Private Sydney Graham King
Service #: 2158
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
Sydney Graham King, known as Sid, was born in Murwillumbah, son of Thomas Charles Huntington King & Bridget Bertha (Riley) King. According to NSWBDM he had 5 brothers & one sister. His father is listed on the Banner St Memorial, Murwillumbah which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district. He and his parents & 4 of his siblings are buried in the Murwillumbah Old Cemetery.
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
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 Graham King, 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
His medical showed he was 5ft 8 inches tall (1.72m), weighed 134 lbs (61kgs), with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes & brown hair. His eyesight was good. Sid was Roman Catholic
CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
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 for remount depot
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. Sid was at Chermside on Monday 11th November 1915 for his certification
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 to 2nd Australian Remount Unit No 8 Squadron with Service No 2158
AUSTRALIAN REMOUNT UNITS
The Australian Remount Units were responsible for the care, training, transport and replacement of horses for the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. In an army that still relied heavily on horses for mounted troops, artillery, transport wagons and supply work, the remount service was absolutely essential.
A “remount” was simply a replacement horse. Horses died in large numbers from wounds, exhaustion, disease, heat and overwork, especially in the Middle East campaigns. The Remount Units ensured that fresh horses were always available for units in the field.
Sid’s unit, the No. 8 Squadron of the 2nd Remount Unit, would likely have been involved in several important duties:
· Receiving newly arrived horses from Australia or local purchases.
· Breaking in and training horses for military work.
· Conditioning animals to cope with desert conditions, noise, gunfire and long marches.
· Caring for sick or exhausted horses.
· Issuing replacement horses to Light Horse regiments, artillery batteries and transport units.
· Organising fodder, watering and veterinary care.
· Moving horses between depots and front-line formations.
The work was hard and often overlooked. Men in the remount service spent long hours feeding, grooming, exercising and treating animals in difficult conditions, particularly in Egypt and Palestine where heat, flies and shortages of water made horse management extremely demanding.
Unlike the famous charges of the Light Horse, remount work was more logistical than combat-oriented, but it kept the mounted units functioning. Without remount depots supplying fresh horses, the mounted brigades could not have operated effectively in campaigns such as Gallipoli’s aftermath, Sinai, Gaza or Beersheba.
No. 8 Squadron itself was one of several remount squadrons attached to the Australian forces in Egypt. These squadrons operated large horse depots and camps near places such as Cairo, Moascar and Kantara, supporting the mounted divisions throughout the war in the Middle East.
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 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
Australians 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 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. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet.
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 six shillings a week.
As a remount soldier he would also have training in the following
· stable and horse management duties,
· caring for remount horses,
· loading and unloading horses,
· camp routines and fatigue duties, and
· preparation for the long sea voyage to Egypt
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO EGYPT
On the 18th November 1915 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on 20th November 1915 they embarked on the RMS Orontes
Alongside his comrades, he 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.
The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.
SAILING WITH HORSES
When Alexander stepped aboard the Orontes he was not only beginning his own long journey to war but also taking responsibility for living companions — the horses
Below decks, the Orontes had been fitted with rows of stalls. Each morning at first light, Sid and his comrades made their way down into the cramped, airless hold to feed, water, and clean up after their horses. The heat, smell, and flies could be overpowering, but the routine was strict and unrelenting: feed measured out carefully, water rationed, and the heavy work of mucking out stalls done daily to keep the animals healthy. When weather allowed, the horses were brought on deck to stretch their legs, led slowly around the ship, or lifted in slings to keep their muscles supple.
The rest of the day was divided between horse duty, parades, and training. On deck, the men drilled with their rifles, practised bayonet work, and kept up their physical fitness. The ship was crowded, hammocks and bunks jammed together, and meals were plain—bully beef, hard biscuits, and tea—but the men kept themselves occupied with cards, writing letters, or impromptu concerts. Seasickness was common, especially in the early days, and many struggled with the reek of horseflesh combined with the rolling sea.
There were lighter moments, too. The men organised boxing matches and games, and the bond between soldier and horse grew stronger each day. Alexander, like many of his regiment, came from country life and was used to handling horses; brushing down his mount or leading it carefully around the deck gave him a small sense of normality amid the voyage’s monotony.
The journey was not without loss. Some horses sickened and died despite the best efforts of their handlers and veterinary officers. Their bodies were solemnly hoisted up from the holds and buried at sea, a sight that reminded the men of the fragility of both beast and soldier in the campaign ahead.
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 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.
APPROACHING EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.
TRAINING CAMP EGYPT
After arriving in Egypt in December 1915, Sid entered the enormous Australian remount and training organisation that supported the mounted forces fighting in the Sinai and Palestine campaigns. For nearly two years before October 1917, he was probably engaged in the constant routine work of the remount depots around places such as Moascar, Kantara and the Canal Zone.
