On the 21st October 2017, I was invited as Chair of the RAAHC to participate in a service organised by the Blue Mountains Historical Society to dedicate a Memorial to Major Geoffrey McLaughlin, MC, a Gunner officer who was killed in the First World War.  The Memorial, which comprises a Cairn that is inset with stones from Major McLaughlin’s grave in Belgium and a Chair, was dedicated at the Society’s grounds at Hobby’s Reach, Wentworth Falls.  These grounds, which were originally the site of the McLaughlin family cottage “Tarella” were bequeathed to the Society by the McLaughlin family in 1980s.

Geoffrey McLaughlin was a distinguished soldier and a gallant artilleryman. Luckily, the life and exploits of this particular Gunner during WW1 is well recorded, thanks to a wonderful collection of letters written by him to his family from 1914-17 that has now been carefully compiled into a book ‘Dear Em” , from which exerts were read during the dedication service. From the collection of letters It is clear that Geoffrey was a dutiful son, raised and educated in Sydney to becomes a smart, athletic and capable young man, who was already a solicitor and had been admitted to the Bar by 1913. He was just establishing a promising career in legal circles and was well prepared to contribute significantly to Australian society when the First World War broke out. With the enthusiasm evident in his early letters home, Geoffrey was one of the first to enlist to assist the War effort and he served from 1914-1917 in the AIF as an Artillery officer with dedication, thoughtfulness and great bravery.

Geoffrey was a Captain in the Australian Field Artillery with five years' service prior to the start of First World War.  He embarked with the 1st Field Artillery Brigade (1 FAB) in Sydney on 18 October 1914 aboard HMAT Argyllshire for Egypt. During service at Gallipoli he suffered jaundice and was evacuated to Malta in early November 1915 before re-joining 1 FAB in Egypt following their withdrawal from Gallipoli. Captain McLaughlin was awarded the Military Cross in January 1916 for distinguished service in the field and was also Mentioned in Despatches. He was promoted to Major on 12 March 1916. The Brigade relocated to the Western Front, France, during March and April 1916. Major McLaughlin was wounded in action near Flers on 1 November 1916 and was evacuated to Rouen and then to England for treatment and recuperation. In early April 1917 he re-joined 1 FAB near Amiens where he took command of the artillery brigade with the temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel for 3 months until13 July 1917. Geoffrey was again wounded in action during an attack by phosgene gas on 2 November 1917. He died of those wounds two days later in No 2 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station and is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. He was aged just 30 years.

The detailed letters written home by McLaughlin during the War clearly show his deep love and respect for his family, particularly for his parents, Em and Pater, but also for his three siblings and the wider family. They are also an excellent record of the progress of the war for the Australians, clearly describing the impact it was having on many of his friends and the developing role of artillery during the War. This war is often called the Gunners War because of the huge impact of the guns and their barrages on the Western front and in all the campaigns.  The letters also clearly outline the important training and preparation of the AIF that was undertaken in Egypt and England, the horrors of Gallipoli and the Western Front and the sharp contrast between conditions in the frontline to that often just a few miles behind. Geoffrey was in the thick of all many battles undertaking duties as an artillery observer, gun line officer, battery commander, and for periods as acting artillery brigade commander.

The letters home also clearly describe the heavy burden that the gunners undertook servicing and supplying their guns with ammunition and looking after the horses that moved the guns to provide fire support. They also tell a story about the impact that the long war had on the mental and physical strength of individuals in the AIF, who often struggled to maintain their composure and enthusiasm for a endless task as the War in the trenches dragged on and their mates and friends were killed around them. Throughout these difficulties Major McLaughlin comes across as a highly respected leader admired by his troops and colleagues. The Blue Mountains Historical Society has ensured his service to the nation is commemorated through the construction of this memorial in their grounds at Wentworth Falls.  His is but one of many stories of Australian Gunners in the First World War which we should remember. Lest we forget. 

A copy of the book “ Dear Em” was donated to the RAAHC at the dedication and is now held at the Sir Roden Cutler VC Artillery Research Centre at North Fort.

“Tarella” – The McLaughlin family cottage at Hobby’s Reach

The Cover of the Book		The Memorial Cairn at Hobby’s Reach Dear Em: Major Geoffrey McLaughlin’s letters to his family 1914 to 1917, Editor Susan Warmbath, Blue Mountains Historical Society, 2015. ISBN 9780958683791