L/CPL C.W.D. WHEELDON No 2256 45th Battalion AIF
This is a small piece of text that I sent to the
Relations column, It was rejected as unsolicited and unsuitable for publication.
Now We ALL Know What Is Happening To This Country.
RELATIONS......
When August comes I think of a man I never knew, his portrait and an old .303 rifle are all of his that I have, my fathers uncle killed in France in 1918. My Nan said that he went because he thought that someone from the family should go,
Of his brothers one was too old one was too flighty and the other was a cripple. His mother did not want him to go so he asked if he could if he kicked a field goal "Yes" replied his mother knowing that he had never kicked one in his life, he kicked one that Saturday.
So began his journey first to Sydney to enlist then to Bathurst for training finally off to Britain where adventure awaited over the channel. Posted to the 45th Bn AIF he was wounded slightly and remained at Duty. His mother wished that he could have been wounded enough to come home. Given leave he spent it with an Aunt in Britain sightseeing, during this time unknown to him he had been made a Lance Corporal, on his return to France he was given charge of a Lewis Gun section (a light machine gun carried by the infantry.) and whilst in charge of the section was killed in action, the official report is as follows "L/Cpl Wheeldon was killed in action 19.8.18 He was in charge of a Lewis Gun Crew, sniping at the enemy who was only 30 yards away. Another party had just finished bombing the enemy when L/Cpl Wheeldon put up his head to see whether it was possible to get a shot he was shot through the head and died a few minutes later." From his mates who returned the familly was told that his death was instantaneous and he suffered no pain. The memorial service was overflowing with people my Nan recalls, years later Billy's mother met his CO who told her of her sons "compassion for others, devotion to Duty and how he was well liked by his fellow man." I think that no man could have a better epitaph.
Over 63000 Australians died in that war, on Gallipolli, in Palestine and of the horror of the Western Front, Men from all nations made up the first AIF, the Koorie, Chinese, British and others fought with us for this country, Billy thought that someone from the family should go, a lot of people thought the same, the cost of this sacrifice is reflected in every small town, they didn't have to go they all Volunteered. I think I will take the old .303 rifle to the rifle range and fire it in memory of Billy and the others who did not return, War is a terrible thing, the only thing I think is worse is apathy, as citizens of one of the free nations on Earth we should fight to preserve our heritage "Lest We Forget"
Today 19-8-1998 is 80 years since Billy's Death,
Send me e-mail to: Douglas Reeves
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This page last updated on December 31st, 1999.