Private Reginald Hassell GILL
Feb 1895 – 14 May 1918
Reginald Hassell Gill was born in 1895 at Elsternwick, Victoria, the youngest son of Henry Roden and Helena Gill, of Caulfield Victoria, and had brothers Hal (Caulfield) and Ray (Waikerie), and a sister, Mrs Chas. Garner (Berri).
Reg and his brother Ray both were living in Waikerie but keeping regular contact with parents and family in Caulfield, Victoria. Reg was an orchardist and had been a member of the Largs Bay Cadets only stopping as he had moved to Waikerie.
On August 15th, 1916 Reg attended at the recruiting office in Waikerie and joined the Australian Infantry Force completing his attestation that day. On enlistment he was described as 21years, 6 months old, 5’ 10” tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and auburn hair. Reg entered training immediately.
On the 23rd November 1916, Private Reginald GILL, as part of the 23rd Battalion reinforcements, sailed for overseas service aboard HMAT “HORORATA”. Arriving in December 1916 they were rushed into the battalion to help replace the almost 90 percent of the battalion killed or injured at the Battles of Pozières and Mouquet Farm.
In early 1917, the Australian divisions in the Somme advanced to the Hindenburg line. The 23rd Battalion was fighting at the Second Battle of Bullecourt in early May 1917 after the first attempt to capture the town by the 4th Australian Division failed. Succeeding in capturing all its objectives, the 23rd was heavily counter-attacked by German forces, suffering a large number of casualties, including 100 men killed or died of wounds before being relieved.
After this the battalion was withdrawn until early September 1917 when they moved into positions around Ypres, Belgium and participated in the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October. During this battle, they were positioned to the south of Zonnebeke Lake, and the lost three officers and 101 other ranks killed or wounded, some of which were occurred during an intense German mortar barrage that fell upon their “waiting line” prior to the attack.
Nevertheless, the attack which followed, after overcoming an encounter with a German regiment in no man’s land, resulted in success as the Australians captured the ridge. In early 1918, Russian resistance on the Eastern Front collapsed in the wake of the October Revolution and, as a result, the Germans were able to transfer a large number of troops to the Western Front. This greatly improved the German strength in the west and, as a result, in March, they launched their Spring Offensive.
With the Germans making rapid gains in Early April, many Australian units, including Reg (who had just rejoined the 23rd Battalion after a month leave in London), were thrown into the line to blunt the attack, around Dernancourt. After the German offensive was halted, a brief lull followed.
At this time the 23rd was in the Villers Bretonneux area and on the 14th of May, 1918 during shelling Reg was injured. Shell shrapnel had perforated his chest. Reg was taken to the 6th Field Ambulance dressing station but despite their best care he died.
Reg’s property was sent home in two parcels, the first was lost when HMAT Barunga was torpedoed and sunk by a submarine in the North Atlantic 15 July 1918. Reg’s other property, including a watch damaged when it was in his pocket at the time he was wounded, was returned to his mother.
A memorial plaque, Memorial Scroll, British War Medal and a Victory Medal were also given to his parents some years after the war ended.
Reg is buried at the Mericourt-L’abbe Communal Cemetery Extension in France. He is also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on the Roll of Honour.
Reg is commorated on the Caulfield Council Honour Board, and a tree was planted in the Brighton-Caulfield Avenue of Honour in his memory. (there is luckily a photo of Regs particular tree still in existance. See below) This and the other trees planted had a metal plaque with the soldiers details on it erected at the base of the tree.
Sadly in the 1950’s the trees and the plaques alongside of them were bulldozed to widen the road, they were never replaced. (the Glen Eira Historical Society have a sound file relating to this;- https://soundcloud.com/user-870977167/12-avenue-of-honour )
Reg is also commemorated on the WAIKERIE Soldiers Institute Honour Roll and at the War Memorial in the WAIKERIE War Memorial Gardens.