This work was demanding and repetitive but absolutely vital. Thousands of horses were continually arriving from Australia while others were being transferred, rested, treated or replaced after hard campaigning in the desert. Sid’s days would likely have involved feeding and watering horses, grooming and exercising them, cleaning lines and stables, assisting veterinary staff, preparing animals for issue to Light Horse units and helping transport horses forward to the front. The desert environment was harsh on both men and animals, with intense heat, sand, flies and limited water supplies making horse management extremely difficult.
OCTOBER 1917 TO MAY 1918
On 20 October 1917, when he “marched out” and was temporarily attached to the Field Remount at Rafa, Sid was moving much closer to the active operational area. Rafah sat near the Sinai–Palestine frontier and had become an important military base after the British advance across Sinai. A Field Remount unit near the front supplied replacement horses directly to mounted formations engaged in the Palestine campaign.
At this time General Allenby’s forces were preparing for the great offensive that would soon include the battles of Gaza and Beersheba. Sid was likely helping receive exhausted or wounded horses from the front, conditioning replacement mounts and sending fresh animals forward to Light Horse regiments and transport units. His work would have intensified as preparations built toward the October–November 1917 offensives
Between October 1917 and January 1918, Sid’s temporary duty at Mejdel probably involved similar responsibilities. Mejdel (today Ashkelon area) became an important staging and supply point after the British advance into southern Palestine. The remount depots moved forward with the army, and men like Sid worked to keep mounted units supplied with serviceable horses as the campaign pushed northward. He may have been caring for animals worn down by long desert marches, supervising horse lines or preparing remounts for units advancing after the capture of Beersheba and Gaza. On 4 January 1918 he “marched in” from this temporary duty, meaning he returned to his parent remount organisation after several months attached forward
From January to May 1918, Sid probably resumed regular remount duties around the large depots in Egypt or Palestine. Even when major offensives paused, the work never ceased. Horses needed constant care, replacement animals had to be trained and issued, and transport services remained essential to the army.
DISCIPLINED MAY 1918
The disciplinary entry of 17 May 1918 records that Sid was absent without leave between 2 pm and 9 pm on 15 May. His punishment was forfeiture of three days’ pay and one day “RW,” meaning Regimental Work (sometimes called Regimental Fatigue Work). This was a minor punishment involving extra duties outside normal routines — often unpleasant tasks such as cleaning camp areas, stable lines, latrines or performing additional labour under supervision. Such offences were quite common among soldiers enduring the monotony and strain of long service overseas.
HOSPITALISED INFLUENZA OCTOBER 1918
On 3 October 1918 Sid was admitted sick to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar suffering from influenza. Moascar was one of the major Australian military camp areas near the Suez Canal. Influenza spread rapidly through crowded camps during the final year of the war. Treatment at the time mainly consisted of bed rest, isolation, fluids, light diet and nursing care, as antibiotics did not yet exist. Doctors attempted to control fever and chest complications with basic medicines such as aspirin or quinine. Most patients recovered with rest, which Sid evidently did, as he returned to duty on 9 October.
HOSPITALISED “GLASS EYE” NOVEMBER 1918
On 4 November 1918 he again entered hospital, this time with a “glass eye” problem. This likely refers to trouble associated with an artificial eye, probably irritation, infection or poor fitting of a prosthetic eye he already possessed before enlistment or acquired earlier. He was transferred to the 31st General Hospital at Abassia near Cairo for specialist assessment before discharge on 8 November.
The next day, 9 November, he rejoined the Australian Remount Depot (A.R.D.) at Moascar, returning once again to horse duties just two days before the Armistice ended the war.
HOSPITALISED HALLUX VAGLUS DECEMBER 1918
On 18 December 1918 Sid was admitted to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital suffering from hallux valgus. This is a deformity of the big toe — commonly called a bunion — where the toe angles inward and causes painful swelling of the joint. For soldiers constantly on their feet in boots, marching and working around horses, it could become very painful. Treatment in 1918 usually involved rest, wider footwear, bandaging, padding and sometimes simple surgical correction if severe, though many men were simply managed conservatively until discharge or return home.
GOING HOME JANUARY 1919
By January 1919, after more than three years overseas, Sid’s service was finally ending. On 19 January 1919 he embarked for Australia aboard the troopship HMAT Orsova, leaving behind the deserts and remount depots where he had spent most of the war caring for the horses that kept the mounted forces operating across Egypt and Palestine.
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
Sid was discharged on 20th April 1919. For his service he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal
AFTER THE WAR
Sadly, Sid died on the 7th May 1924 in Murwillumbah and is buried in the Murwillumbah Old cemetery, together with his parents, three brothers and his sister
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
Murwillumbah Old Cemetery
