Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Letters to Dr. Antill Pockley regarding his sons Brian and John Pockley, and other papers, 21 August 1890-19 February 1926
MLMSS 1092 / Item 2

[Transcriber's note:
A full account of the action and death of Brian Pockley on 11 Sept. 1914, appears in Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918, Vol 10, pages 58-59 including a photograph of Captain B.C.A. Pockley. Able Seaman W.G.V. Williams, who was mortally wounded, was being carried by Leading Stoker William Kember to whom Captain Pockley gave his Red Cross brassard. Capt. Pockley suffered a similar injury to Williams shortly after and both were transferred to the "Berrima" where tragically both died. Thus Capt. Pockley became the first Australian officer fatality of the war, and AB Williams, the first serviceman. Both were buried at the cemetery at Herbertshohe. See also an account by his great great nephew in the diary of Ambrose O’Hare, O’Hare war diary, 12 August 1914-15 October 1918 / A. O’Hare. MLMSS 2935]

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[Letter from Major F.A.Maguire, to Dr F.A. Pockley]
Rabaul
New Britain
7th November
1914

Dear Dr Pockley,
I am in receipt of your letter & cannot tell you how sorry I am that you should have been left so long in suspense waiting for news of Brian’s death & the particulars in connection with it. I understood from Captain Donaldson & Private Henderson that they had written to you at length & given you full particulars. I will now give you the whole story as I know it, & try to explain where there seems to be mystery.

When we left Sydney the Force consisted of a battalion of infantry & a naval brigade of five hundred men, all under the command of Colonel Holmes. The Army Medical Corps under Lt. Col. Howse, V.C. was in charge of the health of both parts of the force, as no naval surgeons

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were sent with us. Thus, when at Port Moresby instructions were received from Vice-admiral Patey to send on a detail of 50 naval brigade by H.M.A.S "Sydney" to form a preliminary landing party at New Britain, it was necessary to detail an A.M.C. officer to accompany them. Brian was detailed for duty with them, & an A.M.C. orderly sent with him. He was selected because in our scheme of distribution of garrisons he had been allotted to Herbertshohe, & it was thought as well he should land there from the beginning. We were given to understand by the Admiral that no resistance was expected, & so he was sending only a small landing party.

The party landed from the "Sydney" early on the morning of the 11th September & were split into two parties of 25 each. Brian detailed his A.M.C. orderly to accompany the one party, while he himself accompanied Lieut. Bowen’s party. Being such a small party no stretcher bearers accompanied them. No red flag is carried in the field by

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a working party of A.M Corps. The story of how Brian unselfishly gave his redcross armband to a sailor to carry back a wounded comrade & thus gave up his own distinguishing badge, you know. It was an act of heroic selfsacrifice, even though it was contrary to all regulations. You should indeed be proud of him. He was shot from a trench. The bullet entered the abdomen in the midline about two inches below the ribs & emerged in the lower part of the back, shattering the last lumbar vertibra. I state most emphatically that it was not a dumdum bullet. We have seen no dumdum wounds & have given an official denial of the statement that our men were shot by dumdum bullets.

This occurred about 8 am. Brian was carried back to the coast, & was seen at once by Captain Donaldson & Private Henderson, whom I had sent off from the "Berrima" to attend a couple of wounded on a destroyer that had been attached for duty with the force landing at Rabaul later in the day.

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& so was still on the ship. Brian was brought off from the shore to the "Berrima" about 11 am. – He had been carried down some distance, & thence the time between the wounding & coming aboard. As soon as he came aboard we saw his case was hopeless. He was conscious & recognised us all. We made him comfortable with morphia. I asked him if he had any messages or any business I could fix up, but he said "No", he had given messages to Henderson. I remained with him till he died, at 1.45 pm. Towards the end he lapsed into unconsciousness & the end was quite peaceful.

We buried his body at Herbertshohe in the cemetery at dusk (about 6 pm) the same evening. The body was dressed in full uniform & buried with full military honours. Lieutenant Heritage commanded the funeral party. The Brigadier, Col Holmes, was represented by his A.D.C. Lieut Basil Holmes.
Since then, we have erected a plain

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iron railing with a plain wooden cross inscribed "Captain B.C.A. Pockley. A.A.M.C. Killed in action, 11th September 1914". The officer commanding Herbertshohe garrison has had some plain cement crosses made & one will be erected in place of the wooden cross. The railings are embedded in cement beddings. I saw the grave yesterday. It is being carefully tended by our men, & has flowers growing on it. There is a fine granite headstone here which I obtained for a headstone for the grave, but so far have refrained from erecting it, as I was expecting to hear from you. If you would care to have this done, please send me the epitaph you would wish placed on it & I will see to it personally.

