BACKGROUND

Ashley Elliott Afflick was born on the 22^nd February 1897 in Milton, son of William & Mary Ann (Lawrence) Afflick. According to William’s 1943 funeral notice he had 5 brothers & 4 sisters. William had engaged in dairying in the Tweed for many years. In that year Ashley was living in Mooball.

ATTESTATION

Ashley travelled to Brisbane on the 26^th January 1916 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as labourer. His next of kin was his mother, Mary, of Bungalora, a suburb of Tweed Heads.

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER

On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”

OATH

He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Ashley Elliott Afflick, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Ashley was 21 years 4 months old. He was 5ft 6 inches tall (1.68m) and weighed 128 lbs (58kgs). He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was Church of England and had a scar on his left knee front.

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CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.

He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service

CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER

This is completed during the recruits training. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as aa private in the 41^st Battalion with service number 1756

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 recruits 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 could take several months

INNOCULATIONS

All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.

THE UNIFORM

The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.

SOLDIER’S KIT

Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.

·      Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.

·      Braces: worn with breeches.

·      Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.

·      Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.

·      Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.

·      Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.

·      Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.

·      Jersey

·      Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.

·      Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.

·      Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.

·      Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.

·      Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.

·      Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.

·      Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.

·      Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.

·      They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.

·      No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO EGYPT

On the 18^th April 1916 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on the 20^th April 1916 they embarked on the SS Hawkes Bay. Alongside his comrades, Ashley marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.

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 the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.

SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.

Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.

DAILY ROUTINE

Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.

MEALS

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. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.

HEALTH & SANITATION

Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.

THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE

Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. In an attempt to keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.

The 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

CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY

The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

SIGHTS AT SEA

On the way to Egypt, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.

SECURITY

By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.

EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead

EGYPT TRAINING CAMP

During an interim period, soldiers typically:

·      Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.

·      Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.

·      Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.

·      Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.

ENGLAND JUNE 1916

On the 6^th June 1916 the recruits left Alexandria on the Franconia and arrived in England on the 16^th June 1916

ROLLESTONE TRAINING CAMP JUNE 1916

Formal training began. Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the English weather, and the damp cold of the Plain came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and/or Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.

Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions.

Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.

Between training cycles, the battalion undertook further instruction at nearby camps on Salisbury Plain, including periods at Perham Down, another major training area used to relieve overcrowding and provide additional field space. Here the emphasis was on large-scale exercises involving entire brigades, practising attacks behind creeping artillery barrages, night operations, and movement under cover. These exercises often lasted days, with men sleeping in the open, reinforcing the endurance and discipline required for front-line service.

Despite the hard routine, there were moments of respite. When training schedules allowed, the men may have been granted short leave to nearby towns such as Salisbury or even London, where Australian soldiers briefly escaped the rigours of camp life. These interludes, however, were short-lived, and the training intensified as the battalion’s departure for France drew closer.

After many weeks of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready to sail to France where further training would be undertaken. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into infantrymen, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war.

DISCIPLINED DRUNK JULY 1916

Following an incident of drunkenness while stationed in the English training camps, he was sentenced to twenty-eight days detention.

During detention he would have experienced:

·      Loss of liberty – he was confined to the detention barracks and could not leave the premises.

·      Military drill and physical training – often more intensive than normal camp routines.

·      Fatigue duties – cleaning barracks, scrubbing floors, maintaining grounds, carrying stores, and other labouring tasks.

·      Strict discipline – early rising, regular inspections, and constant supervision.

·      Loss of pay and privileges – depending on the sentence, some pay could be forfeited and leave cancelled.

·      Limited recreation – very little free time compared with ordinary soldiers.

·      Marching and drill as punishment – extra drill was frequently used to reinforce discipline.

A typical day might begin before dawn, followed by roll call, drill, work duties, meals under supervision, further drill, evening inspections, and lights out. The routine was deliberately monotonous and demanding.

The punishment served as a sharp reminder of the standards expected of soldiers preparing for active service overseas. Despite this setback, he returned to duty on completion of his sentence and resumed his military training.

