Jim (Francis James) was amazed when he read the citation for the Military Medal won by his father Vernon in WW1. He read the citation, turned to his son Geoff and said, “My dad had guts!”.

Jim would have known what it took for Vernon to put himself into the line of fire for he too had put his life on the line during WW2 when he fought in Borneo and New Guinea. Jim and Geoff, Vernon’s grandson, had visited the War Memorial in Canberra to research Vernon’s war records. Like many men who went to war Vernon did not discuss the horrors he saw upon his return with his family. However, we do know that Vernon was traumatised by his service on the Western Front. His daughter Nona remembers that Vernon entered a rehabilitation hospital in the southern highlands of NSW after the war.

“My dad had guts!”, Jim Williams.

Early in 1916 Vernon successfully applied for enlistment in the Medical Corps. A newspaper article indicates that he had discussed this opportunity with his family and that his enlistment was known within the Amaroo community. It is difficult to know what occurred to that application as his personnel records include a second enlistment on 1 May 1916 at Dubbo into the infantry. Like many of the men enlisting around this time, he would have realised that fighting on the Western Front would be difficult. The reality of the war had set in. Trench warfare was demoralising and battles were hard fought. Many Australians had already paid the ultimate sacrifice at Gallipoli.

“The early casualty lists had a sobering effect on the Australian population, as it was apparent that not only would the war not be over quickly as many had foolishly predicted , but it was likely to exact an extremely high cost in human lives and suffering.” R Austin Black and Gold.

His first posting was to Liverpool on 6 June where he trained as a private in the 3rd Battalion. He passed musketry school on August 9th. Around 5 October Vernon was promoted to Acting Corporal, a position he held on the ship going over to England and during his time of training in England. However, he resumed the rank of Private when he was transferred to the Western Front.

Prior to leaving Australia, Vernon returned home to Amaroo for his farewell. On 31 October his family and friends from Amaroo, Nyrang and Cudal gathered for a fitting farewell function at the local school and presented him with a wristlet watch with an illuminated dial. His father, James, gave him a “leather vest lined throughout and vermin proof”. Friends spoke of Vernon’s good qualities. The function finished at 2am with hearty singing of the National Anthem and “God be with you till we meet again”. He was sent off with the words “God speed and a safe return”.

Vernon embarked on the Port Napier on 17 November 1916 for England. He disembarked at Davenport on 29 January 1917, underwent additional training in England and on 13 March left Folkestone bound for France.

On 6 April 1917 he was taken on strength to the 29th Battalion AIF which was a part of the 8th Brigade, 5th Division AIF (Australian Infantry Forces). The 29th Battalion war diaries show that there was much emphasis placed on training and as a result the 29th Battalion was a highly skilled unit with a strong team spirit.

Fighting strategy changed considerably at the start of 1917. Enemy and allied soldiers were demoralised by trench warfare. Both the Allies and enemy forces had suffered severe losses as man was pitted against man, and men bravely climbed over the trench to no-man’s land to face a barrage of enemy machine gun fire.

1917 saw the emergence of a different strategy. Throughout the winter of 1916 the German army constructed a deep, extensive rear defensive zone which the British called the Hindenburg Line. They built fortified, reinforced-concrete structures, called pill boxes, which housed and protected 10-40 troops, who could shoot their rifles from holes in the structure walls. The pill boxes were protected by deep belts of barbed-wire. MGs were located on their roofs and in surrounding shell holes. Gas was also used.

The German plan was to withdraw to the fortified Hindenburg Line, destroying everything behind them.

Charles Bean wrote that these defences were regarded as “the most formidable ever constructed.”

Faced with heavily fortified structure, the allies developed a tactic called creeping barrage, whereby the line of attacking allied soldiers moved just behind the falling shell fire from their own army, which enabled them to reach the fortification before the enemy could leave their fortified shelter and man their machine guns to counter the attack. Later in the war, the enemy was bombarded with assaults from planes, tanks, cannons and shellfire, prior to the men advancing on the enemy. This new strategy was well received by the men, who were frustrated with trench warfare.

During 1917-18, the 29th Battalion fought in a number of major battles in the trenches along the Western Front including Polygon Wood, Amiens and the St Quentin Canal, as well as playing a supporting role in a number of others including Bullecourt and Morlancourt.

