BACKGROUND

Hubert Lawrence Anthony (Larry) was born on the 12^th March 1897 in Warren, son of George Edward Anthony and Honoria Elizabeth (McNee) Anthony. According to NSWBDM he only had one brother, Edwin, who eenlisted in January 1917. Educated at Warren Public School, in September 1911 Larry joined the Postmaster-General's Department as a telegraph messenger. . He is the father of Doug Anthony, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, who served as leader of the National Party of Australia from 1971 to 1984 and was the second and longest-serving deputy prime minister, holding the position under John Gorton (1971), William McMahon (1971–1972) and Malcolm Fraser (1975–1983).

ATTESTATION

Larry travelled to Sydney on the 2^nd November 1914 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 telegraphist. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs Anthony, of Warren. He had been a senior cadet for 4 years and was in the National Volunteer Rifle Reserve.

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

PARENT’S PERMISSION

Being under the legal age for enlistment, Larry produced a letter from his father giving him permission to enlist.

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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, Hubert Lawrence Anthony, 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

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

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

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MEDICAL EXAMINATION

Larry was 20 years 8 months old. He was 5ft 7 ½ inches tall (1.71m) and weighed 10stone 4 lbs (64kgs). He had a sallow complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He had a slanting scar on his right arm and vaccination marks on his arm. Larry was Church of England.

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 a private with the 2^nd Signal Troop with service number 521

Although Hubert's attestation was formally completed in early November 1914, the Commanding Officer's certificate being signed in Sydney on 28 October 1914 suggests he was accepted during the great rush of enlistments that followed the outbreak of war.

LIVERPOOL TRAINING CAMP

Liverpool Camp was one of the largest and most active training depots in New South Wales, a sprawling site of timber barracks, tented accommodation, parade grounds, and obstacle courses. The camp thrummed with the sound of marching feet, drill instructors’ commands, and the quiet hum of men preparing for the conflict overseas.

During the first weeks, the new recruit underwent basic military training, learning drill, discipline, and the handling of a rifle. As a signal man, he then moved on to the specialised duties of the signal corps.

A signalman in 1914–15 had a specialised role. Training included the laying and maintenance of telephone lines, operation of field telephones, visual signalling with flags and lamps, message carrying, map reading and the rapid transmission of information between headquarters and frontline troops. The efficiency of a signal’s unit could determine whether commanders knew what was happening on the battlefield.

Days were long and physically demanding, filled with practical exercises such as digging trenches and tunnels, erecting defensive structures, constructing temporary bridges, and practising the careful handling of explosives for demolition work. Each task tested both skill and endurance, preparing men for the challenges of supporting the infantry under fire.

Life at Liverpool was regimented. Meals were eaten in communal dining halls, evenings were often taken up with lectures on map reading, signalling, and field fortification techniques, and every man was expected to maintain the neatness of his uniform and equipment. Amid the rigour, camaraderie developed; men like Larry forged bonds with their fellow signalmen, sharing stories, learning from mistakes, and building the mental resilience needed for war.

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 TO EGYPT DECEMBER 1914

Hubert embarked on 21 December 1914. The embarkation details are not shown on the page you have, but men of the 2nd Signal Troop generally sailed with the 2nd Australian Division reinforcements moving to Egypt during that period.

Alongside his comrades, Larry 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. 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 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.

APPROACHING 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 JANUARY 1915

After arrival in Egypt, he would have joined the large concentration of Australian troops training around Cairo, particularly the camps at Mena and nearby desert training areas.

JANUARY TO JULY 1915

The period between his arrival in Egypt and July 1915 was far from idle. The Australians spent months preparing for active service. Hubert would have continued his signalling instruction, practised establishing communications over difficult terrain, taken part in route marches, field exercises and tactical training, and adapted to military life in the harsh Egyptian climate. The formation of efficient communications networks was regarded as essential before any division could be committed to combat.

GALLIPOLI JULY 1915

On 18 July 1915 he embarked aboard the Knight Templar for active service. The voyage from Egypt to Gallipoli was relatively short, but there was still much to do. Equipment had to be checked, signalling stores prepared, duties allocated and final briefings given. Men knew they were heading into a battle zone and would have spent those days making final preparations for what lay ahead.

Hubert reported to his unit at Gallipoli on 25 July 1915. The campaign had already been raging for three months. As a signalman he would not have spent all his time in the front trenches. Instead, his duties likely involved maintaining telephone communications between headquarters, artillery batteries and infantry positions, repairing lines cut by shellfire, carrying messages when communications failed and operating visual signalling stations. It was dangerous work because telephone lines frequently ran through exposed areas and had to be repaired under fire.

HOSPITALISED AUGUST 1915 NEPHRITIS

Only a little over two weeks later, on 10 August 1915, he was admitted to hospital suffering from nephritis. Nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys. In the Gallipoli environment it was not uncommon. Poor sanitation, contaminated water, dysentery, exposure, chronic dehydration and infection could all contribute to kidney problems.

