New Year in Gunning: January 1917

Private Arthur Montague Alchin. Photo: AWM (public domain)

The ringing of church bells marked the New Year in Gunning in 1917. There was a sombre tone to the reporting of the War, including the view that neutral states adjacent to Germany would be overrun.

By contrast, the following was reported on Thursday, 4 January 1917 in the Goulburn Evening Penny Post , page 4:

GUNNING SOLDIERS.

The Editor has received the following from Codford (a training battalion near London), England, dated 7^th Nov., 1916:

"We arrived in England on October 11^th, 1916, after seven weeks on the water. We had a pleasant trip across. We met two of the Gunning boys here at Codford – Ptes C. Meehan and Ged. McLaughlin. They wish to be remembered to all the Gunning friends. (Signed) A. M. Alchin, C Reynolds, F. P. Sheridan, and W. H. Sheridan."

Arthur Montague Alchin's photo was taken in a studio when he was at Maitland army camp following enlistment. He was born in Yass and was a resident of Yass Street, Gunning. He was the mail driver. His enlistment in April 1916 stated he was 18 years, 5 months, but the AWM reports he was killed in action in Belgium at 17, in October 1917. His name is on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.

Also on the AWM Roll of Honour is William Henry Sheridan, born Collector, killed in action in August 1918 (having been shell-shocked in June 1917, and wounded in action in July 1917).

Charles Reynolds, from Gunning, was wounded in action in October, 1917, and returned to Australia with a ‘debility of the chest’ after being ‘dangerously ill with turbercolosis lung’. Fred Parker Sheridan, born Collector, survived the War.

Cecil Arthur Meehan was born and worked in Gunning, and survived the War. Ged (William Gerard) McLaughlin is on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour. He was the son of the Gunning Police Sergeant, killed in action in April 1917 and buried in Pozieres British Cemetery.

Contributed by Rosemary Spiller

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