Allies on the Offensive

During the Allied Hundred Days Offensive that was launched on 8 August 1918, the 29th Battalion took part in the 8th Brigade’s advance up the treacherous Morcourt Valley, subsequently achieving a considerable feat by capturing the town of Vauvillers. The battalion fought its last battle of the war in late September 1918 alongside the US 30th Infantry Division, when they breached the German defences along the Hindenburg Line as part of the final Allied offensive of the war. Aimed at the Le Catelet Line near Bellicourt, the battalion advanced on Nauroy on 29 and 30 September. It was Vernon’s courage during this battle that won him recommendation for the Military Medal.

Hindenburg Line Battle at Nauroy

On 29th September the 29th Battalion moved around south of Bellicourt in the direction of Nauroy. Around 11.50am there was an attack on Nauroy Wood Fort. Four tanks from the 49th Battery were destroyed. By mid-afternoon the 29th Battalion had advanced on the concrete fort and Nauroy Wood and silenced the enemy 77mm field guns. The men were then subject to enfilade fire from heavy enemy artillery and MG fire from Cabaret Wood on the left flank and it was decided that it would be too costly to continue the advance east of Nauroy. During the night the companies moved forward and cleared the village of Nauroy.

The Germans had established small fortresses on the high points at Lamp Signal Station and the Sugar Factory and it was clear that the advance could not continue until these strong points were overcome. These forts each had two field guns, heavy MGs, anti-tank rifles and a detachment of infantry for protection. The 29th was given the task of capturing The Sugar Factory held by the 1st Battalion of the 81st Infantry Regiment, who were firing at almost point blank range.

The next day at 4pm the 29th Battalion attacked the Sugar Factory. The initial bombardment of the sugar factory from 18 and 60 pound allied guns was ineffectual. The men of the 29th moved forward but 10 minutes later had to halt due to heavy MG fire from the concrete bunkers, as well as enfilade from Cabaret Wood. The enemy was observed to be massing for a counter attack. A decision was taken for the allies to pull back to the Le Catelet-Nauroy line.

Vernon was one of four runners during this battle who maintained communications between the various companies and battalions, while under enemy fire. His was a critical role as the locations of US and Australian troops were difficult to pin point, due to heavy fog. Vernon and three other gallant runners received the Military Medal for their bravery.

Vernon’s citation reads:

At Nauroy on 30.9.1918

For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty. This soldier established an observation post on commanding ground from which to observe the advances of the battalion attack on the high ground east of the village. The O.P. was seen by the enemy and throughout was continually under machine gun fire, but Pte Williams carried on by telephone from the post and kept Battalion and companies acquainted with all movements of the enemy as well as of our own troops.

At the completion of the operation it was important to convey important messages to the 4 companies that had taken part and to find their exact positions. This soldier volunteered to do this. Through heavy machine gun and shell fire he went out and brought back the information. Whilst doing this, he, in addition, conveyed messages from company to company.

Pte Williams showed a total disregard of danger by his devotion to duty and was of the utmost inspiration to his battalion and also to the companies. This soldier has at all times performed similar work.
‘
Signed J Talbot Hobbs
Major-General
Commanding 5th Australian Division

Unknown to them at the time, this was the last battle fought by the 29th Battalion.

Vernon eventually returned Australia on 23 July 1919 and was given a warm welcome home by friends and family at Amaroo.

Humble beginnings

It is easy to understand why Jim was so amazed at his father’s bravery. While Vernon was well-educated, he and his family were country folk.

Vernon was born in Sutton NSW on 29 July 1888. He was the first son of Elizabeth (nee Whyte) and James Williams, who were to eventually have eight children. Sutton was a small village just north of Canberra and located on the Yass River. Francis Williams, Vernon’s grandfather, have moved his family from Duntroon (later known as Canberra) in 1877 and had taken up significant rural and town land holdings. Vernon would have enjoyed the company of his sisters, brothers, uncles and cousins in Duntroon, Sutton and Gundaroo. The family owned property as well as the local blacksmith and post office. His mother Elizabeth (who was referred to as Lizzie Whyte) had migrated from Ireland with her father and step mother and had moved from Sydney to Sutton to become the provisional school teacher in 1881 in the Presbyterian hall.

His father James was educated at St John’s School Canberra and he and two of his three brothers became school teachers. His fourth brother, Frank, became a blacksmith and managed the post office like his father.

