Private John Jnr Solway
Service #: 59277
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
John Solway was born in 1895 in Nowra, son of John William & Mary (King) Solway. He had 3 brothers & 2 sisters. The Solways moved to The Tweed in 1914 doing dairy farming, and most of them lived and died in Murwillumbah.
John was single farmer, living in Tyalgum, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 23rd October 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his mother, Mary, of Tyalgum. His medical showed he was 21 years 8 months old, 5ft 8 inches tall (1.72m), weighed 130 lbs (59kgs), with a fresh complexion, grey eyes & dark brown hair. His eyesight was good and he was dentally fit. The Examining Medical Officer stated that John “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, John Solway, 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.”
John was Roman Catholic and had a scar on his left leg. He was enlisted as a private into the 31st Infantry Battalion – 13th Reinforcements with service No 4837
31st 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
The 31st Battalion was raised as part of the 8th Brigade at Enoggera, on the outskirts of Brisbane, in and the recruits all 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
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
The battalion sailed from Sydney on 7th February 1917 on the HMAT Wiltshire. 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.
HURDCOTT TRAINING CAMP
They disembarked at Plymouth on 12th April 1917 and marched into the 8th Battalion’s training camp at Hurdcott. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the 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 & THE WESTERN FRONT
On 12th October they proceeded overseas to France and were taken on strength on 18th October 1917. The 31st was not engaged in any major action at this time, just fighting the Germans in a daily grind in the 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.
HOSPITALISATION DYSENTRY DECEMBER 1917
On 6th December 1917 he was admitted to hospital with dysentery. Dysentery is a disease involving the inflammation of the lining of the large intestines. The inflammation causes stomach pains and diarrhoea. The bacteria enter the body through the mouth in food or water, and by human faeces and contact with infected people. The diarrhoea causes people suffering from dysentery to lose important salts and fluids from the body. This disease struck the men in the trenches as there was no proper sanitation. Latrines in the trenches were pits four to five feet deep. When they were within one foot they were supposed to be filled in and the soldiers had the job of digging a new one. Sometimes there was not time for this and men used a nearby shell-hole.
Dysentery caused by contaminated water was especially a problem in the early stages of the war. The main reason for this was that it was some time before regular supplies of water to the trenches could be organised. Soldiers were supplied with water bottles, that could be refilled when they returned to reserve lines. However, the water-bottle supply was rarely enough for their needs and soldiers in the trenches often depended on impure water collected from shell-holes or other cavities. Later, to purify it, chloride of lime was added to the water. This was not popular with the soldiers as they disliked the taste of the purified water. This disease was treated by lots of clean water, a bland diet & rest. He was discharged on 19th December 1917.
HOSPITALISATION MIDDEL EAR INFECTION
On 22nd January 1918 he was admitted to the 8th Field Ambulance (a Field Ambulance was a mobile front line medical unit (it was not a vehicle), manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps) with a middle ear infection causing his eardrum to be red & bulging. This is caused when a virus or bacteria enters the ear. As there was no antibiotics in WWI treatment may have included making a small hole in the ear and draining the pus out. He was discharged on 23rd February.
THE BATTLE OF AMIENS AUGUST 1918
WOUNDED IN ACTION- GUNSHOT WOUND AND GASSED
The Allies launched their own offensive with the battle of Amiens on 8 August, in which the 31st Battalion participated. It was subsequently involved in the operations that continued to press the retreating Germans through August and into September. On 29th September John was wounded in action. He received a gunshot wound to his hand and he was gassed. An eye witness describes what happens in a gas attack- “[T]he next thing we heard was this sizzling—you know, I mean you could hear this damn stuff coming on—and then saw this awful cloud coming over. A great yellow, greenish-yellow, cloud. It wasn’t very high; about I would say it wasn’t more than 20 feet up. Nobody knew what to think. But immediately it got there we knew what to think, I mean we knew what it was. Well then of course you immediately began to choke, then word came: whatever you do don’t go down. You see if you got to the bottom of the trench, you got the full blast of it because it was heavy stuff, it went down.”
HOSPITALISATION OCTOBER 1918
On 9th October he was evacuated to the 1st Birmingham Hospital. What kind of gas was not specified so I have listed what treatment is used for both types. Caring for mustard victims differed from caring for chlorine or phosgene casualties. Once evacuated, chlorine and phosgene victims received oxygen and bed rest until they were healthy enough to return to the front. However, soldiers exposed to mustard gas, especially in high concentrations or for long periods of time, needed to bathe with hot soap and water to remove the chemical from their skin. If it was not scrubbed off within 30 minutes of exposure, blistering occurred. Portable shower units with specially trained medics helped minimize its blistering effect. These consisted of a “bath truck that was provided with a hot water boiler and a number of fold-down shower heads.”
After the troops showered, the chemical corps issued them new uniforms in exchange for their contaminated clothing. These discarded clothes were then decontaminated and reissued to other exposed soldiers. Because mustard gas induced eye injuries, casualties had their eyes washed as quickly as possible to minimize the duration of acute conjunctivitis, which generally lasted several weeks. Soldiers’ care became increasingly difficult in the last year of the war with the increased frequency of gas attacks. Also, mustard gas damaged the lungs more severely than either chlorine or phosgene did, and these lesions were much more difficult to treat. The recuperation time from mustard gas exposure—46 days—was like that of phosgene.
COMMAND DEPOT WEYMOUTH
On 22nd November was transferred to No 2 Command depot at Weymouth which received men who are likely to be unfit for duty for a period longer than three months. John had been diagnosed with shell shock. Shell shock was a term to describe the post-traumatic stress soldiers suffered during the war. Its symptoms included insomnia, the inability to walk or talk, and panic attacks. At the beginning of the war, shell shock was relatively rare. However, as the war progressed, the number of cases grew, and doctors were not able to identify the exact cause of the disorder. The treatment was rest but John would have been before a Medical Board and was considered medically unfit.
RETURNED HOME MEDICALLY UNFIT
He returned to Australia on the Takada on 14th December 1918 and was discharged on 26th March 1919.
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 Nowra Soldiers’ Memorial.
AFTER THE WAR
John married Ruby May Campbell in 1927 and died 5th July 1975, aged 79, in Brisbane. He is buried at Mount Gravatt Cemetery and Crematorium, Nathan, Brisbane, Plot ANZAC-2-A-34
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
Nowra Soldiers Memorial.
Buried Location
Mount Gravatt Cemetery and Crematorium, Nathan, Brisbane, Plot ANZAC-2-A-34
