The flag on Anzac House by Joe Maxwell
16 November 2007 by Craig Tibbitts. To Flanders Fields, 1917, Battles, Frontline troops, Passchendaele (Ypres). Comments (7)
I found this article last night in an old Reveille journal from June 1930. Apart from the photos which I’ve added, the text remains as published. The author was Joe Maxwell, the very same who won a DCM as a warrant officer near Westhoek, just a few days after the action described below. The following year he would win the Military Cross twice, and just before the end of the war, the Victoria Cross at the Hindenburg Line.
‘Anzac House’ was a large German Pillbox captured by Maxwell’s battalion (18th) during the Battle of Menin Road (on 20 Sept). It lay on Anzac Ridge between Zonnebeke and Polygon Wood, but much nearer the latter.
The Flag: Anzac House by Joe Maxwell
The Reveille, June 1930, p 11.’A few minutes after we had captured our objective on September 20, 1917, Corps Headquarters was informed: “Objective reached. Australian flag flying on Anzac House.”
The Australian papers featured this episode, and months later we received glowing accounts of a Digger rushing forward holding aloft an outsize in Australian flags. Illustrated papers devoted a full page to feature the deed in colour – a deed which stirred the imagination of every patriotic Australian. The French and English papers also elaborated on the initiative and bravery of this lone Australian soldier.
It may interest readers of “Reveille” to know the facts: Anzac House was the objective of B. Coy (18th Battalion), of which I at the time was company sergeant-major. It was an exceptionally strong pill box, and our O.C. (Captain Jack O’Donnell) decided it would make an ideal company headquarters. It contained a goodly supply of German schnapps, whisky and field dressings.
When a man was wounded he was promptly carried to Anzac House for attention. I particularly remember one fellow, whose arm was blown to a pulp by a whiz-bang [shell from a German 77 mm artillery piece]. He was carried in on a stretcher, and, in addition to the wound, was suffering terribly from shock. Between groans he prayed to be allowed to die. We dressed his wound and poured about a pint of schnapps down his throat. A few minutes later he jumped off the stretcher, helped himself to another “spot,” and remarked, “This’ll do me for a Blighty,” and headed it in that direction.
Everyone in “B” Coy. will remember little Teddie Bell (“Ding-Dong,” as he was affectionately called), who was 17 years of age. His people had sent him a parcel in which was an Australian flag about 4 inches by 3 inches.
Teddie was a company runner, and during a break in his message carrying, stuck the flag in a tin of bully beef and placed it on the corner of Anzac House, from where it fluttered until blown to pieces by a shell later in the day.
In April, 1918, I stood by a stretcher, in the Fifth Field Dressing Station, on which little “Ding-Dong” lay. My mind travelled back to the incident at Anzac House. But “Ding-Dong’s” shattered arm did not auger Blighty for him. As the evening shadows lengthened he died. In the distance the rhythmic rumble of artillery seemed to sound a requiem to the spirit of one of the bravest little soldiers ever.’
November 20th, 2007 at 9:22 am
I think my grandfather, Joseph Robinson went to Anzac House in WW1. He was wounded in France and sent home. He lived in Guildford NSW. He was in the infantry and was originally sent to Africa I think.
Editor’s comment: Thanks for your comment. I did a bit of checking and I hope I’m right in identifying your grandfather as Joseph William Robinson, son of Mr George Edward Robinson of Guildford NSW. Everything I’ve found seems to add up, so I figure I’m right. At the time of enlistment, this man recorded that he was born in Waverley NSW and that his current address was Binalong, NSW.
Joseph William Robinson, was a Private soldier (No 4255) who joined the AIF on 15 November 1915, aged 20, and allocated to the 10th draft of reinforcements for the 20th Infantry Battalion. He was first sent to Egypt where they were reorganising the AIF after the conclusion of the Gallipoli Campaign. He subsequently joined the 20th Battalion in France in mid 1916.
I’m sure he would have been to the pillbox nicknamed ‘Anzac House’, as his battalion was attacking in that exact sector of the front (with 18th Battalion) on 20 September 1917. It was in this area that he was wounded on 22 September. It appears that the gun shot wounds to his leg/foot and arm were serious enough to prevent him from ever returning to front line duty. He returned to Australia in mid 1918 and was discharged.