 FRANCE JULY 1916

The men left England on the 24^th July 1916 bound for France and more training. When a unit arrived in France, they did not immediately join their Battalion. This was entirely normal. Reinforcements arriving in France first passed through the large Australian reinforcement and training system based around Étaples and other depot camps. Here they underwent further training designed specifically for conditions on the Western Front.

The training in France was very different from that undertaken in Australia or England. New arrivals learned trench routine, gas precautions, grenade throwing, wiring, trench raids, battlefield navigation and how to operate under artillery fire. They were also introduced to the realities of the Western Front, where enormous artillery bombardments dominated every aspect of military life.

TAKEN ON STRENGTH 49^TH BATTALION AUUST 1916

On the 20^th August 1916 Ashley was taken on strength with the 49^th Battalion, 2^nd reinforcements. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties

When Ashley Afflick was taken on strength of the 49th Battalion on 20 August 1916, he joined the battalion at one of the most difficult periods of its war. The 49th Battalion, part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division, had only recently entered the great Somme offensive and was heavily engaged around Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The battalion suffered severe casualties during repeated attacks against strongly defended German positions north of Pozières, particularly during the fighting around Mouquet Farm in August and early September 1916.

 BATTLE OF POZIERES JULY AND AUGUST 1917

The Battle of Pozières took place during the Battle of the Somme. Australian forces played a crucial role, capturing the village of Pozières and enduring relentless German artillery bombardments, losing as many men in a few weeks as they did over eight months on Gallipoli. Less than one third of the Australian reinforcements had fought at Gallipoli; they were largely inexperienced and ill-prepared to deal with the deadly onslaught of the battle-hardened machine that was the German Imperial Army.

The battle was marked by intense fighting, with Australian divisions suffering heavy casualties—over 23,000 men, including 6,800 killed or dying of wounds. Despite the losses, the Australians secured the high ground, which was vital for further Allied operations. On 29 July 1916 official Australian war correspondent Charles Bean recorded in his diary: “Pozieres Ridge is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth”

BATTLE OF MOUQUET FARM JULY TO SEPTEMBER 1916

When the replacements arrived in the trenches the battle-weary veterans took one look at them and pitied them, they were so fresh faced and as one said, “they looked just like normal men” something they had not seen for some time.

Following the capture of Pozières and the German lines at the windmill east of the village in late July and early August 1916, the three Australian divisions of I Anzac Corps attacked northwards along the Pozières Heights towards the site known as Mouquet Farm.
Between 8 August and 3 September 1916, the Australians launched nine separate attacks to capture the heavily defended German position which lay half way between Pozières and Thiepval, with the aim of driving a wedge behind the salient held by the Germans.
Although the Australians managed to occupy the farm several times, they were forced back each time due to fierce German counterattacks. The site was still in enemy hands by the time Anzac Corps was withdrawn from the Somme on 5 September.
The 1st, 2nd, and 4th Australian Divisions suffered around 11,000 casualties in the fighting. After moving past the stronghold in a broader offensive, the British managed to capture the now isolated outpost three weeks later.

For a reinforcement like Ashley, being taken on strength did not necessarily mean he immediately went into a major assault. Reinforcements generally spent time becoming acquainted with their company, learning trench routines, carrying out fatigues, and filling the gaps left by casualties. Nevertheless, he would have entered a battalion already exhausted by continuous shellfire, mud, lack of sleep, and heavy losses. The Somme battlefield was unlike anything the Australians had previously experienced.

SEPTEMBER 1916 TO EARLY 1917

After the Mouquet Farm fighting ended in September 1916, the 49th Battalion spent the remainder of the year alternating between periods in the front-line trenches, reserve positions, working parties, and training behind the lines. These "quiet" periods were anything but restful. Men repaired trenches, laid duckboards, carried ammunition and rations forward, buried the dead, constructed dugouts, and endured constant artillery fire and sniping.

The winter of 1916–17 was particularly miserable. The Somme became a sea of mud. Soldiers often stood for hours in waterlogged trenches, suffering from trench foot, exposure, and sickness. A great deal of the battalion's time was devoted to maintaining trenches and roads simply to keep the front functioning. Training continued whenever conditions allowed, including bombing practice, musketry, route marches, and rehearsals for future operations.

