Ipswich – One Mile Bridge
26 November 1915
News of the recruitment march inspired men throughout the district to join up. Meetings had been held in the nearby towns of Esk and Blackbutt and in the Fassifern district towns of Boonah, Engeslburg (Kalbar) and Harrisville. Those inspired to join the march travelled to Ipswich by various means. The largest of these groups—23 from the Fassifern district—departed Boonah on Friday 26 November 1915. A parade up High Street and a farewell social had been held in the Boonah School of Arts Hall the previous evening. These recruits were taken by car to Ipswich to join the Dungarees the same day.
The Dungarees marched through Mount Morrow and Walloon, with afternoon tea served by the Walloon Shire Council.
Meanwhile, preparations in Ipswich began with everyone gathering at the Town Hall. Then the Fassifern recruits, the Boonah band, a local pipers’ band, cadets, bugle band, scouts, other military forces and citizens of Ipswich all marched to the One Mile Bridge just outside of Ipswich town centre. There was great excitement when the band of Dungarees came into view. After a brief rest, everyone marched back into town, gathering in the grounds of St Paul’s Church.
Recruits
Boonah:
- Abraham, Eric Kingsley #4355
- Hinton, Edward John #5123A
- Mahaffey, Andrew #4501
- Maudsley, Arthur John #227
- McBean, Donald Joseph #1945
- McDonald, Henry Arthur #4512
- Mengel, August #20834
- Messenger, Edward Paul #4502
- Stolz, George Henry #279
- Surawski, Lorenz Andrew #1736
- Surawski, Martin Theodore #2318
- Ward, Haviland Vance #15717
Nominated but not enlisted - Brady, John; Carter, T; Dimmick, H; England, Henry ; Haylock, H; Howard, C W; Mitchell, Geo; Nugent, T; Robertson, John
Harrisville:
- Adams, Roderick
- Brown, Ronald #20913
- Chalk, Alfred Titmarsh #32459
- Falvey, Edward #2081 rejected initially for health issues, later accepted in March 1916
- MacFarlane, Kenneth Leslie #20985
- Pearce, John Joseph #20997
- Woodward, Charlie #26286
Nominated but not enlisted - Castrisos, Peter
Blackbutt:
- Illingworth, Arthur David #4469
Kilcoy:
- Walker, William George #247
Esk:
- Anderson, Jacob Neilson #4359
- Brough, James #4375
- Keen, David #4481
- Werner, Edward #246
