Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cyril William Morsley, my Grandfather, was born on the 19th July 1891 to William & Maud Morsley in Plumstead, Kent, England.  He had two younger brothers, Harold born 1983 and Ivan born 1899.

Cyril’s formative years were spent in Plumstead with some of his schooling taking place at Purrett Road School, Greenwich.  The family moved to Eltham when he was 9 years old.  After completing his schooling Cyril went on to study medicine for 3 years.  On the 15th May 1910 he preached at the Blackheath Wesleyan Methodist Church aged 19.  A year later he was listed as a Local Preacher in the same church.  His occupation at that time was an assistant warehouseman at a Woollen Warehouse.  

On the 19th September 1912, aged 21, he embarked for Australia on the ship “Persic”, the fare being £27.  He arrived in Sydney on the 9th November 1912.  Four days later he sailed to Brisbane on the ship “Tyrian” arriving on the 15th November.  He immediately took up his appointment as a Home Missionary for the Methodist Church at Helidon, Queensland.  He lived with the Gibson family on a property at Marburg called “Valhalla”.  The following year he had a serious fall from a horse, his mode of transport at the time.  The Rev Richard Dunstan, minister at the Toowoomba Methodist Church, was called to his bedside as doctors feared he would not survive his life threatening injuries.  Cyril did recover and during his convalescing he befriends Rev Dunstan, regarding him as a mentor.  He also met Rev Dunstan’s family, including his 19 year old daughter Annie. 

Cyril moved to Brisbane to commence studies in February 1915 at King's College, Kangaroo Point, training to be a Methodist Minister.  There he met Arthur Wheatley (SN 1706) who was a resident tutor.  They became good friends and decided they wanted to help with the war effort so, together, on the 27th July 1915, they enlisted for WW1.  Neither one felt they could bare taking life, so rather than enlist in the infantry they joined the Australian Medical Corps.  Cyril’s service number was 1707, one after Arthur’s.

 Cyril commenced writing his war diary on the 3rd August 1915, the day he and Arthur arrived at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane to commence their training.  When that training was complete they were posted to the 1st Division, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Field Ambulance, 11th Reinforcements.  Together they embarked from Sydney on the 4th October 1915 on the ship “Mashobra”, arriving at Gallipoli at midnight on the 6th December.  They moved ashore under gunfire at 6am on the 7th.  

Over the next 12 days, Cyril and Arthur would experience for the first time all the horrors of war.  At 11.30pm on the 19th, Cyril and Arthur were some of the last troops to be evacuated from Anzac Cove from Walker’s Pier.  The following day they embarked from Lemnos Island on the ship “Anchises” being placed in charge of the hospital on board.  Five days later they arrived at Alexandria, Egypt at 6am on Christmas Day.  They made their way to Zeitoun Camp then moved to the camp at Maadi on the 27th.  They remained there till mid January 1916 when they moved to the camp at Tel-el-kebir.

On the 27th March 1916 the 3rd Field Ambulance embarked from Alexandria for France on the ship “Kingstonian”.  On the night of the 30th, during the voyage, they lost overboard one of the men from their unit, Private Percy Fennell.  His body was never recovered.  On the 3rd April they disembarked at Marseilles, France. 

An entry in Cyril’s diary on the 9th April 1916 states that he and Arthur met up with three other enlisted men from King's College at a YMCA meeting in a village in Pradelles, France.  Those three men were Leonard Foote (SN 573), Roger Percy (SN 8673) and Alister Grimes (SN 8669).  Cyril also mentions in his diary two other men from King's College, James Hunter (SN 360) who was killed in action at Gallipoli on 28th June 1915 and Walter Bath who served as a Chaplain.  On the 31st August 1921 a War Memorial was unveiled at King's College in honour of the past students who had served in WW1.  There are thirty names on the Honour Board Memorial, including these seven.  Nine of the thirty men were wounded and three made the supreme sacrifice with their lives.

Cyril was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 18th April 1916.  Over the next 8 months Cyril and Arthur moved regularly all over France.  They shared much together, including the loss of some of the men in their unit, three in one day when their camp was bombed.  From reading my Grandfather's 1915 and 1916 diaries it is very clear that he and Arthur had become very close and shared many long walks and talks together contemplating their futures after the war.  Cyril struggled with whether he should return to medical studies or ministerial studies.  He was unsure whether he should care for their bodies or their souls.  During WW1 he was able to do both. 

