Pte Norman Pontin (Lilydale) 14^th Battalion: Is killed in action. One witness reports he was ‘Last seen badly wounded in upper arm and lying in a shell hole, half under the German wire’. He is 31 years old and as he has no known grave, is remembered on the memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. He first came to Lilydale in February 1914 as part of the militia involved in Colonel Monash’s Camp of Instruction. While here he met local girl Alice Huston, a relationship started and they were engaged before he left for the front. Even though she went on to marry another man after the war and had a family, she still displayed a portrait of Norman in her home for the rest of her life.

J W Everard in a letter to Alice Huston of Lilydale – ‘I must let you know straight away that I did not actually see Sgt Pontin fall on April 11^th but I knew him very well indeed. The charge which we made that day was a muddled affair right from the start to finish. It should have been done on the 10^th and after laying on the snow covered ground for about four hours we were sent back, but too true we had to do it on the 11^th.

I saw Sgt Norman Pontin marching up the line with his men. It would be more true to say that I heard his voice which one would never mistake, talking to his men under his command. The charge took place about 5.00am if I am not mistaken, I never saw Sgt Pontin anymore. There was only one fellow who could tell me anything at all about Norman. He told me he saw him wounded on the ground and asked the fellow if he would take away his pay book from him and give it in to one of the officers. I am very sorry for you to lose such a splendid friend as Norman Pontin. I trust that the terrible blow you must have received when you heard the fateful news, will partly diminish when you know that he done something that he could not have done better’.

L/Cpl Tom Lydster (Wandin), 4^th Machine Gun Company: Is later awarded the Military Medal for the actions he undertook on this day. His recommendation states: ‘On the morning of the 11^th April 1917, near Bullecourt, Lance Corporal Lydster successfully mounted his gun in our second objective, during a heavy bombing attack by enemy, and while rifle fire was sweeping his parapet, stood by his gun and kept a vigilant watch until ordered to retire. He then carried his gun to our rear line and prepared to resist if that line should be tenable. On this becoming impossible he displayed presence of mind in putting his gun out of action before abandoning it’.

Pte David Mitchell (Lilydale) & Pte John Wilken (Kilsyth), both 14^th Battalion: Are captured by the Germans at Reincourt and taken as a prisoners of war. John Wilken had received a gunshot wound to his chest and back just before being taken prisoner. In a letter to his parents – ‘The incident leading up to my seizure occurred on the morning of April 11 during an attack. I cannot very well give you full particulars of that morning. But on the way back to my lines I had the misfortune to stop a bullet with my back. That was rather a foolish thing to do, do you not think so? However, the metal caught me just above the shoulder blade, passing through my chest, under the collar bone. I did try hard to keep going but only negotiated about 20 yards before I went out of it. Six hours later I was picked up and taken prisoner’.