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George Edward Short - Information

As the war was engulfing the world in conflict, George was living with his family on Frederick St in Sans Souci. George was born in Ingleburn c1892, and when he was older, completed a 5 year apprenticeship at Jonas & Co, at 82 Bathurst St in Sydney. He then found work as a printer, and when he was 22 years old, decided to serve his country. George enlisted in the AIF on the 23rd of June 1915 at the Royal Showground Camp in Sydney. During training, George was made a Private with the 13th Battalion. He then boarded the HMAT Shropshire in Sydney, which set off on the 20th of August 1915.

George disembarked in Egypt, and soon joined the 13th Battalion at Mudros on Lemnos Island in late October. However, the Gallipoli Campaign was shortly called off, and his unit was shipped back to Alexandria in early January 1916. After training with new reinforcements from Australia, the 13th Battalion was transported to the Western Front in France in early June. Shortly after arriving, George and his mates were positioned for operations during the Somme Offensive. In August, they attacked the German line at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. This was a shocking attack, with machine gun crossfire decimating the troops. The Germans fought courageously, determined to retake Pozières. Exhausted, the men were given a reprieve to the north in Flanders before coming back for the winter. Towards the end of the year, poor weather closed down operations on the Somme, now a barren wasteland of mud-filled craters. On the 10th of December, George reported sick to a Field Ambulance with venereal disease. He was treated at the 51st General Hospital in Rouen before rejoining his unit in March 1917. On the 24th of that month, George was promoted to Lance Corporal. After the German troops withdrew to the Hindenburg Line, a plethora of battles ensued. This included attacks at Bullecourt in April, in which the 13th Battalion participated. However, spending so much time in the snow covered trenches, following the coldest winter of the war, George developed trench foot in mid August. On the 20th, he was evacuated to England to the 1st London General Hospital in Camberwell. George recovered from the infection, and in December, reported to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital in Bulford with venereal disease. After he recovered, he was taken on strength to Administration Headquarters in London in early April 1918. However, in May, he returned to Bulford Hospital with a relapse. He continued to work at Headquarters until the end of September when he returned to France to the 13th Battalion. A few weeks later, the Armistice was signed and the war was over. In April 1919, George commenced his journey back to Australia onboard the Armagh, reuniting with his family in Sans Souci.