German bugle, Operation Michael : Lieutenant R Tredenick, 41 Battalion AIF

Place Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Corbie Albert Area, Sailly-le-Sec
Accession Number RELAWM00736.001
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Heraldry
Physical description Brass, Leather, Steel, Wool serge
Location Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1918: Dernacourt
Maker Deutsche Signal Instrumenten Fabrik
Place made Germany
Date made 1915
Conflict First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Brass bugle provided with a pair of brass suspension loops soldered to the body at the mouthpiece and bell. A brass chain links mouthpiece to body - the chain has detached at the body. An engraved silver overlay sits at the outer mouth of the bell. Above this are the maker's details ('Deutsche Instrumenten Fabrik Marchneukirchen, 1915'), while soldered above this is a separate brass plate, impressed with the Prussian eagle. A substantial part of the bugle body has been carefully wrapped in strips of field grey wool uniform fabric, sewn at the top to secure it in place.

History / Summary

German infantry bugle, recovered by Lieutenant Robert Tredenick, 41 Battalion, AIF, from a German outpost on 30 April 1918 at Sailly-le-Sec. The battalion, together with 40 Battalion and 43 Battalion faced and defeated a German attack in this area on this day, inflicting hundreds of German casualties for the loss of 4 men killed and 20 injured.

The German attack was part of a major offensive known as Operation Michael which ran from 21 March to 5 April 1918. It initially overwhelmed the Allies in the Somme region and almost drove the British, French and Allies back to the sea. However, by the start of the second week of the operation, German troops were running out of steam, had suffered huge casualties, and were far ahead of their supply lines. Australian troops, at Sailley-le Sec and other places, helped dull and reverse the German assault.

Records indicate that the Australian War Records Section (AWRS) collected material from 41 Battalion soon after the date mentioned. Lieutenant Tredenick donated not only the bugle, but also a German helmet from the same action of 30 March. Tredenick later led a patrol into no-man's land on the night of 15-16 April 1918, also at Sailly-le-Sec from which he brought back, and donated, a German pack, mess tin, water bottle and cap, all captured from prisoners taken during the patrol.

Overall, 41 Battalion forwarded 35 objects to the AWRS taken from Germans, collected in no-man's land, or their own material that had been damaged in the fighting.

Robert Tredenick was 22 years old, a single clerk living at Enoggera, Queensland, when he enlisted on 18 October 1915. By the time he embarked for overseas service aboard the transport HMAT Demosthenes from Sydney on 18 May 1916 with B Company, 41 Battalion, he had risen to the rank of sergeant. His battalion trained in England until proceeding to France on 24 November 1916. On 26 January 1917 he was detached to the Railway Construction Party, remaining with this unit until 8 April 1917. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on 26 June 1917 and on 19 July was admitted to hospital with haemorrhoids, required movement to England and a two month recovery period. Whilst in England, Tredenick attended a course of Instruction at the Southhampton Gas School, qualifying him as an instructor. He spent two months instructing at 9 Training Battalion, Fovant, before returning to his unit in late November 1917 and being promoted to Lieutenant on 18 January 1918.

Tredenick was gassed on 26 May 1918, and returned to England for treatment before returning to France on 13 September. He remained with 41 Battalion until the end of the war. He took a week's leave in Paris in February 1919 and returned to Australia aboard the Nestor, departing from Liverpool on 20 May 1919. He was discharged in August 1919.