Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

Cover of the 57 Infantry Battalion Unit War Diary for August 1918. Artwork by Presley Benjamin Edward Huthnance.

Meara M J         2nd Lt        Michael John                57 Inf Bn    26    Commercial traveller    Single    R C

Address:    Ascot Vale, Ailsa St, 15   

Next of Kin:    Meara, M, Mr, father, 15 Ailsa St, Ascot Vale   

Enlisted:    3 Jul 1915      

Embarked: A31 Ajana 8 Jul 1916

Awards:  MC

Relatives on Active Service:

Meara-J-B-Tpr-64832  brother

Lieutenant Michael John Meara

by Lenore Frost

Michael John Meara was the second of three children born to Michael Meara and Mary Ann Mayer.  They were all born in Hotham (North Melbourne), Michael junior in 1889.  By 1903 the family had moved to 8 Dalglish St, Flemington. Mary Ann Meara died there in 1909, aged 59, leaving her husband, a labourer, and three children – Beatrice Mary aged 22, Michael John aged 20, and James Bernard aged 13.

By 1912 the family had moved to 15 Ailsa St, Ascot Vale from which address Michael enlisted in July 1915.  By this time Australians had been shocked by the casualties at Gallipoli.  He was a “Fair Dinkum”, those who enlisted fully understanding the risks involved. 

Michael was aged 26, and a commercial traveller, with Groves, McVitty Pty Ltd, wholesale grocers.    He was 5 feet 10½ inches tall, and nearly 9 stone in weight when he enlisted, though six months later Captain Patrick Shaw of the AAMC, when completing a medical form for officers, pronounced Meara to be 6 feet tall and weighing in at  13 and a half stone.  The discrepancy in his height and weight in  a six month period is nothing short of miraculous.  Whichever measurement was correct, despite his lack of prior military training, his age, above-average height and most likely a smooth manner polished by his work as a commercial traveller, marked him out as suitable for officer training.

Michael commenced his military training at Royal Park, but on 21 February 1916 he was transferred to Warrnambool where the army had established a military camp at the Warrnambool Racecourse.  A couple of weeks later he was promoted to 2^nd Lieutenant.   On 5 July 1916 Meara embarked on the HMAT Ajana with the 3^rd Reinforcements to the 57 Infantry Battalion.  Arriving at Plymouth on 31 August 1916 he was then marched in to the 15^th Training Battalion for a further three months training before finally proceeding to France on 11 November 1916. 

Meara was taken on strength of his unit on 1 Dec 1916, at which time the battalion was at Mametz, working on the Decauville Railway.  The weather was cold and showery during the month, with occasional light snow.  The unit diarist recorded details of the efforts made to ensure the men had dry feet and socks, which included providing a drying shed for socks, massaging the feet twice a day, and an issue of gumboots to wear when in the  trenches.  Occasional shelling caused only light casualties.  They worked on improving trenches or carrying engineering supplies. 

On 16 December the Battalion relieved the 58 Infantry Battalion in the frontline trenches. They were themselves relieved by the 59 Infantry Battalion on 19 December.  The weather continued to deteriorate with fogs and sleet falling.   By the end of the month they were out of the trenches at Ribemont where inspections and training took place.  

In Appendix 23, 13 December, it was noted that 2/Lt W J Meara had been moved from A Company to B Company.  January 1917 Route Marches, to Chaussee.  Once there training courses were undertaken, but orders came through that they would make their way towards the trenches on 12 January.  After returning by route marches and entrainment, the Battalion was issued with rations, ammunition and gumboots.  A & B Coys occupied the Front Line Trench on 16 January. Snow fell on 17 January, and continued through the next day.  Shelling at this time was light, but increasing.  On the 19^th heavy shelling of the duckboard tracks did some damage.  At 5 pm that day the Battalion was relieved and B Company returned to Switch Trench.  Further heavy shelling of the duckboard tracks occurred.  The troops returned to “E” Camp near Delville Wood and handed in their gum boots to be put in the drying sheds. 

A line of Australian soldiers making their way along a duckboard track behind Delville Wood, January 1917. 