When Vernon was 5, James and Lizzie moved their family to Collector, when James was transferred as the teacher/principal at Collector Public School. Most of Vernon’s education would have been at Collector. In 1904, aged 15, Vernon moved to Amaroo, near Molong, when James was appointed teacher at Amaroo Public School. This is a very tiny rural area in the Molong/Orange district.

Vernon must have attended teachers college and his first appointment as a probationary school teacher was at High Range NSW on 11 September 1907. He was aged 19 years. High Range is located off the Wombeyan Caves Road, around 55 km from the Wombeyan Caves. In 1908 he transferred to Jellore and Mandemar Public schools located east of Joadja in the southern highlands. By 1912 he was at Winduella School near Crookwell.

Returning from war

While Vernon finished active fighting at Nauroy in September 1918, he did not return to Australia until 23 July 1919. He spent some of the intervening times in England, including recuperation in hospital.

Initially he returned to Amaroo and eventually resumed teaching. He was appointed to Willoughby Public School, probably in 1919-1920. While there he met Emma Louisa Johnson while playing tennis. Emma was lovingly called “Fairy” by her family and lived in West Street Crows Nest before she married.

On 28 December 1921 Vernon married Fairy at St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church Naremburn. Vernon continued his career as a teacher, taking positions at Hornsby, Lindfield, Warrawee, Westin and Pennant Hills Public Schools. Fairy and Vernon had three children, Francis James (1922 – 2007), Nona Patricia (1924-) and Harold Kenneth (Ken) (1928-).

Nona remembers her father as being loving but strict and she definitely did not enjoy being one of his pupils.

The Williams family was very close. Geoff Williams (1951-) remembers visiting Vernon and Fairy, his grandparents at Elgany at 38 Junction Road Wahroonga on a regular basis, where he played with his aunt Nona.

Vernon must have also been relieved in 1946 when he looked out of his classroom at Pennant Hills Public school to see his son Jim returned from WW2. Vernon’s great grandchildren later attended Pennant Hills Public.

Vernon died at home in Junction Road Wahroonga on 4 August 1954 aged 66.

Postscript from Julia Williams

Sixty years after Vernon’s death it is hard to piece together his life from the facts collected from newspapers, photos and records. I personally am amazed by his bravery. Geoff and I visited Nauroy in 2011 and saw the location of the sugar factory and the ground over which Vernon would have exposed himself to enemy fire. It is a very open area. There would have been nowhere to hide.

We have both read extensively from diaries and books on WW1 and life on the Western Front would have been arduous. War often seems sanitised in the way it is reported. Today the graves are neat and well kept surrounded by manicured lawns. Winter was bitterly cold, especially when the men were on the front line or camping out when billets were not available. Their time on the front line would have been traumatising as they constantly listened for the whistle of a bomb or the shattering sound of MG fire, waiting it out, hoping that they were not the unlucky one. When they weren’t fighting they were often training and performing back-breaking work like building roads and railways. I can’t imagine the horror of witnessing the deaths of many mates and seeing their pain; or the horror of seeing fields of dead soldiers.

Vernon’s citation shows him to be a man that always gave his best. He disregarded his personal safety and fought with and for his mates. He was truly a man of courage.

Before the war Vernon had a promising career as a school teacher, however, he probably never reached his potential and was not promoted. Yet he was a man who was recognised in the AIF for his intelligence, education and leadership qualities.

I think that Vernon would have inherited many of these qualities from his parents and grandparents. These were enterprising intelligent people, with a reputation for helping their neighbours. They also had strong Christian faith.

Recently we found an article in Fairy’s bible. It was a newspaper article about Vernon’s return from war. Fairy is remembered by her grandson Geoff as a loving, gentle woman who always had time for a chat. It is so lovely to know that Vernon had such a wonderful wife who was willing to live in several homes and several places as Vernon moved to take up different teaching positions.

Our family is honoured to be part of Vernon’s family. We recognise the values of faith, family, education and duty to country which have been exemplified by Vernon’s life.

Researched and written by Julia Williams.

References:
Austin, Ronald J. Black and Gold The History of the 29th Battalion, 1915-18. Slouch Hats Publications, McCrae, Australia. Reprinted 2008
War Diary 8th Brigade 5th Australian Division -https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/
War Diary 29th Battalion September 1918 – https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/
Personnel War Record Vernon James Williams – http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/explore/defence/service-records/
Trove.nla.gov.au
Gundaroo, Errol Lea-Scarlet, Roebuck Series. 1972