In early 1917 the Germans withdrew to the fortified Hindenburg Line. The Australians followed cautiously through devastated countryside. The 49th Battalion took part in the advance and supported operations around Noreuil on 2 April 1917. Although this period involved movement rather than static trench warfare, it remained dangerous, with rearguards, artillery fire, mines, booby traps, and machine-gun positions causing casualties.

BATTLE OF MESSINES JUNE 1917

The battalion then moved north to Belgium, where preparations began for the attack on Messines Ridge. During May and early June 1917, the men trained intensively, rehearsed attacks, moved into assembly areas, and occupied trenches opposite the German lines. On 9 June 1917 the 49th Battalion participated in the successful Battle of Messines, one of the most carefully planned operations of the war

The battle for Messines 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.

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 primary objective of this battle was to secure the strategically important Wytschaete Messines Ridge, the high ground south of Ypres which in turn would benefit the allies to launch a larger campaign east of Ypres. The Australian involvement came under Lieutenant General Sir. Alexander Godley’s II Anzac Corps, which included the 3rd Australian Division. This Battle was launched on 7 Jun 1917 and exemplified tactical success through careful planning and firepower. The Battle of Messines was a meticulously planned operation aimed at capturing the Messines Ridge in Belgium.

On the June 17, 1917, the Australians were withdrawn from the Battle of the Somme to the battle for 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.

WOUNDED IN ACTION GUNSHOT WOUND RIGHT LEG SEVERE

Ashley's war changed completely on 9 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines. The 49th Battalion attacked as part of the Australian assault on Messines Ridge, one of the most successful operations undertaken by the AIF. The attack began before dawn after the enormous mines beneath the German positions were detonated. Despite the success of the advance, casualties were still considerable from machine-gun fire, shellfire and snipers.

A severe gunshot wound to the right leg was a devastating injury in 1917. When Ashley was hit, battalion stretcher-bearers would have reached him as soon as conditions allowed. Their first task was to stop bleeding, apply a field dressing and move him out of the line. If a major artery had been damaged, a tourniquet may have been applied to save his life. He would then have begun the long journey through the evacuation chain.

9 JUNE – 9TH AUSTRALIAN FIELD AMBULANCE

First in the chain was the 9th Australian Field Ambulance. Despite its name, a Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a mobile medical unit operating close behind the fighting.

Here doctors would examine the wound & control bleeding. They would administer morphine for pain and give him anti-tetanus serum. They would then apply splints to immobilise the shattered limb and dress the wound and attempt to prevent shock.  If the leg had been badly smashed by a bullet or shell fragment, doctors would already have realised the injury was grave. Their objective was not definitive surgery but keeping him alive long enough to reach a larger hospital.

10 JUNE – 11TH STATIONARY HOSPITAL, ROUEN

By the following day Ashley had reached Rouen, one of the principal medical centres on the Western Front. A Stationary Hospital was a substantial medical facility with operating theatres, X-ray equipment and specialist surgeons. Here the staff would have carefully assessed whether the leg could be saved.

Treatment likely included removal of dirt, cloth and bone fragments and thorough cleaning of the wound.  They took X-rays to determine the extent of damage and made attempts to control infection. There would have been further surgery to remove dead tissue.

The fact that he was evacuated to England only nine days later strongly suggests the surgeons considered the injury extremely serious and beyond what could be managed effectively in France. Infection was a constant threat. Before antibiotics, gangrene and sepsis killed many wounded men.

19–20 JUNE – HOSPITAL SHIP WARILDA AND 1^ST SOUTHERN HOSPITAL BIRMINGHAM

Ashley was transferred aboard the hospital ship Warilda on 19 June. The voyage across the Channel was relatively short, but every effort was made to keep seriously wounded men stable during transport.

On arrival in England, he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Birmingham on 20 June.

This was one of Britain's major military hospitals. Here surgeons determined that the damage to the leg was so extensive that amputation offered the best chance of survival. The record notes:

"Amputated right leg – severe."

