Training England Feb 1917 - Sept 1917

Training for France.

Bernie had arrived in England 2/5/17 as a Pioneer. However, his expertise as a horseman must have come to someone's notice as he was transferred to the Supplies and Transport division. He was allocated to Training Camp B at Rolleston, on the Salisbury Plains (refer to page 17). He was far from alone, 30,000 troops and convalescing soldiers were in the three camps.

Training in England was designed to harden up the men, keeping them fit and ready to handle the psychological as well as physical hardships ahead. In the Division's War Diaries camps were set up and the men lived in tents. Later they were moved to poorly constructed Huts. The weather is described as cold and wet. August and September in England would not have been too pleasant. The winter of 1917 was one of the coldest on record.

Uncle George  at Netley Hospital.

Uncle George was discharged from Netley hospital and posted to No.1 C.D. as a Class 3 and returned to duty at the 1st A.A. hospital at Perham Downs. Netley Hospital, provided treatment for men worn down from the War. George was listed as "over aged" , this was a euphemism for shell-shock or chronic fatigue. Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, renowned British poets spent time at Netley with shell shock. 

Ward 10 D, Netley Hospital

He became ill again with bronchitis and was again admitted to hospital. His health was failing, his age, chronic bronchitis and arthritis was taking its toll. He convalesced at Harefield before returning home as unfit 20/8/17. 

Harefield, England. c.1915. Exterior of "Harefield House" 

the former stately home taken over by the 

No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1AAH) in 1915.

AWM P02402.00

5

He left England on the 'Benella', where he performed transport duties as a nurse. There is a cross over of some months in which they may have had an opportunity to meet. 

James in Flanders 

Brother Jim was already in France and in the field. It would not be until early December when he was hospitalized with a septic hand would there be any chance of Bernie catching up with him in Le Harve.

Bernie Arrives in France.

On the 27/8/1917 Bernie arrived in Rouen. Bernie was transferred to the 1st Australian Division's Depot Unit of Supply, following training at Rolleston Training Camp on 10/8/17. The link to the War Diary of a Supply camp provides some idea of the conditions and planning needed to send troops from a central depot to the front line.

The 27th Battalion, having recovered from Fromelles and Pozieres was now being readied for the Third Battle of Ypres. The supply of material and food to the troops was a vital part of the action. War Diaries for the 1st Division describes movement of the Division to the forward lines. Unit diaries list the the meticulous detail that went into providing food for 27,000 men, fuel for trucks, coal for trains, oats and hay for some 3000 horses.

While in the South of England Bernie would have been trained in the clerical tasks of issuing gear, food and ammunition, fuel for the trucks and feed for the horses. The wagons for the horses needed to be maintained and the horses cared for.

Less than a month later, 5/9/17 he was attached to the 15th Depot Unit of Supply from the Australian Supply Company Base Depot in Le Harve, France. He was now part of the 15th Depot Unit of Supply and responsible for the supply of food, clothing, ammunition and the maintenance of roads. He was part of the Transport Services within the Unit.

While being at the front was the most dangerous of places to be, those in the support divisions also faced shelling, bombing from German Aircraft and the terrible weather and mud.

The Transport Division was to supply troops, that is, for their Battalion, by a system of forward positioning of supply units. Based in Rouen, each Unit of Supply would be ordered to provide necessary rations, ammunition and repair materials to the Battalions at the front and in the reserve lines.

The Third Battle of Ypres included the famous battles of

• Ypres, 1917
• Menin Road
• Polygon Wood
• Broodseinde
• Poelcappelle
• Passchendaele

It is perhaps no wonder that Bernie told Will that he remembered Ypres so vividly. When he left England he was heading for some of the bloodiest conflicts in the war. He would have left the ordered, albeit damp autumn of England for the mud, chaos and insanity of the Western Front. After three years of conflict the trench lines would have looked like a scene from hell.

Setting Sail for France.

