Remembering Humphrey Fackerell

 Humphrey Fackerell - (2nd Great-Granduncle)

Humphrey Fackerell was born on 5 April 1898 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales.[1] His father, Edward Fackerell, was a prominent businessman in the area, and this was his sixth child but his first child with his new wife, Amy. Humphrey spent his childhood growing up with his half-siblings in the region, and soon two more sons joined the family.[2] Around 1911, his parents separated, and his mother moved him and his two younger brothers to Sydney.[3] Despite the idyllical childhood growing up in the bush and his later teen years in the big city, Humphrey was to exchange it all as a "boy soldier" for the muddy and bloody front line of World War One.

 

Studio Portrait of Humphrey. Photo from Australian War Memorial.

 In May 1915, the Great War had been raging on for nearly a year. At the time, Humphrey was living in Sydney, working as an apprentice engineer.[4] The news of a German U-boat being responsible for the sinking of the civilian ship Lusitania and the death of her 1200 passengers was published in a Sydney newspaper. These deaths were published alongside a report involving German atrocities in Belgium. The news of the heavy losses sustained at Gallipoli were also starting to reach Australia. The Australian Imperial Force was made up entirely of volunteers, and these events led to 36,575 men enlisting in July 1915. This month became Australia's highest total of enlistments for the whole war.[5] His older half-brother, Herbert, enlisted in June at Sydney.[6] These events may have been why Humphrey volunteered to enlist in September despite being only 17 years old and lying about his age to be able to join.[7] Edward's father was said to have been very proud of Humphrey, and his eyes shone when Humphrey asked him for permission to enlist.[8]

In October, Humphrey embarked on the Nestor from Melbourne, Victoria, to begin his military career. He had been given the rank of Gunner in the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column.[9] The ship arrived the following month in Cairo, Egypt.[10] Egypt had become home to many British military bases, and Australian soldiers lived and trained in these camps.[11] In March 1916, Humphrey joined the 21st Howitzer Brigade. The brigade soon moved to Alexandria harbour to embark on a ship to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France.[12] The Western Front was often described as "one of the darkest periods of the First World War."[13] On 1 April, Humphrey and his brigade disembarked at Marseilles.[14]

On 13 April, Humphrey and his brigade arrived at Borre to be billeted.[15] Billets were temporary accommodations for the soldiers to rest while stationed behind the front lines. The French civilians would provide farmhouses, barns, and halls or whatever was available.[16] A Lieutenant Doughty arrived to be billeted in Borre the following night. The Lieutenant's diary at the time spoke of now being in the war zone and of the knee-deep mud that was the road in Borre. Every available cottage was a billet for the soldiers. On the night of 14 April, the sounds of the guns were audible and lit up the night sky with their firing.[17]  Two days after arriving, Humphrey's rank was changed from Gunner to Driver.[18] Humphrey's new job as Driver in an ammunition column was to move the artillery ammunition from the third line supply depot to the Front, the first line. The drivers drove the horse teams pulling the guns and ammunition, which was made extra dangerous by combining horses that are naturally sensitive to all forms of artillery while carrying loads of live ammunition.[19]

In May 1916, orders were received the reorganise the Brigades and divisional ammunition columns.[20] Humphrey was taken on strength to the Divisional Ammunition Column.[21] Reorganising the brigade ammunition columns into the Divisional Ammunition Column, rather than having them run as separate entities to each other, gave them greater flexibility in supplying the ammunition to the guns.[22] It was reported that the batteries were satisfied with the communication with the Divisional Ammunition Column, and the supply was running smoothly, along with the wagons arriving regularly.[23]  In July, Humphrey appeared to have lost his enthusiasm for the war. He was disciplined for ill-treating a horse. He received three days of punishment of heavy labouring duties.[24] The following month, he was disciplined for "Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline." This time he was given 14 days of hard labour.[25]

With the war entering its third year, Humphrey was transferred to the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade in August 1916.[26] In August 1917, Humphrey failed to return to Victoria Station, London, after having leave. He remained absent from 5 August until 3 September 1917, when military authorities apprehended him. He plead guilty to absenting himself while on active duty. He was given 90 days of detention. Despite the seriousness of the crime, 18 days were remitted from Humphrey's sentence, and he returned to France to rejoin his unit in November.[27] In March 1918, Humphrey made a will leaving all his effects to his mother.[28] At 19 years old, he must have seen enough of the last two and half years of war to be contemplating his mortality. Humphrey wrote a letter to his mother informing her of the will, but there was no mention of the war. He instead choose to focus on the weather and his efforts at trench art.

"it is a lovely sunny day to-day, we have a little frost in the nights and the day are so lovely and warm, they are beginning to get longer, I am passing the time away by making souvenirs out of old shell cases and coper driving bands of shell that have been fired by old Fritz."[29]

The Australian Imperial Force launched an attack on Mont St Quentin, France, at the end of August 1918. Mont St Quentin was the last German stronghold and key to the Somme line's German defence. Soon the soldiers had captured the village of Mont St Quentin, but the Germans quickly reorganised and began a counter-attack. Once the Germans retook the summit of Mont St Quentin on 1 September, the Australians were forced to retreat. Soon Australian reinforcements arrived, and the area was able to be retaken.[30] Humphrey was part of the 103rd Howitzer Battery of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. His battery was on the guns just outside of Mont St, Quentin, on 2 September. A shell wounded Humphrey in the arm and chest as he pulled the gun into position.[31] He was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station but sadly died of his wounds on 4 September. [32] The Battles of Mont St Quentin and Peronne are regarded among the finest Australian feats on the Western Front. The three days came at the cost of 3,000 casualties but caused the Germans to withdraw towards the Hindenburg Line, their last line of defence.[33] Sixty-eight days after Humphrey's death, Armistice Day was declared on 11 November, and the Great War was over. Humphrey was buried at the British Military Cemetery, Proyart.[34] After the war, his remains were reinterred in the Health Military Cemetery, Harrbonnieres, France.[35]

 

Photo of  Humphrey's original burial. Photo retrieved from Australian War Memorial.

