Families and Friends of the First AIF member Ross St.Claire in his book, Our Gift to The Empire – 54th Australian Infantry Battalion 1916-1919, describes Fromelles as: the 54th Battalion’s baptism of fire. Not a sterner trial could have been envisaged. Williams, of the 56th Battalion, said “Men who had fought on Gallipoli from the Landing to the Evacuation, admitted freely that Fromelles was the severest test they had seen.” From then on any man who had been at Fromelles was known as a “19th of July man.” The tragedy and heroism of Fromelles instantly became part of the battalion folklore. Fromelles veterans were later sought out by recruits to pass on their experiences, just as they had listened to Gallipoli men in Egypt.
Today we are proud to introduce you two brothers who embarked on overseas duty with the AIF together and stayed together until their deaths on the battlefield at Fromelles.
Roderick and Hector McAulay were born at Chatsworth Island, near MacLean in the Clarence River district of NSW. The brothers lived with their parents Malcolm and Elizabeth McAulay at “Iona” McPherson St, Waverley, NSW.
Photo: Private Roderick McAulay No4207 [AWM P06085.003]
Photo: Private Hector McAulay No4391 [AWM P06085.004]
These photos have been reproduced with the permission of the Australian War Memorial
The older of the two sons Roderick was a carpenter and the first to enlist on 18 August 1915. A month later his brother Hector enlisted on 22 September 1915. Hector listed his occupation as salesman on his attestation papers. He worked in Sydney’s biggest department store, Anthony Hordern and Sons Emporium.
Photo: The Anthony Hordern’s Palace Emporium opened in 1905.
Private Roderick McAulay and Private Hector McAulay embarked together aboard HMAT Aeneas from Sydney on 20 December 1915 as members of the 1st Battalion -13th Reinforcements. Once in Egypt they were transferred to the 54th Battalion as members of the Lewis Gun Section.
Private Roderick McAulay was killed at the Battle of Fromelles and his Service Record available online at the National Archives of Australia shows that his family was told of his burial in the cemetery at Sailly-sur-la-Lys, near Estaires and Armentiers. Sadly Roderick’s grave was lost during the following years of the Great War and today he is remembered on the memorial wall at VC Corner Cemetery Fromelles.
Private Hector McAulay’s Service Record also available online records him as ‘Missing in Action’ on 19th July 1916 and eventually reported as killed in action on the same date after a court of enquiry was held on 4th August 1917. The family then knew for certain that they had lost their second son in the Battle of Fromelles. Private Hector McAulay was one of 48 employees of Anthony Hordern and Sons department store in Sydney who were killed in action during the First World War.
Photo: Large collage of ‘Our Fallen Comrades …. Dedicated to their memory’ from Anthony Hordern & Sons department store Sydney [AWM P02599.001]
This photo have been reproduced with the permission of the Australian War Memorial
There are 30 members of the 54th Battalion listed amongst the 173 identified by Lambis Englezos through his extensive research, including information contained in the Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau Files ,as being buried by the German Army at Pheasant Wood. Private Hector McAulay is not one of these and his final resting place is unknown.
Copies of Our Gift to The Empire are available from the author Ross St.Claire. Ross can be contacted at indelec@bigpond.net.au
Photo: Front cover Our Gift to The Empire 54th Australian Infantry Battalion 1916-1919 [ISBN 0-6464589-7-3]
FROMELLES IS NOT HONOURED ON THE NATIONAL OR ANY STATE MEMORIAL IN AUSTRALIA.
FFFAIF SUPPORTS ALL EFFORTS TO RECOGNISE FROMELLES ON OR AT THE NATIONAL AND ALL STATE MEMORIALS THAT PRESENTLY LIST BATTLES BY NAME.
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