Anzac heroes of Hickeys Creek

This picture is one of those finds you treasure and thank the family member for sharing it.

It is a picture of farewell, anticipation and fear. On the eve of leaving for war, the small community of Hickeys Creek in New South Wales are sending their men to a distant conflict. With the newly enlisted soldiers are their friends, sisters, wives and girlfriends. Baby Neville Fuller sits on his uncle’s lap.

In the back row, second from the left is Alonzo Hudson. His brother Justus is on the left in the front row. A third brother, Osman, also enlisted. The three brothers and the men pictured all fought in the 3rd battalion. The Hudson brothers fought to the end of the war and all returned to Hickeys Creek, Alonzo losing his leg in 1917. He received a Distinguished Conduct medal for his bravery.

In the front row on the far right is George Eldrige. George is an Englishman and a bootmaker. His experience during the war includes two hospitalisations for shell shock after the Battle of Pozieres. In May 1919 he marries Lilian Austin in Essex and applies to the AIF to return to Australia with his wife on a family transport. After the war 10,000 soldiers returned with wives they met and married in England, France and Belgium. Many of them already were pregnant or had children.

Jim Charlton, sitting in the middle of the front row, fought on Gallipoli and in France on the Western Front. He died from gun shot wounds on 22 March 1917. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen. He had a wife and two children in Australia.

Oliver Waters, standing in the back row second from the right, fought on Gallipoli and was wounded during the Battle of Pozieres. He was in England recovering for over a year. Only a few weeks after returning to his battalion, he lost his life on 9 November 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres. His body was never found. He is remembered on the Menin Gate and the Australian War Memorial.

We are lucky that Australia has records available online that enable us to piece together the story of our Anzacs. We can trace their experience through every day of their time away from their family and friends.

Lest we forget