Operative Bricklayers Society (South Australia) Honour Board

Black painted wooden honour board with an arch pediment and a simple decorative frame all round. The board is divided by one horizontal and three horizontal laths into a title pediment and four columns, and is titled 'Operative Bricklayers Society Roll of Honour. Members Who Enlisted In The Australian Expeditionary Forces 1914-15-16-'. Names in the first column are: H. Morley, H.G.Wallbridge, E.Barlow, W.C.Crooks (killed), M.Bradley, R.Hogben (killed), R.Cox, N.W.Taylor, J.Sargent, V.Lapthorn (killed), T.Holland, G.Berryman, G.A. Edwards, W.H.Goulding, H.Spencer, W.Blatchford Jnr, E.Glover, A.Lees, G. Spencer, T.Wilder, J.Newberry, E.Wall, L.Milton, W.Ball (killed), W.Park, A.Nation, G.Skinner, H.G.Steer, W.McMillen, H.Smith, A.W.Skinner, S.D.Bateman, P.Chamberlain, J.Pereira. Names in the second column are: A.Wright (killed), A.Cruikshanks, J.Healey, W.H.Fisher, F.W.Richardson, S.Taylor, M.Reedy, E.Saunders, C.West, J.Towes, J.H.Blackmore, A.Starkey, A.Henderson, T.Sullivan, P.Freeman, W.Armstrong, E.A.Lock, E.J.Pudney, A Giblen, W.J.Finley, F.Harwood, H.Barnard, H.C.Hawkins, T.Keen, D.Griffiths, W.Stark, J.Byrnes, G.Rand, S.Crook, A.E.Johnson, F Fawcett, E Wallace (killed), J.Lugg. Names in the third column are: E.Jenkins, J.Toft, H.Newton, H.Bunn, J.Holland, F.Viney, G.Tillbrook (killed), W.Wade, T.Christie, A.Youll, J.McKechnie, C.A.Southwell, V.Rule, T.E.Wheeler, T.Radbone, J.McArthur, R.Thorpe, W.O'Rielly, W.Botten, E.Sutton, Js.Taylor, A.E.Gugley, B.W.Slape, P.Wallis and C.L.Berrill. A panel across the base states 'Presented by J.Gilbert Griffin, Secretary'. There is a suspension fitting at the top of the rear, and a signature - 'Bollmeyer' - written in chalk.

The Operative Bricklayers Society (South Australia) was a trade union formed under the provisions of the Trade Unions Act of 1876; but can be dated back to its British counterpart formed in 1818. Originally known as the Operative Mason's and Bricklayer's society, the two societies split in 1914. In 1916, state Bricklayer Societies were amalgamated under the Federated Bricklayers Association of Australia. This Honour Board reflects this change in organisation from the state to national level, highlighted by the 1916 end-date used on the board. Details of those noted on the board as 'killed' are:

419 Second Corporal William Campbell Crooks of West Melbourne, enlisted 18 August 1914 aged 28. Served with 6 Battalion and the Australian Provost Corps. Campbell was not killed in action, but was officially listed as such after his wounding on Gallipoli on 30 April 1915;

1179 Sergeant Richard Hubert Hogben, of Thebarton, South Australia, who enlisted on 13 October 1914 aged 33 with 16 Battalion, wounded on 1 May and died of his wounds on 2 May 1915 at Gallipoli;

341 Private Victor Walter Athelstone Lapthorn who enlisted with 10 Battalion on 19 August 1914, killed at Gallipoli on 27 April 1915;

W. Ball (no details known);

1357 Private Alfred Wright of Stepney, South Australia who enlisted on 26 October 1914 with 16 Battalion aged 36, killed in action at Gallipoli on 2 May 1915. Private Asher witnessed his death and stated 'Wright was killed in the charge at 'Dead Man's Ridge'... I saw him go down - there was a fearful mix up at this point. We lost 700 men that night. He was our cook, and was known as 'Shiner'. He had been through the Boer War and was an old Marine man.'

447 Sapper Ernest Wallace of Mile End, South Australia, who enlisted on 28 November 1914 aged 23 with 3 Field Company Engineers, received gunshot wounds to his head and arm on 21 August 1916 and died of his wounds at Boulonge Hospital on 19 September 1916;

3039 Private George Edward Tillbrook (correctly known as Tilbrook in the Nominal Roll), of Tailem Bend, South Australia, who enlisted aged 24 on 7 June 1915 with 48 Battalion and was listed as missing and later confirmed as killed at Pozieres on 5 August 1916; eyewitnesses state a shell landed 'right against him and blew him to pieces'.