Overview
Using the information contained in this study on the volunteers from the Shire of Lillydale we are able to gain further information of interest.
Totals
The total number of volunteers to enlist – 672
The total number of those who died while on active service – 129
The total number of times they were hospitalised – 618
The total number of locals who left Australia for service overseas – 562
Enlistments
The total number of enlistments – 672
Enlistments by township
Pre-war | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | Totals | |
Coldstream | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 20 | |
Gruyere | 1 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 25 |
Kilsyth | 4 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | |
Lilydale | 37 | 111 | 70 | 32 | 17 | 267 | |
Montrose | 1 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 29 | |
Mooroolbark | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 20 | |
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 27 |
Mt Dandenong | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 23 | ||
Olinda | 1 | 5 | 14 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 46 |
Seville | 10 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 62 | |
Silvan | 1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 20 | |
Wandin | 1 | 15 | 30 | 29 | 10 | 2 | 87 |
Yering | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 22 | |
Total | 6 | 101 | 258 | 198 | 75 | 34 | 672 |
Number of local women who served with nursing services–
Seven
First local nurse to go on active service –
Sr Alice Card (Olinda) – was serving with the American Hospital in Paris when it went into military service on August 3rd, 1914
First local to enlist in Royal Australian Navy –
Samuel Rouget (Wandin) – on December 11th, 1911
At the start of the war on August 4th, 1914 – there were 5 local sailors on active service
Number of locals who served with allied forces
Totals | |
United Kingdom | 3 |
New Zealand | 4 |
Canada | 1 |
USA | 1 |
Total | 9 |
First locals to enlist in the Army –
Alfred Niblett (Lilydale), on the Imperial Army Reservist List, reports for service in Melbourne on August 10th, 1914.
Harold Hughes (Montrose), in England, he enlists in the British Army on August 11th, 1914.
First locals to enlist in AIF (by township) –
Shire of Lillydale – Ralph Goode (16/8/1914)
Coldstream – Hugh Wilson (17/8/1914)
Gruyere – Albert Street (17/8/1914)
Kilsyth – Frederick Davies (17/8/1914)
Lilydale – Ralph Goode (16/8/1914)
Montrose – Henry Holbrook (17/8/1914)
Mooroolbark – Herbert & Edwin Meade (17/8/1914)
Mt Evelyn – William Aicher (17/8/1914)
Mt Dandenong – Horace Twiner (17/8/1914)
Olinda – Howard Guttman (21/8/1914)
Seville – Harry Matthews (20/8/1914)
Silvan – Albert Lockwood (12/9/1914)
Wandin – Harry McCormack (17/8/1914)
Yering –Arthur Newman (17/8/1914)
Ironically, two of these first volunteers (William Aicher & Howard Guttman) had parents who were German.
Last to enlist in AIF –
Frederick Stewart (Lilydale) – on November 7th, 1918
Last to enlist in Royal Australian Navy –
George Paton (Montrose) – on January 13th, 1919
Youngest enlistee –
Frank Larkins (Mt Evelyn) was 14 years old when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy on December 31st, 1912.
He was 15 years old when he went into active service on August 4th, 1914.
Youngest enlistee in AIF –
Francis Goodall (Lilydale) – enlisted aged 15 years old, but was only in the AIF for two months before he is discovered and then discharged.
Youngest enlistee in AIF to see active service –
George Cassidy (Seville) – was aged 16 years when he joined the Australian Light Horse. He served overseas with the 4th Light Horse Regiment in the Middle East throughout late 1917 and 1918.
Number of volunteers who were 18 (or younger) when they enlisted –
Pre-war – 3
1914 – 0
1915 – 24
1916 – 19
1917 – 20
1918 –8
1919 – 1
Total –75
Oldest volunteer –
Gnr William Lucas (Silvan), 4th Light Horse Regiment – was 54 years old when he enlisted, although one local story says he was actually in his 60’s.
Volunteer with the largest number of children –
Albert Atkinson (Lilydale) – he was 38 years old and had ten children – two served in the AIF, with one, Claude, being killed in action.
Largest number of local siblings to enlist –
The Davies brothers of Kilsyth–Frederick, Isaac, George, Robert and William – another brother, Thomas, tried to enlist but was rejected.
Both Frederick and Isaac were killed in action.
