The AIF Project

Donald Valentine CHISHOLM

Regimental number4751
Place of birthBerrimal, Victoria
SchoolSwan Hill State School, Victoria
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationFarmer
AddressSwan Hill, Post Office, Swan Hill, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation23
Next of kinFather, Mr J Chisholm, Swan Hill Post Office, Swan Hill, Victoria
Enlistment date18 November 1915
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name8th Battalion, 15th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/25/5
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 7 March 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll44th Battalion
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)

Military Medal


Work near Hamel 8 August 1918.
Recommendation date: 13 August 1918

FateKilled in Action 29 September 1918
Place of death or woundingFrance
Age at death26
Age at death from cemetery records26
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsAustralian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
1367
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in Swan Hill Cemetery, Victoria. Photo: Kent Fedorowich. Parents: John and Lydia CHISHOLM, Swan Hill, Victoria
Medals

Military Medal

'For bravery and devotion to duty. On the 8th August, 1918, during the attack on the enemy's position east of HAMEL, Private CHISHOLM was a member of a rifle section which was held up by an enemy strong post. He immediately worked round to a flank and successfully bombed the position, inflicting casualties on the garrison, thus enabling the remainder of his Section to rush the post and capture the remainder of the garrison totalling 17 men. By his prompt action he rendered valuable service to his Section and set an excellent example to his comrades.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 61
Date: 23 May 1919

Family/military connectionsBrother: 61594 Pte James Paterson CHISHOLM, HQ A[ustralian] R[ecruiting] D[epot], returned to Australia, 1 August 1919.
Other details

War service: Western Front

Medals: Military Medal, British War Medal, Victory Medal

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