First is Reggie Gluyas, Reginald Reseigh Gluyas 5029
There are 50 pages of original documents scanned into the National Archives. Sadly, Reggie didn't make it home and died in France later in 1918, aged only 19... When Reggie signed up he was 18 years and 9 months old, weighed 123lbs and was 5 foot 7 inches...
Next we have Don Tobin Donald Vincent Tobin 5090
There are 40 pages of original documents scanned into the National Archives. Don was an apprenticed fitter and turner when he applied to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1917. He was discharged on 21/9/19. Every soldier has a story and it would be fascinating to piece together the story of them all but I am afraid it will waylay me from my task.
Frank Watson Frederick William Watson 5124
These blokes who go by different names make future historians jobs much more difficult. Pretty sure Frederick is Frank... Details on his file confirm he was on the Ulysses with Bert and also that he disembarked at Suez on 16/1/18. I love finding information that correlates with the diary. It seems that Frank signed up in 1915 but did not travel overseas until 22/12/17 when he was over 21 years. I guess his parents didn't provide a letter allowing him to.
* Could Frank Watson also be: William Isaac Watson 5098 ??? (keeping this link here to see if future references reveal more...)
Frank Riley Francis Angas Riley 5079
Frank was a labourer whose father had died 5 years prior to his enlistment. His mother agreed that he could sign up and travel abroad after he had turned 19. It seems that Frank was subject to a Court Martial and sentenced to 3 years PS. (penal servitude) Not much information appears to be on the site but it looks like I can request a copy here. The file does note desertion on 1/8/18 - 2/8/18 and also that the sentence was perhaps suspended in October of 1918. It also states the Court Martial was conducted in the field.
He was discharged 31/1/20 after returning to Australia in February 1919.
As with all these men, there is so much more to know.
Jack McEgan Lawrence John McEgan 5066
Uncle Bert thought Mac's name was Jack, when in fact it was Lawrence John McEgan. Earlier in the diary he mostly refers to him as Mac but occasionally as Jack McEgan. He listed his service number 5066 so it was easy to confirm I had the right record.
It seems he was discharged on 22/12/19...exactly 2 years after setting sale on the Ulysses (and the same date as Bert) Prior to signing up he was a jeweller. It also seems that there is documentation showing that his parents were advised at some stage that he was wounded in action and they had to follow up with letters for more news... I can't even imagine how terrible that time must have been for them. Jack/Mack/Mac is also referred to in the forward of the diary...a long lasting friend of Bert's.
Archie Trimming Archibald Ernest Trimming
Archie seemed to have a lot of medical issues and was returned home to Australia on the Port Lyttledon . He boarded on 10/6/19 and disembarked in Australia on 5/8/19 and was eventually discharged on 30/8/19. Below is a picture of medals awarded to him
Jobson Edwin Henry Jobson
I'm not sure which christian name he went by but Bert obviously refers to him as 'Jobson'. I found these records by confirming he was on the Ulysses. I have seen several copies of letters from parents giving their consent for their under 21 year old son to sign up. On September 1917 Jobson's parents gave their consent for him to sign up and less than 12 months later they received advice he was wounded in action (gassed). He was later discharged on 4/3/1919. It notes 'underage' and family history information about Jobson suggests he signed up with a false date of birth...but his parents 'blessing'. His date of birth is noted as 1900 rather than 1899. He lived until 1980. He married on his return and his wife lived until 1997.
I hope that if ever any of these blokes descendants are searching for information about them they might stumble across this blog and read about encounters they had with Bert. It's yet to be revealed if there are future mentions in the diary, but it is highly possible.
