Pte Leslie Tegart (Montrose), 31st Battalion: Is killed in action. One witness, L/Cpl Keogh, later stated: ‘I was with Leslie Tegart all the morning of the 26th September 1917 and while he was with me, he fought quite calm and very coolly and he also showed his heroism by hunting Germans out of their dugouts. I can tell you he died a brave hero and a son a mother should be proud of. He got killed in the afternoon, after he had left me, by a sniper. He was just going to compliment himself for being out of danger and in a trench, when he was hit in a vital part which caused his death instantaneously. He was buried in a shell hole. All the boys of his platoon sent their deepest sympathy to his mother, he was a pal of mine and I grieved his death very sincerely’. He is 19 years old and is buried at the Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium.
Pte Ted Duncan (Lilydale), 2nd Machine Gun Battalion: He was in a pillbox at Westhoek Ridge when word came through that an officer was wounded in a trench nearby. He and Lieutenant Hopper volunteered to go a get him but soon came under fire. At around ten o’clock that night he was wounded by machine gun fire and then five minutes later he was killed outright when a shell exploded near him. He is 40 years old and is buried at the Perth Cemetery (China Wall) at Ypres.
Pte Harry Black (Coldstream), 23rd Australian Machine Gun Company: In a letter to the President of the Shire of Lillydale– ‘On my arrival back from leave I was informed of the sad news that poor Ted Duncan was killed in action during my absence. By his death we have lost a sterling good soldier, and I have lost one of my best pals. He was killed whilst doing a brave deed in carrying in a wounded officer from ‘No Man’s Land’, I was up to the trenches three times making preparations for the coming offensive before I went on leave. Ted and I walked home together on the last night. He gave me some German ‘relics’ which he found in ‘No Man’s Land’ to post to his wife while I was in England. He was a Sergeant and was to go away to England after this stunt for four month’s course of instruction and get his commission’.
Pte Hugh Comans (Lilydale), 5th Battalion: Dies while a patient in the No 5 Canadian General Hospital. He had been wounded a few days before, shrapnel wound to the head, and had been operated on and had the shrapnel removed. However, he started having convulsions as a result of inflammation that had developed on his brain from his wound, and died in his hospital bed. He is 33 years old and is buried in the Bologne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Sgt Tom Lydster MM (Wandin) 4th Machine Gun Company: Is later awarded the Military Medal for a second time for the actions he undertook on this day. His recommendation stated: ‘This NCO displayed conspicuous gallantry and skill in the attack on the 26th September, 1917, near Zonnebeke. While in charge of a machine gun in the front line during an enemy counter attack he inflicted heavy losses on enemy who were being brought up by motor buses. While in charge of a strong post consisting of one Vickers and one Lewis gun, twenty-five yards in front of the front line, the position was blown in, all his own gun crew being wounded and of the Lewis gun crew, one being killed and one wounded. Sergeant Lydster immediately manned his Vickers gun and sent to the Infantry Commander for another crew for the Lewis gun and commenced firing on enemy who were seen approaching two hundred yards away under a heavy artillery barrage. It was largely due to this NCO’s coolness and bravery that the enemy’s counter attack in this particular sector was frustrated’.
L/Cpl Frederick Leach MM (Gruyere), 59th Battalion – Is later awarded the Military Medal for the second time for the actions that he undertook on this day. His recommendation stated:‘At Polygon Wood, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During the enemy bombardment the remainder of his Lewis Gun Team were either killed or wounded. This Lance Corporal for a period of about ten hours held his post and worked his gun by himself’.
Pte William Thurrowgood (Lilydale), 29th Battalion: After being severely wounded in the face back in January, 1917, that included a fractured jaw and complete right facial paralysis, he is sent home to Australia for further treatment. On the ship home however, he develops septic meningitis and when the ship docks in Cape Town, South Africa he is taken off and transferred to a hospital there.
Pte Albert Lalor (Montrose), 46th Battalion: Arrives in Australia from Europe on board the HT Borda. He is to be discharged as medically unfit as a result of defective eyesight.