Gunning & District Historical Society

Herbert and Horace Alchin did not remain onlookers from home.  They went and helped.  (Australian World War 1 recruitment poster; State Records of SA) Edward “Ned” Alchin (1865-1940) and Sophia Jane Alchin (nee Smith) (1870-1960) had seven children, three at Dalton, one at Inverary and three at Crookwell. Two of these children were Herbert and Horace. Brothers Herbert Alchin (1893-1968) and Horace Alchin (1896-1954) enlisted in World War 1 on 7 August 1917 in the 17th Battalion. Both lads served in France and Belgium. Both suffered illness and Herbert was wounded but the brothers came back to Australia to resume their lives at Crookwell. On 20 October 1917, just ten days before embarkation and with only one-day’s leave, Herbert married Violet Philadelphia May Waye – known as May – at St Bartholomew’s Church of England, Crookwell. She was born at Yarra near Goulburn. Herbert and May Alchin had two children. Herbert and May Alchin (Collection of Gary Smith) ...

Arthur Montague Alchin. From a postcard sent to his mother from France, dated April 1917 (Photo from Garry Smith's collection) The battle of Passchendaele Ridge took place in terrible weather, with torrential rain that filled shell holes to neck deep and created mud so thick it often stopped men in their tracks and clogged their weapons. Arthur Montague Alchin prior to enlistment (Photo from Garry Smith's collection) Private Arthur Montague Alchin, No. 2027, A.I.F. 35th Battalion, was among the shower of earth, mud and barbed wire that accompanied the German bombardment on 12 October 1917. Machine gun fire from pill boxes cut down soldiers as they emerged from trenches and shell holes. Many men were already suffering the effects of mustard gas. Letter from Arthur Montague Alchin to his mother Louisa Susanna Alchin. His father Albert Noah Alchin died in 1913. From Goulburn Evening Penny Post, Thursday 26 October 1916, p. 2. Arthur would have reali...

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 en...