I have all Brian’s personal effects here & have been holding them pending instructions from you. Colonel Howse suggested this. But I will forward them per the "Matunga" addressed to you. In the trunk are all the letters which have arrived since his decease.
Please convey to your family my

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deepest sympathy with you all in your bereavement. It must be greatly softened for you when you know he died like an officer & a gallant gentleman. He was greatly liked by all our men, & they felt his death keenly. As for myself, I had been commanding the unit since leaving Sydney, as Col. Howse was on the staff & I had many opportunities for observing the brilliant promise displayed by your son. He was keen to do his duty, how keen his untimely death shows. I mourn his loss as an officer & as a friend.

I understood from him in conversation on the "Berrima" before he left the ship that he had made a will before leaving Sydney. Beyond that I know nothing.
Private Henderson is writing to you by this mail also, & will give you the messages he received from Brian. I deeply deplore the dearth of news you have received, but I understood from Captain Donaldson that he had given you all particulars. I did not write before on that

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account. If there if any further information I can give you, or anything I can do for you here, please command me & my best services shall be at your disposal.
I have tied all the personal effects Brian was wearing when wounded up in a brown handkerchief which he was carrying. The camera contains I believe some wonderful films. – now all are packed separately.
Please accept my deepest sympathy on your own behalf, & do not hesitate to command me if there is anything I can do.

With best wishes for your own health, believe me to be, Sir
Yours very sincerely
F.A.Maguire, Major
P.M.O. AN&M.E.F.

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[Page 1 of a typescript copy of the letter on pages 1 to 7]

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[Page 2 of a typescript copy of the letter on pages 1 to 7]

[Page 10]
[Page 3 of a typescript copy of the letter on pages 1 to 7]

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[Letter from Lieut. Keith Heritage to Dr F.A. Pockley]
H.M.A.T. Berrima
Rabaul
17.9.14

Dear Dr Pockley
Every man suffered a more dreadful shock at the disaster that befell us last 11th, when Bryan died in action, together with Commander Elwell & 5 men. The startling suddenness of it all was [indecipherable] Bryan left us in great spirits at Port Moresby to join the "Sydney" proceeding ahead of us to land a party of 53 men under Lt Bowen at Kabakaul nr Herbertshohe to take the wireless station at Bitapaka. We arrived about 7 [?] oclock in the morning, & the party had landed shortly after daylight and under Naval orders split into two sections – Captain Pockley’s A.M.C. orderly going as A.M.C. man with the other lot.
Very strong opposition was met by Lt Bowen a few miles from here: The scrub on either side of the road is almost impassable, and it was found that the Germans had thrown trenches across, also constructed [indecipherable] side pits carefully concealed, native police & troops also in trees as far as I have been able to gather the following is authentic.
The first man badly wounded was a German with shattered arm, Bryan amputated this, & shortly after a Naval recruit named Williams was severely injured & as he was likely to bleed to death unless attended to soon, signalled to his Naval orderly, care for him, but before doing so Bryan handed the arm band he was wearing to this man, who remonstrated, but Bryan – gallant man – replied that he would take any risk, after making Williams as comfortable as possible on side of road, Bryan said he would proceed ahead & see how Bowen was getting