An upper-third amputation meant the limb was removed high in the thigh, leaving only the upper portion of the femur. Such operations were usually performed when the knee and lower thigh were destroyed and blood supply could not be restored, or if infection threatened the patient's life or the bone had been shattered beyond repair.

The operation itself was only the beginning. Recovery involved months of pain, repeated dressing changes, risk of infection, and learning to adapt to life with the loss of a limb.

20 SEPTEMBER – 2ND AUXILIARY HOSPITAL

Three months later Ashley was sufficiently recovered to be moved to a convalescent facility.

The notation:

"Amputation upper third of leg – scar healed. Adherent."

is quite informative.

"Scar healed" meant the wound had closed successfully and active infection had subsided.

"Adherent" means the scar tissue had become attached to the underlying bone or muscle rather than remaining freely movable. This was a common complication of amputations and could make fitting and wearing an artificial limb painful. It was one of the factors considered when assessing a soldier's future employability and pension entitlement.

At this stage Ashley would likely have been building strength after months in hospital and learning to walk with crutches. He was being assessed for an artificial limb and undergoing regular medical reviews.

1 OCTOBER 1917 – MEDICAL BOARD

The Board's findings left little room for doubt:

·      Permanently unfit for active service.

·      Permanently unfit for home service.

This was a significant determination. Some amputees were retained for clerical or instructional duties, but Ashley's disability was judged severe enough that even service in Britain was not considered practical.

JANUARY–FEBRUARY 1918 PREPARING TO GO HOME

The furlough granted on 3 January was effectively a period of leave before final processing. Many wounded soldiers spent time with family or friends while awaiting discharge arrangements.

His return to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital on 11 January and discharge to the depot at Southall on 13 February were administrative steps preparing him for repatriation.

By this point the medical authorities considered his condition stable, and there was no expectation that further treatment would restore him to military usefulness.

RETURN TO AUSTRALIA FEBRUARY 1918

Ashley embarked aboard Lansdowne Castle on 15 February 1918 and arrived back in Australia before being formally discharged on 16 April 1918.

For Ashley, the war on the Western Front had lasted less than ten months from joining the battalion to being catastrophically wounded. Yet the consequences would remain with him for the rest of his life. Surviving such a severe wound was itself an achievement. Many men with similar injuries never made it beyond the Field Ambulance. Ashley returned home having lost a leg, but having survived one of the most violent battles fought by the Australian Imperial Force.

CLOTHING AND NECESSITIES GIVEN TO SOLDIERS FOR SOLDIERS PROCEEDING TO AUSTRALIA FOR DEMOBILISATION

Badges Hat                    Badges Collar (2)                    Bags kit universal

Bags kit sea                   Braces (pair)                            Brush, shaving

Brush, tooth                  Breeches M.S (Military service)

Cap comforter (warm cap)                                           Comb, hair

Disc identity with cord                                                  Drawers (2 pairs)

Great Coat                     Hat, Khaki fur                          Hat, white

Holdall                           Housewife (compact sewing kit)

Jackets Cardigan           Jackets S.D (service dress)

Leggings 1 pair             Laces, leather 1 pair

Puggarees, small (a traditional Indian head wrap, worn in warm conditions

Puttees, 1 pair (cloth bandages worn by soldiers, to provide support and protection 

for the lower leg)

Razor                              Shirts, flannel (2)                   Socks, 3 pairs

Singlets (2)

Strap chin                      Soap piece                               Suit, working

Towels, hand (2)

Titles “Australia” (4)- Australian soldiers and non-commissioned officers wore an “Australia” title at the base of their shoulder straps. Each serving soldier also wore unit titles above this which indicated the units to which they belonged.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Ashley was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Coolangatta Tweed Heads RSL Roll

AFTER THE WAR

Ashley married Ann Elizabeth Worland in 1926 in Murwillumbah

DEATH AND BURIAL

Ashley died on the 31^st January, 1979 in Tweed Heads, aged 81. He is buried in Murwillumbah General Cemetery, Church of England section

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