FAMILY LIFE

Cyril Auckland McNaught was born in Bega in 1895, son of Alexander & Ellen Caroline (Grant) McNaught. He was one of 7 children, with at least 11 step brothers & sisters from his father’s previous two marriages. His brother, Alexander, also enlisted in WWI. There is no record of when the McNaught family moved to Murwillumbah but they settled in Uki.

APPLICATION

Cyril was single school teacher, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Liverpool on 22^nd September 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his father, Alexander, of Murwillumbah.

His medical showed he was 20 years 4 months old, 5ft 8 inches tall (1.72m), weighed 158 lbs. (71kgs), with a fair complexion, blue eyes & fair hair. The Examining Medical Officer stated that Cyril “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.” 

Cyril was Presbyterian and had a circular scar under the side of his right thigh.  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Cyril Auckland McNaught 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 9^th Infantry Brigade Headquarters with service No 15

THE 9TH INFANTRY BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS

The 9th Infantry Brigade Headquarters of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in World War I functioned as the command and coordination center for the brigade’s operations. It oversaw four infantry battalions and support units, managing combat operations, logistics, planning, intelligence, and communication.

The 9th Brigade HQ was responsible for:

·      Command and Control: Issuing orders to its battalions and coordinating attacks, defences, and troop movements.

·      Reacting to battlefield developments and reporting to 3rd Division HQ.

·      Planning Operations: Drafting operational plans in accordance with divisional and corps orders.

·      Coordinating with artillery, engineers, machine gun companies, and medical units.

·      Liaison and Communication: Maintaining contact with subordinate units and higher command via runners, telephone lines, pigeons, and signallers.

·      Gathering intelligence and battlefield reports.

·      Logistics and Supply: Ensuring timely delivery of ammunition, food, water, medical aid, and other supplies.

·      Coordinating movement and billeting of troops during rotations.

·      Battlefield Coordination: Often located in dugouts or bunkers just behind the front lines.

·      Monitored progress of attacks (e.g., via observation posts or reports from forward units).

·      Directed reserves or adjusted plans during battle.

Recruits destined for the 9th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and its component battalions trained at various major training camps in Australia, primarily in New South Wales.  Cyril began his training at Moore Park, then was transferred to Liverpool, the Main training base for many New South Wales AIF units, including staff and officers. He was finally transferred to Rutherford Training Camp, near Maitland, which was used for further field training and battalion-level exercises. He was placed on the clerical staff there.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

On the 9^TH May 1916, Cyril and other recruits left Sydney sailing upon the HMAT Aeneas. 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.

ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP

Cyril arrived in England and was marched into the English Training Camp for further training.  While infantry battalions focused on field combat and trench routines, brigade HQ staff received specialized training in:

·      Operational planning and battle orders.

·      Signals and communications (field telephone, Morse code, runners).

·      Logistics and supply chain coordination.

·      Artillery coordination and liaison with engineers.

·      Intelligence gathering, map analysis, and reporting.

·      Medical evacuation planning

·      Live-fire exercises, trench warfare simulation, and coordinated divisional manoeuvres

ATTACHED TO 3^RD DIVISION HEADQUARTERS AUGUST 1916

On 1^st August 1916 Cyril was attached to the 3^rd Division Headquarters.

The 3rd Division Headquarters of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in World War I was the senior command structure responsible for coordinating and controlling the operations of the entire 3rd Australian Division, including its infantry brigades, artillery, engineers, medical, and logistics units. The Division HQ was the brain and coordination hub of all military activity within the 3rd Division. It handled:

·      Strategic and Tactical Planning-designed and issued operational orders to brigades (e.g., for attacks, withdrawals, patrols). Coordinated the timing of assaults, support by artillery, and logistics flow.

·      Command and Control-maintained communications between corps-level HQ and subordinate brigades. Oversaw the implementation of orders and battlefield adjustments. Evaluated intelligence and issued situational reports (SITREPs).

·      Support and Administration-managed supply, reinforcements, transport, and equipment for the division. Oversaw medical evacuation, rationing, and troop welfare. Handled discipline, personnel movements, and commendations.

·      Liaison with Other Units- worked with British and other Allied forces to coordinate operations. Liaised with corps artillery and logistics units for major offensives.

FRANCE NOVEMBER 1916

Cyril proceeded overseas to France on 25^th November 1916. After completing its training in England, the 3rd Division Headquarters and its subordinate units arrived in France in late 1916 and spent two years directing some of the Australian Corps’ fiercest fighting on the Western Front.

