Pte
Jack Stanley Dale
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1891 |
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Place of birth: Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia |
General information
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Last known residence: 1 Haines Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Profession: Labourer |
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Religion: Church of England |
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: 2632 |
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Enlistment date: 04/07/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 58th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 27/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 26 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XLI Row: A Grave: 19 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Jack Stanley Dale was the son of Eliza and John Dale. He was born around 1891 in Castlemaine, Victoria. Before the war, he lived in Melbourne with his wife Lillian Faull and their three children, where he worked as a labourer. At the age of 25, Jack enlisted in Melbourne to serve in the Australian Army and became a member of the 58th Australian Infantry Battalion (15th Brigade, 5th Australian Division).
Jack was killed on 27 September 1917 during the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. As early as 23 September, his division had been deployed along the western edge of Polygon Wood, located southwest of nearby Zonnebeke. Two days later, the battalion repelled a German attack and assisted the British 33rd Division on their right flank by launching a counterattack that pushed back German forces.
The following day, 26 September, a new Allied attack took place. The 5th Australian Division was tasked with reaching the eastern edge of Polygon Wood and thus capturing the entire forest. While Jack’s battalion played a supporting role, the assault was led by the 59th, 29th and 31st Battalions. The operation began at 5:50 a.m. and encountered heavy resistance from Cameron House on the right flank, causing the advance to stall temporarily around 7:30 a.m. Around 11 a.m., they were reinforced by the British 33rd Division, allowing the first objective to be reached by midday, after which fighting continued towards the second objective, a front line several hundred metres further east. Around noon, the Australians were subjected to intermittent bombardment, followed by a counterattack at approximately 6:15 p.m. on the right flank. This was repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire. The operation achieved its objective, but proved to be a costly victory for the 58th Battalion, which lost half of its men during the battle.
On 27 September, the 58th Battalion was deployed as a garrison on the former Allied front line, located on the western edge of Polygon Wood. There, they had the opportunity to reorganise and evacuate the wounded. In the afternoon, their positions were heavily bombarded, followed by a counterattack on the right flank, defended by the British 33rd Division. This attack was once again repelled with the help of machine-gun fire from the 15th Brigade, although the German bombardments caused many casualties. In the evening, they were finally relieved by the Australian 8th Battalion and moved to the so-called Chateau Segard, a military camp near Ypres.
Jack died at the age of 26. On 27 September, according to the testimony of Sergeant Gow, he was struck by an explosive shell while delivering a message and was killed instantly. He was found some distance from the point of impact, severely mutilated, and was buried near Anzac Ridge. In his paybook, he left all his possessions to his sister, Florence Dale.
After the war, his body was recovered in Polygon Wood. His remains were subsequently reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Jack was killed on 27 September 1917 during the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. As early as 23 September, his division had been deployed along the western edge of Polygon Wood, located southwest of nearby Zonnebeke. Two days later, the battalion repelled a German attack and assisted the British 33rd Division on their right flank by launching a counterattack that pushed back German forces.
The following day, 26 September, a new Allied attack took place. The 5th Australian Division was tasked with reaching the eastern edge of Polygon Wood and thus capturing the entire forest. While Jack’s battalion played a supporting role, the assault was led by the 59th, 29th and 31st Battalions. The operation began at 5:50 a.m. and encountered heavy resistance from Cameron House on the right flank, causing the advance to stall temporarily around 7:30 a.m. Around 11 a.m., they were reinforced by the British 33rd Division, allowing the first objective to be reached by midday, after which fighting continued towards the second objective, a front line several hundred metres further east. Around noon, the Australians were subjected to intermittent bombardment, followed by a counterattack at approximately 6:15 p.m. on the right flank. This was repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire. The operation achieved its objective, but proved to be a costly victory for the 58th Battalion, which lost half of its men during the battle.
On 27 September, the 58th Battalion was deployed as a garrison on the former Allied front line, located on the western edge of Polygon Wood. There, they had the opportunity to reorganise and evacuate the wounded. In the afternoon, their positions were heavily bombarded, followed by a counterattack on the right flank, defended by the British 33rd Division. This attack was once again repelled with the help of machine-gun fire from the 15th Brigade, although the German bombardments caused many casualties. In the evening, they were finally relieved by the Australian 8th Battalion and moved to the so-called Chateau Segard, a military camp near Ypres.
Jack died at the age of 26. On 27 September, according to the testimony of Sergeant Gow, he was struck by an explosive shell while delivering a message and was killed instantly. He was found some distance from the point of impact, severely mutilated, and was buried near Anzac Ridge. In his paybook, he left all his possessions to his sister, Florence Dale.
After the war, his body was recovered in Polygon Wood. His remains were subsequently reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 6
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58th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/75/20). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1034873). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, DALE J S). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 94-5. Sources used |
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Trove (National Library of Australia (NLA) & partner organisations) https://trove.nla.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 5
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462468 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=67c8a37c-41b4-4b25-8668-a15001c00463 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7410643 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=71200 |
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A Street Near You https://astreetnearyou.org/person/462468/ |