Vallancy Rowlands shares the story of her uncle, Private  Cyril Sydney Washington West, who sailed with the first Victorian contingent, served at Gallipoli and sadly, paid the ultimate sacrifice on the fields of the Western Front.

Cyril was born in 1894 at Clifton Hill and was one of 9 siblings. ‘Bing’, as he was nicknamed, grew into a mischievous and fun loving boy, full of pranks and practical jokes and quite the despair of his mother, Louise West.

Cyril enlisted on 19 August 1914 and was appointed to ‘C’ Coy. 6 Battalion. Regimental No.354.  After training at Broadmeadows, Cyril joined the first convoy that sailed from Port Melbourne during October 1914.

Cyril wrote home regularly from Egypt and sent cigarette cards to his siblings…what a thrill for them to get cigarette cards from their soldier brother in Egypt.

On 4 April 1915, Cyril embarked on the Galeka to Turkey and the Dardenelles and in the early hours of April 25, the Galeka brought the battalions close into shore at Gallipoli. Four boatloads of troops were shot to pieces in the landing attempt….but Cyril had come through unscathed.

After sustaining a gun wound in his shoulder some days later and having a spell on the hospital ship, his Anzac days were over and by 7 January 1917 he was back at Alexandria.

Some months later, the troops were on the Somme. On the 25 July, Pozieres was razed to the ground – all that was left were bare tree trunks. The 6th Battalion returned from a short spell off-duty to continue the onward thrust. The line was to push to Mouquet Farm and cause the Germans to retreat. The 6th occupied a position in the vicinity of the area known as the elbow. The position was a short distance from a German post and a special target for enemy artillery which more than once blew it up killing and wounding the 6th bombers. Early on 16 August, Cyril was bringing in a wounded soldier when he was hit and killed.

Read Cyril’s full story here