Military cross award revealed through lonely headstone

Sometimes when researching a story behind the gravestone, it becomes an exercise in treasure hunting. As one piece of information is teased out of hiding, another pathway is revealed that, if travelled down, provides any number of intriguing facts.

This was the case with the beautiful white headstone of Alice Rose Eloise Russel, wife of Hugh and mother of Doris. Alice was born at Quindalup in 1875 to Henry and Mary (nee Marshall) Yelverton. She met the handsome Hugh Russel, who had come out from England with his brother, Archie.

Hugh was born in Highgate, London, England on 11 March, 1873, the son of Thomas Clarkson and Ann Elizabeth (nee Kidd) Russel. He left England in 1893 as a bank clerk and retrained as a surveyor where he then went looking for gold.

The couple married in March 1901 and exactly a year later, their daughter Doris Ethel was born. Sadly, due to his many trips away, Hugh was not at the birth of his daughter, nor, shortly afterwards, the death of his wife.

Alice's headstone in Busselton cemetery. Photo: Samantha Elley

Alice had died on 28 October, 1902 of pernicious anaemia and was buried in Busselton cemetery in Western Australia. It was one of the largest funerals in the district at that time. Hugh did not receive the news for several months as his isolated trips meant the mail didn't reach him in a timely manner.

We can only imagine the anguish he went through losing his wife and now having to raise his infant daughter. Luckily, Alice's sister Georgiana was able to come from Melbourne to help raise Doris. She had been a stenographer and book-keeper at the Melbourne Stock Exchange, the only woman employed there. When she arrived in Western Australia, she did similar work at the Fremantle Harbour Trust.

Eventually, Hugh and Georgiana tied the knot in 1911, a love match that was proven through the letters they wrote each other and today are in the hands of family descendants.

Hugh Russel. Courtesy Virtual War Memorial

The Great War entered their lives and Hugh enlisted on 10 May 1916 with the 6th Tunnelling Company, later absorbed into the 3rd Tunnelling Company, as second lieutenant. At 42 years old, he set sail for England, then France.

Hugh was gassed in 1916 and escaped death by millimetres from a bomb passed under his arm, actually cutting the material of his tunic, before exploding in the side of a trench in 1917.

His dedication to duty as officer in charge on Hill 70, near Loos, just outside of Lille in France, saw him awarded the Military Cross. As head of the investigation party immediately following the advance of the army, he was in charge of inspecting all dugouts for traps.

This was incredibly dangerous work, as it was never known what booby traps may have been left by the enemy. But the work ensured that soldiers could confidently take over the dugouts once cleared. The citation for the Military Cross said:

"His organisation and fearlessness encouraged the men to such a degree that under the heaviest fire the work was not delayed."

On 22nd January, 1918 Lt Russel's luck ran out. Working with Sapper James Carden surveying on Hill 70, a shell fell a few feet away from them. Sapper Carden died instantly and Hugh was badly wounded. He would die the next day from his wounds. Both Hugh and James were buried in Hersin Communal Cemetery.

Original cross marking Hugh's final resting place. It made its way home to the family but got lost over the years. A family member saw it going for auction and managed to obtain the cross back and presented it to the Army Museum of WA. Courtesy Collections WA.

Despite requests from Georgiana for Hugh's personal effects, they were lost at sea when the ship carrying them back met enemy fire and sunk.

In 1919, a small private ceremony at Georgiana and Doris' home was conducted where Colonel Heritage, State Commandant presented Hugh's Military Cross to them. Other members of the family were also there and it was held on Hugh's birthday.

References

• 'Honours and Awards (Recommendation) Hugh Russel', Australian War Memorial, accessed 14th October, 2024, Hugh Russel | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)

• 'Lieutenant Hugh Russel', Tunnellers. net, accessed 14th October, 2024, Hugh Russel Lt (tunnellers.net)

• 'The Late Mrs G Russel', The West Australian, Saturday 12 December, 1936, Page 11

• 'Social Notes', The West Australian, Tuesday, 25th March, 1919, Page 6

• 'Funeral of the late Mrs Russell', Southern Times, Saturday 1 November, 1902, Page 3

• 'Russel H', National Archives of Australia, accessed 15th October, 2024, View digital copy (naa.gov.au)