NewsBite

Making ultimate family sacrifice

RELATIVES of World War I veteran Private George Stewart describe him as the ultimate family man.

Private George Stewart - Anzac - 100 stories in 100 days
Private George Stewart - Anzac - 100 stories in 100 days

RELATIVES of World War I veteran Private George Stewart describe him as the ultimate family man.

The Campbelltown man, who was the fourth of 11 children and the youngest son, would have done anything to protect his family.

So much so, when his family’s market garden business took a financial beating after a long drought in 1911, and to prevent his beloved elder brothers from being sent to war, Private Stewart, then 26, enlisted for service in World War I in December 1914.

His enlisting was part of the initial rush for volunteers for the Australian Imperial Force.

Elizabeth Olsson, Private Stewart’s great niece, says he took it upon himself to support his family.

“He wrote home to the family from Gallipoli and said not to let the other boys come over and that he had joined up to make the others stop at home because one in the family was enough,” Ms Olsson, of Kensington Gardens, says.

“Ken, one of his brothers was engaged to be married, and Fred, another brother, was heavily involved with the market garden, so George felt his absence wouldn’t be felt as hard.”

Private Stewart left Australia for Egypt with the 4th Reinforcements for the 10th Battalion in April 1915, and was involved in the fighting in The Dardanelles.

His reinforcement group was being ferried to the Anzac positions in Gallipoli on May 4, 1915.

The minesweeper which brought them ashore came under Turkish fire and Private Stewart was wounded in the arm and leg and was evacuated to Egypt to recover.

He rejoined his battalion in Gallipoli in July 1915 and was among the troops kept in reserve during the 1st Division’s attack at Lone Pine on August 6.

In November, he became jaundice and was evacuated to recover in Malta.

While recovering, he was told he was going home but the armed forces changed its mind and Private Stewart’s Battalion was deployed to the Battle of Pozières.

While the Battalion pushed toward the German line at Mouquet Farm, Private Stewart was among the casualties and was listed as missing on August 19, 1916.

“The family didn’t know what had happened to him for a long time,” Ms Olsson says.

“There was reports that George was in a shell hole with his platoon commander when German troops showered their position with hand grenades.

“Another man, Bomber Johnson, reported the shell hole was blown up, but the report could not be confirmed and his remains were never recovered.

“His death was not certified until the following year, 1917, when a court of inquiry found him to have been killed.”

Graham Evans, 73, the nephew of Private Stewart, says the loss affected his family greatly.

“My mother was George’s younger sister and she was only seven when he went to war,” Mr Richard, of Littlehampton, says.

“I think if affected her the most in some ways emotionally because she always had this tie to him and was very fond of her big brother.”

Ms Olsson, 49, visited the battlefields of the Somme in France, and describes it as an emotional experience.

“My mother and I cried for three days straight, not just for George, but for all the soldiers that had been lost in the war,” she says.

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 Making ultimate family sacrifice

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/national/making-ultimate-family-sacrifice/news-story/86ac0cc07f7c26ebe2fa5b98ff3e2acc