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on, almost immediately after, he was hit by a heavy bullet in downward direction – alas! a mortal wound – as Bryan would be bending forward, and from what his orderly told me, I am confident that a native did not cause the injury, but from the Germans who had occupied the first trench & intended to cut off Bowen who was pressing on to the second line. Bryan mercifully became unconscious as well. Poor Elwell, a fine man indeed, fell with several men in near vicinity when later sent in support. Col Howse & Capt Maguire will no doubt tell you that Bryan partially regained consciousness & passed away very gently on board the Berrima.
The vessel was ordered to Herbertshohe, a few miles nearer Rabaul in the afternoon early. Maguire & I had the sad arrangements to make for burial for Bryan & Williams, who died shortly afterwards, a funeral boat was sent ashore with the bodies wrapped in the loved union flag – as boat moved off all the men on Berrima & Sydney paid tribute to gallant men who died in battle. – we were all completely overcome.
I would like you to know that Bryan was buried with every honour due his rank & gallantry. The A.M.C. acted as bearers for our dear man & Naval recruits for Williams. The White cemetery is almost a mile from the shore in a peaceful spot, surrounded by giant palms and just as dusk was closing in, with a company of infantry men reversed arms A.M.C. Naval party, [indecipherable] a dozen officers, gathered round decent Christian graves, & we saw a most deeply loved comrade buried with head towards Sydney – any one who attended will not forget the quiet scene when the last post was sounded.
We were all so proud of Bryan – a charming gentleman, & gallant soldier, who gave up his life to alleviate pain of his comrade, a manly man to the last ounce, & died nobly in action – no man can be capable of more

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or die better. I do assure you, dear Sir, in no small degree do we mourn your overwhelming sorrow, but you must be cheered to know that Bryan’s death was fully worthy of a great man.

With indeed very much sympathy, believe me
I am faithfully yours

Keith Heritage Lieut

[Page 14]
[Letter (undated) from Leading Stoker, William Kember, to Dr F.A. Pockley]
Copy

Bulls Road
[indecipherable]
Canley Vale
N.S.W.

Sir
As you requested me to give you my account of what I know of the operation in New Guinea I will try my best to do so in the most natural way. Well, on landing from the "Warrego" with another section two seamen & a leading seaman we moved forward & I was the first man dropped for communicating [indecipherable] with orders to follow & keep in sight the next man ahead. We kept advancing until I noticed the next man ahead signalling the advance at the double when I realised [indecipherable] Williams, AB, of the Naval Reserve – he told me he had seen a lot of natives in amongst a cocoanut plantation at the right hand side of the road, he thought he saw some of them with rifles so I told him to cover them & went up to see what they were. They appeared to me to be hoeing amongst the palms so I left them.

Williams went ahead to his original position still advancing not long afterwards I heard a shot & doubling ahead found Williams lying in the road shot, & think the shot entered in right breast & out of left side, he cried out for water which I gave him & he asked me to carry him back which I did for about 8 or 9 hundred yards. Before carrying him back & took bolt out of his rifle & hid it in bush I then bandaged him up as well as I could & waited for Doctor, who was ahead. By that time reinforcements were coming up from destroyers, some armed with rifles some with revolvers & others with cutlasses. I asked for the

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Doctor to be sent back as soon as possible. I went back & got Williams rifle for one of the men who had a cutlass then by that time Dr Pockley came back & attended to Williams.
He thanked me for bringing him back & said nothing could be done for him, told me to get help & take him back to the base which I did. Previous to starting Dr Pockley took his Red Cross brassard from his arm & put it round my white hat. I asked him how he would manage without one. He said he would be alright. Not long after arriving at base Dr Pockley arrived also shot through chest & out through the back.
I spoke to him & from it understood him to say he was shot about the same place as W. From the nature of the wounds I [indecipherable] they must have been shot from a tree with dum-dum or explosive bullets & that is my own experience of the affair. After a few [indecipherable] & gave the brassard to Eng R A Rial [?] (Royle?) to send to Dr Pockleys mother

I remain
Yours obediently
William Kember

[Page 16]
[Registration of name following baptism of Brian Colden Antill Pockley.
Not transcribed]

[Page 17]
[Baptismal Certificate for name after registration of birth of Brian Colden Antill Pockley. Not transcribed]

[Page 18]
Receipt from War Museum for Brian’s Brassard

[Page 19]
[Receipt from Australian War Museum for Captain Pockley’s brassard given by his mother. Not transcribed]

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[Translation of the citation on page 21]
the well-beloved
CAPTAIN B.C. ANTILL POCKLEY, Volunteer
killed in action, New Guinea, September 11, 1914
the first Australian to die in the great cause of the world’s liberty.

Please forward badge and diploma to his mother,
Mrs. F. Antill Pockley,
c/o Miss Irene Shaw,
3a Ina Flats, Edgecliff,
SYDNEY, N.S.Wales
AUSTRALIA.

