Pte
George Caldwell
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1887 |
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Place of birth: Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Carter |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 6405 |
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Enlistment date: 15/11/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Chermside, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 25th Bn. (Queensland) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 30 |
Cemetery
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Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood Plot: IX Row: A Grave: 13 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
On the 4th of October 1917 the 2nd Australian Division would be engaged in the battle of Broodseinde. The goal of the attack was to capture the town of Zonnebeke and the hamlet on top of the ridge east of Zonnebeke. For the first time three Australian and one New Zealand Divisions were attacking side by side. I ANZAC corps with the 2nd Division on the left and the 1st Division on the right would advance South of the Ypres-Roulers railway line. The 2nd Australian Division attacked with two Brigades. The 7th Australian Brigade would push forward on the left of the Divisional front and the 6th Australian Brigade on the right. The 25th Battalion would lead the attack of the 7th Brigade. The 25th Battalion would take the first objective, the red line just east of Thames Wood.
The 2nd Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. Just moments before the attack the Australians had to endure a German barrage, postponing the attack. The Germans were preparing an attack of their own. At 6.00 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened a barrage of their own on the Germans who were still assembling. The German artillery stopped at the same time and the ANZAC troops stood up and advanced behind their barrage. The effect of the British and Australian barrage on the German troops who were just about to attack was devastating. Many German soldiers lost their lives.
The German troops were totally disorientated due to the heavy shelling and their attack was shattered. They didn’t had the time to recover. Once the barrage passed the Germans were rushed by the Australians. The German attack was utterly broken. The Battalion’s front extended from the rail line on the left to the ruins of the town of Zonnebeke on the right. They encountered some resistance of German pillboxes on the right, but most of them were captured fairly easy. The Germans didn’t expect an attack, because they themselves were organizing an attack. The battle for the town of Zonnebeke was hard. The 7th Brigade had to clear the town of snipers and other stallworthy defenders.
At 8.10 a.m. the 26th Australian Battalion moved through the 25th. The 26th with the 27th in support managed to capture the Blue line, Broodseinde Ridge or ANZAC Ridge itself. By 1.00 a.m. the position was secure. The attack had been a vast success and the Germans were driven out of one of their most important defensive positions on the Western Front. At 1.50 a.m. on the 6th of October the 25th Australian Battalion was relieved by the 19th Australian Battalion and moved back to Westhoek Ridge, where they would be in support on the left of the Menin Road, relieving the 2/5th Manchester Regiment. According to several witness testimonies in his Red Cross Wounded and Missing File, Private George Caldwell was killed by a German shell on the 4th of October 1917 near the ruins of Zonnebeke. But according to his Burial Return Sheet he was initially buried just west of Gheluvelt. His body was identified with his disk. This is strange, as the 25th Battalion was never located in or near Gheluvelt, but several Australians were found there after the war. We have no clue why his remains were found there. A possible explanation is that he and some others took the wrong road to the front when leaving Ypres. Private George Caldwell is remembered at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
The 2nd Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. Just moments before the attack the Australians had to endure a German barrage, postponing the attack. The Germans were preparing an attack of their own. At 6.00 a.m. the British and Australian artillery opened a barrage of their own on the Germans who were still assembling. The German artillery stopped at the same time and the ANZAC troops stood up and advanced behind their barrage. The effect of the British and Australian barrage on the German troops who were just about to attack was devastating. Many German soldiers lost their lives.
The German troops were totally disorientated due to the heavy shelling and their attack was shattered. They didn’t had the time to recover. Once the barrage passed the Germans were rushed by the Australians. The German attack was utterly broken. The Battalion’s front extended from the rail line on the left to the ruins of the town of Zonnebeke on the right. They encountered some resistance of German pillboxes on the right, but most of them were captured fairly easy. The Germans didn’t expect an attack, because they themselves were organizing an attack. The battle for the town of Zonnebeke was hard. The 7th Brigade had to clear the town of snipers and other stallworthy defenders.
At 8.10 a.m. the 26th Australian Battalion moved through the 25th. The 26th with the 27th in support managed to capture the Blue line, Broodseinde Ridge or ANZAC Ridge itself. By 1.00 a.m. the position was secure. The attack had been a vast success and the Germans were driven out of one of their most important defensive positions on the Western Front. At 1.50 a.m. on the 6th of October the 25th Australian Battalion was relieved by the 19th Australian Battalion and moved back to Westhoek Ridge, where they would be in support on the left of the Menin Road, relieving the 2/5th Manchester Regiment. According to several witness testimonies in his Red Cross Wounded and Missing File, Private George Caldwell was killed by a German shell on the 4th of October 1917 near the ruins of Zonnebeke. But according to his Burial Return Sheet he was initially buried just west of Gheluvelt. His body was identified with his disk. This is strange, as the 25th Battalion was never located in or near Gheluvelt, but several Australians were found there after the war. We have no clue why his remains were found there. A possible explanation is that he and some others took the wrong road to the front when leaving Ypres. Private George Caldwell is remembered at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
Sources 6
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25th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4, 23/42/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1342858 Sources used |
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Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1483317 Sources used |
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Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1936474 Sources used |
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Doneley B., Black over Blue: The 25th Battalion, AIF at War 1915-1918, (Toowoomba, USQ Press, 1997), pg. 100-103. Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, CALDWELL G). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 99 Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/480143 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=631f177a-4417-47bf-b6a1-fb4c82710291 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7380066 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=43223 |