Kaye, Wilfred

No.79 Private Wilfred Kaye – 16th Battalion AIF

Wilfred Kaye was born in Huddersfield Yorkshire in 1893. He was educated in England and after leaving school he took up work as a labourer. Wilfred would later travel with his brother Norman to Western Australia where they took up residence in Beaconsfield, a suburb in southern Fremantle. Wilfred found work locally as a labourer but when the Great War began, Wilfred was one of the many who went to enlist in the first months of the war.

On the 8^th September 1914 Wilfred went to the Swan Barracks in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording Wilfred’s physical attributes;

Height:                                     5 feet 4 inches;

Weight:                                    128lbs;

Chest Measurement:              33-35 inches;

Complexion:                            Fair;

Eyes:                                       Blue;

Hair:                                        Light Brown;

Religious Denomination:         Church of England

After his successful enlistment Wilfred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the newly forming 16^th Battalion AIF. Wilfred was put into “C” Company and had the regimental no.79. After training at Blackboy Hill Camp for the next few weeks the 16^th battalion were sent to Victoria where they would join the other Battalions of their Brigade in final training. The 16^th Battalion now trained at Broadmeadows Camp until late December 1914. On the 22^nd December the 16^th Battalion boarded the HMAT Ceramic and set sail on their journey. The ship stopped at Albany but they were soon on their way to Egypt, arriving there on the 1^st February 1915. The men were then disembarked and sent into camp and Wilfred now became a member of “A” Company.

The 16^th Battalion trained in Egypt until early April when they entrained for Alexandria and Wilfred’s Company boarded the transport ship Haida Pascha. The ship sailed for Lemnos Island, where it arrived on the 15^th April. For the next ten days Wilfred and his battalion would live on the Haida Pascha in Lemnos Harbour, while going ashore when weather permitted for route marches and other training.

In the early hours of April 25^th 1915, the 1^st Australian Division landed at Anzac Cove and North Beach. The 4^th Brigade only put to sea from Lemnos at noon on the 25^th April and they sailed to the Turkish coast where they arrived in the late afternoon. The 16^th Battalion began to disembark at 530pm and they were immediately sent to the top of what would later be known as Monash Valley, and in particular Popes Hill, named after the 16^th Battalion commander. For the first five days of the campaign the soldiers of the 16^th Battalion were in this position, when they were relieved for a short rest. However on May 2^nd the 16^th Battalion were involved in an assault on Turkish positions to improve their own line. The men made an initial successful advance but when they reached the top of the ridge connecting Quinn’s Post and the Chessboard a heavy fire broke out from the Turkish lines. A new trench was attempted but despite the men’s bravery the Turkish fire was overwhelming and reinforcements and supplies could not reach the men digging the new position. The 16^th Battalion was almost on its exact objective but the other units in the assault had not reached their assigned objectives, meaning that the 16^th Battalion faced a heavy fire from the front and flanks. The surviving men had to withdraw back to their original line. At some stage in this assault Wilfred was wounded when a Turkish bullet hit him in the head, going through his cheeks. He was evacuated to the beach and eventually sent aboard the ship HMT Derfflinger which took the casualties to Egypt. Wilfred was disembarked in Alexandria and sent to Heliopolis where he was admitted to No.1 Australian General Hospital. He would remain here under treatment for the next several months. On the 17^th June 1915 a medical officer found that while the wounds to the cheeks had healed, Wilfred was still suffering from continual headaches and could not open his mouth more than an inch which meant that he was not able to eat solid food. On the 18^th June Wilfred was put aboard the Hospital ship Nevassa and transported to England for further medical attention. Unfortunately Wilfred’s service record is scant on detail as to where he spent the next year in England, but it seems certain that much of this time would have been in hospital and undoubtedly as many of his family were still in Yorkshire, much time would have been spent with them.

Wilfred’s condition improved enough to be released from hospital and be sent to the UK AIF Depot Camp in 1916. As the Australian infantry units were now being sent from Egypt to France, Wilfred was retained in the UK Depot for the time being. In June 1916 when the 4^th Training Battalion arrived in England from Egypt, Wilfred joined them and he would remain here for several weeks. In late July he was in a draft of soldiers being sent to France and on the 29^th July reached Etaples where he was sent to the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot. He remained here until the 17^th August when he was marched out to join the 16^th Battalion.

Wilfred re-joined the 16^th Battalion on the 19^th August 1916, just after their first action at Pozieres. Wilfred took part in the battalion’s second action on the Somme at Mouquet Farm on the 30^th August. Despite the assault reaching the farm the 16^th had to withdraw due to the Germans almost surrounding them. Wilfred survived this action and in September the 16^th Battalion moved to Belgium, where they remained until November 1916. Wilfred and his unit were then returned to the Somme where they spent the 1916/17 winter in the vicinity of Flers in the muddy and cold battlefield.

In late February 1917 the Germans began their systematic withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British divisions pushed them all the way and several sharp engagements took place. The 16^th Battalion as part of the 4^th Division were ordered to attack this line without the assistance of artillery and just with the support of tanks. As the men went forward on April 11^th 1917 the tanks were failing miserably, and the Germans, not being under artillery fire were clear to shoot the Australians down. Amazingly the 16^th Battalion managed to fight their way into the German trenches and held the German line for a period of time in the morning. But without reinforcements or supplies coming through the surviving men had to either withdraw under heavy fire or surrender. It was the heaviest Australian defeat of the war, though the troops involved showed much bravery. It was the lack of artillery support which proved their undoing.

At some point during this battle Wilfred was incapacitated when a German Grenade exploded near him sending shards of metal into his hip. As he was unable to join the soldiers who were withdrawing, Wilfred was taken a prisoner by the Germans. He was initially reported as missing but the news soon came through that he was wounded and a prisoner of war. He was initially sent to a German Hospital but after recovering was transferred to Limburg POW Camp. Wilfred remained in German hands until the Armistice in November 1918. After the war was over Wilfred was repatriated to England, arriving there on the 2^nd January 1919. Wilfred was then given 44 days of leave which he spent with his family in Huddersfield Yorkshire. Wilfred could have remained in England but he chose to return to Australia. In April 1919 he boarded the transport ship SS China and set sail for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 1^st June 1919.

After being disembarked Wilfred was sent to No.8 AGH in Fremantle for a medical check up and then returned to his brother’s place in Beaconsfield. Wilfred was discharged from the AIF on the 31^st July 1919. He had been away for nearly five years.

In 1921 Wilfred married Sarina Loschiavo in Fremantle and they had two daughters, Olga in 1922 and Velma in 1928. During this period Wilfred was working as a storekeeper in South Street Beaconsfield. He was a busy member of the local community, being a member of the Fremantle RSL, Vice President of the Hilton Park Football Club and through his wife’s Italian heritage he was also a member of Club Giovane Italia. Unfortunately tragedy struck in 1929 when Sarina died suddenly aged only 32. Sarina was buried in Fremantle Cemetery (Plot RC Mon CC1412) amid a big gathering of family and friends.

Five years later in 1934 Wilfred got remarried to a Freda Rowe and they were married until Wilfred’s death on the 23^rd February 1955. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery (Plot Ang MON A4 0296). Freda lived until 1968 and was buried in the plot next to Wilfred.