His mother, Amy, unable to have his body to bury or conduct any of the usual morning rituals associated with death in the previous peacetime, must have added to her grief.[36] Amy wrote many letters to various military departments after Humphrey's death. Due to the separation from Humphrey's father, Amy wanted to ensure she would receive her son's effects. Amy's grief at wanting the physical objects that remained of her son - medals, memorial plaque, personal effects, death certificate were most likely a way to substitute the morning practises she was unable to do.[37] While the war had finished and the world had largely moved on, Amy was still writing letters to officials at least 2 years after, "as she was the mother of the brave lad who sacrificed his life for his country."[38]

 

Humphrey's Final Resting Place at Heath Cemetery, France. Photo retrieved from Find A Grave website. 

 

[1] Gravesite details of Dvr Humphrey Fackerell, Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current, Find a Grave, Ancestry.com, accessed 19th September 2022.

[2] Christine Stratigos, ‘Edward John Fackerell (1866 – 1941)’, Tweed Regional Museum website, n.d.,

https://museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au/explore/people-places/people/family-stories/edward-fackerell, accessed 19 May 2022.

[3] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, pp 35; 38.

[4] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 38.

[5] Emily Robertson, ‘Complex Imperialism: atrocity propaganda, liberalism and humanitarianism in the British Empire and Australia during the First World War’, UNSW Australia, 2016, pp 116; 123;315-316, https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/3071, accessed 19 September 2022.

[6]  Service record for Herbert William Fackerell, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, pp 1 – 2.

[7] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 1.

[8] ‘Personal’, Tweed Daily, 21 September 1915, p 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191037986, accessed 15 September 2022.

[9] First World War Embarkation Roll for Humphrey Fackerell, 1 Divisional Ammunition Column – 1st to 11th Reinforcements Dec 1914 - Oct 1915, Australia War Memorial. p 32.

[10] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 14.

[11] Australia Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs, ‘Training Australian army recruits during World War I’, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Anzac Portal Website, 4 January 2021,

https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training, accessed 19 September 2022.

[12] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[13] Victoria State Government, ‘History of the Western Front’, Victorian State Government Anzac Centenary website, n.d, http://anzaccentenary.archive.vic.gov.au/westernfront/history/index.html, accessed 19 September 2022.

[14] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[15] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell p 22.

[16] Jessica Bretherton, ‘Life in the rear: Estaminets, billets, and the AIF on the Western Front, 1916–18’, Australian War Memorial, 2013, p 5. https://www.awm.gov.au/sites/default/files/life_in_the_rear_edited_cz_0.pdf, accessed 19 September 2022.

[17]Peter Kivell, ‘The complete diaries of Lieutenant R.D. Doughty M.C. RAA maintained throughout 1915, 1916 and 1917 of World War 1,’ Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company website, n.d, https://www.artilleryhistory.org/gunners_past_and_present/gunners_of_renown_and_gunners_tales/gunners_tales/lieutenant_rd_doughty_mc_raa/lieutenant_rd_doughty_mc_raa_diary_4_page_3.html, accessed 19 September 2022.

[18] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[19] Steve Larkins, ‘1st Divisional Ammunition Column’, Virtual War Memorial Australia website, November 2013, https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/356, accessed 19 September 2022.

[20] War Diary of 1st Australian Divisional Artillery, May 1916, Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries 1914- 18 War, Australian War Memorial, RCDIG1015554, p 2.

[21] War Diary of 1st Australian Divisional Artillery, May 1916, p 42; Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[22] Robert Stevenson, ‘The anatomy of a division: the 1st Australian Division in the Great War, 1914-1919’, UNSW Sydney, 2010, p 79, https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/bac19896-5f46-493e-be2d-0abcfc071a20, accessed 19 September 2022.

[23] War Diary of 1st Australian Divisional Artillery, May 1916, p 90.

[24] Australian War Memorial, ‘Field Punishment’, Australian War Memorial Encyclopedia website, 15 April 2015, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/field_punishment, accessed 19 September 2022.

[25] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[26] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 22.

[27] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, pp 23;26.

[28]Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 33.

[29] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 71.

[30] Australian War Memorial, ‘Mont St Quentin and Péronne: Australian Victories’, Australian War Memorial website, 3 February 2022, https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/1918/battles/mtstquentin, accessed 19 September 2022.

[31] AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS WOUNDED AND MISSING FILES for Humphrey Fackerell, 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files, 1914-18 War, 1DRL/0428, Australian War Memorial, 1030501A, pp 6-7.

[32] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 27.

[33] The Australian War Memorial, London, ‘Mont St Quentin The Finest Australian Feat, 1918’, The Australian War Memorial, London website, n.d,

https://www.awmlondon.gov.au/battles/mont-st-quentin, accessed 19 September 2022.

[34] AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS WOUNDED AND MISSING FILES for Humphrey Fackerell, 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade, Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files, 1914-18 War, 1DRL/0428, Australian War Memorial, 1030501A, pp 2.

[35] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 49.

[36] Joy Damousi, 'Mourning Practices', in Jay Winter, ed., The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume III – Civil Society, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2014, pp. 2-3.

[37] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell pp 70;73;75-76;78.

[38] Service record for Humphrey Fackerell, p 39.