FAMILY LIFE

David Blyth MacEwen was born c1875 in Ecclesmachan, in the West Lothian district of Scotland. I could not find much information about David but he married Annie Moore in Sydney in 1895 but they were divorced on 23^rd October 1907. By 1915 his occupation was sugar worker & married he Miriam Argyle Griffiths in Murwillumbah in 1914

APPLICATION

He had served in the Boer War, 1899-1902, 37th Battalion, Imperial Yeomen, South African Light Horse and enlisted on 1^st March 1915 at Brisbane. He was a sugar worker, living in Cudgen, eager to do his bit. His medical showed he was 39 years 9 months old, 5ft 3inch inches tall (1.6m), weighed 115 lbs (52kgs), with a fresh complexion, grey eyes & fair hair.  His eyesight was good and he required dental treatment. David was Church of England and had a scar inside his left leg as well as a scar on the outside of that leg. His application listed his next of kin as his wife, Miriam, of Cudgen.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that David “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, David Blyth MacEwen, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.”  He was enlisted as a private into A Company, 25th Battalion, 7th Infantry Brigade and his service no was 168

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 their training began. Firstly, 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.

The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – 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

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

His unit embarked on the HMAT Aeneas on 28^th June 1915. 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-board, Officers organised rigorous training drills and exercise sessions for the men. They were expected to do their own washing, sweep the decks and carry out other chores

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. 

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. Many of the troops experienced bouts of seasickness on the voyage. The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

The ship arrived in August 1915. Upon arrival in Egypt, the troops disembarked and proceeded to training camps in preparation for deployment to the Gallipoli Peninsula. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the Egyptian 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. 

Training would be for eight hours a day six days a week. All day long, in every valley of the Sahara for miles around the Pyramids of Giza were groups or lines of men advancing, retiring, drilling or squatted near their piled arms listening to their officer. For many of the battalions many miles of desert had to be covered in the morning and evening to and from their allotted training areas. At first, to harden the troops, they wore full kit with heavy packs. Their backs became drenched with perspiration, and the bitter desert wind blew on them as they camped for their midday meal and many deaths from pneumonia were attributed to this cause. Troops at this base were "toughened up" while waiting dispatch to the front. Under atrocious conditions both raw recruits from Australia and battle-weary veterans were subjected to intensive training in gas warfare, bayonet drill, and long sessions of marching at the double across the dunes

SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER 1915

The Gallipoli Campaign was ongoing, but the 25th Battalion was not sent to the peninsula immediately

Camp Life and Training

They were stationed at Heliopolis and later Maadi Camp, near Cairo & engaged in:

·      Route marches in desert heat

·      Musketry (rifle) training

·      Bayonet drills

·      Trench digging and fortification exercises

·      Field engineering tasks

Troops became accustomed to desert conditions, vital for campaigns in the Middle East and on the Western Front.

Health and Discipline

Heat, sand, and poor sanitation were issues—many men suffered from dysentery and heat exhaustion. Soldiers often took leave to visit Cairo, leading to occasional disciplinary issues in the city’s red-light districts (e.g., the infamous “Wozzer” in Cairo). Venereal disease was a concern; lectures and inspections were common.

HOSPITALISED JAUNDICE

On 13 November 1915 he was admitted to 2^nd Auxiliary Convalescent Depot with jaundice. Jaundice is a medical condition characterized by yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, caused by a build-up of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment produced during the normal breakdown of red blood cells. Normally, it is processed by the liver and excreted in bile, but if the liver is damaged, inflamed, or overwhelmed, bilirubin builds up—resulting in jaundice.

Causes of Jaundice

During World War I, jaundice in soldiers was usually caused by infectious Hepatitis (then called Catarrhal Jaundice). Often Hepatitis A or B (though the virus types were not known at the time).

It was spread by poor sanitation, contaminated food or water, and close quarters in camps and trenches.

Leptospirosis (Weil's Disease):

Bacterial infection from water contaminated with rat urine—common in muddy, rat-infested trenches. It caused fever, liver and kidney damage, and jaundice.

SYMPTOMS NOTICED BY WWI DOCTORS

·      Yellow skin and eyes

·      Dark urine

·      Pale stools

·      Fatigue and weakness

·      Nausea, vomiting, or fever (depending on cause)

Treatment of Jaundice

In the 1914–1918 period, medical understanding of liver disease was limited, and viral hepatitis was not clearly understood. Treatment focused on supportive care, such as:

Rest:

Bed rest in a hospital ward or convalescent camp.

Diet:

"Liver-friendly" diet: light, bland foods with reduced fats.

Alcohol was strictly prohibited.

Fluids encouraged.

Isolation:

In some cases, men with jaundice were isolated to prevent spread, especially if it was suspected to be infectious (like “catarrhal jaundice”).

On 10^th December he was admitted to the NZ & Australia Convalescent Depot in Helouan with jaundice. On 31^st December he was discharged to base.

HOSPITALISED TEETH EXTRACTION JANUARY 1916

On 8^th January 1916 he was admitted to No2 Australian General Hospital in Cairo for dental treatment (extraction of teeth).  On 15^th January Miriam was advised that David was on the seriously ill list of the 2^nd Auxiliary Hospital with teeth extraction but on 20^th January Miriam was advised he had been removed from the seriously ill list

HOSPITALISED TONSILITIS JANUARY 1916

Miriam was advised on 3 February that David was admitted to the 2^nd Auxiliary Hospital Cairo on 24^th January with tonsilitis

HOSPITALISED PNEUMONIA FEBRUARY 1916

On 2^nd February he was admitted to No 1 Auxiliary Hospital in Heliopolis with pneumonia and Miriam was advised on 15 February 1916 that David was admitted to the 1^st Auxiliary Hospital Cairo with pneumonia. On 18^th February he transferred to the Red Cross Depot.

TO BE REPATRIATED

On 11^th April it was decided that David should be repatriated to Australia and Miriam was advised by telegram on 1^st May that David would be returning

GOING HOME APRIL 1916

David returned from Gallipoli to Australia aboard HMAT Runic on 4^th April.

HOSPITALISED BRISBANE MAY 1916

He was admitted to Australian General Hospital Brisbane on his return on 22 May 1916.

MEDICALLY UNFIT

The report stated “the board found this man recovered from pleurisy but too old. He has no teeth. The board advises discharge & dental attention. His disability was listed as senile debility & chronic pleurisy. The causes were listed as climate & exposure

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, David was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal He was granted a pension of 30 shillings per fortnight from 15^th June 1916. His address at that time was Cudgen. This was revised on 19^th February 1918 to 15 shillings per fortnight from 15^th March 1917. His wife was granted a pension of 15 shillings per fortnight from 15^th June 1916

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