Life on Board

On the 10th February 1917 Bernie boarded the HMAT A48 Seang Bee. All army transport ships were given a number and the Seang Bee was Number 48. The ship the  weighed 5,849 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 May 1917. As portrayed in the postcard below the ship had one funnel in the center and two masts at each end. The hull of the ship is dark coloured and a flag is flying from the stern.

Post card , Bernie sent many post cards and letters home.

Once on board Private Devlin and his other 149 companions would have been each given his hammock and space to keep his gear. Life on board would have been crowded. However, there was no time for sitting down and relaxing. 

Archie Barwick  kept a diary of his exploits. in describing the journey by sea said that "we were taken down to our troop decks and our different portions allotted to us. After we settled we were served some hot soup and bread" (pg 12).

Once out at sea most men fell seasick and the soup was lost overboard. A similar tale is found in E.P.F. Lynch's book Somme Mud.

Each ship had its own magazine for the soldiers to read. The Seang Bee was no exception, The tri-weekly Seang Bee Sea Breezes edited by The Shark provided the troops with an outlet. They contributed their own anecdotes, stories, humor and verse. There were safety drills and the ever present danger of attack by submarine or German battleship. Each Sunday a Church Parade and there was also the fun of crossing the equator. King Neptune would appear and all sorts of shenanigans went on. The ship would have called into Cape town, and if permitted some soldiers would have a short break. Lynch and Barwick both describe the fun of throwing pennies for young children to dive for and sending baskets over the side to buy fruit.

Photographs from other ships show a number of boxing matches held on board as well as concerts, games and weekly church parades.

I am unable to find out the exact route taken. My first guess would be the ship sailed along the coast of Africa to England. However, Claire tell the story of Bernie being in Egypt.

Moses in the Bulrushes - Fact or Fiction

Apparently he went for a tour along the Nile and the guide took him on a long walk , ending up in a patch of bulrushes. This was pointed out as the place where Moses was placed in a basket to be found by Pharaoh's daughter. A few days later he went on the same tour with a group of nurses. This tour stopped well short of the place Bernie had been shown.

Later Bernie asked the guide "I thought the place was a bit further up than were you showed the ladies?". The Guide replied, "So true, but pretty ladies cannot walk that far, the walk is too hot for them". Bernie laughed and reckoned the tour guide was a right fraud.

A Mystery to be solved.

According to Bernie's papers he disembarked at

After 3 months at sea he disembarks at Devon Port, England 2/5/17. 

The ship may well have gone through the Suez Canal, and the story may be attributed to him. I heard the same story from my Grandmother. She attributed the story to Uncle George. Claire is certain it was her father's story. It is a bit of a mystery to be solved.

Army Training in Australia 1916

A week after  Bernie, joined  the Conscription Referendum was defeated. While many soldiers were for conscription they were worried about non volunteers joining their ranks. Veteran of Gallipoli Archie Barwick recorded in his journal , that many soldiers were for conscription. Others felt that men should be volunteers only, as these men would "have your back".

Anti-Conscription Poster.

Basic training  

Training in a Pioneers battalion was hard work. Pioneers assisted the engineers digging trenches, building roads etc. As Bernie had said his occupation was labourer he would have been seen as a good candidate for the Pioneers. "A Pioneer Battalion was essentially a construction and labour unit. During World War I it was employed to construct road works (including corduroy roads [2]), to dig communications trenches, insert ‘duck board’ tracks, build saps, and extend ‘light rail’ systems. They were considered to be the ‘handy men’ of a Division and often completed their essential work under fire. The 1916 influx of 5th Pioneer reinforcements consisted of mainly tradesmen, miners and craftsmen, mostly originating from South and Western Australia (Inside History)".

In Australia,  training was mainly exercises, long route marches and gaining fitness. Physical training required very little equipment. However, soldiers had to be more than physically tough they had to be mentally tough as well.  The long route marches , cross country runs, in full kits, obstacle crossing drills, bayonet fighting, rope climbing, stretcher carrying and crawling along low barbed wire. 

