World War 1 Honour Roll
This is a photograph of the members of the club in 1911. Things were starting to improve for the club. They had some promising new recruits already winning races. In 1912 the boys from the Agricultural High School began rowing at the shed. Sixteen schoolboys became members and raced successfully for the club notably winning the first schoolboy four event to be held at Ballarat Regatta in 1913. Many of the men pictured would go on to enlist in WW 1.
The club was on the verge of a very successful era. However, world events that occurred far from Australia would devastate not just the club but the whole country. The announcement of World War 1 in England on the August 4, 1914 followed by the proclamation on August 5, by the Governor General of Australia R.M.Ferguson.This meant that Australia was obliged to support England. The AIF was formed and by November troops were being sent to Egypt to protect the British interests in the Suez Canal. Men between 19 and 38 were called to sign up. Those under 21 had to get parental consent. Many of the members of the club were in that demographic.
The immediate impact occurred right at the start of the 1914-15 season. Instead of training for regattas, many were training for war. The exodus of men occurred in clubs around Australia. Ballarat City Rowing Club had 58 members sign up. This was about two thirds of the membership and those that were left were usually past the age for volunteering. This did not stop some members, notably Major Edward Champion, club President, signing up at age 49.
This list appeared in the Star newspaper late October, 1913.The club had a record 12 crews entered in the competition for the Club fours. Over half the men named were to enlist 1914/1915. Several of them paid the ultimate sacrifice. Below
- C.Manners, Murdoch Spencer, P.Cross, P.Molloy
2. J.O’Shea, Carl Ehms, Albert McKenzie, J. Murphy
3. A.Trehearne, John Gear, G. Vickery, J.Murphy
4. Jack Blaikie, Reg Allen, D. Martin, L. Carr
5. Cliff Williams, Alan Scott, Rasmus Hansen, Arthur King
6. Thomas Luke, Gordon Tyler, Treve Marsh, Angus McDonald
7. B. Pollard, Joseph Moore, W. Doherty, Edgar Costelloe
8. W. Crick, Ozzie McPhail, Otto Ehms, L.Ehms
9. Henry Richardson, T. Stephens, G. Richardson, C. Shaper.
10. Jack Mercer-Walker, H. Lynch, Cyril Palmer, J. F. Dodwell
11. Ernest Morshead, Jack Cross, Edgar Dorrigton, Arthur Lugg
12. William Commons, J.Buchanan, L.Hotham , M.Cummins
Those in bold type were members who served in WW1 and those underlined were killed in action.
The 1914-15 rowing season would started at the club about October but by then, many of the young men had left or were preparing to leave. In September 1915 Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Wilfred Bennett, the President of the club from 1910 to 1915 also enlisted and the club was left in the hands of caretaker President J.Tulloch and secretary Andrew Alipius O’Dea. The shed was essentially locked up for the next three years. It would take a great deal of work and many years to build the club back up again when it restarted in 1918.
I have already posted 21 profiles of our WW 1 soldiers and beginning on ANZAC Day I will post the research I have done into the remaining 37 men who appear on the club’s Honorboard.
LEST WE FORGET.
SARGEANT REGINALD EDGAR ALLEN
Ballarat City Rowing Club
1913 competed in Club fours
1/01/1913 raced in Maiden eight and Lightweight eight at Colac Regatta.
1913 Won Maiden four Barwon Regatta. Crew- Reginald Allen (bow), Jack Blaikie (2),Murdoch Spencer (3) and Ernest Morsehead (str). Coach, William Commons.
Born in Ballarat, Victoria educated at Ballarat Agricultural High School. He Joined Ballarat City Rowing club in 1912 when the High School boys rowed at Ballarat City as they did not have a shed or boats of their own. Although the Ballarat Public Schools Head of the Lake also commenced in 1912, Ballarat High School was barred from competing. He was one of the 16 boys that joined up.
In 1913 he was listed as rowing in the club trial fours and he was obviously good enough that he was selected to race in a Maiden eight, four and a Lightweight eight. He had his first win in a Maiden four at Barwon Regatta with Ernest Morsehead, Murdoch Spencer and Jack Blaikie. At Ballarat Regatta he raced in and won the first ever Schoolboy four held at Ballarat Regatta. He also rowed in a Maiden eight and a Lightweight eight that competed at Colac Regatta on New Years Day
He also raced in a Maiden pair at Colac Regatta in 1914.
Leaving school he became a shoeing smith by trade. He enlisted on the 20th of August 1914 from Unit: Field Artillery Brigade 3, Battery 7 and AWM Embarkation Roll number 13/31/1. His next of kin was his mother Mrs. S.Allen of 2-4 Sturt Street. His Unit embarked from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A22 ‘Rangatira’ on the 25th of September 1914. On the 27th of Feb 2016 transferred to the 4th Division Artillery Tel-el-Kebir. On 14th of September 2015 was awarded 28 days F.P. No.1 for disobeying a lawful command by his superior officer in the execution of his duty Zaheriah. Returned to Australia from England per ‘D22’ Submarine Guard Duty on 11th of September 1918.
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