Private William Henry Kyle
Service #: 5596
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
Born in 1889 at Tygalgah, William Henry Kyle (known as Henry) was the only son of William Kyle and Elizabeth (McCarthy) Kyle, one of three children. His father, William, came to the Tweed in 1870 and took up timber sawing. In 1884 he married Elizabeth McCarthy and took up dairying at Tygalgah where he remained till 1931. His father is listed on the Banner St Memorial, Murwillumbah which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district. William Jnr was educated at the local public school and St Patrick’s Convent, Murwillumbah
APPLICATION
He then moved to Sydney and was living at 181 Bourke Street working as a labourer until he enlisted on 2 Mar 1916 at the Royal Australian Showgrounds. He listed his father, William, as his next of kin.
His medical showed he was 25 years 6 months old, 5ft 5 ¾ inches tall (1.67m), weighed 122lbs (55kgs), with a dark complexion, brown eyes & brown hair. His eyesight was good. Willliam was Roman Catholic and had a scar on his shin above his right ankle. He was enlisted as a private into the 17th Infantry Battalion with service number 5596.
17th Battalion
The 17th Battalion was raised at Liverpool in New South Wales in March 1915. It was part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. The battalion is remembered for its bravery and resilience in key campaigns
BATHURST TRAINING CAMP
Henry attended M Coy Depot Battalion training at Bathurst. Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months
VOYAGE OVERSEAS
After Henry's training in Bathurst, he boarded the troop ship "Euripides" on the 9th of September in Sydney. They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. 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. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant.
ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP
The recruits disembarked at Plymouth on the 26 Oct 1916. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the English training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons. Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more
TRENCH WARFARE
He then proceeded to France on the "Golden Eagle" on 13 December 1916, and joined the 17th Battalion (15th Reinforcements) on 24 Jan 1917. The soldiers now found themselves fighting the German 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
· Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.
· Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.
· Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.
The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.
THE BATTLE OF LAGNICOURT 15TH APRIL 1917
The 17th was stationed in Lagnicourt in Northern France. On the morning of 15 Apr 1917, the Germans launched a counter attack in this area. The Battle of Lagnicourt was part of the German counteroffensive following their strategic withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. The Germans aimed to disrupt Allied forces and capture artillery positions held by the 1st Australian Division.
On 15 April 1917, the Germans launched a counterattack with 23 battalions, aiming to temporarily seize Lagnicourt, destroy supplies, and capture artillery rather than hold the territory permanently. They quickly occupied the village and captured several Australian artillery batteries. However, a swift counterattack by four Australian battalions recaptured the village and forced the Germans to withdraw prematurely.
The battle demonstrated the strength of Australian defensive tactics, as the 1st Australian Division successfully repelled the German assault despite being heavily outnumbered. The Australians' ability to counterattack decisively played a key role in their success
WOUNDED IN ACTION 15TH APRIL 1917
During this attack, Henry received a gunshot wound with a compound fracture to the left upper arm. He was taken to the 9th Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to the 5th General Hospital in Rouen on the 19th of April.
DIED OF WOUNDS 2ND MAY 1917
William died in Rouen from his wounds on 2 May 1917, aged 28 at 8.45pm. His parents had not been advised of his death by 1 July 1917 as his father sent a telegram to Base Records on that date requesting information about his son, reported wounded. Base records letter dated 4th July replied they had no record of his death at that date. The official letter was dated 15th November 1917
FOR HIS SERVICE
For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Murwillumbah War Memorial. His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial Number 83 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War. He is buried in Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute Normandie, France
His sister, Elizabeth, of “Brooklyn,” Chester St, Woollahra was granted a pension of 35 shillings pr fortnight from 19th July 1917. William’s effects were returned to his father on 7th December 1918 and consisted of his identity disc, cards, religious book, his belt and one shilling.
His father received three photos and the description of the locality of his grave site on 2nd January 1920, his Memorial Scroll on 2nd August 1921 and his Plaque on 29th April 1922
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial Number 83
Buried Location
Sever Cemetery Extension, Haute Normandie, France