All this was designed to toughen the men up. The major incentive for not giving up was the fear of letting your mates down (Silent Voices pg 32-33).

Basic training covered a range of topics including;

• cleanliness and care of feet 
• infantry training 
• marching 
• musketry training (including care of arms and ammunition and theory of rifle fire) 
• physical fitness 
• night and day visual training 
• judging distance 
• movements at night 
• noises at night 
• guards and outposts 
• construction of field defenses and obstacles
• use of entrenching equipment and tools 
• bayonet fighting

Meanwhile in France the 27th Battalion was preparing for the second battle of the Somme, and were digging trenches East of Flers. The 5th Pioneers were busy preparing the groundwork.

Pioneers were trained firstly as soldiers and could be transferred to other divisions or units depending on the requirements of the time.

Six months of training complete Bernie was set to leave Adelaide on the HMAT See Beang.

The HMAT A48 Seang Bee weighed 5,849 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Lim Chin Tsong, Rangoon, and leased by the Commonwealth until 12 May 1917.

Where was James?

31st Battalion soldiers training for 3rd Battle of Ypres.

His brother James has begun fighting in in Flanders in November 1916. He arrived in France and was hospitalized with the Mumps. He returned to the battle field for a month. He spent some time in hospital with various illnesses that today would have easily been treated with antibiotics. The unhygienic conditions in the trenches meant the slightest scratch could become severely infected. The 31st Battalion War Diaries describe a very strained existence for the soldiers. If they were not at the front facing shell, shot or gas they were out the back if line training.

Where was George? 

Ambulance Duty.

George  was failing in health. Perhaps his age or the harsh conditions, the cold and the damp of England. He was hospitalized twice in France with pleurisy, he was transferred to England to be hospitalised again with bronchitis. In August 1917, he was returning to Australia on the Benella. He was discharged from the Army 8/11/17. His discharge papers stated he was   discharged in Adelaide with his disabilities listed as, chronic bronchitis and over aged.

Enlistment 24 October 1916

Answering the Call.

Three days before the second referendum on conscription was held, Bernie signed his papers and was assigned to the 5th Battalion of Pioneers.


His brother James, had enlisted in January of the same year. James was assigned to the 31st Battalion as a reinforcement, by June he is aboard HMAT Malakuta A57 on his way to France.

The HMAT A57 Malakuta weighed 7,430 tons with an average cruise speed of 12 knots or 22.22 kmph.
It was owned by the T & J Brocklebank Ltd, Liverpool, and leased by the Commonwealth until 24 January 1917.

By March, Uncle George was in Marseilles.

The Militia - Compulsory Service 

Military service was, in 1909, compulsory. The Deakin government had legislated the as part of the Defense Act that all 12-14 year old (males) were to serve as junior cadets, all 14-19 year old served as senior cadets and those aged from 18-20 were to join local citizen forces called Militias. They were to remain in reserve until they turned 26.


In Bernie's attestation paper he recorded his service with the Nuriootpa Citizen's Military Forces (CMF) for 12 months. The CMF was largely a weekend a month affair, soldiers would learn basic drill and use of firearms.

27th Battalion 

The 27th Battalion was known as the South Australian Battalion. The Battalion formed part of the 7th Brigade in the Second Division. The 25th Battalion, from Queensland, 26th Battalion comprised of 4 companies, two from Queensland and 2 from Tasmania and the 28th Battalion was raised in Western Australia.

The Battalion was also known at the "Dinkums", following Gallipoli where the 27th was said to have recognized the "dinkum soldiers job" ahead of them. A large number of men from the suburb of Unley volunteered, and the Battalion was also named as "Unley's Own".

The battalion was also known as the Blue and Brown Diamond, this was a recognition of the Battalions colour patch. Each Battalion had its own patch with a distinguishing shape.


Gallipoli was a year old by the time Bernie had enlisted, the heroes of the debacle were on their way to France.


