Port Augusta RSL Club Military Museum
15-17 Fulham Road
Port Augusta SA 5700
'I would like to tell you that I had a second son fall' wrote Elizabeth McAuliffe of Stirling Road, Port Augusta, to Base Records, Melbourne, in August 1919, when she enquired about the details of her sons' deaths. She was anxious to know how they died and where they were buried. In time, she received photographs of both graves and their personal effects, which contained their identity discs.
The McAuliffe brothers were born at Port Augusta, two of the 11 children of Patrick and Elizabeth McAuliffe. Both were educated at St Joseph's School, belonged to the Foresters' Lodge and were employed in the clothing and drapery departments of two local stores. Their obituaries gave brief details of their lives.
Edward, known as'Ted', was described as popular and possessing a generous disposition. He enlisted first, arriving in France in June 1916.
Younger brother Hugh was a member of the town band and took an active interest in church life. He had enlisted and was awaiting embarkation when the family received news that Ted had died of wounds.
The discs, poignant reminders of the McAuliffe brothers, were fixed to a wooden shield by family members, and are now displayed in the local museum.
The use of identity discs for members of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was governed under AIF Order No 2, issued on 26 August 1914 as the AIF was being formed. The discs were personal items given to each soldier and used to identify wounded and deceased men.
Made of compressed fibre, aluminium or tin, the discs were stamped or engraved with name, regimental number, unit and religion. At the beginning of the war, soldiers wore only one disc. Later, they wore two, duplicating the identification details. In the event of death, one stayed with the body and the second was returned to the soldier's unit; in time this disc would be sent to the next of kin named in the soldier's service file.
References
- Service Records of Edward Daniel McAuliffe, NAA: B2455, MCAULIFFE E D.
- Service Records of Hugh Paul McAuliffe, NAA: B2455, MCAULIFFE H P.
- 1916 'LATE PTE. E. D. McAULIFFE.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 26 September, p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59923247
- 1917 'THE LATE PRIVATE H. P. McAULIFFE.', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 7 July, p. 37. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87606829