might result from influenza, bronchitis, an infection, exposure, exhaustion, or any number of illnesses common among troops living in crowded and often unsanitary conditions.
His evacuation illustrates the well-organised medical chain developed by the British Army during the war.
When Dan first reported sick, he would have been examined by the battalion medical officer near the front line. If judged unfit to remain with his unit, he was sent to the 13th Field Ambulance. Despite its name, a Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a mobile medical unit positioned relatively close to the fighting. Doctors and orderlies there provided initial treatment, dressings, medicines and observation. Soldiers with minor complaints might return to duty directly from a Field Ambulance.
Dan's condition evidently required further investigation, so on 9 August he was transferred to the 16th Casualty Clearing Station (CCS). Casualty Clearing Stations were much larger medical facilities situated behind the front. They represented the first level at which soldiers could receive more extensive medical care, including surgery if necessary. A CCS often consisted of large tented wards or huts and could accommodate hundreds of patients. Medical officers there would attempt to determine the cause of Dan's fever, monitor his condition and decide whether he could quickly return to duty.
When it became apparent that recovery would take longer, Dan was evacuated further down the line to No. 3 General Hospital at Boulogne on 10 August. Boulogne was one of the principal medical centres of the British Expeditionary Force. Large hospital complexes there treated thousands of wounded and sick soldiers arriving from the front.
The journey itself was carefully organised. Dan would likely have travelled by ambulance train from the Casualty Clearing Station to the Channel coast. These trains were specially fitted with beds, medical staff and treatment facilities. For many soldiers, the train journey marked the first real rest they had experienced in months.
At No. 3 General Hospital, Dan would have undergone a thorough medical examination. If his pyrexia was due to influenza or another infectious illness, treatment would primarily involve rest, isolation where necessary, careful nursing, good nutrition and attempts to reduce the fever. Antibiotics did not yet exist, so treatment relied heavily on the body's own ability to overcome infection. Doctors might prescribe aspirin, quinine, mixtures to reduce fever, stimulants if the patient was weak, and a carefully managed diet. Nurses, including many from the Australian Army Nursing Service and Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service, played a crucial role in recovery.
Compared with conditions in the trenches, Boulogne's hospitals could seem remarkably comfortable. Soldiers slept in proper beds, received regular meals and were sheltered from shellfire and the constant strain of frontline service. For a man like Dan, who had endured months of combat and had recently earned the Military Medal for gallantry at Hamel, the enforced rest may have been his first real opportunity to recover from the physical and mental exhaustion of active service.
AUSTRALIAN BASE DEPOT ETAPLES, FRANCE OCTOBER
Dan was marched in the Australian Base Depot in Etaples. Here he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units.
WAR ENDED 11th NOVEMBER 1918
The armistice that ended the First World War on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918.
EVACUATED TO ENGLAND
Dan embarked for England in December to await an opportunity to return home. After the war ended, over the following weeks and months, drafts of men sailed for England, where many stayed in barracks at the Australian camps on Salisbury Plain. The return of soldiers created problems for the Australian Government that were never fully rectified. The main issues were:
· lack of suitable ships to transport personnel home
· special care needs of sick and wounded personnel
· lack of trained personnel to care for them
GOING HOME JANUARY 1919
Dan embarked on the Berrima on the 2nd January 1919 and arrived in Australia on the 24th February. He was discharged on 11th March 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
FOR HIS SERVICE
For his service Dan was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Bilambil First World War Honour Roll
AFTER THE WAR
Dan married Violet Ivy Jane Cason in 1929 in Murwillumbah
DEATH AND BURIAL
Dan died in Tweed Heads on the 26th October, 1958 in Kingscliff and is buried Murwillumbah General Cemetery, Presbyterian section in an unmarked grave
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
Bilambil First World War Honor Board
Buried Location
Murwillumbah General Cemetery, Presbyterian section in an unmarked grave