Embarkation roll details available online here.
Personal service dossier available online here.
Cheers,
Craig
March 12th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
My great uncle 2nd Lt Cecil Cleary served in the 18th Battalion and was killed on the morning of 20 September 1917 at Third Ypes. I have a document from his war service record that states he was buried near Anzac House. Your article has helped clarify this reference for me – thanks! I will be travelling to Flanders in April and I am hoping to locate the area near Westhoek Ridge where the 18th Battalion was engaged that day. I would appreciate any assistance in locating a detailed map of operations relating to this attack.
Best wishes
Doug Wilson
Editor’s response: Hi Doug, glad you found this blog useful. You can find detailed maps of the battlefields in the unit war diaries which are available online. Check the diaries of the various levels of command (i.e. 18th Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd Division, I Anzac Corps). You tend to find more maps in the higher-level commands and less in the lower-levels. They’re usually towards the end of each month’s diary. The diaries are arranged by month, so obviously go for September 1917. Use the following links:
Corps and Division level: http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww1/diary.asp?diary=58
Brigade and Battalion level: http://www.awm.gov.au/diaries/ww1/diary.asp?diary=82
Good luck & Cheers,
Craig Tibbitts
Curator Official Records
Research Centre
Australian War Memorial.
March 13th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
dear craig,
please have a read of… http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100447b.htm
at the end, is it true that joe maxwell _did not_ serve in ww2 ? If such a prestigious publication has it wrong, what a bloody dis-service to an amazing man. Many years ago thought an uncle mentioned a rather ribald story about him during training in england for ww 2, said he was a tru man’s man, knowing when to turn that ’switch’ on and knowing when to bury it. This was, he said, the janus gene which is in all of us, didn’t know what that meant as a kid, suppose a reflection of the two faces necessary to survive.
love your work
harry k
Editor’s response: Hi Harry, ADB says Maxwell was initially knocked back for WWII service because of his age (at least 43), but managed to join up later in QLD under a false name. He was apparently discovered and discharged. Wigmore’s book on VC winners ‘They dared mightily’, says much the same thing, except that he was given a position in a training battalion. So it seems he served in some capacity but for how long I don’t know. National Archives of Australia should have his personal service dossier if you were really keen to track down the real story. Of course that wouldn’t be easy to find if he was using a false identity and fibbing about his age. I reckon those best able to deal with the stress of life on the Western Front would have been the ones who could ’switch on’ when they needed to, and switch off, not dwell on things or think too deeply, and enjoy themselves when they were out of the line.
Cheers,
Craig.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am
if someone has any stuff of his i would like to hear joe was my great great uncle and i am doin a assiment of him thanks..aaron
May 7th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
My grandmother’s cousin was in the 18th Battalion [1-13 Reinforcements, 5th Brigade} I wonder if he knew ANZAC House? His name was Private Sidney Lawrence Moore 3902 and he put his age up to enlist. He returned unscathed to Australia in 1920 and with the advent of WW2, he put his age back to enlist again. He was captured after the fall of Singapore and died on the Burma Railway just days before peace was declared. I found his photo on the AWM website and it was like meeting him after all my research. Such sacrifice.
Pauline
Editor’s response: Thanks for your comment Pauline, I’m sure he would have seen Anzac House up close. From Passchendaele to Sandakan. A truly Australian odyssey worthy of remembrance.
Craig Tibbitts
Australian War Memorial
November 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
My grandfather Willam Ernest Hall was awarded a military medal for bravery at Anzac Ridge.I was wondering if you could tell me exactly where Anzac ridge is and if there are any pictures of it?
thanks Roger
April 17th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
My Great Uncle was killed at Zonnebeke i think but i have been told he was buried behind anzac house the exact location is not known…Do you know the exact posion of anzac house cause it would help in my efforts emensly..My Great Uncles Name was Samual KIrkpatrick he was a private and died on the 4th oct 1917.
Thanks roger