Wallach Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Wallach brothers were a family of eight boys born to Henry and Mary Wallach of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia toward the end of the 19th century. Six of the brothers all saw active service in World War I
. The fourth and eighth brothers, Clarrie and Neville were both top-grade rugby union
players before the War. They both saw action at Gallipoli
, were promoted on the Western Front
as Captains, were both recipients of the Military Cross
and each fell within a week of each other in France in fighting at the time of the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
.
and before the War were active in Surf lifesaving at the Bondi Beach and Maroubra Beach Surf Life Saving Club
s.
was an Australian representative
rugby union
forward and decorated World War I
military officer. He fought at Gallipoli and in France and died on the Western Front
.
in Sydney where he played as a lock. He made eight state representative appearances for New South Wales
and appeared on five occasions between 1913 and 1914 for Australia
.
in the 19th Battalion, 5th Brigade
, of the 2nd Division raised in March 1915, disembarking in June 1915. After training in Egypt, the battalion landed at Anzac Cove
on 21 August 1915, and following that took part in the attack on Battle of Hill 60
.
On the Western Front
Clarrie saw action at the Battle of Pozières
in August 1916. In 1918 Clarrie Wallach with the 19th battalion helped to repel the German Spring Offensive
, and it was during this time, on 7 April 1918, that Clarrie by now a Captain, would sustain mortal wounds in the very same action around Hangard Wood which saw his 2IC, Lieutenant Percy Storkey
earn a Victoria Cross
for his actions during the fighting. Clarrie suffering from a compound fracture of his left leg, had gangrene set in and doctors amputated the limb. Wallach's condition deteriorated and he died on 22 April, aged twenty-eight. He is buried in the Etretat Churchyard Extension in Étretat
, France.
was also a grade rugby player with the Eastern Suburbs RUFC
and an active member of the Bondi Surf Bather's Life Saving Club. He enlisted at aged 18 on 25 January 1915, as a private with the 13th (New South Wales) Infantry Battalion
, Australian Imperial Force
- the Battalion had been raised in September 1914 only six weeks after the declaration of war. The main strength of the battalion left Australia from Albany in December arriving in Egypt in February 1915. Wallach was enlisted to a force of reinforcements for the 13th and left Sydney on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 11 February 1915.
Along with the rest of the 4th Brigade, under the command of then Colonel John Monash
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. Between May to August, they were then heavily involved in operations to establish and defend the narrow beachhead against Turkish assaults.
After Gallipoli, Neville saw action on the Western Front. He met up with his brother Rupert who was posted to the 13th Battalion. He was twice wounded, was mentioned in despatches, promoted to Captain at age 21 and in April 1917 was awarded the Military Cross
for bravery in the 4th Division's assault on the Hindenburg Line
in the First Battle of Bullecourt
.
The citation noted: He was a Platoon Commander in the attack on the Hindenburg Line near Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 and though he received a bullet through his thigh within one minute of zero, he led his men over 1200 yards of ground swept by shell and machine gun fire.......Captain Wallace is a very capable officer and bears a high reputation for bravery.
He was killed on 1 May 1918 in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
. A shell burst at his company headquarters senidng a splinter through his head as the officers were sitting down to tea. He is buried in the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
and aged 35 when he enlisted as a private in the 12th Battalion. He embarked from Melbourne on HMAT A56 Palermo in September 1916. He survived the war and returned a corporal in July 1918.
in August 1914. Rupert Wallach saw action in New Guinea, Gallipoli and France during the war.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The fourth and eighth brothers, Clarrie and Neville were both top-grade rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players before the War. They both saw action at Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
, were promoted on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
as Captains, were both recipients of the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and each fell within a week of each other in France in fighting at the time of the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux came during the period of the battle of Lys, 24–27 April 1918, but was launched against the British lines in front of Amiens.The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive...
.
Family of boys
The family was of German origin. Henry was the first born son (1880), then three brothers followed by Clarrie (1889), Rupert (1893), Arthur (1897), Neville (1897). The brothers all attended Sydney Grammar SchoolSydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and before the War were active in Surf lifesaving at the Bondi Beach and Maroubra Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Club
Surf Life Saving Clubs are volunteer institutions at Australia's beaches. The clubs conduct surf lifesaving services on weekends and public holidays and host many beach sport activities, such as Nippers, surf carnivals and other competitions...
s.
Clarence Wallach
Clarence Wallach MCMilitary Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
was an Australian representative
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
forward and decorated World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
military officer. He fought at Gallipoli and in France and died on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
Rugby career
Clarrie's club rugby career was with the Eastern Suburbs RUFCEastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
in Sydney where he played as a lock. He made eight state representative appearances for New South Wales
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and appeared on five occasions between 1913 and 1914 for Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
.
Military career
Clarrie was commissioned as a LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 19th Battalion, 5th Brigade
5th Brigade (Australia)
5th Brigade is a brigade of the Australian Army. It is a Reserve combined arms formation based in New South Wales and forms part of the 2nd Division.-History:...