[Page 21]
[The citation (in Italian]

[Page 22]
[Translation of diploma]
ITALIAN RED CROSS
Under the distinguished patronage of Their Majesties the King and Queen
COMMITTEE of the DISTRICT OF ROME
Lady McIlwraith
has contributed a large sum of money in order that, among the members of the Italian Red Cross, may be inscribed as a permanent record the name of the well-beloved Captain B.C. Antill Pockley killed in action etc.
Rome the 30th Aug. 1918
For the President of the Committee

[Page 23]
[Letter (in Italian) from the Italian Red Cross to Mrs F. Antill Pockley referring to the diploma on page 24.]

[Page 24]
[Diploma dated 30 Aug. 1918, from the Italian Red Cross.]

[Page 25]

[Continued from next page]
We have just been out on deck
Watching manly couples peck
At each other with a pillow
Swaying with each stormy billow

We are glad to be at last
Midst our own compatriots east
Cuspidors & toothpicks banished
Bossy, saggy trousers vanished.

We have not been asked our age
Second name or hopes of marriage
Haven’t even had our steward
Ask if seasickness is cured

Captain Phillips is so jolly
Tales part in all youthful folly
Such as cricket on the deck

Poor old Nelson H. Duval
Pronounce it so’s to rhyme with "call"
Accompanied by James B. Haney
Saw us off, altho’ ‘twas rainy.

Nelson H. sent P some roses
In what capacity he poses
Is evident in little ways
He called 5 times in 7 days

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[Letter on Bellevue Hotel, San Francisco notepaper, possibly from Brian Pockley’s younger sister Helen, to him from a ship on west coast of USA]
My dear Brian
My pretty little brother
You see you have another
Lovely letter mister
From your sweet young sister

I hope that you’re all thriving
And that you’re not driving Your poor old self too hard
(I was born a bard)

We are all well now, though
Kindly don’t ask how so
Matters with poor Helen
When the ship is sailin’.

We can’t reach Vancouver
Though she’s a quick mover
Until early on the 4th
Much to poor Pockley’s wrath.

She was a day late leaving
Because these cracked coal-heaver [?]
Rascals in Australia
Made her plans a failure.

[Page 27]
[Card giving location of the remains of Helen Clare Pockley (the mother of Brian and John) at Northern Suburbs Cemetery North Ryde]

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[Reverse side of above card]

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An English lady looking for rooms in Switzerland and asked the local schoolmaster if he could recommend any He took her to see some which were to let, & she decided to take them.
On the way home it struck her that she had not noticed a W.C. & so wrote to the schoolmaster to ask if there was one in the house, or near to it. On receiving her letter, he was much puzzled by the "W.C." His knowledge of English being limited, he did not understand her abbreviation.
Finally he came to the conclusion that the lady must mean "Wald Capel" (a chapel), so he wrote as follows: -
"Your ladyship" – The W.C. is situated ½ mile from your lodgings in the shelter of a beautiful wood of pines trees, surrounded by glorious scenery. It is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays. There are seats for 80 but should you at any time be late there is plenty of standing room. The bell is rung 10 minutes before

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the premises are open. I should recommend your ladyship to pay a visit on Tuesdays, as there is an organ accompaniment. I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat for your Ladyship.

[The following letters etc relate to Lieut. John (Jack) G.A. Pockley of the 33rd Infantry Battn. who was killed in action near Villers Bretonneux, on 30 March 1918. He was the younger brother of Brian Pockley]

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Extracts from letters about Jack

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[Copy of a letter from Lieut. Edgar Aubrey Clarence to Mrs Nancy Pockley regarding her husband, Lieut. J. G. A Pockley]
France 31/3/18

Dear Mrs Pockley
I regret to have to confirm the sad news you will have already received by cable. Yesterday afternoon we attacked the Hun and your husband was in command of the company (B) on the left flank. The attack commenced about 4.30 pm and it was during this offensive your husband was killed. The enemy held a very strong position & we had to advance through a shower of bullets from his machine guns. "B" company had a very hard task but your husband got them through to their objective. The men cannot speak too highly of the way he led them & all are grieved to have lost such an officer.

I am enclosing some photos taken from his pocket, the remainder of his personal effects will be sent on through the usual channels & am writing under extreme difficulty and against time so please excuse this note. I dropped a line to Messrs Eargood Bros London.

