British War Medal 1914-20 : Warrant Officer Class 1 P Carrick, 19 Battalion, AIF

British War Medal 1914-20, impressed around the edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of Regimental Sergeant Major Peter Carrick MM, who was born near Dublin, Ireland in 1876. Carrick served 18 years with the Royal Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery in the United Kingdom, before immigrating to Sydney, Australia, where he worked as a labourer until the outbreak of the First World War.

Carrick was one of the initial enlistees in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) for service in German New Guinea and the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. He was allocated the service number 326 and posted to C Company, 1 (Tropical) Battalion.

He embarked with the rest of his unit from Circular Quay, Sydney in HMAT Berrima on 19 August 1914. They arrived at Palm Island for a period of further training and preparations for the operations ahead.

The ANMEF landed at New Britain in September - the initial force, mainly naval personnel, landing at Kabakaul at dawn on 11 September. A day later, Carrick went ashore with the main force at Herbertshohe. The actions fought by the Australians were short and the German forces surrendered on 13 September. The Union Jack was raised over Rabaul the same day.

Carrick was promoted to lance corporal on 28 October before being promoted to corporal the following day. He was promoted to sergeant on 14 February 1915, before returning to Australia with the first contingent later that month. He was discharged on 4 March 1915.

He enlisted for service in the AIF on 19 April 1915 as a private and was allocated a new service number, 1515. He was allotted to the 1st Reinforcements for the 19th Infantry Battalion. Carrick was promoted to Sergeant on 1 May before embarking with his unit from Sydney on 12 May.

After a period of training in Egypt, he embarked from Alexandria on 16 August, arriving at Gallipoli on 21 August. The battalion occupied Hill 60 at the end of the month. Carrick remained at Gallipoli until the evacuation after which he returned to Egypt.

He proceeded to France with his unit at the end of March 1916. Carrick took part in a trench raid near Armentieres in June, before taking part in the fighting at Pozieres. He was awarded a Military Medal for ‘Conspicuous devotion to duty. On the night of the attack on German Second Line trenches at POZIERES 4/5th August 1916, he had charge of a carrying party. He made numerous journeys under heavy shell fire, continually leading his men across open country to avoid saps which were congested with wounded. He displayed great coolness and devotion to duty and was inspirational in successfully forwarding material for consolidating the newly-captured position’.

Carrick was promoted in the field to company sergeant major on 8 August and after a brief rest, the battalion returned to Pozieres later in the month. The battalion then moved to Belgium into the Ypres sector in September.

Carrick suffered a sprained ankle at the end of September and was evacuated from the front line. He was also treated for varicose veins in his legs which caused him to be evacuated to England in October for further treatment. He spent the remainder of the year recovering.

On 27 February 1917, Carrick went absent without leave (AWL) but returned on 1 March. He was charged and fined 3 days pay. Following this, he immediately went AWL again and was apprehended by Military Police on 7 March. He was held in custody until 22 March, at which time he was court martialled. He was reduced to the rank of corporal and fined a further 21 days pay.

After being sent to a training battalion where he was promoted to temporary company sergeant major in August, Carrick returned to France on 24 October and rejoined the 19th Battalion which was at that time in Divisional Reserve near Ypres. Carrick was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major on 1 December.

As a member of the 19th Battalion, Carrick was involved in stemming the German Spring Offensive in March and April 1918, including heavy fighting around Hangard Wood in April. He was evacuated from the front line on 9 May suffering influenza and was evacuated to England on 13 May. After recovering, he was given leave from 23 May until 6 June. During this time he married Annie Luisa Scott on 30 May.

Carrick returned to France on 10 July and rejoined his unit on 14 July. He took part in the August offensive and later in the fighting to take Mont St Quentin and in the AIF’s last action of the war at Montbrehain on 3 October.

Carrick was wounded in the head on 4 October after the 19th Battalion had been heavily shelled near the town of Estrees. He was the only casualty and was evacuated to the 74th General Hospital. Carrick was Mentioned in General Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatches on 8 November as a soldier being worthy of note. He was released from hospital on 14 November and as the 19th Battalion had been disbanded at the end of October, he was send to England to recover.

Carrick, still suffering the effects of his head wound, embarked from London on 10 December, arriving in Sydney on 10 February 1919. He was discharged from the AIF medically unfit on 13 April 1919.