Pte
Victor Ewart Gladstone Ariansen
Information about birth
Year of birth: 1897 |
Place of birth: Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia |
General information
Last known residence: Botany Street, Carlton, New South Wales, Australia |
Profession: Labourer |
Religion: Church of England |
Army information
Country: Australia |
Force: Australian Imperial Force |
Rank: Private |
Service number: 6212 |
Enlistment date: 10/03/1916 |
Enlistment place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Units: — Australian Infantry, 3rd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
Place of death: Molenaarelsthoek, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Age: 20 |
Cemetery
Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: LVI Row: D Grave: 14 |
Distinctions and medals 2
British War Medal Medal |
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
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Leaflet | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
#1 | Place of birth | ||
#2 | Last known residence | ||
#3 | Enlistment place | ||
#4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Victor Ewart Gladstone Ariansen was born around 1897 in Waterloo, New South Wales, Australia. He was one of the five sons of Susan Ellen Ariansen. They all fought in the First World War. Victor lived in Botany Street, Carlton, New South Wales, Australia. He worked as a labourer and was married to Florence Evelyn Ariansen. He enlisted in the Australian Army on March, 10th, 1916 in Sydney and served in the 3rd Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (1st Brigade, 1st Division).
On Thursday 4 October 1917, the day Victor died, the Battle of Broodseinde took place. This battle was part of the Battle of Passchendaele. After the successful advance in late September 1917 at the Menin Road and Polygon Wood, an attack was now planned to take the German positions on the Broodseinde ridge and the villages of Zonnebeke, Gravenstafel and Poelkapelle.
In preparation for the Battle of Broodseinde, the 3rd Battalion left Bivouac at Château Segard towards Anzac Ridge at 10 pm on 2 October 1917. As they moved from Château Segard towards Molenaarelsthoek, where the starting positions of the attack for the battalion were located, they passed Hooge. There, German aircraft dropped 3 bombs at the end of the column, killing and wounding about 17 men of the section of the 1st Battalion Light Trench Mortar Battery. This battalion was joined by the 3rd Battalion for the attack. The following day, 3 October 1917, at 0.35 am, the 3rd Battalion took over from the 1st Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment on Anzac Ridge. On 4 October 1917, the day of the battle, at 2 am, the 3rd Battalion moved from Anzac Ridge to the starting positions, which was in front of the Molenaarelsthoek. However, this movement was hampered by rainfall, which left the road in poor conditions. However, the rain did not affect the start of the attack. As of 3.45 am, the battalion was therefore ready for the attack.
The 1st Australian Division's objectives in this battle was to capture the Noordemhoek-Broodseinde Ridge. During the first phase of the battle, the 3rd Battalion had to take and consolidate the first objective, also known as the Red Line. This objective was slightly beyond the line between Romulus Wood and Remus Wood. During this phase, the 1st and 4th Battalions remained at least 100 metres apart so that the different battalions did not get mixed up. During the second phase of the battle, the 1st and 4th Battalions had to march through the 3rd Battalion to take and consolidate the second objective, also known as the Blue Line. This objective was located at the beginning of Celtic Wood. The second phase took place under the protection of Australian barrage.
The Germans began their barrage as early as 5.30 am, but the barrage eased significantly when the Australian barrage was fired at 6 am, the moment the battalion moved forward to attack. The battalion encountered opposition from the Germans from the line of pillboxes near Molenaarelsthoek, where Victor died. Nevertheless, the Australians managed to reach the line of pillboxes despite the number of casualties caused by German hand grenades. The battalion advanced beyond the Red Line towards the retreating Germans. The Red Line was reached despite heavy shelling by the Germans throughout the day and night. At 7 am the consolidation of their positions began, where they were just beyond the line between Romulus Wood and Remus Wood. The battalion had thus succeeded in taking the Red Line. There, the companies reorganised themselves so that they were ready should it be necessary to move forward.
10 minutes after the consolidation began, the 3rd Battalion made contact with the 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment on the right and with the 8th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment on the left.
All the while, contact with the 1st, 4th and 8th Battalions Australian Infantry Regiment was maintained through liaison officers. On 5 October 1917, at 5.10 am, the consolidation of their positions on the Red Line continued and they proceeded to bury the deceased. The 3rd Battalion conducted no infantry operations that day. In the following days, heavy rain hampered the battalion's movements, especially during the battalion's relief on the night of 5-6 October.
