Morris, Cecil William

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Bragg, Edmund Allen Service Number 1494

Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula

Gosford District Casualties of World War One

Morris, Cecil William Service Number 160

Killed in Action 6th August 1915 Lone Pine, Gallipoli

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of

Benalyn Campbell

And Vivienne Tranter

in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records

held in the

The Australian War Memorial and

National Archives of Australia

(© Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013)

Further information on this soldier may be found online at:

Commonwealth War Graves

The AIF project

Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children

using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context

provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF.

This resource is presented by Gosford City Council

for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources

contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en

NAME Morris, Cecil William

SERVICE NO 160

UNIT 3rd

Battalion

RANK Private

AGE at Enlistment 23 yrs

PLACE OF BIRTH Walgett, NSW

ADDRESS

OCCUPATION Sanitary Inspector

DATE OF ENLISTMENT 17 Aug 1914

PLACE OF ENLIST-MENT

Randwick, NSW

PREVIOUS SERVICE 3 yrs

NEXT OF KIN Father;-(Sergeant) William Morris, Police Station Gosford, NSW

PHYSICAL DESCRIP-TION

Height-5’10”. Weight-164lbs. Chest-37”. Complexion-Fair. Eyes-Blue. Hair-Light. Small growth on back of L/Hand

RELIGION R/C

EMBARKED “Euripides”

DISEMBARKED

NOTES 23 Jul 1915-Refused to obey a lawful command by superior officer.

WOUNDED/ILLNESS 6 Aug 1915-shell or bayonet wound to stomach/side

DIED 6 Aug 1915- Lone Pine- Gallipoli

BURIED Thought to be buried in trench where he died

MEDALS 1914-15 Star-11746, British War Medal-3031, Victory Medal-3031. Memorial Plaque & Scroll-301486.

DEPENDANTS Mother;- Nellie Morris

PERSONAL EFFECTS Letters, Postage Stamps, Brush Tin, Brush, Wallet, Cards, Housewife, Key Chain, Tin, Purse, Scarf, Knee Pad, Military Book/

WILL

CORRESPONDENCE Father/ Mother/ M Mayo (Mrs?) Mother of R S Mayo d 1918 France/ Thelma May Morris (sister)15.7.1967/

For transcription please see next page. Gosford Times—9th July 1915

Gosford Times 9

th July 1915

AT THE FRONT Private Cecil Morris, son of Sergeant Morris, of gosford, writes from Imtafa, Malta, under date May 5:- I suppose you have heard all about our battle with the Turks. I am wounded in the leg and hand with shrap-nel after having had a fortnight’s fighting. We were landed, under a perfect hail of shot and shell, in small boats, in small boats each containing about 50 men. Some of the boats by the time they reached the shore had nothing but loads of mangled humanity. The Turks had hundreds of machine guns and con-cealed batteries commanding the beach, and it looked an utter impossibility for our men to land. However, we fixed bayonets, jumped out of the boats into the water up to our waists, and made for the shore. We were soon struggling with wire entanglements fitted under the water, and here again there was heavy slaughter among the landing parties before we finally got to the land. The Turks then endeavoured to drive us back into the sea with the bayonet, but our chaps, knowing what was in store, fought as never a fight has been waged before, and gradually gained foothold. The coast where we landed is something like Terri-gal round about The Skillion, and we had to scale up these huge cliffs that were absolutely swarming with the enemy. They were yelling “Allah, Allah” and sounding all the British Bugle Calls. Others were shouting out orders to retreat, the object being to confuse us. But we had had warnings about the enemy’s tactics and took no notice of them, beyond rushing their trenches with the bayonet. The Australians fought with such grim tenacity, that the enemy gave way everywhere, and retired to the heights from where they fired volleys of rifle fire on the attackers below. While we were landing, one of them stood up and yelled in English, “Come on, you Kangaroo ---------, you are not fighting Cairo-----------now”. After an hour’s fighting, and with the assistance of the warships (Queen Elizabeth included), we had control of the hill and started to advance and built trenches under heavy fire for the day. When advancing, the order was to run ahead about 20 yards, one at a time, and drop down, eventually forming one long firing line. During these operations I had a peculiar creepy experience. I was advancing and ran up the distance and dropped between two other comrades. I asked the one on my right the range and he did not answer. Turning to the one on my left I repeated the question, but no reply came. Both poor fellows were stone dead, shot through the head while still remaining in a firing position. Needless to say, I soon shifted on. We were entrenched one night about 10 o’clock and the order came along from mouth to moutn, “cease firing, Indians on the right about to charge.” Se we stopped firing. The Turks then came in thousands, but we mowed them down. This looked a bit “fishy”, and our officer told us to look out for anyone passing or-ders. Another order started to come along, and the chap that started it was grabbed. He turned out to be a German dressed in an Australian uniform. He has ceased to exist. It was the second Sunday, at 8 o”clock at night, that I got hit. The wounds, however, were not serious, al-

though I was packed off to the hospital at Malta – The British call us “white Gurkas.” An English officer said

he never saw men fight like the Australians, and that the fighting was worse that at Mons. At time of writing

