- 51st Battalion AIF
(Western Australia) [13th Infantry Brigade]
Formed Egypt 1 March 1916 from the 11th Battalion AIF.
- 2nd Reinforcements
departed Fremantle Aeneas
17 April 1916,
- 3rd Reinforcements departed Fremantle Seang
Bee 18 July 1916,
- 4th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Miltiades
9 August 1916,
- 5th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Uganda
20 September 1916,
- 6th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Suffolk
10 October 1916,
- 7th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Argyllshire
9 November 1916,
- 8th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Berrima
23 December 1916,
- 9th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Miltiades
29 January 1917,
- 10th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Borda
29 June 1917,
- 11th Reinforcements departed Fremantle Aeneas
30 October 1917.
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Battle Honours:
Egypt 1916, Somme 1916-18,
Pozieres, Bullecourt, Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Passchendaele,
Arras 1918, Ancre 1918, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, Albert 1918, St
Quentin Canal, Hindenburg Line, Epehy, France and Flanders 1916-18
by
Ross Mallett (ADFA)
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- Number: 2946
- Rank: Private [Pte]
- Unit: 51 Bn (9th Reinforcements)
- Service: Army
- Conflict: 1914-1918
- Date of Death: 24/04/1918
- Memorial Panel: 153 Cemetery or Memorial
Details: 26 Villers Bretonneux-France
- Place Of Enlistment: Ballarat, VIC
- Notes: LILLINGSTON, Pte. Roy, 2946. 51st Bn.
24th April, 1918. Son of the late George Steer Lillingston and
of Mary Lillingston. Born at Ballarat.
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The 51st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force was raised at
Tel-El-Kebir,
Egypt, on 1 March 1916 from half of the 11th Battalion (veterans of the
Gallipoli landing) and reinforcements of the 11th and 28th Battalions, all
personnel being Western Australian volunteers. During the period
1899-1902, a number of Western Australian volunteers formed the various
Mounted Infantry units which served in the Boer War in South Africa. In
recognition of their services, These Mounted Infantry were awarded Battle
Honour
which was then awarded to the Western
Australian Infantry Battalions raised for World War One who, by virtue of
being volunteers of the same regional origins, were deemed to be the
successors of the Western Australian Mounted Infantry. So the 51st
Battalion came to bear its first Battle Honour which is still emblazoned
on the Regimental Colour today. The Battalion was granted the colour patch
chocolate brown over Saxe blue.
The new Battalion, under the command of Lt.Col. A.M.Ross
D.S.O., having
been allotted to the 13th Infantry Brigade, 4th Australian Division with
49th, 50th and 52nd Battalions, disembarked at Marseilles, France on 11
June 1916 and moved into the front line at Fleurbaix three days later. The
51st Battalion's first major engagements with the enemy occurred at the
ruins of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm during the period August - September
1916. During these engagements, the Battalion reached its objectives but
was unable to hold the captured positions. In less than three weeks the
Battalion had suffered in excess of 650 casualties. The Battalion then
shifted to the quieter section of the battlefield in Belgium. There its
major battle was with the rain and the mud and at one stage the Battalion
was down to approximately 300 men due to the shocking conditions they
fought in. On the morning of 2nd April,1917, the Battalion along with the
50th Battalion attacked Noreuil, an outpost village near the Hindenberg
Line. The attack was a success, but the Battalion suffered 239 casualties
during the assault and subsequent defence of the village. The next major
engagement of the 51st Battalion was the counter-attack at Villers
Bretonneux on 24/25 April 1918, during which action the Battalion lost 389
men in just two days. Lieutenant C.W.K. Sadlier won the Victoria Cross for
his valour during the engagement. For the action, the Battalion was
awarded a total of 4l decorations. The depleted 52nd Battalion was
incorporated into the 51st Battalion to make up the numbers for the rest
of the war.
In 1918, a group of English women made a khaki silk flag with the
colour patch of the 51st Battalion emblazoned in the middle and presented
it to the Battalion. This flag is presently held at the Australian War
Memorial, Canberra. On 10 May 1919, at Aiseau in Belgium, the last entry
was made in the War Diary by the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel R.
Christie, DSO and Bar. The losses during the war had been severe. 83
officers and 2,477 other ranks having been killed, wounded or captured. In
1920, all 60 Infantry Battalions of the AIF were awarded silk 'Union Flags
which are to receive all honours and compliments paid to Colours'.
51st Battalion was also awarded the following battle honours:
Because of their gallant efforts during World War One, members of
the 51st Battalion were awarded the following decorations:
-
Victoria Cross (1)
-
Distinguished Service Order (2)
-
Bar to DSO (1)
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Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1)
-
Military Cross (15)
-
Bar to MC (2)
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Distinguished Conduct Medal (14)
-
Military Medal (110)
-
Bar to MM (3)
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Meritorious Service Medal (9)
-
Croix de Guerre (France) (2)
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Croix de Guerre (Belgium) (2)
-
Medal of St George 4th Class (Russia) (1)
-
Order of the Crown of Rumania (Chevalier) (1)
-
Order of the White Eagle, 5th Class (Serbian) (1)
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Mentioned in Despatches (30)
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