Geboortejaar: 1899

Geboorteplaats: Hornsby, New South Wales, Australië

Beroep: Magazijnier

Land: Australië

Strijdmacht: Australian Imperial Force

Rang: Private

Service nummer: 5449

Dienstneming datum: 28/02/1916

Dienstneming plaats: Bathurst, New South Wales, Australië

Eenheden:  —  Australian Infantry, 17th Bn. (New South Wales)  (Laatst gekende eenheid)

Datum van overlijden: 20/09/1917

Plaats van overlijden: Anzac, Zonnebeke, België

Doodsoorzaak: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Leeftijd: 18

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Private Walace Richard Meller was part of the 17th Battalion Australian Infantry, 5th Australian Brigade, 2nd Australian Division. His battalion took part in the Battle of the Menin Road on 20 September 1917 and was responsible for taking the third objective near Garter Point left of Polygon Wood. The two first objectives were taking successfully and the 17th Battalion moved up to the third objective, which was also taken successfully. Private Meller was first reported missing and later reported killed in action. The 17th Battalion A.I.F. suffered a few casualties going up to the second objective but it is most likely that Private Meller was killed taking the third objective. In his Red Cross Wounded and Missing File that 21 men of the 17th Battalion were buried during the night of the 20/21 September, from which only 5 were known by name. The others were buried as unknown Australian soldiers. They were buried in the vicinity of Anzac House. It could be possible that Walace was one of them.

17th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/34/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Gebruikte bronnen

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, MELLER W R). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/NameSearch.aspx Gebruikte bronnen

MacKenzie K.W., The story of the seventeenth battalion A .I .F. : in the Great War 1914-1918, (Sydney, Shippin Newspapers, 1946), pp. 192-193. Gebruikte bronnen

McCarthy Chris, Passchendaele : The Day-by-Day account, (London, Uniform, 2018), p 80-83. Gebruikte bronnen

Red Cross Wounded and Missing File and Embarkation Roll https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=meller+5449 Gebruikte bronnen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1599687

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b1e1ea6e-1c04-4166-bd46-84be870d8bb2

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7539708

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=206217