I am doing well, but expect to be sent from here to England to get thoroughly well again. I suppose you

know more about Dardanelles in Australia than I have heard. We who have actually been in the fighting

line know little about things in general, the operations being so extensive. By the bye, when I was hit I was

ordered to get back to the first dressing station. While doing so as best I could, I met an old “cobber” and

was shaking hands with him when a bullet came “zip” and planted itself in his shoulder. He coolly said

“hold on, I will come with you.” Do not worry where Lance Mason or any of the other Gosford chaps are.

Gosford Times 24

th December 1915

KILLED IN GALLIPOLI ANOTHER GOSFORD HERO In October last Private Mayo, writing home, reported that Pri-vate Cecil W. Morris, of Gosford, had been killed in the charge on the Turkish trenches at Lonesome Pine on 6

th August last.

No confirmatory news was received from the military authori-ties, and Sergeant Morris at once placed himself in communi-cation with the Officer of Base Records. Several cables were sent to and fro, and on 16

th instant the following letter was re-

ceived from the Department of Defence:- “In continuation of letter dated 30

th ultimo, a further cable has

been received from Egypt that No. 160, Private C.W. Morris, 3

rd Battalion, was last seen on the parapet of a Turkish trench

seriously wounded. The foregoing is the result of an enquiry made to the Officer commanding your son’s battalion, - Yours faithfully, J.M. LEAN, Capt.” The letter from the Defence Authorities confirms the authentic-

ity of Private Mayo’s statement, and there is little to doubt but

that another of Gosford’s gallant young men has fallen in mor-

tal combat against the enemies of our King and Country. Pri-

vate Cecil Morris was the eldest son of Sergeant Morris, of

Gosford, and, had he lived would have celebrated his 21st

birthday on 21st October. He was educated at Gosford, Bur-

wood and Fort Street Superior Schools, and was last em-

ployed as clerk in Messrs. Goodall’s office Sydney, On the

outbreak of war he enlisted in the 1st Expeditionary Force and

was sent to Egypt and later to the Dardanelles. He was twice

wounded prior to the storming of the Turkish trenches at Lone-

some Pine. As already stated, Private Morris was but 21

years of age, and was an all-round athlete, just the type of

young Australian that would play his part when acts requiring

grit and courage were called for, otherwise he would not have

received his death blow on the parapet of the enemy’s

trenches. We deeply sympathise with the parents and family

relatives in their sad bereavement, but they have the consulta-

tion of knowing that their brave young soldier boy died doing

his duty with his face to the foe, as so many of our gallant

young Australians have done in this cruel and world-wide war.

Gosford Times 11

th August 1916

IN MEMORIUM MORRIS- In loving memory of Cecil William Morris, killed in action at Lone Pine, Gallipoli on 6

th August, 1915.

He rose responsive to his country’s call, He gave his life, his best, his all. Inserted by his sorrowing parents, brothers and sisters,

Gosford.

Gosford Times 7

th August 1919

MORRIS – In loving memory of Cecil Willaim Morris, killed in action at Lone Pine on the 8

th August, 1916.

The graves of those who fell at Lonesome Pine, Wove their best lives on freedom’s great design; Not their’s, not their’s are spirits that repine, Though weak winds whisper to the woeful sky- Good-bye, Gallipoli, Good-bye. Inserted by his loving parents, brothers and sisters.

Gosford Times 8

th August 1918

ROLL OF HONOR MORRIS- In loving memory of Cecil William Morris, killed in action at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, August 6

th, 1915.

“Duty Nobly Done” Inserted by his loving parents, sisters and brothers.

Gosford Times 16

th November 1916

A list of 494 Australian soldiers who were killed at Gallipoli, but were previously reported wounded, has just

been published. Among the names is Private Cecil Morris, son of Sergeant Morris, of Gosford, Proof of his

death at Lone Pine was obtained over 12 months ago.

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 7984266









































Documents

Morris, Cecil William