Pte Archie ‘Smiler’ Williams (Lilydale), 8th Battalion: At Anzac Cove. In his diary – ‘I had rather a narrow escape this evening. While having tea, a big 5.7 armour piece fell about 10ft, behind my dugout, and after burying itself about 4ft in the ground, it exploded and sent pieces of shell and dirt spattering all round me’.
Trp Arthur Rouget (Wandin), 13th Light Horse Regiment: In camp in Egypt. From his diary – ‘After we had been here for a few days we are given leave to Cairo. It is a wonderful city. We had no idea that there was a city like it in the world, so dirty and a peculiar stench. We also had a trip to the Pyramids and went and seen the tombs in most of them. We also saw the Sphinx. We nearly all get tired of them and go into Cairo and have to toe the carpet the next day for it but get let off. We shift to Oasis camp after a few days which is much better as we have stables for the horses and baths for ourselves. A week after we get there the horses are able to be ridden and we do some mounted drill which is better than hurrying to do it on foot’.
William Hodges (Lilydale): Leaves his job as a gardener and enlists in the AIF, he is 24 years old.
Arthur Overton (Wandin): Leaves his family’s property at Wandin and enlists in the AIF, he is 18 years old.
Richard Poole (Lilydale): Leaves his job as a blacksmith and enlists in the AIF, he is 23 years old.
Eddie Poyner (Lilydale): Leaves his family’s property ‘Willowbank’ and enlists in the AIF, he is 18 years old. One family story has it, that when he had just turned 18 he wanted dearly to enlist however his father stated he couldn’t join unless he received his mother’s consent. He persisted to convince his mother and finally won through and got her permission to which he rode off straight away to his friend Mort Tait, who had enlisted a week earlier, yelling ‘I’m allowed to go!’.
Edmund Rossiter (Silvan): Leaves his orchard at Silvan and enlists in the AIF, he is 20 years old.
Sydney Shore (Mooroolbark): Leaves his job as a driver and enlists in the AIF, he is 19 years old.
Wilmot Stephens (Lilydale): Leaves his job as a clerk at the Colonial Bank in Lilydale and enlists in the AIF, he is 26 years old.
James Tanner (Coldstream): Leaves his job as a bootmaker and enlists in the AIF, he is 19 years old.
James Whelan (Lilydale): Leaves his job with the railways and enlists in the AIF, he is 29 years old.