Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On 28 May 1915, aged 19 years and 8 months, Hardware Assistant Reg Matthew enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) “for service abroad”. He listed his previous military experience as being “2 yrs senior cadets”. Reg passed his medical on 28 May 1915 and his military service and pay was effective from 7 June 1915. At Keswick on 8 June 1915 Reg took his Oath of Allegiance to the King and was sent to his camp (’H’ Group Base Inf & 4/14 ASC) that day. He was allocated to his unit as a “Driver” on 1 July 1915. Initially, his Service Number was 7286.

On 10 September 1915 Reg embarked at Melbourne on HMAT "Star of Victoria" together with the 8th reinforcements of the 5th Battalion and the 9th Reinforcements of the 5th, 6th and 7th Battalions, replacements for the heavy casualties from the attacks on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Reg’s unit was Light Horse Brigade Train 4 (Army Service Corps Company 14), Reinforcement 4. Three other young South Australians with sequential Service Numbers embarked with Reg, the group of just 4 comprising the Reinforcement Unit:

• 7284 (later 9037) - WEBB, Fred Stewart, Millicent (died at 6th Canadian General Hospital in France on 22 December 1918 from complications caused through contracting double bronchio pneumonia);
• 7285 (later 1536) - COSGROVE, Harold Donald , Lorne Avenue, Magill (Discharged 20 July 1919);
• 7286 (later 9035) - MATTHEW, Reginald William, Giles Street, Rose Park (Discharged 14 October 1919);
• 7287 (later 9036) - RUSK, Lindsay Gordon, Warwick Street, Walkerville (Discharged 20 July 1919)

All passengers on HMAT "Star of Victoria" disembarked at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. Reg remained in Gallipoli until the withdrawal of the ANZAC forces from 18-20 December 1915 and travelled to Egypt.

At Serapeum in Egypt, Reg was admitted to hospital on 25 February 1916 with Venereal Disease and was transferred to a hospital in Ismailia, Egypt the next day. He was then transferred to Abbassia Hospital, Cairo, from where he was discharged back for duty on 15 March 1916 after an absence of 19 days.

On 17 April 1916 Reg was sent to a reinforcement camp at Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt. While his military records show he was in England in July 1916, the details of when and how he was transferred there are not recorded.

Reg was penalised for a misdemeanour when he was Absent Without Leave (AWL) from his military base at Perham Downs, Wiltshire in England from 21:30 on 22 July 1916 to 10:30 on 23 July 1916. As punishment he forfeited one day’s pay and 3 day’s leave.

Reg was admitted with jaundice to the Perham Downs Army Base Hospital, Delhi Hospital. On 31 August 1916 he was discharged from hospital and assigned to the 20th Army Service Corps Company [2nd Division Train] and his Service Number was changed to 9035. He was based at Number 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs and on 4 September 1916 his health was assessed as “Class A”.

On 6 September 1916 Reg was again admitted to hospital, this time to Bulford Hospital, England, with scabies. On 19 September 1916 he was re-classified as “B.I.A.” and was discharged from hospital. On 6 October 1916 his health was assessed as “Class A”.
On 2 December 1916, Reg was re-assigned to the Australian Army Postal Corps in London where he remained until 13 October 1917. He was then re-assigned back to Number 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs in Wiltshire, England.

On 5 December 1918 Reg was admitted with flu to a hospital in Melksham, Wiltshire, England. He was discharged on 10 December 1918.

On 12 January 1919, Reg was again penalised for a misdemeanour when he was Absent Without Leave (AWL) from Perham Downs from 09:00 on 24 December 1918 to 10:00 on 6 January 1918. As punishment he forfeited forty-one day’s pay!

On 1 July 1919 Reg boarded the “Karmala” to return home to Australia where he disembarked on 14 August 1919. Reg was officially discharged from the AIF on 14 October 1919. His military records show that he was awarded the following medals:

• 1914/15 Star (number 6405)
• British War Medal (number 5804)
• Victory Medal (number 5754)

Reg was also issued with a “Returned from Active Service” lapel badge. This badge was issued to all soldiers and nurses who returned to Australia from active service and were discharged.

In March 1967 the then Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Harold Holt, announced that a commemorative medallion and badge was to be issued to surviving members of the Australian Defence Force 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.

Following an application on 17 May 2005 from Reg’s eldest son, Peter Reginald Matthew, for any outstanding entitlement to service awards for Reginald William Matthew, the Australian Government Department of Defence advised on 9 September 2005 that:

“Further examination of his service records reveals that as he did render service on the Gallipoli Peninsula and in direct support of operations from close offshore, between 25 April 1915 and the final evacuation on January 1916, an entitlement now exists for the Anzac Commemorative Medallion. This award is in the process of being issued to you in the near future”.

The award has since been issued and following the death of Peter Matthew in April 2011, is now in the possession of his eldest son, Wayne Anthony Matthew.