Cyril was admitted to hospital late November 1916 with pain in his side which had been troubling him since Egypt.  In early December he and Arthur were eventually separated when Cyril, suffering from peritoneal adhesions, was evacuated to No 1 Canadian General Hospital at Etaples then to England from Calais on the ship “Brighton”.  He was admitted to the Chelmsford Auxiliary Hospital and the first visitors he had were his family.  Cyril then convalesced at the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.  He remained in England and in August 1917 resumed duties serving at this same hospital till he was returned to Australia on 12th May 1918. 

While in England Cyril took the opportunity to preach when he could and it won him the praise of the minister at Dartford and the Chaplain-General.  An extract from an article in the Australian newspaper “The Methodist” on 22nd September 1917, written by the Chaplain-General, states:

“Enquiries have arisen as to whether it is possible to provide facilities for our young men who desire to become candidates for the ministry.  For example, there are five young local preachers in the Dartford Hospital, all of whom have their names on the circuit plans of the Gravesend and Dartford Circuit.  Four of them would like to be candidates for the ministry.  The Wesleyan minister at Dartford writes concerning them that they have repeatedly preached in his pulpit with great acceptance, sometimes to a congregation of 1,000 people.  He says, whilst they vary much in style and subject matter yet they are possessors of more than ordinary preaching ability, and never fail in delivering a forceful Gospel message.  In the Guild and Prayer meetings they have taken an active part.  The minister says: “Had they been remaining in England I should have done my utmost to secure them for our ministry.  I do hope that after the war they may become ministers of your conference, for they are worthy.”  The particular men he refers to are: Corporal C W Morsley and Privates Darcy E Dickson and A W McCutcheon.”

Arthur was sent to England for Officer training in early 1917 where he and Cyril did meet up again.  Arthur was returned to France in August 1917 as a Lieutenant posted with the 9th Battalion. Sadly, on the 25th April 1918, the 3rd Anzac Day to be commemorated, Arthur was killed in action while on patrol at Meteren.  The men in his unit retrieved his body and he was buried in Meteren Military Cemetery, France.

This was not to be the only sadness for Cyril…just 4 months later on the 17th September, his brother Ivan, aged 18 years 9 months, died of wounds received while serving in the war for the British Army.  He is buried at Plumstead Cemetery, England.

During Cyril's service in France he was regularly put in charge of Officers' Rest Homes because he was unique in having done 3 years of medical training.  Cyril was commended for his work, the official document reading:

"In the field, consistent good work for the period 1/3/1916 to 1/9/1916.  He, in company with Private Cocks, has been in charge of nursing duties at various Officers' Rest Homes operated by this unit, and whether employed in this capacity or elsewhere, his work has always been of a highly commendable nature."

Upon returning to Australia, Cyril completed his ministerial studies at King's College in Brisbane and was ordained as a Methodist Minister on the 28th February 1921 at the age of 30.  

On the 26th May 1924 Cyril married Annie Dunstan, 11 years after they met, in the Chapel at King's College.  Cyril and Annie served the Methodist Church in many places throughout Queensland over the next 30 years, raising 3 children at the same time...Ivan, Elaine, (my Mother) and Dorothea.  

On two separate Anzac Days Cyril spoke publicly of his experiences during WW1.  The first was on the 10th anniversary of Anzac Day in 1925 at Cairns where he was appointed as minister of the Methodist Church.  The following was reported in the Cairns Post Newspaper:

“The Rev C Morsley said that it was not the war or Anzac which made the heroism and courage of the Australian soldiers.  It was said for instance, that the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing field of Eton.  The greatest enemy to Australia was man himself.  We would bring about abiding peace when we let the better side of our characters rise to the top.  Let them begin that day to teach their children to do the right thing and to stand up for all that was true and noble in life, and all would be well.” 

The Rev C Morsley then moved the following motion:

 “On the tenth anniversary of the immortal landing on Gallipoli, this meeting of citizens of Queensland expresses its unalterable loyalty to the Throne and Empire, and its admiration of the magnificent heroism, self-sacrifice and endurance of the sailors and soldiers of Australia and New Zealand, who on the first Anzac Day, and throughout the Great War, conferred a glory on Australia and New Zealand that will never fade.”

