Identity disc : Corporal G E De Mole, 10 Light Horse Regiment, AIF Accession Number: REL28595

Description

Aluminium identity disc impressed with '10 ALH 791 AIEF'. There are two further hand scratched inscriptions 'G E DEMOLE' and 'C of E'.

Contextual Description

Worn by 791 Corporal George Ernest De Mole, a metallurgist in Western Australia, who enlisted in the AIF on 6 January 1915, aged 34 years, and became part of the 3rd reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment. He embarked for overseas service from Fremantle, WA on 19 February 1915 aboard HMAT Itonus. After further training in Egypt, he landed at Gallipoli on 16 May with his regiment, where they served as dismounted troops.

In July De Mole was promoted to lance corporal, then to corporal on 1 August. Six days later he was killed while attacking in the third wave to charge the Turkish positions at the Nek.

The attack at the Nek began at 4.30 am on 7 August. The first line was made up of Victorians from the 8th Light Horse Regiment. As the start time approached the men prepared themselves to go over the top. At 4.23 the British artillery fire which had been directed throughout the night on the Turkish positions suddenly stopped - seven minutes too early. The Turks were almost silent for the next three minutes, as they waited for the expected attack. Although the British bombardment had been heavy by Gallipoli standards, it had little effect on the Turkish trenches. As a result, when the Australian first line attacked the Turks were ready, packed two deep in their front trench, as were the Turkish machine gunners further up the hill on the flanks.

It took only thirty seconds to wipe out the first line, killed or wounded. Many men in the first line were killed as they cleared the firing line, or within three paces of their own trench. Of the 150 men of the first line who attacked, only three men from the right of the line reached the Turkish parapet. One of them put up a red and yellow marker flag, but it was pulled down within minutes.

The second line, also made up of men from the 8th Light Horse Regiment, moved into position and attacked two minutes after the first line. They were also mowed down by the Turkish guns. The third line, made up of Western Australians of the 10th Light Horse Regiment moved into position to attack. Attempts by the regiment's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Brazier, to have the order to continue the attack cancelled failed. At 4.45 am the third line went over to meet the Turkish guns.

The fourth line took their position in the firing trench. Brazier again attempted to halt the attack, but while he was away from the front line the fourth line moved into position. Because of the noise of the guns, the signal to move forward was to be a wave from Major John Burns Scott. Suddenly, the troops to the right began to go over and others followed. A signal had been passed along - but it had not originated with Scott. He stopped the rest of the fourth line from attacking.

The 3rd Light Horse Brigade had been decimated: 151 men of the 8th Light Horse were killed at the Nek, with another 11 dying within a few days of their wounds. The 10th Light Horse lost 78 killed at the Nek, with another five dying of wounds over the next few days. The 9th Light Horse lost four men killed. Of the 600 men of the four lines that attacked, 249 died and over 100 were wounded.

On 9 August an inquiry was held into the status of the 10th Light Horse men reported missing after the attack. De Mole was one of those listed. His body was later recovered and he was buried at 'Shrapnel Terrace, Russell's Top' (Shrapnel Valley Cemetery) on 11 August by Chaplain Edward Makeham. However the exact location of his grave is now unknown and his name is commemorated on a special memorial headstone in the cemetery.

This disc, which was returned to his family after his death, was found in the backyard of a house in Unley Park, South Australia, which had formerly belonged to his parents.

Details

Conflicts

• First World War, 1914-1918

Places

• Nek (Gallipoli)
• Shrapnel Gully Area

Events

• Charge at The Nek

Units

• 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment

Tags

• Identity discs