FAMILY LIFE

Alfred George Jessop was born in Parramatta in 1893, son of John Crofton & Hannah (Shoobridge) Jessop. He was one of 7 children. According to the Cumberland Argus Newspaper he attended Pitt Row School, now Parramatta West Public School. The Jessop family moved to Tumbulgum in 1905. His mother, Hannah, is listed on the Banner St Memorial, Murwillumbah which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district

 APPLICATION

Alfred was single labourer, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 28^th June 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his mother, Hannah, of Upper Northern Tweed River. His medical showed he was 22 years 7 months old, 5ft 8 inches tall (1.72m), weighed 140 lbs (63kgs), with a fair complexion, blue eyes & light brown hair.  His eyesight was good. Alfred was Church of England and had moles on his back and on the rear of his left leg.  He was enlisted as a private into the 31st Infantry Battalion – 6^th Reinforcements with service No 2925

 

31^st INFANTRY BATTALION

The 31st was raised in August 1915 as part of the 8th Brigade & it joined the 5th Australian Division in Egypt before heading to the Western Front in France in 1916. The 31st Infantry Battalion's legacy is marked by its resilience, bravery, and dedication to its missions. Its history is preserved through memorials and historical records, ensuring its contributions are remembered and honoured

 ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

All 31st Battalion recruits attended the training camp at Rifle Camp, Enoggera. 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

 VOYAGE OVERSEAS

On the 14^th April 1916, the recruits left Sydney, sailing upon the HMAT Ceramic. 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. They disembarked at Port Said on 16^th May 1916.

 ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP

In mid-1916 the 31^st proceeded to France. Walter embarked on the HMT Franconia at Alexandria on 5^th June and disembarked at Plymouth on 16^th June 1916. The new recruits 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

On 6^th September they left England for France and taken on strength on 22^nd September, 1916. Here, they found themselves fighting in trenches. 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, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      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

BATTLE OF FROMELLES JULY 1916

The 31st Battalion fought its first major battle at Fromelles on 19 July 1916, having only entered the front-line trenches 3 days previously. The attack was a disastrous introduction to battle for the 31st – it suffered 572 casualties, over half of its strength. Australian troops were tasked with attacking the German front line surrounding the treacherous Sugar Loaf Salient. The heavily-manned salient extended outwards into no man’s land, offering the enemy an advantageous position from which they could fire at advancing troops from multiple directions. Bombardment of enemy lines had been taking place for three days prior to the beginning of the battle, and the allies were confident that the enemy had not survived it, and they could easily capture their objectives.

Unfortunately, the bombardment only signalled to the enemy that they should anticipate an attack, allowing them time to prepare for the onslaught. The enemy had survived the shelling and were able to quickly man their machine-guns and begin their own bombardment once the shells stopped falling.

The advancing allied troops walked into a relentless hail of machine-gun fire which decimated several waves of Australian soldiers. The German front line was eventually captured but owing to the overall failure of the battle, the troops were forced to withdraw. In just one night, Australian casualties stood at a staggering 5,533 killed, missing or wounded. Official War Historian Charles Bean labelled the attack “The worst 24 hours in Australian history.”

 AUGUST 1916- JANUARY 1917

Although it still spent periods in the front line, the 31st played no major offensive role for the rest of the year. In early 1917, the German Army withdrew to the Hindenburg Line allowing the British front to be advanced and the 31st Battalion participated in the follow-up operations

 

HOSPITALISATION 14^th FEBRUARY 1917- FROST BITE

On 14^th February 1917 Walter was admitted to the 15^th Field Ambulance with frost bite. (A Field Ambulance was a mobile front line medical unit (it was not a vehicle), manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps). Frostbite was rampant, sometimes leading to amputation. Trenches did not provide any warmth. Everything froze; clothing, blankets, food, etc. It also caused the walls of the trench to freeze, making them hard as a rock. Unfortunately, the treatment of this was not easy. Alfred would have had his feet cleaned and dried, and would be given warm baths to improve circulation. Infected and decaying skin would have to be removed. For many soldiers, this was a terribly painful experience.

HOSPITALISATION 24^TH FEBRUARY 1917 - MUMPS

Unfortunately, Alfred contacted mumps on 24^th February. Soldiers were particularly exposed to the risk of infectious diseases for a series of reasons, including the community life, often in precarious environmental conditions regarding the hygiene of water and food supply, sanitation, the traumatism with contaminated wounds, and the possibility to be exposed to extreme temperatures. There is no cure for mumps and Alfred was getting bed rest & care and by 16^th March he rejoined his unit.

HOSPITALISATION 28^TH APRIL 1917- TRENCH FOOT

On 28^th April Alfred was readmitted to hospital with trench foot. Walter’s feet would have swollen and gone numb and his skin would have started to turn red or blue. Untreated feet often became gangrenous and the condition could lead to nerve damage, tissue loss and ultimately the need for amputation.  He was eventually transferred to England on the SS Essenbeane on 15^th May for treatment at the 2^nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol for treatment. On 7^th June he was marched into the command post at Hurdcott to convalesce and on 16^th July transferred to Perham Downs where he would start drilling & training again as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units.

 BATTLE OF POLYGON WOOD SEPTEMBER 1917

On 3^rd August he rejoined his unit in Belgium, continuing fighting the Germans in the trenches. The only large battle in 1917 in which the 31st Battalion played a major role was Polygon Wood, fought in the Ypres sector in Belgium on 26 September. Polygon Wood was the second of three battles between 20 September and 4 October 1917 in which ‘step by step’ or ‘bite and hold’ tactics were used to batter down the formidable German defensive positions. After an opening bombardment the infantry would advance for a prescribed distance behind a ‘creeping’ barrage of shells. This barrage would keep the Germans in their ‘pillboxes’ until British soldiers were almost upon them.

 The enemy positions would then be captured consolidated and protected from counter-attack by artillery. Artillery would be brought forward and the next ‘bite’ attempted. In this way the British aimed to work their way from their start lines near Ypres to the heights of the ridge ten kilometres away at Passchendaele village. Charles Bean, the Australian Official Historian described the opening barrage on 26 September as the most perfect that ever protected Australian troops and that it rolled ahead of the troops roaring ‘like a Gippsland bushfire’.

 KILLED IN ACTION 29^TH SEPTEMBER 1917

The battle cost 5,770 Australian casualties. Amongst the casualties was Alfred who was killed in action on 29^th September 1917. He was buried in the vicinity of Polygon Wood, Belgium but post war his grave was not found. He is remembered with honour on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium."

 FOR HIS SERVICE

His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial No 118 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War. He is listed on the Parish of Murwillumbah First World War Roll of Honour. The British War Medal, Victory Medal, Memorial Scroll and Memorial Plaque were sent to his mother.  Alfred’s effects were returned to his mother and consisted of 2 letters, a card & a notebook. His mother was granted a pension of 2 pound per fortnight from 16^th December 1917. 

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