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Researching WW1 diggers and nurses

from Sunshine Coast region of Queensland


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2014 was the centenary year of Australia's first deployment of soldiers to Europe to fight in the First World War.

The purpose of the Adopt a Digger Project is to commemorate the centenary by honouring the men and women from the (current) Sunshine Coast region of South-east Queensland who fought in World War One either with the Army, Navy or Airforce. Criteria for a soldier's inclusion is either that he was born in the district, or his next-of-kin was resident in the district, or he enlisted in the district or he is commemorated on a local honour board or memorial. This same criteria applies to our nurses. Since the inception of the project we have decided to include the settlers who took up land at Beerburrum Soldier Settlement from 1916 as the Settlement is such a significant piece of the region's WW1 history. Our criteria dates are 1914 to 1925.

The aim of this website is to create a database which records each soldier's WW1 military history and a brief personal history. This database will be a valuable source of reference for historians, researchers, descendants and school students, and will be a significant contribution to the social and historical military records of Australia, and particularly the  Sunshine Coast region.

We held an exhibition in April 2015 to commemorate the Anzac Centenary and to remember and honour "our boys".

5th-lhr-in-egyptPhoto: Side view of men of the 5th Australian Light Horse, on alert, in a section of the bridgehead. This bridgehead, established on the eastern side of the Jordan after the first Amman raid, was retained throughout the summer of 1918. Photo: AWM B00010 Whilst browsing, as I often do, just keying words into Google, I came up with a site dedicated to the Light Horse Brigade.


Here are some great links to all the soldiers who served in the 5th Light Horse Regiment, made up mostly of bushmen from the Queensland Mounted Infantry and soldiers from northern NSW. And I found four more diggers from the Sunshine Coast, names that were not on Adopt a Digger database – but are now! Below are the names of soldiers from our region, 38 in all, who served in the 5th Light Horse Regiment.

Some names from the total indexed list do not have a place attached to the soldier so please let me know if you find another one of “our boys”.

ADAMS, Farrier Corporal George Edward, No. 3425..
ADAMS, Trooper Ireton William, No. 753.
BARLOW, Trooper Reginald Rufus, No. 3470.
BRECKENRIDGE, Trooper Robert William, No. 1233.
BURCHILL, Trooper John Galloway, No. 1995.
BURRELL, Trooper Thomas Frederick, No. 1009.
CAGNACCI, Corporal Curzio, No. 1317.
CLANCY, Driver James Thomas, No. 1736.
COOKE, Gunner Allan Stewart, No. 2350.
COONEY, Trooper Thomas, No. 2460.
FLANAGAN, Corporal Thomas, No. 1870.
FOX, Trooper Thomas Celsus, No. 1166.
FOX, Trooper Walter John, No. 1165.
FRY, Trooper Harry, No. 488, A Squadron.
FRANCIS, Corporal William John, No. 942.
GOMERSALL, Trooper Harold Bowman, No. 3418.
HENNINGSEN, Driver Hans Peter, No. 719.
HIGGINS, Trooper Thomas John, No. 114, B Squadron.
HODGES, Trooper Percy Charles, No. 2999.
KELLEHER, Temp. Sergeant John, No. 1687.
McCONNELL, Private David, No. 210, C Squadron.
McGRATH, Gunner James Clyde, No. 1708.
McINTOSH, Gunner William, No. 1035.
MITCHELL, Trooper Frederick Langdon, No. 1581.
MOLONEY, Pte James, No. 2209.
MORRISON, Trooper Frank Alton, No. 645.
NOLLER, Trooper William Arthur, No. 959.
NUGENT, Trooper Reginald, No. 898.
PAGE, Driver Hugh Murray, No. 1190.
POTTER, Trooper Arthur Laurence, No. 3259.
PULLEN, Private Robert, No. 737.
REDFERN, Driver Ernest Edward, No. 1191.
ROBINS, Trooper Angus Bruce, No. 249, A Squadron.
RODERICK, Trooper Cyril Randall, No. 3380.
SANDERSON, Gunner Isaac John, No. 1268.
THOMPSON, Driver John, No. 3260.
WALLER, Trooper William Edward, No. 1122.
WARBROOK, James Thomas, No. 1052
WILLIS, Private William Louis Willis, No. 2086
YOUNGMAN, Gunner Joseph Douglas, No. 370.

http://www.anzacs.org/5lhr/index.html