Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Herbert Clarence Buford

1.   BEFORE THE WAR

On 14/6/1892 a brown haired brown eyed Herbert Clarence Burford was born to father Arthur Albert Burford in Kent Town hospital. Herbert grew up on 37 William Road but moved to Magill Road in his teens.

In Year 12 Herbert served in senior cadets for 1 year as Officer in probation amongst other things. He also worked as a warehouseman from Year 12 until he left for the war.

Sources from

National archives of Australia 2018, Naa, Australian government, accessed 25 February2018<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3167146>

RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 24 February 2018, <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/>. 

Australian Defence Force Academy 2018, AIF, Australian Government, Canberra, accessed 1 March 2018, <https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=39027>. 

2.   TRAINING/ENLISTMENT

On the 12th September 1914 a 22-year-old Herbert was enlisted for the war as part of the “1st Depot Unit of Supply”.  Going into the war he only weighed 60kg and stood at 162cm. He met his unit of 15 men in Victoria where they were set to embark to England to do their training over there, but due to lack of resources changed that and they embarked to Alexandria a city in Egypt just 10km out of Cairo on the 22/12/14 via the HMAT A35 Berrima boat, originally a P&O cruise liner which was then used to transport soldiers and resources during the war. It could do 26km PH and carry up to 600 troops. Sadly in 1917 it was sunk by a German torpedo.

Once Herbert arrived in Alexandria they started training immediately as many of the soldiers there did not have any military background and they needed to get them ready for the battlefield. They trained for 8 hours a day 6 days a week with Monday given to rest. At about dawn when soldiers were setting up their tents they were quick to realise they was fewer tents than people meaning that some people had to sleep with no shelter for 2 weeks until more supplies arrived. After 3 months of training some of the troops got fed up with not being able to enter the city of Cairo so they decided to rebel and entered the city with a night of drinking, setting fire to shops and stealing. The soldiers involved were sent back to Australia and this incident is now known as the Wasser Riot.

Sources from

National archives of Australia 2018, Naa, Australian government, accessed 25 February2018<https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3167146>

RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 24 February 2018, <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/>. 

3.   THE WAR

On 4/4/15 Herbert left Alexandria with his unit to go Gallipoli, Turkey. The reason that the ANZAC troops needed to battle so that Russia could get more weapons because at the time they had a lot of troops but did not have enough weapons. Herbert stayed out on the boat while the fighting at Gallipoli was going on. After spending some time at Gallipoli on 23/10/15 he was temporally promoted to corporal after his corporal Medley was admitted sick. On the 13/11/15 he left his unit to go to Granpian and from Granpian he went to Mudros Greece, so he could join the British Expedition Forces (B.E.F).

On the 23/3/16 he left Mudros with the B.E.F to go help in France where the Central Powers were trying to take over; he spent 3 months there. After that he returned to England where he re-joined his unit and discovered that a mate from his unit Arthur Dunning passed away. He continued bringing resources in and out of England with his unit until 29/9/18 when he left the UK to go back to Australia. When he arrived home he was put on submarine duty until the war ended shortly after.

Sources from

National Archives of Australia 2018, Naa, Australian Government, accessed 25 February2018 <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3167146> 

ANZAC Century 2018, ANZAC century, south Australian government, Adelaide, accessed 3 March 2018, <http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/story/great-war-training-camps-in-egypt/>.

His Majesty's Australian transport 2018, Research tripod, accessed 1 March 2018, <http://alh-research.tripod.com/ships_lh.htm>.  

Great War Trainng Grounds 2018, ANZAC, SA government, Adelaide, accessed 4 March 2018, <http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/story/great-war-training-camps-in-egypt/>.  

4.   AFTER THE WAR

On 8/11/18 Herbert returned to Adelaide aged 27 where he regained his job as a warehouseman. Shortly after the war he was allocated 4 medals of war, the Star badge, Victory badge, Silver War badge and Gallipoli medallion lapel badge, a badge those who survived Gallipoli. Sadly on 11/2/1947 Herbert died aged 56 years old.

Sources from

RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 24 February 2018, <https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/>.