Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Victor Best of the 50th battalion was initially like any young Australian joining the war, but overall was very insignificant to the progression and overall outcome of the war. Never the less he still gave his life in effort to fight for his country.

He was born in 1897 in Norwood of Adelaide in South Australia. He grew up like an average Australian boy until his parents died when he was just a young child. Victor’s half-sister, Margaret Whipp stepped in to foster him until he would leave home to live by himself. Before he enlisted for World War 1, Victor worked as a labourer doing simple jobs for people. He was quite tall at the size of 5 foot 10 inches and he was of a medium complexion with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He followed the Catholic religion passed down to him by his parents and he also remained single for his whole life.

People during World War 1 believed that going out to war would be a great experience. It gave them a chance to pursue nationalism and pride for their own country. They had reason to believe this because advertisement highly encouraged that men should join the war. Very rarely or maybe never did the advertisement explain just how bad that the war would be. It is automatically anticipated that your side is going to win, that victory will be the conclusion. That was not always the case. This would have most likely been the drive that Victor would have possessed in order to sign up for the war.

Troops that had enlisted for the war were put into groups called ‘battalions”. Victor was part of the 8th reinforcement of the 50th battalion. The purpose of the 50th battalion was to go to fight among the trenches in France and Belgium which was also known as the Western Front. The 50th battalion was partly conjoined by the 10th and 12th battalion and was mainly filled with some of the newly enlisted troops like Victor.

Victor Best embarked on his trip from Adelaide on the 16th of December 1916 on the troop ship ‘Berrima’. The ship was initially being used to carry immigrants from the United Kingdom to Australia via Cape Town. In 1914 the Berrima was fitted with guns and was then used for troop transportation and other military use. The Berrima then disembarked in Devonport, England on the 16th of February 1917.

Unfortunately, not long after his arrival to England, Victor became very sick, after a month being admitted and discharged from hospital, Victor eventually passed away in Sutton Veny military hospital from bronchial pneumonia on the 7th of April 1917. He was laid to rest on the 18th in Sutton Veny graveyard. Victor was very unexposed to action within the war because of his death followed so early after leaving home. The 50th battalion had not even reached its destination yet which gives an understanding that he barely had chance to hold a gun.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Victor Best was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1896 to George & Isabella Best (formerly Morbey, nee Fitzpatrick). 

George Best, father of Victor Best, died 15th June, 1898 in Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.

Isabella Pearse (formerly Best), mother of Victor Best, died 16th March, 1911 at Adelaide, South Australia.

On 4th October, 1916 Victor Best enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) in Adelaide, South Australia as a 20 year old, single, Labourer.

Private Victor Best, Service number 3122, embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Berrima (A35) on 16th December, 1916 with the 8th Reinforcements, 50th Battalion & disembarked at Devonport, England on 16th February, 1917.

Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.

On 21st February, 1917 Private Best was marched in from Australia to 15th Training Battalion at Hurdcott, Wiltshire. He was transferred to 13th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 6th March, 1917.

He was written up for overstaying leave from Codford from 1 a.m. on 27th March, 1917 until 7.30 a.m. on 30th March, 1917. He was awarded 10 days F.P. (Field Punishment) & forfeited a total of 13 days’ pay.

On 4th April, 1917 Private Best was sent sick to Group Hospital at Codford & admitted to the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 6th April, 1917. He was reported as seriously ill.

Private Victor Best died on 7th April, 1917 at the Military Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England from Broncho pneumonia.

He was buried in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England where 140 other WW1 Australian War Graves & 2 WW1 Australian Nurses are laid to rest.

The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for Private Victor Best contains a letter from The Matron, Military Hospital, Sutton Veny regarding Private Best which reads:

“He was admitted into hospital on April 5th suffering from acute Broncho-pneumonia. Everything that was possible was done for him but he died two days later. He was a R.C. and was visited by the priest. He had no other visitors. The sister of his ward wrote to his relatives telling all particulars and sent a money order to them, which had belonged to him. He is buried in Sutton Veny, Grave No. 286. This is all the information we can give you, as he was in so short a time.”

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/sutton-veny-a---b.html