Gold Museum, Ballarat ~ Showcasing Ballarat's history

Nina Valentine recounts her father’s Gallipoli experience

Nina’s father Charles Reakes joined the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) in August 1914. He was sent to Anzac Cove, which he recalled was ‘beautiful though it rained a bit in the afternoon’.

He arrived with an ammunition column delivering vital supplies up the perilous Shrapnel Gully.

Upon his evacuation from Gallipoli, Charles was transferred to the 103^rd Howitzer Battery in France where he had been gassed during battles in October 1918.

He left the battlefields when the Armistice was signed in November 1918.

The Gold Museum collection includes Charles’ dog tag which he wore as part of his military uniform.

Credits

Film produced by Wind & Sky Productions, Jary Nemo (Director) and Lucinda Horrocks (Interviewer and Researcher).

The Memories of War film project was supported by the Victorian Government and the Victorian Veterans Council.

Yvonne Horsfield on her family’s Chinese Anzac connections

Hedley and Sam [Tong-Way] were committed to showing their loyalty to Australia. Their enlistment was a demonstration of their commitment to their country of birth (Yvonne Horsfield, 2017)

Yvonne’s grandfather Hedley Tong-Way and his brother Samuel were one of many Chinese Australians who enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) during World War One.

The Ballarat-born brothers were sons of Mary and Rev. John Tong-Way who migrated from China to the goldfields in the 1880s-1890s.

Samuel and Hedley’s enlistment applications were initially rejected due to their Chinese background. They were finally accepted into the AIF in 1917. They served in the 5th Divisional Signal Company in France.

Upon their return to Australia in 1920, Samuel and Hedley became active and respected members of their community. Hedley settled at Lake Goldsmith as part of the Soldier Settlement Scheme and became a public servant.

Samuel worked as a teacher in various regional high schools and was an active member of the Returns Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, the Masonic Lodge and management of the Presbyterian Church.

The Gold Museum’s Tong-Way family collection includes a signalers’ trumpet from World War One which belonged to Samuel.

Yvonne discusses the brothers’ commitment to Australia and their community, despite the challenges that they faced.

Credits

Film produced by Wind & Sky Productions, Jary Nemo (Director) and Lucinda Horrocks (Interviewer and Researcher)

The Memories of War film project was supported by the Victorian Government and the Victorian Veterans Council.

Les Holloway reflects on his father’s World War One experiences

I never asked my dad about his war experiences. Returned servicemen didn’t talk about those days. I’ve got my theories why – one of the things, it was just too terrible (Les Holloway, 2017)

Roy Victor Holloway’s enlistment portrait

Les Holloway’s father Roy was just 17 years of age when he joined the Australian Imperial Force during World War One. After falsifying his father’s signature on his enlistment documents, Roy joined the 14th Battalion.

Following his departure from Australia, Roy trained at Egypt’s Heliopolis Camp before taking part in the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April, 1915.  He became sick after several weeks and recuperated in Gibraltar. He was sent back to Gallipoli, where he remained until the evacuation.

The battalion returned to Egypt, where Roy began keeping a detailed diary. In 1917, he was sent to the Western Front where he was wounded twice; on the second occasion he was taken prisoner by the Germans. Roy was sent to Germany’s Soltau prisoner-of-war camp where he was held captive for 20 months. While there, he worked in the boiler house and electricity plant.

Roy was released in 1919 and returned home where he was given a hero’s welcome.

Amongst the Gold Museum’s collection of Roy Holloway’s personal artefacts, are his razor and photograph album from the Soltau camp.

Using these objects, Les reflects on his memories of his father and his wartime experience.

Credits

Film produced by Wind & Sky Productions, Jary Nemo (Director) and Lucinda Horrocks (Interviewer and Researcher).

Additional research provided by Herr Horst Meyer, Soltau Camp Memorial.

The Memories of War film project was supported by the Victorian Government and the Victorian Veterans Council.