The second occasion was exactly a year later on Anzac Day 1926 in Cairns after the unveiling of a War Memorial Clock.   The following is an extract of Cyril’s address reported in the Cairns Post Newspaper:

“The Rev C W Morsley said that as citizens of Cairns they had elected to inspire the future generations with memory of the Anzacs by the erection of a handsome memorial clock.  It would remind them of the passing of their beloved braves and the passing of time and three other things.  …..Firstly, it reminded them that this was the time when we commemorated heroism and courage of the men who helped Australia to step into its nationhood.  Secondly, this was time when we again condemned war and all reliance upon force.  We could not afford to let die the splendid Anzac spirit. ….Thirdly, this was time to work for an abiding peace.  Love, goodwill and co-operation would eventually bring it to pass. …..We shall only know true freedom, enjoy real liberty and an abiding peace when we have gained a victory over ourselves. ….Under the shadow of this memorial, to those who died, we dare not feed the fires of hate, class war or of hell.  Therefore we must start with ourselves, realising that it is quite true that the only victory worthy of monumental treatment is the victory over ourselves.”  

In 1942 Cyril took leave from the ministry to once again help with the war effort during WW2...this time as an Army Chaplain at the Chermside Camp in Brisbane, Queensland.  He enlisted on the 27th August 1942 and was discharged exactly 4 years later to the day on the 27th August 1946. 

On the 17th January 1947, Annie died suddenly.  Cyril suffered a breakdown after her death and retired from active service as a Methodist Minister in 1949 to become a Chaplain at a local Nursing Home at Sandgate where he was living at the time.  

In August 1952 Cyril married Dorothy Prentice.  They retired to Caloundra, Queensland, in 1953.  In the 1960’s they bought a home in Kenmore, Queensland, where they lived till moving into a bungalow at John Wesley Gardens, Brisbane in the 1970’s.  

When my parents moved into a new home at Caloundra in June 1981, Cyril and Dorothy moved in with them, just in time to celebrate Cyril's 90th birthday on the 26th July.  Cyril and Dorothy remained there till their failing health meant a move to an Aged Care Home in Caboolture, Queensland in 1982.  

Cyril died from natural causes on the 26th March 1983 aged 91.  At his request there was no funeral service.  He was privately cremated and his ashes scattered.  Dorothy survived him till her death on the 13th May 1986.  

We his family, give praise and thanks to God for sparing his life in WW1 so that we could have the honour and blessing of having him in our lives for as long as we did.  He has left an indelible impression on all our lives but even more so for me since I have had the privilege of transcribing his WW1 diaries.  I’m still in the process of doing this, however, already in the 1915 and 1916 diaries I have seen the depth of Papa’s caring for the individual person in all spheres, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  Like most returned soldiers from war, he never talked about his war experiences but his diaries show that he was forever affected by what he saw and experienced during his time in service, especially the loss of so many good men, Arthur particularly.  

May we never forget the sacrifice of all those who served in WW1.  LEST WE FORGET.

Cyril Morsley was awarded for service in WW1:           1914-1915 Star 4986

British War Medal 7027

Victory Medal 6954

The Anzac Commemorative Medallion was instituted by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.  It was awarded to surviving members of the Australian forces who served on the Gallipoli Peninsula, or in direct support of the operations from close off shore, at any time during the period from the first Anzac Day in April 1915 to the date of final evacuation in January 1916.  Next of kin, or other entitled persons, are entitled to receive the medallion on behalf of their relatives if the medallion has not been issued.

The medallion is cast in bronze and is approximately 75 millimetres high and 50 millimetres wide.  The obverse of the medallion depicts Simpson and his donkey carrying a wounded soldier to safety.  It is bordered on the lower half by a laurel wreath above the word ANZAC.  The reverse shows a map in relief of Australia and New Zealand superimposed by the Southern Cross.  The lower half is bordered by New Zealand fern leaves.  The name and initials of the recipient is engraved on the reverse.  The medallion is issued in a presentation box.  (Australian Government – Department of Defence.)

Sue Smith (Cyril’s Granddaughter) August 2016