ROY ANSLOW
Roy Anslow was from Manly NSW and enlisted on 14th August 1915 . He was initially posted to the 11th Reinforcements 3rd Battalion of the A . I . F with the rank of Private .
He was transferred to the 53rd Battalion A . I . F on 14th February 1916 as part of the “ doubling ” of the A . I . F . Half of the recruits to the 53rd Battalion were Gallipoli veterans of the 1st Battalion and the other half were fresh reinforcements largely from the suburbs of Sydney . The 53rd battalion became part of the 14th Brigade of the 5th Australian Division .
Mr Anslow was promoted to corporal on 8th May 1916 and then to 2nd Lieutenant on 26th August 1916 .
On 19th July 1916 the 53rd took part in the battle of Fromelles incurring 625 casualties , including its commanding officer . The 53rd spent the freezing winter of 1916-17 in and out of the trenches in the Somme Valley .
Mr Anslow was admitted to hospital on 2nd May 1918 suffering “ gas poisoning – mild ” He rejoined the 53rd on 23rd August 1918 and was killed in action on 1st September 1918 . The official report of Mr Anslow ’ s death is as follows :
“ Lieut . R . Anslow was killed in action on 1st September 1918 . During the attack on Peronne this officer did magnificent work during the advance , and on reaching the objective was in charge of the left post of the Battalion .
The enemy heavily shelled the whole line and a salvo of 8 ” shells killed the entire garrison of Lieut . Anslow ’ s post .
He was buried where he fell , in the Brickworks between Peronne and Mont St . Quentin ”.
Mr Anslow was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal , Memorial Plaque , Memorial Scroll , the 1914 / 15 Star and the British War Medal .
STANLEY OCTAVIUS BENJAMIN
Stanley Benjamin of Waverley , Sydney was aged 34 at the time of his enlistment . Records reveal that he was an actuary and a representative of the AMP Society and son of Sir Benjamin Benjamin , the then chairman of the AMP Society and the first Lord Mayor of Melbourne .
Whilst the official records are conflicting it seems more accurate that Mr Benjamin enlisted on 16th February 1915 and was posted to 4th Field Artillery , 1st Brigade with the rank of Gunner . He embarked for the Gallipoli Peninsula on the “ Thermistocles ” on 14th November 1915 arriving at Gallipoli on 27th November 1915 where he was assigned to the 3rd Battery , Artillery . He took part in the evacuation of Gallipoli and arrived in France on 11th March 1916 . Mr Benjamin was assigned to the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column in France and promoted to the rank of Bombardier , a noncommissioned rank .
Mr Benjamin died of wounds on 23rd November 1916 . Official records do not indicate the nature of his wounds or when they were received . Mr Benjamin was initially buried in a German cemetery at Montauban , however his remains were exhumed and he is now buried at the Dantzig Alley British Cemetery , Picardie , France .
He was posthumously awarded the 1914 / 15 Star , Memorial Plaque , Memorial Scroll , British War Medal and the Victory Medal .
ROBERT HUGH CARLISLE
Mr Carlisle is described as an insurance broker at the time of enlistment on 7th February 1916 at the age of 33 and interestingly enlisted in Queensland although his enlistment form shows his place of residence in Sydney . He initially held the rank of private ; was promoted to Corporal in June 1916 ; to Sergeant in July 1917 and to Second Lieutenant in October 1917 .
Mr Carlisle arrived in England in October 1917 and proceeded to France on 13th January 1918 , where he joined the 49th Battalion . He was promoted to Lieutenant on 17th April 1918 . He was awarded the 1914-18 Star , the British War Medal and Victory Medal .
As a matter of coincidence , the 49th battalion participated in the legendary attack to dislodge the Germans from Villers-Bretonneux on Anzac Day 1918 .
STANLEY ROY CLEEVE
Mr Cleeve , clerk , enlisted on 21st September 1914 at the age of 25 years . Mr Cleeve was a British subject who had briefly served in the Australian Rifle Regiment in 1912 .
He entered the AIF as a Lieutenant and embarked to the Dardanelles . He was wounded as a result of a bomb explosion on 22nd August 1915 . He was transferred to Egypt for treatment and then returned to Australia for further treatment for intestinal problems . He returned to duty in 1916 with the 10th Infantry Brigade Machine Gun Company . Whilst the military records are somewhat confusing it is apparent that Mr Cleeve was wounded on another two occasions in France resulting in hospitalisation in Rauen and treatment at an Army Field Hospital .
Sadly , there is mention in the records of Mr Cleeve suffering extreme nervous stress during 1918 requiring three weeks leave in England . Mr Cleeve was a Captain at the time the war ended . He received the 1914-15 Star , the British War Medal and Victory Medal .
RPAYC ACTIVITIES
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