Private George Robert Choat
Service #: 1846
Summary
George Robert Choat was born c1878 in London, England. He was married to Rosetta, with a son born in 1916. George had served in the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars for 12 years and left as his time had expired.
APPLICATION
George was a farmer who travelled to Brisbane on 25th January 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his wife, Rosetta, of Gap Gate, Murwillumbah. George’s medical showed he was 37 years 7 months old, 5ft 6 ½ inches tall (1.69m), weighed 141lbs (64kgs), with a dark complexion, blue eyes & dark brown hair. His eyesight was good. The Examining Medical Officer stated that Robert “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, Robert George Choat, 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.”
George was Church of England and had 4 vaccination scars on his left arm & 2 on his right, a tattoo on both arms & a scar on his right shin. He was enlisted as a private into the 4th Pioneers – 2nd Reinforcements with service No 1846
4TH PIONEER BATTALION
The 4th Pioneer Battalion was an Australian infantry and light engineer unit raised during World War I as part of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Formed in March 1916 in Egypt, the battalion was assigned to the 4th Division and served on the Western Front in France and Belgium until the end of the war in November 1918. Its service is remembered for its versatility and dedication under challenging conditions
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, but George had already been vaccinated before he enlisted. 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
On the 18th April 1916, the recruits left Sydney, sailing upon the RMS Mooltan. 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.
NEARLY MISSED THE BOAT
On the 5th August George was believed to failed to board the ship but letters to his wife from Egypt had then been sighted indicating he was on the ship. He went to Melbourne to board the ship on 18th April 1916
TRENCH WARFARE
They disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt on 18th May and sailed for Marseilles, France per the Ionian, disembarking on 6th June 1916. On 22nd July 1916 he was taken on strength with the 4th Pioneer Battalion which gained their first experience of trench warfare around Armentieres, which was considered a quiet sector where newly arrived troops could gain experience prior to being committed to more hectic parts of the front. 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
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.
THE BATTLE OF POZIERES LATE JULY- SEPTEMBER 1916
Their stay within the nursery sector was short, as the 4th Division was sent to the Somme shortly afterwards to replace the 2nd Division around Pozieres, arriving in late July – early August. They subsequently took part in the defence of the heights during the final phase of the Battle of Pozieres. The battle commenced on 23 July 1916 and finished on 3 September 1916 and was the first protracted battle for Australian troops on the Western Front. It was at Pozieres that Australian soldiers were exposed to the full horrors of the Western Front. They were subjected to incessant German artillery attacks and devastating machine-gun fire, plus intense frontal assaults, all of which took an overwhelming physical and mental toll.
WOUNDED IN ACTION, HOSPITALISATION & CONVALESENCE
One of the casualties of this battle was George, who, on the 7th August 1916, was wounded in action with a gunshot wound hand (mild). He was admitted to the 8th Stationary Hospital and marched into the Boulogne convalescence camp. Here he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units. This ensured they did not lose their sharpness for battle and that a unit’s cohesiveness was retrained.
REJOINED UNIT AUGUST 1916
George rejoined is unit on 26th August.
PENSION ALLOCATED
George allotted 3 shillings per fortnight from 12th December 1916 to go to his wife.
The Battle of Pozieres would be the 4th’s first major battle of the war and the battalion took part – albeit in a support role only and never in their infantry role– in most of the major battles that involved Australian troops in 1917.
THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULLECOURT 11 APRIL 1917
Their next major battle was the First Battle of Bullecourt which was part of the British Fifth Army's efforts to breach the Hindenburg Line in support of the larger Battle of Arras. Australian troops from the 4th Division, alongside British forces, launched an attack without adequate artillery support, relying on tanks to clear barbed wire. However, the tanks failed, and the infantry faced devastating German machine-gun and artillery fire. Despite breaking into the German trenches, the Australians were cut off and forced to retreat. The battle resulted in over 3,000 Australian casualties, including more than 1,100 taken prisoner, and is remembered as a costly failure.
WILL MADE
On 3rd June 1917 George made a will leaving all his possessions to his wife, Rosetta.
THE BATTLE OF MESSINES 7 TO 14 JUNE 1917
The next one was the Battle of Messines which was initiated by the detonation of five-hundred tonnes of high explosives placed in 19 tunnels dug by the British, including Australian, tunnellers under the German fortifications along the Messines Ridge.
The resultant explosion, the largest ever in the world to that date, was clearly felt and heard in London. The Battle for Messines was the first time the new reinforcements were subjected to Phosgene Gas.
This gas had previously been delivered by hand grenade and being subject to wind and how far it could be thrown was not all that popular with the enemy. Later the Germans perfected artillery and mortar shells which delivered the gas into the back of the enemy lines.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES 31 JULY TO 10 NOVEMBER 1917
A few weeks later they were involved in the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, which takes place in Ypres, Belgium, as British forces, with help from the French and the use of tanks, launch an attack to wrest control of Ypres from the Germans. Attacks and counterattacks ensue for four months in the rain and mud, with Canadian forces brought in to help relieve the troops but little ground being won. In the end, it is considered a victory for the Allies, with but one that costs both sides more than 550,000 casualties. Despite the immense cost, the Allies managed to capture Passchendaele, marking the end of the offensive
LEAVE GRANTED
On 11th August 1917 George was given leave and returned on 23rd August 1917.
DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION
He rejoined the battle and on 27th September he was hit by a high explosive shell which hit his chest, abdomen, left buttock, right arm & left leg with fractured ankle. George died of his wound on 28th September 1917 at the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, Belgium
For his service, George was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Murwillumbah War Memorial & the Dungay Public School WWI Roll of Honour. His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial Number 145 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Lijssenthoek, Flanders, Belgium, plot 25m row B, grave G.
George’s effects were returned to his wife on 26th September 1918 and consisted of his wallet, photos & letters. The memorial scroll & plaque were forwarded to his wife on 14th September 1922 and his Victory medal was sent to her on 27 February 1923
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
Murwillumbah War Memorial & the Dungay Public School WWI Roll of Honour.
Buried Location
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Lijssenthoek, Flanders, Belgium, plot 25m row B, grave G.
