Each year on this day Australians observe one minute’s silence at 11am, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.

The Bega Tathra Safe Ride group has taken a keen interest in the story of Henry William Bellchambers whose enlistment address was “Newtown, Bega”.

Henry signed up to the 1st Anzac Cyclist Battalion and, at 5ft 5inches and weighing a modest 10stone 5lbs, was probably well suited to the role of a rider. Bicycles were an important means of transport and the Anzac riders carried out a number of roles vital to the war effort.

Henry appears to have started his enlistment on April 21, 1916, and completed the process on June 5, 1916, at the RAS Showground in Sydney. Born in England, his occupation was listed as carpenter’s labourer and he was 28 years and 7 months old.

He embarked for England on October 25, 1916, aboard HMAT Ascanius. His statement of service records that he went Absent Without Leave in Cape Town, which earned him seven days detention prior to his arrival in England in late December 1916. There are no details of what he got up to while he was AWOL but it would appear that, like many Diggers, he was no angel.

He transferred from the Cyclists to the AIF 1st Battalion in March 1917 and ended up in the thick of it in France in October of that year.

He was wounded in action on April 17, 1918, in the north of France and was admitted to 1st Australian Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to the left arm that left him with a fractured humerus. The war diary for the 1st Battalion for that day records that repeated attacks by the enemy were repulsed in the vicinity of Moolenacker Farm (Borre)  and that there was heavy shelling.

Henry recovered from his injury and returned to duty on October 25, 1918. No doubt he would have been tremendously relieved when the armistice was declared just three weeks later. Unlike millions of others, Henry had survived the war and after some time in England he set off on the long boat journey to Australia on May 20, 1920.

His return to Australia was keenly anticipated by at least two people. His cousin, Ida Bellchambers of Blackheath NSW, wrote to the Army on October 6, 1919, asking, as his only relative in Australia, when he would be back in the country so she could have the two passes available to allow her to meet him.

Around the same time, Linda Ford of Little Church St, Bega, wrote to the Army stating she was “placed in the position of drawing the said soldier’s pay (otherwise I am engaged to be married to him)” and that she would be “justified in asking for the passes as there would be no-one there to meet him”. 

She received a rather bureaucratic reply from a Major who advised that arrangements had been made with Ida and that, “I am unable to comply with your request to be notified. No doubt you could arrange with this lady to inform you of any such news received and to let you have one of the two Anzac Buffet tickets which are issued”.

It is possible Ida was not enthusiastic about Henry’s fiancee as she wrote to the Army on October 31, saying that she wanted the previous arrangements to stand and that only she be notified and supplied with tickets!  Thankfully someone in the Army was not blind to Ms Ford’s situation as she was later advised by telegram of the expected arrival of the troopship Kigoma on July 15, 1920.

On June 25, 1920, Ms Ford wrote that she was anxious to find out the precise details of the arrival of the Kigoma so she could get to Sydney, as she only had a couple of days off work to “meet the soldier”.

She wrote again on July 10 saying she needed the exact date as she could not “spare many days away from business” and had two days travelling to get to Sydney.

Henry eventually arrived in Sydney on July 18, 1920, but the records are silent on who was there to meet him. Ida? Linda? Both?

Henry was discharged from the Army on September 25, 1920, and was listed as having a disability due to his injured arm.

There are so many fascinating questions to be answered: Did he return to Bega? Did he end up marrying Linda? Did he ride bikes again?

Perhaps there are some family members or local historians who can shed some further light on what became of the battle-scarred bicyclist and his fiancee!

There is a sad footnote to Henry’s story. 

His younger brother Edward John Bellchambers joined up with the AIF 35th Battalion, on April 1, 1916. Edward lived in Sydney and it is interesting to speculate whether his enlistment motivated his older brother  to volunteer. 

Edward got to France a few months before Henry and again, perhaps Henry’s decision to transfer from the 1st Anzac Cyclists to the 1st Battalion was to get closer to where his brother was serving on the Western Front. 

Edward John Bellchambers was killed in action on June 7, 1917, during the Battle of Messines. He is buried in the Mud Corner British Cemetery, Belgium Plot 1, Row A, Grave 14

It is proposed the Bega-Tathra bike track be a “remembrance cycleway” to serve as a reminder of the sacrifices that have been made by servicemen and women – the name “Bellchambers Way” has been suggested. 

Members of the group met with Mike Kelly in September and he was supportive of incorporating suitable memorials at either end of the bike path. This will be discussed further with the Bega RSL and Bega Valley Shire Council.

Those interested in helping this project can attend the next meeting on December 13 at On the Perch and you can purchase a metre of bike track for $250 through the Clean Energy for Eternity website http://cleanenergyforeternity.net.au/.

For further information contact Doug Reckord at Bournda Environmental Education Centre on 6494 5009.

Bega Tathra Safe Ride thank the local RSL members who helped with researching the service history of Henry Bellchambers.