Joseph

Joseph Davis De Passe

Private

1055

20/07/1916

19 Tamuz 5676

16 years 1 month

Killed in Action

Fleurbaix, France

VC Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France

31st Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF

Western Front

Scholar

15 years 1 month

Melbourne, Victoria

214 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, Victoria

Jewish

Male

24/7/1915

Australia

Born 13 June 1900 Reg No 20511 at Waverly Hotel, Collins Place, Melbourne as David Joseph JOSEPH. Joseph’s parents married 20 June 1888 at the residence of E Bramestan Esq JP, Minister at St Andrews, Port Fairy by the rites of the Presbyterian Church. Mother: Sarah Elizabeth HENDRICKS (note different first given name from grave registration and spelling of last name) born 28 February 1863 Reg No 5616 Ararat, died 15 January 1921 Reg No 1740 Geelong, Victoria, age 56. Interred at Geelong Eastern Cemetery EAS-JEW-B-807-10 as Sarah Elizabeth JOSEPH. Therefore Joseph’s mother converted at some stage. Father: Leopold Emanuel JOSEPH (1866-1929) Interred at Geelong Eastern Cemetery EAS-JEW-B-807-08. Maternal Grandmother: Sarah Elizabeth née McKENNA born 1843 Armagh, Northern Ireland. Died 5 March 1929 Perth, WA. Interred at Karrakatta Cemetery, WA: Anglican Section ZA, Grave 0224. Therefore Joseph’s maternal grandmother was not Jewish. Maternal grandfather: Joseph HANDRICKS (Jozef Levi HANDRICKS born 30 December 1829 Noord-Holland, Netherlands. Died 6 February 1893 Reg No 3259 age 55 Port Fairy). Jozef stated that he was Jewish on his marriage certificate. Joseph’s maternal grandparents married 7 June 1862 Reg No 1825 Ararat, Victoria. House of Mr Frederick Scott, Ararat by James Megan according to the forms of the Presbyterian Church. Rabbi’s decision: Ruled that Joseph is Jewish as his mother is buried as a Jew and both he and his brother attested as Jewish. His name is on the Historic Obelisk. Therefore he is to remain on future memorials. | The following was sent by Lambis Englezos AM—Reference Ballarat & District in the Great War: Leo Joseph was a well-known bookmaker. He’d long had connections to Ballarat via the racing industry, including a successful string of wins in district hurdle races with his chestnut gelding, Treason. He’d also buried his only daughter, Olga, in the Ballarat Cemetery after her death in April 1896. But it was the tragic search for his youngest son, Joe, that played out in newspapers across Victoria, that was to forever connect the family to Ballarat. When Leopold Emmanuel Joseph married Sarah Elizabeth “Lily” Handricks on 20 June 1888, two Jewish families of Dutch origins were also united. Lily, who was born at Port Fairy, was the daughter of Dutchman, Jozef Levi Handricks (Hangjas). Leo, however, was born in Sunderland, in the north of England. His connection to Amsterdam, in what was then Holland, had originated generations earlier. Both families were connected to the Sephardic Jews that had been forced out of Spain and Portugal in the late 15th Century. Leo and Lily spent the early years of their married life in Ballarat – their first two children, Morris Cedric Clair (8 December 1891) and Olga Bella Davis Depasse (late in 1895) were both born in the city. The family was living at the Waverley Hotel, Collins Place, on the corner of Exhibitions and Little Flinders Streets, Melbourne, when Joseph Davis Depasse Joseph was born on 13 June 1900. During Joe’s early life, the small Joseph family lived in and around South Melbourne. He was also educated at St Joseph’s Christian Brothers’ College in South Melbourne. As a member of the Naval Cadets, he received a modicum of military training, but was particularly noted for his ability as a boxer. Along with his brother, Cedric, Joe would often participate in boxing tournaments. t appears that Joe was determined to do his bit despite a lack of years. When he enlisted at the Melbourne Recruiting Depot on 24 July 1915, he had just reached his 15th birthday. Other than claiming to be 18-years and 1-month old, he answered every other question with only slight prevarication. As he was still a student, Joe said that he had no trade or calling. He said that, due to living in an exempt area, he had not received formal military training – by answering otherwise may have risked his true age being revealed. In truth, Joe had not reached the age where he would have been compelled to join a military regiment. He named his father as his next-of-kin, but, oddly, there was no sign of the required letter of consent from either Leo or Lily Joseph. Neither did Dr W Sheriton Garnett, of the Australian Army Medical Corps, appear to question the age of the very young recruit. He confirmed that Joe was 5-feet 6¼-inches tall, that he weighed 8-stone 10-pounds and could reach an expanded chest measurement of 35-inches. His fair complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair revealed nothing about his age, nor did the scars on both his knees – or the small gold filling in one of his teeth. But if Dr Garnett had looked a little closer, he may have noticed the excessive youthfulness in the boy’s face. All too often those signing up new men either deliberately or were actively encouraged to overlook underage recruits. Joe’s initial time with the military was spent at the Albert Park Depot. He was eventually assigned to the 11th reinforcements to the 8th Infantry Battalion on 7 October, but for some inexplicable reason the military required a second attestation by the young soldier. Joe was at Broadmeadows Camp when, on 15 October, he underwent a second medical examination and signed a second oath of allegiance. Variations appeared in the physical examination – this doctor measured Joe as being 2¼-inches shorter and made no mention of the scars or gold filling. On this occasion, Joe stated that he was a clerk in civilian life, which suggests that the two sets of papers were never compared. Once again, there was no indication that any request for parental consent was sought. Instead, Joe, who was just four months passed his 15th birthday, was immediately assigned as private, number 1055 in A Company of the 31st Infantry Battalion. It must have seemed like the beginning of the grandest adventure for Joe Joseph when he stepped onboard HMAT Wandilla at Port Melbourne on 9 November. The troopship, a new passenger-cargo vessel, had like so many similar ships, been requisitioned for military service by the Australian Government. She made the trip to Egypt in the usual four weeks and landed at Suez on 7 December. Joe’s time in Egypt was marked by less than memorable moments from the perspective of the casual viewer – he suffered a painful bout of mumps that resulted in him being hospitalised at Serapeum for two weeks in January 1916. He also struggled with aspects of military discipline, which resulted in a number of charges – for breaking camp, being absent without leave, absenting himself from a fatigue party and leaving Company Lines when he was on inlying picket duty. Despite this, his commanding officer, Major Rupert Hockley, saw potential in the young lad and commented on his conduct sheet that Joe was of good character. And, undoubtedly, Joe filled those seven months in Egypt with a world of experiences that didn’t translate to paperwork. He also celebrated his 16th birthday in those most exotic of locations – a young boy in an ancient land on a man’s mission. The 31st Battalion was one of the last Australian units to transfer to France. Joe and his mates boarded the transport Hororata at Alexandria on 16 June. They crossed the Mediterranean under the escort of a light cruiser without incident and berthed at Marseilles on 23 June. A three-day train trip through France reminded the travellers of home – with its pleasant, green countryside, and fields of crops, many wrote home saying it was ‘just like a market garden’. The people also left a wonderful impression with their warm welcomes. At every passing railway station women and girls waving handkerchiefs and children handed out fruit, but it was the complete absence of men of fighting age that brought home the cost of war to the new troops. These reminders were all around Joe Joseph as he travelled through to the north of France; towards the sound of the guns. The 31st Battalion arrived at Steenbecque on 26 June and the men then marched nearly 4-kilometres to their billets in the village of Morbeque. On 11 July, the 31st relieved the 15th Battalion taking over part of the line at Bois-Grenier, where they experienced their first taste of the German artill