THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO PRIVATE WILLIAM RENNIE, 21ST BATTALION AUSTRALIAN IMPERIA

THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO PRIVATE WILLIAM RENNIE, 21ST BATTALION AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE, WHO SURVIVED THE TORPEDOING OF THE TRANSPORT SOUTHLAND OFF GALLIPOLI AND SUBSEQUENTLY SAW SERVICE IN BOTH GALLIPOLI AND FRANCE AND FLANDERS, TAKING PART IN THE 6TH BRIGADE A.I.F.’S TRENCH RAID OF 29-30TH JUNE 1916 IN FRANCE. Three: 1914-15 Star (274 Private, 21st Battalion A.I.F.) British War and Victory Medals (274 Private, A.I.F.). Extremely Fine.

With 19 pages of photocopied service papers and photocopied extracts from Official History Australian Imperial Force in WW1. William Rennie, born in the parish of Kinnell, Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scotland, originally enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force at Melbourne, Victoria, 16/1/1915. He was an original member of that battalion, and on enlistment was posted to serve with “A” Company. The 21st Battalion A.I.F. saw service during WW1 in 6th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division. Rennie embarked at Melbourne for the Middle East on 10/5/1915. He sailed for Gallipoli aboard the transport “Southland”, which was torpedoed in open seas by a German U-Boat on 2/9/1915.

Group accompanied by photocopied extract from official history describing the sinking of the Southland, which witnessed disgraceful behavior on the part of the ship’s crew, most of whom abandoned ship at the first opportunity. The men of the 21st Battalion A.I.F., however, behaved impeccably. The unflinching attitude of the men of the 21st Battalion at that time is illustrated in the official history, by way of a remark made by one of the men of the battalion to one of his senior officers as the ship went down, and having been ordered to abandon ship: “I can’t swim sir, but this is the best .. .. chance I ever had of learning”.

After transferring to another transport, the 21st Battalion subsequently landed at Gallipoli on 7/9/1915, where they were initially posted to the section of the front line around Courtney’s Post and around German Officer’s Post. Later the following month, the 21st Battalion were party to one of the remarkable spectacles of fraternisation that occasionally took place during WW1. The period 18th – 20th October 1915 was to be the occasion of a Turkish religious festival, and it had been feared that the Turks would use it to launch a major offensive. However, on 18th October the Turks ceased hostilities around Courtney’s Post and German Officer’s Post, signalled to the Australians in the trenches facing them that they had done so, and then proceeded to throw cigarettes to the men of the 17th and 21st Battalions A.I.F., who responded by throwing cigarettes and tins of bully beef back in return.

Following the evacuation of Gallipoli, the 21st Battalion A.I.F. saw service in France and Flanders, again with 6th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division, Rennie’s service papers confirming that he took part in the “Raid on Enemy’s Trenches on night of 29 – 30th June 1916”. This particular raid was part of a series of raids that General Haig ordered the Australian and New Zealand troops to make in June and July 1916, with a view to allowing the Australians and New Zealanders impose themselves on their German adversaries, and thereby gain a psychological fighting advantage. The raid of 29th – 30th June was the largest of these raids (photocopied details from official history accompany group), the raiding party comprising 8 officers and 240 men from the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Battalions A.I.F., with a covering party of 3 officers and 61 men of the 21st Battalion.

On 23/7/1916 Rennie was court martialed for being absent from his billet at 9pm on 21/7/1916 (he was eventually brought back under escort on 22/7/1916). Rennie was sentenced to 28 days Army Punishment No. 2 (Army Punishment No. 2 is a variation of Army Punishment No. 1, the latter consisting of a convicted man being shackled in irons and secured to a fixed object, often a gun wheel or something similar, the convicted man being thus fixed for up to 2 hours in 24, but not for more than 3 days in 4, or more than 21 days of his sentence Army Punishment No. 2 was similar, except that the convicted man was not secured to a fixed object whilst undergoing his punishment). Rennie was wounded in action on 30/7/1916, as the 21st Battalion A.I.F. made their way into the front line trenches to relieve the 22nd and 23rd Battalions A.I.F. Rennie was subsequently evacuated to England, his right leg amputated above the knee, and discharged on 30/3/1917, permanently unfit for war service at home or abroad.