Assuring you of the deepest sympathy of both officers & men of the Btn, trusting that the knowledge that your husband gave his life in such a noble way will help you to bear up.

Yours in sympathy
E. A. Clarence

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[Letter from Ada B. Stutchbury to Mr Eargood. See previous letter]
33rd Battalion Comforts Fund, Branch Depot
94 Pitt St, Scott Chambers
City
June 6th, 18

Dear Mr Eargood
I have received a message from Miss Farleigh, Lieut Farleigh’s sister, he was with Lieut Pockley when he was wounded and says: Lieut Pockley begged the stretcher bearers who came to take him to take another poor chap who he thought was suffering more, which they did at his request and when they came back for him it was too late, he had died of exhaustion. I leave you to decide whether it would be best to tell your daughter. It is all so dreadfully sad and one shrinks from causing more grief than you can possibly help but it was such a noble act and so like his brother at Rabaul

Yours truly
Ada B Stutchbury
(Signed)

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Burial about a mile SSW of Villers Bretonneux

Extract from letters written by C E W Bean & F M Cutlack, Official Correspondents with the Aust. Imperial Force in France.

About four in the afternoon our counter attack swept on in magnificent form over the edge of the hill down towards the valley. Queenslanders, New South Welshman South & Western Australians & others advanced exactly as they had done a thousand times in practice on parts of the line which had been driven in. It so happened that the Queenslanders while advancing

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Copy of letter France
14-4-18

Lieut Pockley was killed about 3½ miles due east of Cachy and just north of Bois de Hangard We made an attack on the 30th ult. and he was in charge of our left flank company. During the advance he was severely wounded and died where he fell very shortly afterwards. On being hit he refused to allow the stretcher bearers to carry him until some of his men who had fallen close by had recd attention. He died where he fell, game to the last.

Yours faithfully
E A Clarence

[Page 36]

found a German wave also advancing almost on top of them. The Australian wave broke the German wave. No sooner was the first wave shattered than a second German wave was met & likewise shattered at the point of the bayonet. By this time the Australian line had penetrated to the point where Germans were already behind their flank, and the brave advance ended. Fighting continued till dusk when the Germans appeared to have been fought to a standstill. The Australians who were still holding the hills fought certainly at least four or five times their own numbers. In yesterdays fight Australians killed or wounded about 4,000 Germans in to-days fight they must have acc for far more

[Page 37]
John Pockley
1.12.07 [?]
Night
The night is come, fragrant and pure the air,
Dread mystic silence haunts the deepening gloom,
In deepest shadows ghoulish phantoms crouch,
Tiny bright fireflies glitter here and there.

Man rests, thankful his days work is o’er
Dull, heavy, slumber, weary limbs relaxed,
Care banished to the nowhere land, and toil
Forgotten quite by nature’s kindly law.

E’en nature sleeps, no sounds the silence stir
Save the lofty leafy whispers overhead,
The mournful hoot of some far distant owl,
Solitary, amid your gloomy clump of fir

And now above you mass of rugged rock
Glides into view the slowly rising moon,
Majestic, calm, bathing the world in light,
Soft clinging light, which gloomy shadows mock.

Upwards unhindered mounts the pale face moon,
Shedding dim radiance on all sleeping things,
Then slowly downwards slips towards the Earth,
And to the dawn gives room.

[Page 38]
[Poem copied from Punch 10.5.16 – Not transcribed]

[Page 39]
Elocution

The Flower of Youth
1
Lest heaven be for the greybeard’s hoary
God who made boys for his delight
Goes on earth’s hour of grief and glory
And calls the boys in from the night
When they come trooping from the War
Our skies have many a new gold star.
2
Heavens thronged with gay and careless faces
New waked from dreams of dreadful things
They walk by green and pleasant places
And by the Crystal water springs
Forget the nightmare field of slain

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And the fierce thirst, and the strong pain.
3
Forget? God smiles to see them merry
For his own son was once a boy
They never shall be old and weary
But of their youth shall have great joy
But in the playing fields of heaven
Shall run and leap new washed new shriven
4
Now heaven by golden boys invaded
Scaped from the winters and the storm
Stainless and simple as he made it
God keeps the boy’s heart out of harm
The wise old saints look down and smile
They are so young and without guile

[Transcribed by Peter Mayo and Rex Minter for the State Library of New South Wales]