FAMILY LIFE

John Leslie Baxter was not born at all. In fact, he enlisted under an assumed name and it was not till 1933 that this came to light when he applied for war service leave gratuity.

JOSEPH LEO FLANAGAN

His correct name was Joseph Leo Flanagan & according to www.findagrve.com & www.ancientfaces.com he was born 4^th February 1896 in North Yalgogrin. New South Wales. There is no birth registration for that name in the 1890’s. He was the son of Christopher John Flanagan & Mary Terese (Hough) Flanagan. He was one of 7 children & two of his brothers, Richard & Patrick enlisted and Richard died in Belgium in 1917

I have no knowledge of his background. The only link to Murwillumbah is a pension granted in 1918 to Baxter at Uki and his friend, Ernest Ginger

STATUTORY DECLARATION

A stat dec dated 14 June 1933 certified that John Leslie Baxter’s correct name was Joseph Leo Flanagan. He was living at Macksville at this time

APPLICATION

John (Joseph?) was single carpenter, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 23^rd February 1916 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his friend, Ernest Ginger, of Murwillumbah. Interestingly there is an Ernest Ginger living in Murwillumbah at that time. His medical showed he was 21 years 1 month old, 5ft 7 ½ inches tall (1.71m), weighed 132 lbs (60 kgs), with a dark complexion, brown eyes & black hair. His eyesight was good but he required dental treatment. John was Roman Catholic and had a scar on his left lower arm, 2 scars on his left shin & one on his right shin.  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 Leslie Baxter, 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 the 41^st Battalion, with service No 1006.

41^ST INFANTRY BATTALION

The 41st Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force was raised in Bells’ Paddock Camp, Brisbane in February 1916, drawing recruits from Queensland and northern New South Wales. It was part of the 11th Brigade in the 3rd Australian Division. The 41st Infantry Battalion is remembered for its resilience and dedication

AUSTRALIAN TRAINING CAMP

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

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

On the 18^th May 1916, the recruits left Sydney, sailing upon the HMAT Demosthenes. 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.

OVERSEAS TRAINING CAMP

They disembarked art Plymouth on 20^th July 1916 and were marched into the training camp. They 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.

FORFEITURE JUNE 1917

On 23^RD June 1917, while on active duty, John broke away from quarters and was awarded forfeiture on 20 day’s pay @ 5 shillings per day

HOSPITALISATION MUMPS OCTOBER 1916

On 8^th December he was hospitalised with mumps. Mumps was, and is, a contagious viral illness, easily spread among the soldiers. It can cause fever, swelling of the salivary glands and inflammation in other parts of the body. There is no specific treatment for mumps. Instead, treatment focuses on symptom relief. Treatment would have included plenty of rest, lots of fluids, using a warm or cool compress to relieve facial pain and swelling & eating foods that do not need a lot of chewing

TRENCH WARFARE

After training in Australia and Britain, the original 41st Battalion arrived in France on 25 November 1916. It entered the front line for the first time on Christmas Eve and spent the bleak winter of 1916-17 alternating between service in the front line, and training and labouring in the rear areas. The recruits now found themselves fighting the German in trench warfare. 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. On 12^th January 1917 John left Folkstone, England on the SS Princess Clementine to join his unit.

JULY 1917

Compared to some AIF battalions, the 41st's experience of the battles in Belgium during 1917 was relatively straightforward. It had a supporting role at Messines on 7 June. The British tactical objective was to capture the German defences on the ridge, which ran from Ploegsteert Wood in the south, through Messines and Wytschaete to Mt Sorrel, depriving the German 4th Army of the high ground. The ridge gave commanding views of the British defences and back areas of Ypres to the north, from which the allies intended to conduct the Northern Operation, an advance to Passchendaele Ridge and then the capture of the Belgian coast up to the Dutch frontier. The battle began with the detonation of nineteen mines beneath the German front position, which devastated it and left large craters. A creeping barrage, 700 yd (640 m) deep, began and protected the  troops as they secured the ridge with support from tanks, cavalry patrols and aircraft. The effect of the  mines, barrages and bombardments was improved by advances in artillery survey, flash spotting and centralised control of artillery from the Second Army headquarters. The attacks from 8 to 14 June advanced the front line beyond the former German Sehnenstellung (Chord Position, the Oost Taverne Line to the British). 

AUGUST 1917

It was some of the battalion's more "routine" tasks that proved its most trying experiences. The start of August found the 41st holding ground captured by two of its sister battalions in a feint attack on 31 July. Enduring continual rain, flooded trenches and heavy shelling many of the battalion's platoons dwindled from 35 men to less than ten.

SHELL SHOCK AUGUST 1917

John was one of the casualties of this attack and was transferred to England on 10^th August 1917 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. There was speculation that the explosion of bombs caused shockwaves in soldiers’ brains. Also, it was believed that carbon monoxide from the explosions damaged the brain tissue. Patients showing signs of shell shock were regarded as cowards, but as the number of shell shock cases increased, people tried to figure out a solution to the problem. The answer was to prescribe the affected soldier a few days’ rest and their officers were directed to discuss the issue with them, talking about both the war and their families back home. In severe cases, sufferers were sent to casualty clearing stations for many weeks. If they still did not recover, they would undergo several more rounds of observation until they were ready for battle again. There is no record of which hospital admitted but he would have spent many months there and was then marched into a clearing station post in Weymouth. 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
OFFENCE OCTOBER 1917

While in Weymouth, John went AWL from midnight on 11^th October 1917 till apprehended by MPs on at 6.30pm on 17^th October 1917. He was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No 2. In Field Punishment Number Two, the prisoner was placed in fetters and handcuffs but was not attached to a fixed object and was still able to march with his unit. This was a relatively tolerable punishment. He was in custody awaiting trial. He forfeited 14 day’s pay.

HOME

Joseph embarked on the SS Berrima on 31^st October 1917 bound for Australia, diagnosed with shell shock neurosis. He was discharged 2^nd February 1918 and was granted a pension of 3 pound per fortnight from 3^rd February 1918.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

AFTER THE WAR

Joseph married Margaret Moore in Narrandera in 1921. They had three sons, one of which died in the Korean War in 1951. Joseph enlisted in WWII and was a corporal in the 6 Australian Signallers.  Joseph died on 25^th May 1975 in Sydney and is buried at Penrith General Cemetery,  
Catholic Monumental section-row s-23

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