The 3rd Battalion began the Battle of Broodseinde with a manpower of 489 soldiers. A few days later, the battalion reported 258 casualties between 2 October and 8 October 1917: 184 soldiers were wounded, 10 soldiers were missing, 10 soldiers died of their wounds and 54 soldiers died in battle. Among the latter was 20-years-old Victor Ewart Gladstone Ariansen. He was first reported ‘missing’ but was later reported as ‘killed in action’. According to W.A. Jacques, a soldier who served in the same battalion as Victor (3rd Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment) and who witnessed Victor's death, Victor was killed by German barrage in No Man's Land while marching across the Anzac Ridge near Molenaarelsthoek in the hours before the attack took place. So during the march to the starting positions, around Molenaarelsthoek, Victor died. He was blown to bits, so his remains were not buried because it was not possible. Nevertheless, he is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot LV, Row D, Grave 14).
On Thursday 4 October 1917, the day Victor died, the Battle of Broodseinde took place. This battle was part of the Battle of Passchendaele. After the successful advance in late September 1917 at the Menin Road and Polygon Wood, an attack was now planned to take the German positions on the Broodseinde ridge and the villages of Zonnebeke, Gravenstafel and Poelkapelle.
In preparation for the Battle of Broodseinde, the 3rd Battalion left Bivouac at Château Segard towards Anzac Ridge at 10 pm on 2 October 1917. As they moved from Château Segard towards Molenaarelsthoek, where the starting positions of the attack for the battalion were located, they passed Hooge. There, German aircraft dropped 3 bombs at the end of the column, killing and wounding about 17 men of the section of the 1st Battalion Light Trench Mortar Battery. This battalion was joined by the 3rd Battalion for the attack. The following day, 3 October 1917, at 0.35 am, the 3rd Battalion took over from the 1st Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment on Anzac Ridge. On 4 October 1917, the day of the battle, at 2 am, the 3rd Battalion moved from Anzac Ridge to the starting positions, which was in front of the Molenaarelsthoek. However, this movement was hampered by rainfall, which left the road in poor conditions. However, the rain did not affect the start of the attack. As of 3.45 am, the battalion was therefore ready for the attack.
The 1st Australian Division's objectives in this battle was to capture the Noordemhoek-Broodseinde Ridge. During the first phase of the battle, the 3rd Battalion had to take and consolidate the first objective, also known as the Red Line. This objective was slightly beyond the line between Romulus Wood and Remus Wood. During this phase, the 1st and 4th Battalions remained at least 100 metres apart so that the different battalions did not get mixed up. During the second phase of the battle, the 1st and 4th Battalions had to march through the 3rd Battalion to take and consolidate the second objective, also known as the Blue Line. This objective was located at the beginning of Celtic Wood. The second phase took place under the protection of Australian barrage.
The Germans began their barrage as early as 5.30 am, but the barrage eased significantly when the Australian barrage was fired at 6 am, the moment the battalion moved forward to attack. The battalion encountered opposition from the Germans from the line of pillboxes near Molenaarelsthoek, where Victor died. Nevertheless, the Australians managed to reach the line of pillboxes despite the number of casualties caused by German hand grenades. The battalion advanced beyond the Red Line towards the retreating Germans. The Red Line was reached despite heavy shelling by the Germans throughout the day and night. At 7 am the consolidation of their positions began, where they were just beyond the line between Romulus Wood and Remus Wood. The battalion had thus succeeded in taking the Red Line. There, the companies reorganised themselves so that they were ready should it be necessary to move forward.
10 minutes after the consolidation began, the 3rd Battalion made contact with the 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment on the right and with the 8th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment on the left.
All the while, contact with the 1st, 4th and 8th Battalions Australian Infantry Regiment was maintained through liaison officers. On 5 October 1917, at 5.10 am, the consolidation of their positions on the Red Line continued and they proceeded to bury the deceased. The 3rd Battalion conducted no infantry operations that day. In the following days, heavy rain hampered the battalion's movements, especially during the battalion's relief on the night of 5-6 October.
The 3rd Battalion began the Battle of Broodseinde with a manpower of 489 soldiers. A few days later, the battalion reported 258 casualties between 2 October and 8 October 1917: 184 soldiers were wounded, 10 soldiers were missing, 10 soldiers died of their wounds and 54 soldiers died in battle. Among the latter was 20-years-old Victor Ewart Gladstone Ariansen. He was first reported ‘missing’ but was later reported as ‘killed in action’. According to W.A. Jacques, a soldier who served in the same battalion as Victor (3rd Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment) and who witnessed Victor's death, Victor was killed by German barrage in No Man's Land while marching across the Anzac Ridge near Molenaarelsthoek in the hours before the attack took place. So during the march to the starting positions, around Molenaarelsthoek, Victor died. He was blown to bits, so his remains were not buried because it was not possible. Nevertheless, he is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot LV, Row D, Grave 14).
Sources 5
1th Australian Infantry Brigade, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/20/32). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
3rd Australian Infantry Battalion (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/1/27). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1034882). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, ARIANSEN V E G). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 111-113. Sources used |
More information 4
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461758 |
Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=73714317-8220-4743-890a-ab1ed42a4a51 |
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7343632 |
The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=6966 |