, of the 2nd Division raised in March 1915, disembarking in June 1915. After training in Egypt, the battalion landed at Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC on April 25, 1915. The cove is a mere long, bounded by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south...
on 21 August 1915, and following that took part in the attack on Battle of Hill 60
Battle of Hill 60 (Gallipoli)
The Battle of Hill 60 was the last major assault of the Battle of Gallipoli. It was launched on 21 August 1915 to coincide with the attack on Scimitar Hill made from the Suvla front by General Stopford's British IX Corps. Hill 60 was a low knoll at the northern end of the Sari Bair range which...
.
On the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
Clarrie saw action at the Battle of Pozières
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
in August 1916. In 1918 Clarrie Wallach with the 19th battalion helped to repel the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
, and it was during this time, on 7 April 1918, that Clarrie by now a Captain, would sustain mortal wounds in the very same action around Hangard Wood which saw his 2IC, Lieutenant Percy Storkey
Percy Valentine Storkey
Percy Valentine Storkey VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
earn a Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his actions during the fighting. Clarrie suffering from a compound fracture of his left leg, had gangrene set in and doctors amputated the limb. Wallach's condition deteriorated and he died on 22 April, aged twenty-eight. He is buried in the Etretat Churchyard Extension in Étretat
Étretat
Étretat is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is a tourist and farming town situated c. 32 km northeast of Le Havre, at the junction of the D940, D11 and D139 roads. It's located on the coast of the Pays de Caux area.-The...
, France.
Neville Wallach
Neville Wallach (1897–1918) MCMilitary Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
was also a grade rugby player with the Eastern Suburbs RUFC
Eastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
and an active member of the Bondi Surf Bather's Life Saving Club. He enlisted at aged 18 on 25 January 1915, as a private with the 13th (New South Wales) Infantry Battalion
13th Battalion (Australia)
The 13th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Originally raised for the 1st Australian Imperial Force during the First World War, it was formed just six weeks after the start of the war. Along with the 14th, 15th and 16th Battalions which were recruited from New South Wales,...
, Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
- the Battalion had been raised in September 1914 only six weeks after the declaration of war. The main strength of the battalion left Australia from Albany in December arriving in Egypt in February 1915. Wallach was enlisted to a force of reinforcements for the 13th and left Sydney on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 11 February 1915.
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
, the 13th Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
, arriving late on 25 April 1915. Between May to August, they were then heavily involved in operations to establish and defend the narrow beachhead against Turkish assaults.
After Gallipoli, Neville saw action on the Western Front. He met up with his brother Rupert who was posted to the 13th Battalion. He was twice wounded, was mentioned in despatches, promoted to Captain at age 21 and in April 1917 was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for bravery in the 4th Division's assault on the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
in the First Battle of Bullecourt
Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
.
The citation noted: He was a Platoon Commander in the attack on the Hindenburg Line near Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 and though he received a bullet through his thigh within one minute of zero, he led his men over 1200 yards of ground swept by shell and machine gun fire.......Captain Wallace is a very capable officer and bears a high reputation for bravery.
He was killed on 1 May 1918 in the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux came during the period of the battle of Lys, 24–27 April 1918, but was launched against the British lines in front of Amiens.The Germans developed a small number of tanks, and used them in this offensive...
. A shell burst at his company headquarters senidng a splinter through his head as the officers were sitting down to tea. He is buried in the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
Henry Wallach
Henry (born 1880) was living in HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
and aged 35 when he enlisted as a private in the 12th Battalion. He embarked from Melbourne on HMAT A56 Palermo in September 1916. He survived the war and returned a corporal in July 1918.
Rupert Wallach
Rupert (born 1893) enlisted at very the beginning of the war in August 1914. He joined the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force (Tropical Unit), C Company. Under the command of Colonel William Holmes, the AN&MEF departed Sydney aboard HMAS BerrimaHMAS Berrima
HMAS Berrima was an Armed Merchant Cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War I.The P&O passenger liner SS Berrima was requisitioned for use by the Navy, refitted and armed at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard and commissioned into the RAN as the auxiliary cruiser HMAS...
in August 1914. Rupert Wallach saw action in New Guinea, Gallipoli and France during the war.
Arthur Wallach
Arthur Wallach (born 1897) enlisted as a Gunner in Machine Gun Company 1 in January 1916. He left Sydney in HMAT Bennalla in May 1916. He survived the war, returning home in August 1918.See also
Blbliography
- Collection (1995) Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby, Harper Collins Publishers, Sydney.
- Zavos, Spiro (2000) Golden Wallabies - The Story of Australia's Rugby World Champions, Penguin Books, Ringwood, Victoria.
- Carlyon, Les (2006) The Great War Macmillan Publishing, Sydney.
- Brawley, Sean Bondi SLSC "100 Years of Tradition" publication 2008
External links
- Clarrie Wallach at the C'wealth War Graves Commission
- Neville Wallach at the C'wealth War Graves Commission
- Henry Wallach at the AIF Project
- Neville Wallach at the AIF Project
- Rupert Wallach at the AIF Project
- Arthur Wallach at the AIF Project
- Obituary Clarrie and Neville
- Australian Light Horse Studies Centre His Majesty's Australian Transports HMAT Ships, Transporting the 1st AIF.