According to the Berry Municipal Council minutes of 1915, Private Womack was the first soldier from Berry Municipality to be killed in World War I. His name was recorded on the Berry War Memorial and the Berry School of Arts Hall Memorial Plaque, but who was Private Womack?
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Historian Robyn Florance took up the challenge, and she has kindly made her research available for this week's history story in the lead-up to Anzac Day.
Born at Ovington, Norfolk, England in June 1891, George Edward Womack was employed by John Binks on his farm at Broughton Village.
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He enlisted in the 1st Light Horse Regiment on August 26, 1914 in Sydney, and according to his enlistment papers he had previously served with the 28th Australian Light Horse.
George embarked with the 1st Light Horse Regiment 'A' Squadron on board the HMAT, Star of Victoria on October 19, 1914 but suffered from a few bouts of influenza and needed hospitalisation. After recovering from his second bout he was discharged from hospital on April 13, 1915.
On May 5, 1915 he proceeded to join MEF, Gallipoli and was killed in action at Pope's Hill on August 7, 1915, aged 26 years.
His name is perpetuated on the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli and on panel three in the commemorative area at the Australian War Memorial.
Lone Pine was one of the three attacks planned in order to create a diversion for a British landing in Suvla Bay, and was carried out by the 1st Division, which consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigades.
At 5.30 pm on August 6, 1915 these men attacked when the sun was at their backs, and in the Turkish eyes.
Wave after wave of Australians continued to enter the dark and deadly trenches that were crammed full of dying and fighting men. Because the fighting was so close, there was no room to use a bayonet or throw bombs. Instead, hands and the swords from the bayonets were the substitute weapons.
During the attack, many men ran over the top of the Lone Pine trenches to discover massive numbers of Turkish reinforcements waiting in the depression behind the front line, however they never lived to tell the tale as they were killed instantly.
In 1920 these bodies were found and were commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial dedicated to the missing.
Pope's Hill is named after Colonel Pope, commander of the 16th Battalion, AIF and is located in the Central Anzac sector.
A long, razor-backed hill, it forms an isolated post between two gullies which form the head of Monash Gully.
On its right were the Turkish positions of Dead Man's Ridge, The Bloody Angle and The Chessboard, and on its left a deep canyon which separated it from the Anzac positions on Russell's Top.
Information provided thanks to the Shoalhaven Historic Society.
