Just over 100 years ago, on Saturday evening, July 29, 1916, the members of the Forest Creek Cricket Club and other community members gathered together at the home of William and Elizabeth Roberts to farewell several of their team mates who were soon headed to the Army Camp at Goulburn to answer the call: “Boys come over here, you’re wanted!” and “Australia has promised Britain 50,000 more men. Will you help us to keep that promise?”

Guests of honour were the host’s son William Abraham “Abe” Roberts, Walter Jenkin Malone, the eldest son of Patrick and Sarah Malone, Thomas “Harold” Prosser, the son of Thomas Bentley and Eleanor Prosser and Edward David “Ted” Grimson, the son of David and Martha Grimson.

The Forest Creek correspondent reported in the Burrowa News dated Friday, August 11, 1916 that “a great number of visitors and friends came along to do honour to the volunteers.

Dancing was indulged into the wee small hours to music rendered by Messrs. J. Fogarty, Wilcox, P. Corcoran, M. Slattery, and H. Keefe. The duties of M.C. were ably discharged by Mr. G. Evans.”

A photo Malone, Roberts, Prosser and Grimson relates directly to the above newspaper story and appeared in the ABC Television program “Landline” which was first shown on April 23, 2017.

The “Landline” program featured the artwork of Queenslander Garry Dolan and friends.

This artwork painted at Frogmore, NSW, was linked into the background life of Harold Prosser.

Around 420,000 Australians enlisted for service in the First World War.  

The former cricketers from Forest Creek were just four of those 420,000.

The Forest Creek foursome enlistment in the Army took place at the Goulburn military camp on August 2, 1916.

After initial training at Goulburn, the four soldiers found themselves bound for England with the 7th Reinforcements, 56th Infantry Battalion, per His Majesty’s Army Transport ship HMAT ‘Ascanius’.

The ship departed from Sydney on October 25, 1916 barely two months after their enlistment.

On August 31, 2018 an important anniversary date will be marked for one of those particular soldiers, Walter Malone.

Walter Jenkin Malone was born at Frogmore, near Boorowa on May 8, 1882 and was 34 years of age when his army enlistment took place at Goulburn.   

After a brief two month journey per the transport ship “Ascanius”, Walter Malone disembarked at the Port of Devonport, England on December 28, 1916. That very day he joined the 14th Training Battalion at the Hurdcott Training Camp at Fovant on the Salisbury Plain in the County of Wiltshire, England.  

On January 24, 1917, Walter Malone was sent to the nearby Fovant Military Hospital for observation. 

It was Winter and Walter was suffering from bronchitis.  

After two weeks in hospital, on February 12, 1917, Walter Malone was sent back to the Hurdcott Army Training Camp where he continued with his Army training.

Just before the end of the month, on February 27, 1917 Walter Malone and other members of the 14th Training Battalion, boarded the Army Transport Paddle Steamer “Golden Eagle” at Folkestone in Kent and were headed towards France, soon to be was encamped at the 5th British Army Base Depot at Etaples.

The Étaples Army Base Camp was a base for British, Canadian, Scottish and Australian forces.  At its peak, the camp housed over 100,000 people, its hospitals could treat 22,000 patients.

After moving into the 19th Battalion on March 23, 1917, in less than a month, a realisation of what war was all about soon struck home. Walter received a bullet wound to the right arm on April 15, 1917. He was admitted to the 56th Clearing Station and then two days later transferred to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen.

His wound was serious enough for Walter to be transported from the Port of LeHavre, France, back to England on May 2, 1917, on the Hospital Ship “Grantully Castle” where he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Dudley Road, Birmingham, England on May 3, 1917.

Thomas Harold Prosser, Walter’s Forest Creek Cricket Club Teammate and second cousin was killed in action on May 3, 1917 – the same day that Walter was admitted to hospital in England. 

On June 24, 1917 Walter Malone, after being discharged from hospital, was sent to Camp Headquarters at Perham Downs on the Salisbury Plains, “where those deemed fit enough to resume active service were then sent to the Overseas Training Brigade to harden them up for life back in the trenches.”

On the day after his arrival back into camp, Walter Malone was in trouble for “Failing to salute an officer of His Majesty’s Forces” and Major B B Rodd issued the ruling that Walter had to forfeit a day’s pay.

Walter was at Perham Downs and then Longbridge Deverill for a very long period – June 24, 1917 to May 8, 1918, building skills and strength for his return to the battlefields of France.

“Lambs to the Slaughter” - it was back to France via the Port of Folkestone for Walter and on May 8, 1918 he again reached the 5th Base Depot at Etaples. Just two days later Walter moved from the Base Depot to once again join the 19th Battalion on May 18, 1918.

Within two weeks of re-joining his battalion, Walter was wounded in action again after being gassed on May 30, 1918, requiring an enforced time of hospitalisation an convalescence at the 7th Stationary Hospital and the Convalescent Depot at both Boulogne and LeHavre in France.

Once again Walter re-joined the 19th Battalion on August 3, 1918. Before the month was through, however, Walter was to see his last service for his country. Walter Jenkin Malone was killed in action on day one of the Battle of Mont St Quentin and Peronne.

Australians of the Second Division crossed to the north bank of the Somme River on the evening of August 30.

At 5am on August 31, 1918, supported by artillery, two significantly undermanned Australian battalions, charged up Mont St Quentin ordered by Monash to 'scream like bushrangers'. The Germans quickly surrendered and the Australians continued to the main German trench-line.

However, the Germans quickly regrouped and launched a counter-attack, and the first day of September saw fierce fighting and heavy losses. Germans attacked and heavily shelled Péronne.

The outnumbered Australians were pushed back off the summit of Mont St Quentin. Relief battalions were sent, and with their reinforcement, all the areas were retaken by the Australians, but at the cost of 3,000 casualties. Walter Malone was one of those casualties.

The news of Walter Malone’s death obviously stunned his Frogmore family and friends.

Walter’s death followed, by just over a fortnight, the death of his close friend and fellow Forest Creek cricketing teammate William Abraham “Abe” Roberts. The announcement of his Walter’s death was broadcast to the local Frogmore and Boorowa communities via the Burrowa News: Friday, October 11, 1918. 

Killed in Action - On September 26, word came to Mr. and Mrs. P. Malone that their son Walter, had paid the supreme penalty whilst fighting in France.

The deceased hero was of a quiet and unassuming character but was highly respected by everyone, for his industrious and honest performance of any work undertaken by him. He had been away about two years, having enlisted with Private Grimson, Roberts and Prosser, three of his clubmates from Forest Creek C.C. He was previously wounded and gassed.  

On Sunday, September 29, a memorial service for Privates Malone and A. Roberts was conducted at Frogmore, the preacher being Rev. F. W. Rettie, of Burrowa. The congregation was the largest ever seen in Frogmore, testifying to the esteem in which the two deceased soldiers were held by the residents of the district.

Army correspondence given to Sarah Malone revealed that, “Walter was Killed in Action on August 31, 1918 and he was buried in an isolated grave, in a trench, about 90 yards from a ruined house, just west of Mount St. Quentin and one mile north of Peronne, France.”

Later correspondence advised Sarah Malone that: “your son the late No. 2934B. Private W.J.Malone, 19th Battalion, his remains have been exhumed and re-interred in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension.”

On August 31, 2018, will mark the 100^th anniversary of the death of Walter Jenkin Malone in France during World War 1.  

Walter’s great-nephew and great-niece Peter Parkman and Louise Cooper, accompanied by their respective spouses Leanne and David will represent the family and visit Walter at Peronne, France on that particular day.

By John Malone, Cootamundra