Sgt Alick Blechynden

2014 ANZAC Address by Toby & Amy Blechynden

We have many proud family members that have fought for our freedom from the 1^st World War to Afghanistan, but as this is the centenary year of the beginning of the Great War we will retrace the life of Alick George Robus Blechynden, our Great, Great, Great Uncle who fought at Gallipoli and the Western Front.

Alick was born on the 22 February 1892 and grow up on the family farm, “Roesland” south of Beverley where he attended Beverley School and later North Fremantle State School. In 1903 Alick’s father, Charles, passed the family farm onto two of Alick’s older brothers, Frank and our Great, Great Grandpa, Horace. With this and being the youngest brother Alick chose to join the Australian Imperial Force and enlisted on 15 March 1915, aged 23 years.

On the 16 April 1915 Alick was appointed Private to C Company of the 28^th Battalion which was raised at Blackboy Hill Camp in Western Australia. The battalion embarked at Fremantle aboard “Ascanius” on 29 June 1915 for training in Egypt. After two months training the Battalion landed at Gallipoli on 10 September 1915 where they provided reinforcement for the weary New Zealand and Australian Divisions. While in Gallipoli Alick was promoted to Lance Corporal. The 28^th Battalion had a relatively quiet time at Gallipoli and they departed the peninsula in December having suffered only light casualties.

After another short period in Egypt, Alick embarked at Suez aboard “Ulysses” on 3 January 1916 for Fremantle and 3 months leave. This must have been a relief to the family, but was short lived as Alick returned to duty on 14 April 1916 to immediately embark at Fremantle aboard “Aeneas”, again for Egypt. For many it was not just a war against the Germans but also weather, hygiene and disease. Alick spent many weeks in makeshift hospitals with influenza and enteric as battling the poor living conditions took its toll.

Once again embarking at Alexandria aboard “Tunisian”, Alick proceeded to France and the Western Front where he re-joined his battalion on 4 August 1916 as part of the 2nd Australian Division where his Battalion took part in confused and costly fighting to the east of Flers. The autumn rains had set in by the time Alick reached the Somme Valley and the whole battlefield had become a sea of mud. Trenches and tracks were often impassable with mud slowing journeys to a kilometre an hour. These were some of the worst conditions Australians were to experience on the Western Front.

Alick was promoted to Corporal on the 9 September and Sergeant on the 30 December 1916 during his service in France. The next major battle of the 28th Battalion took place at the Malt Trench in February 1917 after the men went through the worst winter in France for forty years. At this time the first recommendations for Victoria Crosses were made for members of the battalion. It was not until 2 March that the 7th Brigade captured portions of the Malt Trench bringing the 2nd Division close enough to be able to attack the R.I. position and withdraw the Germans to the Hindenburg Line.

Alick only saw the beginning of this battle, for as the 28th Battalion was holding the line near Warlencourt he was killed in action by a German shell while cleaning out a German dug-out on 28 February 1917. He was only 25 years old. Alick’s death hit hard back home in Australia as this letter, dated 21 February 1918, to the Australian Red Cross Society reflects:

“Dear Madam, I am writing to ask you would you be so kind as to find out for me how I can get the belongings of my late son, Sergeant Alick Blechynden No 571 28th Battalion who was killed in action in France on the 28th February 1917 or if your society could get me his things. I would pay any expense that was incurred as it is now a year since he fell and I cannot get any information from the military authorities at all. Trusting your society will give this matter your fullest attention and that you will let me know the result of your inquires at your earliest and you will greatly oblige his sorrowing parents. Yours very sincerely Charles Edwin Blechynden."

Alick’s remains were recovered and buried in the Warlencourt British Cemetery along with 337 identified and 138 unidentified other Australians. For Alick’s service during World War 1, the Family was presented with the Star Medal, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal and a Memorial Scroll and Plaque. The Medals and plaque were donated to the Beverley RSL on 15 May 2005 and remain on display in their hall.

A remembrance Plaque is also erected in Lovekin Drive at Kings Park for Alick, being one of 1,200 along the Honour Avenues. These plaques bear witness to their youth and to the circumstances of their death in lands far from Australia. It records those who were wounded in action and subsequently died from those wounds, of Prisoners-of-War who wasted away under the cruelty of their captors and of those who are, to this day, missing and have no known grave. These plaques are their crosses where ever they rest and together they continue to share an undying comradeship in this place of peace.

For those that did not return home,

they will not be forgotten.

For those that did enforced their parting words,

“When you go home, tell them of us and say,

For your tomorrow, we gave our today!”

Lest we forget.