Month & year of the largest number of locals to volunteer –
July 1915 – 113
Month & year of the smallest number of locals to volunteer –
The following had just the one recruit –
1917 – February, August
1918 – March, October, November
Enlistments by Year
Pre-war | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | Total | |
Coldstream | ||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | ||||
Kilsyth | ||||||
Lilydale | ||||||
Montrose | 1 | 1 | ||||
Mooroolbark | ||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | ||||
Mt Dandenong | ||||||
Olinda | 1 | 1 | ||||
Seville | ||||||
Silvan | ||||||
Wandin | 1 | 1 | ||||
Yering | 1 | 1 | ||||
Totals | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
1914 | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
Gruyere | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
Kilsyth | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||
Lilydale | 16 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
Montrose | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||
Mooroolbark | 3 | 3 | ||||
Mt Evelyn | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||
Mt Dandenong | 5 | 5 | ||||
Olinda | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
Seville | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
Silvan | 1 | 1 | ||||
Wandin | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
Yering | 2 | 2 | ||||
Totals | 51 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 101 |
1915 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |||||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||||||||
Lilydale | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 58 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 111 | |
Montrose | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |||||||
Mt Dandenong | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||
Olinda | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | |||
Seville | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 24 | |||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||
Wandin | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 30 | |||
Yering | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 12 | |||||||
Totals | 18 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 113 | 19 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 258 |
1916 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
Kilsyth | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | ||||||||
Lilydale | 8 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 70 |
Montrose | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||
Mt Dandenong | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||
Olinda | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 18 | |||||
Seville | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 24 | |||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||
Wandin | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 29 | ||
Yering | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||
Totals | 22 | 39 | 27 | 12 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 8 | 3 | 198 |
1917 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Lilydale | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 32 | |||
Montrose | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
Mt Dandenong | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||
Olinda | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |||||||
Seville | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
Wandin | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||||||
Yering | |||||||||||||
Totals | 8 | 1 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 75 |
1918 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Lilydale | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | |
Montrose | ||||||||||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Mt Dandenong | ||||||||||||
Olinda | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Seville | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Wandin | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Yering | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Totals | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 34 |
Local Soldiers Discharged from AIF
There were many reasons why soldiers were discharged from the AIF including: not being physically fit enough, medically unfit (from wounds, disease, injuries, pre-existing conditions, mental health), misconduct (desertion, civil crimes, venereal disease), being found to be underage or overage, refusing to be vaccinated or operated on or upon the disbanding of their unit or demobilisation of the AIF after the armistice. It does not include those who tried to volunteer but were rejected straight away.
Total number discharged throughout the war–518
Discharged | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
1915 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 17 | |||
1916 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 42 |
1917 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 61 | ||
1918 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 83 |
1919 | 15 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 32 | 45 | 38 | 27 | 20 | 17 | 4 | 301 |
1920 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
First local soldier to be discharged from service with the AIF –
Pte John Mounsey (Seville), 9th Light Horse Regiment: Is discharged from the military on January 27th, 1915 for refusing to be inoculated.
Last local soldier to return from service overseas and to be discharged from the AIF –
Pte Henry Lalor (Montrose), 7th Battalion – on June 19th, 1920
Hospitalised –
1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | Totals | |
wounded in action | 39 | 72 | 96 | 62 | 269 | ||
gassed | 12 | 23 | 35 | ||||
accident / injured | 11 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 43 | |
mental health | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||
disease / illness | 44 | 45 | 60 | 52 | 3 | 204 | |
influenza | 10 | 14 | 8 | 26 | 6 | 64 | |
Totals | 105 | 140 | 191 | 170 | 11 | 618 |
First local soldier to be hospitalised –
Pte Horace Allen (Mt Evelyn), 6th Battalion – January 3rd, 1915 – is admitted to hospital in Egypt suffering from synovitis of the right knee.
First local soldiers to arrive back in Australia as a result of medical conditions –
March 11th, 1915 –
Dvr Alfred Parish (Lilydale), 2nd Field Artillery Brigade – Arrives back on the HT Kyarra to be discharged as medically unfit as a result of mental health issues.
Pte Horace Allen (Mt Evelyn), 6th Battalion: Arrives back on the HT Kyarra to be discharged as medically unfit as a result of developing synovitis of the right knee.
First local soldier to arrive back in Australia as a result of being wounded in action –
Pte Duncan Campbell (Wandin), 5th Battalion – on November 19th, 1915 – after being wounded on Gallipoli on May 2nd, 1915.
First local soldiers to be wounded in action –
Those who were wounded at the landing at Gallipoli – April 25th, 1915.
Wounded and hospitalised the most times –
Pte Lindsay Yeaman (Montrose), 20th Battalion – was wounded and hospitalised on four separate occasions.
