My Grandfather, William Joseph Bannister, service number 1912, was 21 years old (DOB 09/07/1895) when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the 15th of January, 1915.
In January 1918, Private Bannister was “severely reprimanded” for being in Bailleul (France) without a pass….. I suspect there was a mademoiselle involved.
When asked his name and service number he apparently gave another Private’s name and number and then, later, escaped from custody.
Three months later, on the 5th of April, 1918 as a Lewis gunner, Temporary Corporal Bannister held up the German advance for two hours while his troops withdrew to a “better defensive position”. For his service that day, he was recommended by Major Arthur Samuel Allen for a Victoria Cross.
Here’s the report:
“For his splendid example of bravery, determination and unselfish devotion to duty during the enemy attack near Dernancourt on April 5th, 1918 when he was in charge of a Lewis gun under extremely heavy shell and M.G. fire. The enemy was advancing in force, but out of the field of fire of his gun on the ground. He mounted his gun on another man’s shoulder and opened fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and holding up the advance for two hours and covering the withdrawal of our men to a better defensive position. In so doing he exposed himself to a very heavy concentration of shell and M.G. fire. Though twice wounded (in leg & arm) he carried on until wounded a third time – more seriously. He was then forced to hand over his gun to his commander.
His main thought then was for the wounded of his section and he refused to be removed until he saw that every man of his section had been carried away. Consequently in the withdrawal he had to be left behind, but was rescued 4 hours later when the Bn made a counter attack & retook the position. But for the courage and determination of this NCO, which held up the enemy advance for about 2 hours, the enemy would have broken through before the other companies had reached the position and consolidated it. His work during the whole tour was of the same exemplary nature.”
The award was later downgraded to a Distinguished Conduct Medal (second only to the Victoria Cross) and I sometimes wonder whether the Bailleul incident played a part. I never knew my grandfather. He died in Randwick Military Hospital on July 20, 1929.
My father, John Nile Bannister, was 20 years old (DOB 16/04/1921) when he enlisted in the Army on February 14, 1941 and by the time he was discharged, he had reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. Because of his poor eyesight, he wasn’t part of a front line unit but served in the 2/5 Dental Unit in Palestine, Borneo and New Guinea. Thankfully for the dental patients, he was a dental assistant (working under a qualified dentist) so no teeth-pulling for him!
Here’s a couple of photos of Dad in Mughazi, Palestine as well as in uniform in Sydney with my Mum.
Both men are heroes in my eyes.
Lest we forget
Married to a Country Cop 
i would be Williams great nephew, I am grandson of Francis HJ, hahaha Bannisters didn’t mess around . Josephine had to put up with Thomas and keep him out of trouble!!
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Hi Warren. Very happy to “meet” you. Was Thomas your father? And would that make us second cousins? William’s funeral notice said that he had 9 brothers and sisters but I can’t find a lot of information on them. I’d love to pick your brain some time about them. I was told that his father was a publisher but have no idea if that’s true. I did write to you on Wikitree a while back, I think, but to be honest it’s a bit beyond my computer capabilities. I have a lot of information on the background behind William’s recommendation for a Victoria cross and subsequent DCM but, until recently I never knew what he looked like. Did you know my grandmother (Olive)?
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Hello Kaye, no I don’t know any Bannister’s other than direct family, my mother Kerry Alice (b)1955 (d)1980, her brother Frank my uncle, and my aunty Brenda. Pop, Francis Henry Joseph married Margaret Rose (Jackson) of Waverly approx 1945 and they lived in North Parramatta, I had never heard of either of their families or siblings. Not even aunt Brenda the eldest knows of any. The only reason I started researching the family is because my father told me that my grandfather Frances HJ was Aboriginal, which following the paper trail definitely doesn’t suggest that but he was definitely a shade darker than the others going from your grandfather’s picture here’s one of my mother’s wedding August 1974. Too photo is Francis giving away my mother and the bottom from front left to back right is aunt Brenda Kemp (Bannister) her two boys, my mother, and grandmother Margaret Rose (Jackson)…. Back left, Uncle Frank Bannister, pop Francis Henry Joseph Bannister, my father Neil Turner,and my aunt’s husband Clem Kemp.
It’s great to meet you so to speak
Sincerely Warren
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Hi Warren. The photos didn’t send so perhaps you could send them straight to my email address? (kayegel3@bigpond.com) Cheers, Kaye
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Hi again here’s our great grandmother’s memorial, it has her address in Darlington which is now part of Sydney Uni. Also Charles Bannister is mentioned in the Sydney morning Herald, at two years old getting attacked by a loose cow. I just typing their names and do a newspaper search through TROVE. IT’S AN ARCHIVE OF ALL OLD NEWSPAPERS.
BANNISTER.—May 26th, at her residence, 6 Alma
Street, Darlington, Josephine Mary Bannister, the
dearly beloved wife of Thomas Bannister, aged 49
years. R.I.P.
BANNISTER.—May 28, 1919, at her residence, 6 Alma
Street, Darlington, Josephine, dearly loved wife of
Thoruaa Bannister; aged 40 years. R.I.P
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The majority of my info I found through Australian births deaths and marriages there’s a certain time period you have to wait to find a burst against and a marriage they’re all different but once I found Thomas and Josephine’s names there wasn’t so hard to check for, the Duffy’s come from Cootamundra Yass Temora Wagga ways before Josephine came to Sydney, there’s still family out there and an estate apparently, from the balowrie inn during the gold rush they come quite well and bought properties
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Oh did you know your pop is immortalized on the gates at Sydney Uni
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Wow that’s exciting! I had no idea! I studied at Sydney Uni years ago. Which gates are you referring to? Do you remember what it said? BTW I looked up his address after he returned from the war and it states 6 Alma Street, Darlington so it looks like he returned to his parents’ house until he married my grandmother.
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