Anzac Reginald Durdin’s bleeding head in Ypres battle did not distract him from helping his mates in the trenches

PRIVATE Reginald Durdin kept going after being blasted with shrapnel while delivering much-needed ammunition to his mates in Ypres, Belgium.

26/2/15. Secretary of the Marion RSL Bruce Wright has found (William) Reginald Durdin's name on the Marion honour board. Reginald won a military medal for his efforts during WWI. Pic Keryn Stevens

A SHRAPNEL wound to the head did not distract Private Reginald Durdin from making sure his mates fighting at Ypres, Belgium received the ammunition they needed.

His selfless act of delivering ammunition to the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, which had dug in amid fierce fighting during the second Battle of Passchendaele, despite his head injury earned him a Military Medal.

Durdin was 31 when he enlisted at Edwardstown on August 19, 1914.

He left a wife and son behind when he embarked on the HMT Medic A7 on October 20, 1914.

He served in France and Belgium as a driver for the third Field Artillery Brigade and was fiercely dedicated to the task, according to the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, July 25, 1918.

Durdin was hit with shrapnel from a nearby shell burst on October 24, 1917, his records reveal, en route to delivering ammunition to Australian gunners dug in not far from his location.

The blast killed four of his horses yet Durdin, cut from eye to ear, continued to carry the ammunition.

He had delivered two loads of machine gun rounds before he stopped to have his wound properly dressed.

The Commonwealth of Australia Gazette article revealed Durdin was ordered to evacuate immediately and leave his surviving horses behind but he refused.

He guided his horses back to safety before evacuating to an allied military hospital in Etaples.

He was awarded a Military Medal on January 18 the following year and received notification while recovering from influenza at Etaples.

Durdin made it home to his family and his son, Wilton Reginald, followed his father’s footsteps and fought in World War II.

Durdin died days after receiving word his son had been killed in action.

His name is on the Marion RSL honour roll.

This story is part of Messenger’s 100 Years, 100 Days, 100 Stories project, which will profile 100 South Australian World War I heroes as the nation builds up to the centenary of the Allied landing on Gallipoli on April 25, 1915.

If you have the details and war record of a family member who served during World War I, let us know. Please go to your local Messenger’s Facebook page and send us the details.

Originally published as Anzac Reginald Durdin’s bleeding head in Ypres battle did not distract him from helping his mates in the trenches