DECEMBER 1916
The 3rd Division HQ moved from the Somme “nursery” sector into the line at Armentières, relieving seasoned British units. Divisional staff acclimatized to trench warfare, learning to coordinate the complex logistics, signals, and artillery arrangements of the Western Front.

FEBRUARY–APRIL 1917

The division rotated through quieter sectors to gain experience; HQ rehearsed planning “limited objective” raids and coordinated creeping barrages in practice attacks.

PROMOTED TO SERGEANT AA ORDNANCE CORPS APRIL 1917

On 4^th April 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant of the AA Ordnance Corps. This unit’s function was

·      Supply Chain Management: requisition, transport, and issue of ordnance stores to front-line units.

·      Technical Services: first-, second- and third-line repairs; calibration and proofing of weapons; parachute rigging and petroleum handling.

·      Explosives Disposal: demolition, cratering and safe destruction of shells and mines.

The Australian Army Ordnance Corps (AAOC) in World War I was a strictly non-combatant, “behind-the-lines” formation. Its personnel—

·      Were trained and equipped to store, issue and repair weapons, ammunition, and equipment

·      Operated base and sub-depots at ports and railheads, and mobile workshops closer to the front

·      Handled salvage and disposal of unexploded ordnance

They did not take part in infantry assaults or fixed-wing cavalry actions. Although their depots and workshops were sometimes shelled or raided, AAOC soldiers did not serve as a fighting battalion or regiment. Their contribution was logistical and technical, ensuring that front-line units could fight effectively—but they themselves had no battle honours.

Cyril spent the war engaged in this unit.

WAR ENDED

After the Armistice on 11 November 1918, the Australian Army Ordnance Corps rapidly shifted from supplying front-line operations to winding down its wartime establishments and supporting the demobilisation of the AIF. Key activities included:

·      Scaling down ordnance depots and workshops- within days of the Armistice, AAOC depots at railheads and ports began to reduce their stocks of weapons, ammunition, clothing, and equipment. Unserviceable or surplus stores were earmarked for sale, salvage or return to Britain. At the same time, the newly-formed Australian Ordnance Mobile Workshops started closing their forward repair shops, stripping down heavy equipment for shipment or disposal

·      Supporting the Demobilisation and Repatriation Branch. On 16 November 1918, the AIF’s Demobilisation and Repatriation Branch was created under Major-General Sir Cyril Brudenell White (with Monash as Director-General from 21 November).

 AAOC officers and NCOs were seconded to this Branch to:

Ø Inventory and clear ordnance holdings in France and the UK

Ø Organise the issue of civilian clothing and travel kits for returning soldiers

Ø Coordinate transport of heavy equipment back to depots or to embarkation ports Anzac Portal.

·      Occupational duties in Germany. While most AIF units awaited shipping back to Australia, a small contingent—among them ordnance detachments—served in the British-run occupation of the Rhineland. These AAOC personnel maintained supply points and workshops for the occupying forces until relief by Canadian and British units Anzac Portal.

·      Repatriation of personnel and final closures. Throughout late 1918 and into mid-1919, AAOC detachments were progressively stood down:

Ø Workshops were dismantled and materiel crated for return or sale

Ø Depots were handed back to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps or local authorities

Ø AAOC ranks were gradually released from service as soldiers embarked for Australia

Cyril spent some time in France undertaking this work. By late of 1919, the AAOC in Europe had completed its demobilisation tasks, closed all its wartime installations, and the last of its personnel had been repatriated.

GRANTED LEAVE SEPTEMBER 1919

Cyril was granted leave from 2^nd September to 30^th September in London. He was granted this to teach at the London Day Training College in Southampton Row, London. 

Resumption and Expansion of Teaching Programmes
With the Armistice two months behind them, LDTC staff under Principal John Adams restored the full-day elementary teacher training courses that had been curtailed during the war. They also re-opened their demonstration school (Cromer Street) to give returning students the in-class practical experience that had been suspended. LDTC introduced new modules on child welfare and education for evacuated or war-affected children, reflecting broader concerns about social reconstruction. Evening and short-course options were also trialled to accommodate part-time trainees and those returning from service

GOING HOME

Cyril returned to Australia on the Benalla disembarking 19^th November 1919 and was discharged 23^rd January 1920.

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 Bellinger First World War Roll of Honour Bellingen

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