Symptoms could include:

·      Severe fatigue

·      Fever

·      Pain in the back or kidneys

·      Swelling of the face, hands or feet

·      Blood or protein in the urine

·      General weakness

Treatment in 1915 was limited. Doctors relied largely on bed rest, warmth, careful diet, fluids and observation. Serious cases were removed from Gallipoli because recovery in the harsh conditions of the peninsula was virtually impossible.

MEDICAL CHAIN

On 14 August 1915 Hubert was evacuated aboard the hospital ship Aquitania. Hospital ships transported sick and wounded men from Gallipoli to hospitals in Egypt, Malta or England depending on the severity of their condition.

By 23 August he had been admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. The tonsillitis noted in the record may have been a secondary complaint or an additional infection discovered during treatment. Soldiers weakened by disease frequently developed other illnesses. Unfortunately, the nephritis appears to have become a chronic problem. The Army could return a man to duty after a short illness, but kidney disease was often persistent and difficult to cure. After many months of treatment and observation, military authorities eventually decided that Hubert's condition was unlikely to improve sufficiently for active service.

GOING HOME JUNE 1916

He was therefore returned to Australia on 24 June 1916 for what the Army described as a "six months' change." This was essentially a final opportunity for recovery in his home climate and away from military strain. By this stage the medical authorities were clearly doubtful about his prospects of returning to active duty.

DISCHARGED OCTOBER 1916

The hoped-for improvement did not occur. Following further medical assessment, Hubert was discharged on 4 October 1916 as medically unfit for service. His war had lasted less than two years, yet in that time he had trained in Australia, served in Egypt, reached Gallipoli and suffered a serious illness that ultimately ended both his military career and his chance to continue serving overseas.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Larry was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Peak Hill Rifle Club Honour Roll and the Peak Hill and District Great War Roll of Honour

AFTER THE WAR

Having worked as a clerk and studied accountancy and economics in Sydney, in 1919 Anthony took up a soldier-settler block near Tweed Heads and was a shire councillor (1919-22). Anticipating that his first crop of bananas would be successful, on 21 June 1921 he married Mary Jessie Stirling (d.1941) in the Ann Street Presbyterian Church, Brisbane. The crop became infected with 'bunchy top' and was condemned. Larry and Mary walked off their farm penniless. He borrowed money and tried to grow sugar-cane on another farm, but this attempt also proved a financial disaster. Using savings accumulated from selling land on commission at Burleigh Heads and Surfers Paradise, Anthony returned to banana-growing and was to emerge as one of Australia's largest producers. In 1928 he founded the New South Wales Banana Growers' Federation; he also helped to initiate research which led to the elimination of the 'bunchy top' parasite.

As a Country Party candidate, he won the Federal seat of Richmond at the 1937 general elections and was to hold it until his death. In October 1940 he was appointed minister assisting the treasurer and the minister for commerce in the government of (Sir) Robert Menzies; in June 1941 Anthony became minister for transport. When Labor came to office under John Curtin in October, Anthony joined a group of Opposition members who fought the government with increasing effectiveness and he earned a reputation as a 'rough, rugged, tough fighter, always in debates . . . restless to get into the fight on all subjects at all times'; he was several times suspended from parliament. On 24 April 1946 in the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist, Canberra, he married a 25-year-old widow Lyndall Marion, née Ingram, late Thornton. Following the coalition parties' victory in December 1949, he was appointed postmaster-general. His progress from messenger-boy to minister gave him immense satisfaction.

Championing the supply of automatic telephone-exchange equipment to rural areas, Anthony endeavoured to improve postal and telegraph services through the use of new equipment. In 1951 he took the additional portfolio of civil aviation. The industry developed rapidly during his tenure: Qantas Empire Airways Ltd expanded its overseas services; the foundations of the two-airline policy—by which major domestic trunk routes were reserved for two principal airlines—were laid; and advanced technology came into operation. Anthony's main responsibility, however, was to supervise preliminary work for the advent of television in Australia. While the government was accused of procrastination, Anthony considered that he could learn from other countries' experiences. After a fact-finding mission to Britain and the United States of America in 1952, he introduced the 1953 television bill, the first step in establishing a dual system of public and private television stations. He was responsible for appointing the royal commission on television which reported next year.

Suffering several illnesses from the early 1950s, Anthony relinquished civil aviation in 1954. He was on sick leave in the last three months of that year, but rejected advice to leave the ministry. Disappointed that he had not been able to finalize the introduction of television, he was finally imposed upon to resign in January 1956. His acceptance next month of a directorship with Philips Electrical Industries Pty Ltd provoked criticism. Dark haired and solidly built, he was a blunt, instinctive politician who worked hard and was a popular local member. He loved reading, took a keen interest in the life of Napoleon and in Marxism, believed in the rights and potential of the individual, and was a staunch anti-communist.  His son Doug succeeded him as member for Richmond, and he was Australia’s longest serving deputy Prime Minister

DEATH AND BURIAL

He died of cerebrovascular disease on 12 July 1957 at Murwillumbah and was cremated with Presbyterian forms. His headstone is in Tweed Valley Cemetery, Plot FT 12-AC