A RECENTLY-unearthed episode of Australian's military history shows the bravery of Rockdale's young World War I Diggers.
About 30 Diggers from the Rockdale local government area were in the early wave of volunteers to enlist in the first days after war was declared on August 4, 1914.
Expecting to be sent off to fight in Europe, they found themselves fighting the Germans much closer to home.
The Diggers enlisted in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) and their task in the first weeks of war was to seize German colonies in Nauru and the Caroline Islands, as well as German-held New Guinea.
The 1500 men of the ANMEF left Sydney on August 19 aboard the Berrima, a former P&O cruise liner, for New Guinea with the objective of seizing a German radio station hidden in the jungle.
"The ultimate goal is to create a website that people will be able to click on and read a biography of each local WWI serviceman," Mr Davis.
Four Diggers and an army doctor were killed by German fire as they came ashore on September 11, making them the first Australian casualties of WWI.
After the radio station was captured and destroyed, the ANMEF seized Rabaul and the German forces surrendered on September 17, 1914.
The members of the ANMEF went on to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) to fight in other theatres of war.
They included Rockdale Diggers Private EA Drummond, a clerk from Gibbs Street, Rockdale; Private Ben Lee, 20, a farrier from Bay Street, Rockdale, and Corporal Sidney Leer, 22, a draughtsman from Farr Street, Rockdale.
They all survived the expedition to New Guinea but local history researcher Charles Davis is on a quest to find out what happened to the estimated 2400 other WWI Diggers from St George.
"The ultimate goal is to create a website that people will be able to click on and read a biography of each local WWI serviceman," Mr Davis said.
"These young men would have been in the very first wave of volunteers. They would have included reservists, army personnel and civilians.
"A lot would have already had military training through the local 38th Battalion, a pre-war senior cadet unit that covered Rockdale and Kogarah.
"Their motivation would have been patriotism, not so much to the British Empire but because Australia was asserting itself as a nation for the first time.
"For others it would have been financial. The army pay was more than they would have earned in their trade.
"Whatever the reason they enlisted, none of them could have had any idea of the carnage that was coming."
Anyone with biographical details, including photos, of Diggers that can be included in the database can contact Mr Davis, 0416 173 306.
Did you have a relative who served in WWI that you would like to see included in the St George database?
