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Australia

Cyril was the son of John LITTLE & Hannah NEWELL and was born on the 18th of December 1891 in Suttontown, near Mt Gambier, SA.

His parents were married on the 1st of March 1882 at the residence of Hannah’s parents in Suttontown, near Mt Gambier, SA.

His father was the son of Thomas LITTLE & Sarah VOCKINS and was born in 1852 in Stone Hut Paddock, Benara, SA.
His mother was the daughter of John NEWELL & Pheobe Matilda HALL and was born on the 17th of February 1857 in Mt Gambier, SA.

Cyril was the fifth child born into the family of 7 children.

His father was a bullock driver and later a dairy farmer.

Cyril and his siblings attended the Suttontown School and after completing his education Cyril gained employment as a labourer.

His brother Stanley enlisted into the 10th Battalion on the 18th of September 1914.
Stanley embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Themistocles on the 7th of December 1914.

At the age of 23, Cyril enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 15th of December 1914 in Oaklands, SA and was allotted the service number 5856 and posted to C Squadron, Base Light Horse.

He was then posted to the 4th Light Horse Brigade Train (14th ASC) as a driver, on the 1st of April.

Cyril embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 26th of May 1915, disembarked in Egypt and marched into Racecourse Camp at Heliopolis.

After nearly 4 years in France Cyril embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HMS Warwickshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 24th of May.
His brother Leonard had also enlisted while Cyril was overseas, but he was discharged medically unfit and never embarked.

Cyril was discharged from the AIF on the 8th of September 1919.

On the 17th of December 1921 Cyril was granted sections 109 & 2144 in the Hundred of Hindmarsh as part of the Soldier Settlement Scheme.

Cyril married Agnes Kennedy HASTINGS on the 10th of November 1922.
Agnes was the daughter of Alexander HASTINGS & Elizabeth Heard Hazel DUNN and was born on the 29th of June 1899 at Peweena Station, Mt Gambier, SA.

They welcomed their first child; Doris May on the 16th of August 1928 and in 1936 they had a stillborn son; Kevin.

By 1939 they were living in Glencoe and Cyril was a labourer.

Cyril died on the 29th of August 1955 and was buried the following day in the Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mt Gambier; Section K, Plot 849.

Military

At the age of 23, Cyril enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 15th of December 1914 in Oaklands, SA and was allotted the service number 5856 and posted to C Squadron, Base Light Horse.
He listed his mother, of Suttontown, near Mt Gambier SA, as his next of kin.

He was then posted to the 4th Light Horse Brigade Train (14th ASC) as a driver, on the 1st of April.

Cyril embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 26th of May 1915, disembarked in Egypt and marched into Racecourse Camp at Heliopolis.
In July, the decision was made to break up the 4th Light Horse Brigade and to deploy its Regiments as dismounted reinforcements to Gallipoli.
Cyril was not deployed to Gallipoli, instead he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Division Train, 20th Company Army Service Corps (ASC) and allocated a new service number; 8917.
Division Trains were a prime mechanism to ensure the Army could move and fight. The tasks of the trains and motorised columns varied. The basic tasks of train companies were to carry baggage and resupply food, forage and water for the headquarters and units of the division.

In addition the Train companies supported Division units with a wide variety of general tasks from providing drivers for formation headquarters and field ambulances to carting roadmaking materials and engineer stores, operating snow ploughs, using sledges to evacuate casualties through the mud, providing transport for postal deliveries, repairing unit equipment, and operating ad hoc pack transport units.

Cyril then embarked from Alexandrina on the 20th of March 1916, disembarking in Marseilles 8 days later.
On the 27th of April he was temporarily attached to the 17th Battalion at Bois Grenier, as part of the 5th Brigade, which was assigned to the 2nd Division.
He spent 4 weeks with the 17th Battalion in the front line trenches before rejoining his unit at the Somme offensive.

On the 10th of July Cyril was temporarily attached to the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC) at St. Marie Capel. From here they moved onto Longpre, Argoeuves and Pouchevilliers before arriving at Senlis on the 29th.
Cyril then rejoined his unit the following day and was then involved in the Battle of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August and early September.

On the 5th of September they were withdrawn from the Somme and sent to Ypres for rest and they anticipated spending the winter in Flanders. Throughout early October, the Division undertook a number of minor raids in the sector, but in the middle of the month it was relieved by the British 21st Division and was recalled to the Somme for the final stages of the British offensive.
This time they joined the British Fourth Army, holding a sector south of Pozières near the village of Flers.
Despite heavy mud, the Australians were required to mount a number of attacks around Gueudecourt, with a brigade from the 2nd Division and a brigade from the 1st Division.

On the 5th of November, the 7th Brigade attacked the German series of trenches called "The Maze". While part of the German trenches were captured and held, the exhausted soldiers were ejected from their gains a few days later. Two Battalions of the 7th Brigade, along with two Battalions from the 5th, attacked again on the 14th of November, but they were only partially successful in capturing parts of the "Gird" and "Gird Support" trenches immediately to the north of "The Maze".
However, a German counterattack 2 days later succeeded in recapturing all of the trenches captured by the 2nd Division, which had sustained 1,720 casualties in the two attacks.

On the 18th of January 1917 Cyril was temporarily attached to the 4th Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC) at Buire for 3 weeks before rejoining his unit.
Six weeks later he was temporarily attached to the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC) Headquarters in Bazentin and after nearly 2 months with them he gained 2 weeks leave to England on the 8th of May.
On his return from leave he rejoined his original unit and was then involved in the operations on the Ancre including the capture of the Thilloys and during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Division captured Bapaume.

Cyril was then involved in the Arras Offensive, in which his Division fought the German attack on Lagnicourt and in the Battle of Bullecourt.
Their next major battles were then those in the Third Battles of Ypres including the Battle of the Menin Road (20 – 25 Sep), Polygon Wood (26 Sep – 3 Oct), Broodseinde (4 Oct), Poelcapelle (9 Oct) and the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 Oct – 10 Nov).

On the 19th of December Cyril gained 1 weeks leave to Paris and then on the 6th of March 1918 he gained 2 weeks leave to England.
Cyril was then involved in the First Battles of the Somme, Battle of the Avre in April, capture of Hamel in July and the Battle of Amiens in August.

He was then temporarily attached to the 104th Howitzer Battery on the 30th of August, but rejoined his unit 9 days later. After 2 weeks he was temporarily attached back to the 104th Howitzer Battery for a further 2 weeks.

The 2nd Division was relieved by the United States 30th Division on the evening of the 5th of October, with the intention of allowing the men to rest until the start of the campaigning season in 1919; however, as the Armistice was signed in November 1918, the 2nd Division was the last Australian division to see combat in World War I.

On the 10th of January 1919 Cyril marched into the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) in Le Havre for return to England and 5 days later he embarked for England and marched into No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny.
He was then transferred to the 2nd Training Brigade at Fovant on the 7th of February.

Cyril embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HMS Warwickshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 24th of May.

Cyril was discharged from the AIF on the 8th of September 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.