Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918
Commanding Officer's tent quarters of the 8th Brigade Infantry School AIF. Left to right: Lieutenant (Lt) W. K. Morpeth MC, 31st Battalion; Captain C. H. Read MC, 32nd Battalion; Lt H. T. Crain MC, 32nd Battalion; Lt M. D. Graham, 32nd Battalion.
Morpeth W K Cpl 890 William Kent 29 Inf Bn 32 Labourer Single Pres
Address: Essendon, Buckley St, Marr Lodge
Next of Kin: Morpeth, D, father, “Marr Lodge”, Buckley St, Essendon
Enlisted: 9 Jul 1915
Embarked: A11 Ascanius 10 Nov 1915
Awards: Military Cross and Bar
Relatives on Active Service:
Morpeth-D-M-Gunner-34131 brother
Group portrait of the Commanding Officer and Instructional Staff of the 8th Australian Infantry Brigade School. Note the revetment around the tent. Back row, left to right: Company Sergeant Major (CSM) Sykes, Army P & RT Staff; 526 Corporal (Cpl) A. E. Lowe; 1028 Cpl W. R. Norris, 30th Battalion; Sergeant (Sgt) R. A. Peachey, 29th Battalion; 1019 CSM A. T. Halse, 31st Battalion; 1328 Cpl W. Duncan, 30th Battalion. Lieutenant (Lt) H. T. Crain MC, 32nd Battalion; Lt Graham MD, 32nd Battalion; Captain C. H. Read MC, 29th Battalion; Lt W. Morpeth MC, 31st Battalion; CSM C. H. Fargie, 31st Battalion. Front row: 1051 Cpl Butcher, 31st Battalion; 4143 Cpl J. Walters, 31st Battalion.
A class in Map (Relief) Reading at the 8th Brigade Infantry School AIF. Morpeth is identified in this photo, 20 Jul 1918. AWM E02832.
SERGEANT-MAJOR W. K. MORPETH
WINS COMMISSION.
A cable was received last week by Mr.
D. C. Morpeth from his son Sergeant
Major W. K. Morpeth, of the 29th Bat
talion, announcing that he had received
his commission, and was appointed to
the 31st Battalion, of Infantry.
Lieut. Morpeth enlisted in July, 1915,
and went into camp at Seymour. Short
ly afterwards he was selected for Col.
E. Tivey's Brigade, and was made a
corporal in the 29th Battalion, going
through the first school of musketry for
officers held at Port Melbourne.
The Battalion left for Egypt in No
vember, and arrived at Cairo in Decem
ber, in which month he was promoted
to sergeant and afterwards to Sergeant-
Major.
After six months' service in the
desert and guarding the Suez Canal, the
Battalion sailed for France in June,
1916, and has been actively engaged at
Bois Grenert, Formelles, Armentieres,
and the Somme. They have seen some
very stiff fighting, and Lieut. Morpeth
got through it all safely, and was com
mended as being a cool, keen fighter
and a brave soldier. In November he
received furlough for a fortnight, which
was spent in London.
Gunner Douglas M. Morpeth, his
younger brother, is now in the Field
Artillery Camp at Maribyrnong, where
he is going through the N.C.O. school.
SERGEANT-MAJOR W. K. MORPETH WINS COMMISSION. (1917, January 31). Stock and Land (Melbourne, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 4. Retrieved December 28, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154594300
MILITARY MEDAL WON
Mr D. C. Morpeth has received a cable
message that his son, Sapper Douglas M.
Morpeth, 3rd Section, 3rd Division Signallers,
has been awarded the Military Medal. His
brother, Lieutenant W. K. Morpeth, 21st
Battalion, was awarded the Military Cross in August.
MILITARY MEDAL WON (1918, December 2). The Herald
(Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 8. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242670725
LIEUT. W. K. MORPETH, M.C.
Mr D C Morpeth (of Trenchard and
Co.), Melbourne, has received a cable
from France, announcing his son, Lieut.
W . K. Morpeth, of the 31st Battalion,
has been awarded the Military Cross.
Lieut. Morpeth left with the 8th Bri-
gade, and has seen over 3 years' active
service, two and a-half wars of which
in France.
Mr. Morpeth is well known in Vic
toria and New South Wales pastoral
circles, and everybody will be pleased
to hear of his son's success.
LIEUT. W. K. MORPETH, M.C. (1918, November 1). The Sydney Stock and Station Journal (NSW : 1896 - 1924), p. 16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124343137
Military Cross
'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He advanced with the attacking troops, and sent back valuable information as to the progress of the attack. Though exposed to heavy shell and machine gun fire, he continued to work backwards and forwards with utter disregard of danger.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 61
Date: 23 May 1919
Bar to Military Cross
'From 29th September 1918 to 1st October 1918, in the Bellicourt sector, he displayed great courage and initiative. He moved forward with the advancing companies under heavy fire, and several times took command of men temporarily without leaders, and who were becoming disorganized. With the assistance of three others he cleared several dug-outs and four field guns. He did fine work.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 10
Date: 29 January 1920
War Service Commemorated
St John's Presbyterian Church
Regimental Register
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