Total number of local soldiers who contracted a venereal disease during their service –
Sixty-nine
Total number of local soldiers who married overseas and returned with war brides –
Nineteen
Leaving Australia –
The total number of locals who left Australia for service overseas – 562
The first local to leave Australia to serve with the AIF overseas –
Dvr Leo Maxwell (Wandin), 1st Field Artillery Brigade – October 18th, 1914
The last local to leave Australia to serve with the AIF overseas –
Pte Adolphus Black (Lilydale), Australian Railways Corps – October 22nd, 1918
Month & Year of the largest number of locals to leave Australia –
November 1915 – 57
Numbers of locals who left Australia to serve overseas –
1914 | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals | |||||||
49 | 3 | 15 | 67 | ||||||||||
1915 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | totals |
17 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 34 | 57 | 10 | 187 | ||
1916 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | totals |
17 | 4 | 24 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 22 | 26 | 20 | 15 | 204 | |
1917 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | totals |
5 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 70 | |||
1918 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | totals |
1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 34 |
Died While on Active Service –
Total number of locals who died while on active service – 129
Type of deaths recorded –
1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | Totals | |
Killed in action | 11 | 22 | 35 | 19 | 87 | |
Died of wounds | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 20 | |
Died of disease | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 17 |
accident | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
Totals | 18 | 25 | 46 | 37 | 3 | 129 |
Places where deaths occurred –
1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | Totals | |
Europe | 1 | 23 | 44 | 32 | 1 | 101 |
Gallipoli | 11 | 11 | ||||
Middle East | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
South Africa | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Malta | 2 | 2 | ||||
Pacific | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Totals | 18 | 25 | 46 | 37 | 3 | 129 |
First locals to die while on active service –
The three men killed at the landing on Gallipoli – April 25th, 1915
Pte James Metcalf (Mooroolbark), 5th Battalion
Pte Leonard Lawlor (Coldstream), 6th Battalion
Pte Fremont Tabbut (Lilydale), 7th Battalion
Last local to die while on active service –
Sub Lieutenant Frank Larkins (Mt Evelyn), Submarine J2 – Lost at Sea – June 20th, 1919
First to die while on active service –
Coldstream –Pte Leonard Lawlor (Coldstream), 6th Battalion – April 25th, 1915 – Killed in action – Gallipoli
Gruyere –Sgt Frank Olle (Gruyere), 5th Battalion – May 31st, 1915 – Died of Wounds – Egypt
Kilsyth –Pte Isaac Davies (Kilsyth), 28th Battalion – July 29th, 1916 – Killed in action – France
Lilydale – Pte Fremont Tabbut (Lilydale), 7th Battalion – April 25th, 1915– Killed in action – Gallipoli
Montrose –Capt Harold Hughes (Montrose), Royal Warwickshire Regiment – May 16th, 1915 – France
Mooroolbark – Pte James Metcalf (Mooroolbark), 5th Battalion – April 25th, 1915– Killed in action – Gallipoli
Mt Evelyn – Cpl William Aicher (Mt Evelyn), 6th Battalion – May 8th, 1915 – Killed in action – Cape Helles
Mt Dandenong – Lt Wilfred Tucker DCM (Mt Dandenong), 7th Battalion – July 25th, 1918 – Died of wounds – France
Olinda – Pte Percy Johnston (Olinda), 58th Battalion – July 15th, 1916 – Killed in action – France
Seville – Pte James Mackie (Seville), 6th Battalion – May 3rd, 1915 – Killed in action – Gallipoli
Silvan – Pte William Long (Silvan), 8th Battalion – August 28th, 1915 – Died of disease – Malta
Wandin – Pte Frank Nicholls (Wandin), 5th Battalion – April 26th, 1915 – Killed in action – Gallipoli
Yering – Pte James Fraser (Yering), 23rd Battalion – November 6th, 1915 – accident – Australia
The worst year for local fatal casualties –
1917 – 46 died (more than 1915, 1916 & 1919 put together)
The worst month/year for local fatal casualties –
October 1917 – 15 locals died
The worst day for local fatal casualties –
On three occasions five locals died on the same day –
July 19th, 1916 (Fromelles)
May 3rd, 1917 (Bullecourt)
October 4th, 1917 (Broodseinde Ridge)
List of local deaths by township –
1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | Total | |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Gruyere | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | |
Kilsyth | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
Lilydale | 5 | 11 | 18 | 10 | 44 | |
Montrose | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | ||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
Mt Dandenong | 2 | 2 | ||||
Olinda | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | ||
Seville | 3 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 16 | |
Silvan | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||
Wandin | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 12 | |
Yering | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Total | 18 | 25 | 46 | 37 | 3 | 129 |
Lists of locals deaths by Year –
1915 | April | May | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
Kilsyth | ||||||||
Lilydale | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
Montrose | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Mt Dandenong | ||||||||
Olinda | ||||||||
Seville | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Wandin | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Yering | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Totals | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
1916 | Feb | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Totals |
Coldstream | ||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | ||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
Lilydale | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | ||
Montrose | ||||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | ||||
Mt Evelyn | ||||||
Mt Dandenong | ||||||
Olinda | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
Seville | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
Silvan | ||||||
Wandin | 3 | 3 | ||||
Yering | 1 | 1 | ||||
Totals | 1 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
1917 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Lilydale | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 18 | |||||
Montrose | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Mt Dandenong | ||||||||||||
Olinda | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||
Seville | 2 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
Wandin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||
Yering | ||||||||||||
Totals | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 46 |
1918 | Feb | April | May | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Totals |
Coldstream | ||||||||||
Gruyere | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||
Kilsyth | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
Lilydale | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |||
Montrose | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |||||
Mooroolbark | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
Mt Evelyn | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
Mt Dandenong | 2 | 2 | ||||||||
Olinda | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||
Seville | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
Silvan | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
Wandin | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
Yering | ||||||||||
Totals | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 37 |
1919 | Feb | June | Totals |
Coldstream | |||
Gruyere | |||
Kilsyth | 2 | 2 | |
Lilydale | |||
Montrose | |||
Mooroolbark | |||
Mt Evelyn | 1 | 1 | |
Mt Dandenong | |||
Olinda | |||
Seville | |||
Silvan | |||
Wandin | |||
Yering | |||
Totals | 2 | 1 | 3 |