As a member of the 5 Battalion Pioneers, Bernie would have started his training at the Mitcham Camp. By the time he arrived the camp had become a model camp for the Commonwealth. The early years of poor sanitation, poor food and poor management had gone. The Quartermaster's Branch was kept busy issuing clothing arms and equipment.



The Cheer Up Society, founded to provide cheer to local and visiting soldiers made the comfort of the soldiers their particular concern. A music hall, sing-a-longs and general well being were their main focus. This was a role mainly women fulfilled. The Red Cross Society was a newly formed organisation with its headquarters in Melbourne. The Cheer Up Society was a precursor to the Red Cross. Often the Society raised funds to provide coffee and tea shacks near the front line.

Stories I have been told.

Early Memories.

I can remember our Grandmother telling me stories of Poppa and his involvement in the war. He, his brother James and Uncle George Hartwig , all fighting in France.

I heard my father often tell the story that Pop had said that they issued new troops moving forward to the front two pairs of underpants. Apparently because when they got there they always “shit themselves”.

The best story was of Pop stopping to take a leak against a wall and his mates walking ahead. They were all their way to the Drum and a shell landed and killed them. If he had not stopped he would have been killed. This is the stuff of our family legend. Our grandfather, probably drunk, probably on his way to a brothel, stopped for a pee and missed being killed.

The real story, according to his daughter Claire was slightly different. Her version said that Bernie was heading off on leave to England. He and five of his mates were on their way to the railway station. His mates decided they wanted to go to the toilet before leaving. Despite their calls for him to come with them, Bernie decided to walk on slowly. There was a loud explosion and the toilet block was blown to bits. Bernie went on and caught the train. He toured England, Wales and Ireland before returning to France.

Bernard was born on March, 14th, 1895, at Hergott Springs (now Maree) in South Australia. A Pisces under the Western stars or a Goat in the Chinese Zodiac.

Burnard Devlin

Louisa Devlin (nee Hartwig).

He was the third child of Burnard and Louisa Devlin. Their first child, Ruth died young, his older brother James, was born in 1873.

The two boys were very close. James was a quiet, thoughtful chap, while Bernie was very outgoing and loved the outdoors. His early years were spent at McDonald's Station near Hergott Springs.




In 1903 the family moved to Dutton. Later they settled at Moppa a village on the outskirts of Nurioopta.

Bernie attended the Ebeneezer School and excelled in German Grammar.

Bernie was a saddler by trade. He may or may not have finished his apprenticeship with Krieg Saddlery in Nuriootpa.

Krieg Saddlery Nuriootpa.

George Hartwig

George Hartwig.

Uncle George Hartwig, service number 86, joined the 27th Battalion as an ambulance driver. He enlisted on the 5th December, 1914. George was born in 1871. At 43 years of age he was one of the older men to enlist.

By May 1915 he was in the Middle East stationed at Alexandria and Mudros. He was part of the Gallipoli campaign in as much as he was an Ambulance Driver unloading the wounded on the island of Mudros.

By March 1916 he was in France. He was just in time for the battles of the Somme, Fromelles and Pozieres.

James Devlin

James Devlin

James, a baker by trade, joined in 1916. He was assigned to the 31st Battalion and served in Flanders on the front line.

The favourite son.

According to Bernie's daughter, Claire Surman, he joined the 27th Battalion before turning 21. While there is no record of this, the story is that his parents came down to Adelaide and pulled him off the boat.

Claire continues her story, she tells of Bernie's parents bribing him with a horse and a rifle. They hoped to dissuade their favourite son from joining up. As Claire tells it, Bernie was the favourite, although she was quite disdainful of the concept.

However, despite the pleadings of his parents, Bernie enlisted on October, 1916. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion Pioneers. Claire recalls her father telling her of the moment he stood alone on the deck of the HMAT Beang See watching as Adelaide faded into the horizon, he had the sinking feeling that he should have listened to his parents.


He felt very afraid.