AWM E00138

Unidentified Australians enjoying some hot tea outside their snow covered

 dugouts behind Delville Wood, January 1917. (AWM E00147)

Early in 1917 the battalion participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, but it was spared having to assault it. It did, however, defend gains made during the second battle of Bullecourt.  From June to August the Battalion was engaged in detailed training and practice, interspersed by route marches and occasional sporting matches.   Officers were given lectures by the Brigade Major, and then went back to their companies and repeated the lecture for the men. Specialist courses were undertaken.  Later in the year, the AIF's focus of operations switched to the Ypres sector in Belgium. The 57th's major battle here was at Polygon Wood on 26 September.

In late March 1918 a major German offensive on the Western Front saw the 5^th Division, which included 57 Inf Bn, moved to defend  the sector around Corbie. During this defence, the 57th Battalion participated in the counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April. When the Allies launched their own offensive around Amiens on 8 August, the 57th Battalion was among the units in action. Tanks co-operated with the infantry to give them cover as they advanced on the German lines, as depicted above in the 57 Battalion’s August Unit War Diary cover, painted by Presley Huthnance.

A report written by Lieutenant W (sic) J Meara, OC of A Company, 57th Battalion,

was appended to the Unit War Diary for August 1918, Appendix 8, page 98.

The battalion’s last major battle of the war began on 29 September 1918, during which Lieutenant Meara was recommended for a Military Cross. This operation was mounted by the 5th and 3rd Australian Divisions, in co-operation with American forces, to break through the formidable German defences along the St Quentin Canal.

Throughout the operations connected with the forcing of the passage of the SOMME August 30th-Sept 5th [1918], Lieut Meara commanded his company with marked ability and showed a splendid example of courage, perseverance and self-sacrifice.  To him fell the difficult task of holding the EASTERN ramparts of PERONNE at edge of FLAMICOURT where he had practically to fight to his front and his flank simultaneously.  After the fruitless efforts to cross from the Western to the Eastern banks of the Somme Canal and river bed Aug 30th - Sept 2nd, the battalion was obliged to move through PERONNE and carry out the difficult operation of fighting its way down south again on the Eastern side of the river, at the same time maintaining its front to the east. Lieut Meara's company was the pivot. 

Lieut Meara made repeated reconnaissances and led patrols at one time to the south and again to the east, gradually edging the enemy back from the outskirts of PERONNE and extending his line in the form of a semicircle linking up with 58th Battalion in FLAMICOURT.  He worked night and day at this difficult task and such was the effect on his men of his fine personal example that they vied with each other in supporting his efforts.  Their exploits are the subject of several recommendations for reward.  It was largely owing to his skilful handling of the difficult situation that the enemy was driven from the positions defending the Eastern bank of the Somme, and by a further difficult movement, fighting his way across the enemy front, he assisted materially in enabling a line to be established and held parallel to the river.  Throughout the operations from VILLERS-BRETTONEUX to PERONNE Lieut Meara has displayed the same excellent qualities of leadership.

Denehy Lt Col

The battalion withdrew to rest on 2 October and Meara was given leave to the UK.  On his return  he was seconded to 5 Division for duty as a staff trainee.  He was given a further period of leave to Italy in February 1919, and was finally marched out for return to Australia on 10 June 1919.

Michael Meara returned to the family home in Ascot Vale to live with his father, sister May and brother James, also returned from the war.  By 1921 the family had moved to Athol St, Moonee Ponds, and during the 20s James moved to Sydney, never to return.  None of the three Meara siblings appears to have married either before or after the war.

Sources:

Australian War Memorial - Awards and Honours

                                         - Unit War Diary 57 Infantry Battalion

Australian National Archives - B2355 for Lt Michael John Meara

Trove

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall L-R

Northern Golf Club

MEARA.—On the 8th April, at her residence,
"Mathinna," Ailsa-street, Ascot vale, the dearly
beloved wife of Michael Meara, and mother of
May, Jack, and Jim.

Family Notices (1909, April 17). The Australasian

(Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), p. 60.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139692016