Thread: Teddy Sheean VC at last

The 49th Australian Infantry Battalion

The 49th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 27 Feb. 1916 as part of the " doubling " of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 9th Battalion, and the other half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 9th, the 49th was predominately composed of men from QLD. The Battalion became part of 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.

Arriving in France on 12 June 1916, the 49th moved into the trenches of the Western Front for the first time on 21 June. It fought its first major battle at Mouquet Farm in August and suffered heavily , particularly on 3rd Sep. .The Battalion saw the rest of the year alternating between front line duty, training and labouring behind the line.

Early in 1917, the Battalion participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg line, supporting the 13 Brigade's attack at Noreuil 0n 2 April. Later in the year they moved to Ypres in Belgium. There they fought in the battle of Messines on 9 June and the battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September. With the collapse of Russia in October 1917, a major German offensive on the Western Front was expected in early 1918.This occurred in France in late March and the 4th Division moved to defend positions around the Dernancourt on the River Ancre. The 49th assisted in the repulse of a large German attack on 5 April , launching a critical counter-attack late in the afternoon. The German threat remained until late April, and in the early hours of Anzac Day 1918 the 49th participated in the now legendary attack to dislodge the enemy from Villers-Bretonneux.

When the allies launched their own offensive in early August, the 49th Battalion was among the units involved and played an active role until the middle of that month, before moving to duties in the rear area. The Battalion was ordered forward for its last major operation of the war in September and provided part of the 4th Divisions reserve for the attack on the Hindenburg " outpost line " on the 18th.

The 49th Battalion was disbanded on 9 May 1919. Both Great GF and GF survived the war, both were wounded, GF was gassed, and it was this that shortened his life.

Battle Honours;

Somme, 1916
Pozieres
Bullecourt
Messines
Ypres 1917
Menin Road
Polygon Wood
Passchendaele
Ancre 1918
VillersBretoneux
Hamel
Amiens
Albert 1918
Hindenburg Line
Epehy
France and Flanders 1916-18
Egypt 1916.

Decorations;
1DSO ; 2OBE ; 19 MC, 1 bar ; 7DCM ; 85 MM, 8bars ; 6 MSM ; 21 MID ; 10 foreign awards.

Originally Posted by bob10

Just a heads up for any one getting the service records of their relatives . It's warts & all, every misdemeanor,
scrape with authorities, even letters from home are recorded. I have a copy of a letter from my Great Grand Mother to the Army, which reads as so;

" I am writing to you to ask you to kindly find out my husbands whereabouts as it is over 6 months since I last heard of him and I am very uneasy about him his name and address are as follows;
Number and name
D Company
49th Battalion
13th Infantry Brigade

trusting you will furnish me with a report when received. [ and finally one last sentence]

Last heard of in France fighting."

The army replied;
"In reply to your letter of the 20th I beg to state no official report of casualty has been received concerning your husband therefore he may be assumed to be with his unit. [ A contact address was then written] ;

Number & Name
49th Battalion
Australian Imperial Force
ABROAD"

The last line says it all,
" your change of address has been noted " [ie GGM had moved ] So, Great Grand Father must have been wondering why his letters were not being answered , I can only surmise, and the same with GGM. For six months. Luckily he came home at the end, would like to have been a fly on the wall at his home coming. GGF was 44, his son GF was 18 [ officially, but family folk lore says he was 16, but I can't confirm that.]

If the Army had consulted their DATA Base they would have known where he was.



Hang about, I see a flaw in my reply.