| Notes |
- Bill was living at Broomfield when he enrolled in the AIF on 17th July 1915. He was age 21 years and 11 months. He was already a volunteer with the Colonial Forces, 71st Ballarat Infantry.
The description of him on enlistment:
Height: 5 feet 7 1/2 inches
Weight: 146 lbs
Chest measurement: 33/34 inches
Complexion: fair
Hair: fair
Religion: Methodist
Distinctive marks: scar on right elbow and left wrist. Vaccination on right arm.
Ballarat Courier, 9 September 1915:
ALLENDALE MEN HONORED. ALLENDALE, Wednesday.
An enthusiastic farewell was accorded several local volunteers at Collins' Hall on Tuesday evening. The committee had arranged a fine musical programme which was given to a packed audience, all parts of the surrounding district being represented , including Dr A. W. H. Parker (chairman of the Kingston Soldiers' Farewell Committee) and Mr. J. N. Brinsden (secretary). Mr J. T. Sloan presided, and expressed pleasure at such a large attendance to do honor to the brave lads. Theirs was a perilous mission, but they would acquit themselves with credit, and all present could rest assured that duty in their hands was perfectly safe. The various solos and recitations were well received. Miss Jory being enthusiastically recalled for her song. "The Mother Who gave Her Son." The volunteers present were Sgt.-Mr W Rachinger, Ptes F. Redman, E. W. Mis- kin. L. Crane. O. White. R. Jackson. Ptes Crane, Redman. and White were presented by Dr Parker with pipes and cases on behalf of the Kingston Soldiers' Committee as they had been unable to attend the function held there some time ago. The Chairman. in a farewell speech to the soldiers. expressed, on behalf of the audience. the fervent hope that God would spare them to come back safely after helping in the glorious fight for their Empire. He regretted the death of so many of these gallant men, and in their own midst, only on Saturday. word had come through of the death of poor "'Nedler" Owen, whom they all knew - a fine. manly little chap. Their heartfelt sympathy would go out to his mother in her affliction. The lads leaving them tonight would carry their good wishes. Mr H. E. Miskin (father of Pte Miskin) spoke, and said that his son and the others were going in defence of the grand old Flag that he had served under. He felt proud of them. He was sure they would fight well. Kaiserism must be crushed, and if ever a war was righteous this one was. After Miss Cleary had sung, at the request of the lads, "Australia Will Be There" and "Tipperary" in which the audience joined, the various soldiers made a suitable response, and thanked those assembled for the nice evening and the pleasant time they had had, which they would always cherish. Three cheers were given for the lads. The "National Anthem" was sung. The supper, provided by the ladies, was an excellent one. After supper, dancing was indulged in to music supplied by Mr Geo. Woods and Mr Stevenson. Mr R. Kennedy acted as M.C. 'Auld LangSyne" concluded the proceedings. The takings at the door for the concert were in aid of the local Red Cross Society, which will benefit to a fair amount., Military Service
Bill joined the 6th Battalion and he proceeded overseas as part of the 10th reinforcement for the Battalion, sailing on the ‘Osterley’ on 29th September 1915.
According to Russell Rachinger:
The Osterley landed at Lemnos Island (Greece) to join the 6th Battalion which had been withdrawn from Gallipoli for R&R. The Battalion then returned to Gallipoli on the night of 16 November 1915. They disembarked at Anzac Cove and immediately went into Local Reserve. On the night of 25 November 1915, withdrawal of the troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula commenced. This exercise was planned by then Colonel Brudenell White, Chief of Staff of Anzac Force (he later became General Sir Brudenell White. He wrote his memoirs in a book called ‘The Silence Ruse: escape from Gallipoli’).
The 6th Battalion then embarked on 11 December 1915 at Lemnos, and ultimately arrived in Egypt on 6 January 1916. There, the 6th was formally divided to form 58th and 6th Battalions, a reorganisation that caused bitter disappointment to many.
The 6th, including Bill Rachinger, landed in Marseilles, France, on 31 March 1916, and after a short period became involved in the heavy fighting in northern France and Belgium.
I think Russell must have obtained this information from the book ‘As Rough as Bags’, because there is no mention of Gallipoli etc. in his Service Record. I also have the following information about training in England which Russell doesn’t mention.
He went first to England for training and then to France where he disembarked at Marseilles on 2nd April 1916.
The 6th Battalion was a metropolitan-based battalion, with the bulk of its members coming from Melbourne suburbs such as Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Kew, Preston and Richmond. The remaining recruits came from Victorian country districts such as Ballarat and Bendigo. The average age of the Battalion members was about 26.
Bill was wounded slightly in France on June 13th 1916 but remained on duty and in November of that year went to England for training courses. He joined the No. 2 Officers Cadet Battalion at Pembroke College, Cambridge and then he trained as an instructor at the Southern Command Gas School at Porton (near Salisbury in Wiltshire). He was then on command at Bombing School, Lyndhurst (near Winchester in Hampshire). He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 9th March 1917.
On 1st March 1918, he sailed from Southampton in England to Havre in France and he rejoined his Battalion. In the book "As Rough as Bags: theHistory of the 6th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914-1919" by Ron Austin, there is a description of an operation on the 9th July 1918 about a raid on the enemy trenches:
"9 Platoon had divided up into two parties, but one party went too far to the left and touched up with the right front of A Company, and under the direction of Lieutenant Bill Rachinger had to work its way forward to the objective where the men then dug and wired their new post. ...... This full-scale company raid illustrated the ascendancy that the Sixth had obtained over the enemy."
On the 23rd August Bill was wounded and admitted to hospital in Rouen with a gunshot wound to his back and chest with severe pain. From the book "As Rough as Bags" there is a description of the operation when Bill was wounded:
"All the companies moved forward by platoons to the assembly areas at 2.45am on 23rd August and all were in position an hour later. Apart from the usual pre-battle nerves, few members of the 6th Battalion would have guessed that the coming battle would be even costlier than the battle at Lihonsa a fortnight earlier. The enemy was not idle during these preparations, and at 4am the Germans laid a bombardment. A Company suffered many casualties. Forty five minutes later, the Australian barrage commenced...... The enemy shelling had ceased by 26th August. The Sixth went into the Herleville Wood battle on 23rd August, with a strength of 16 officers and 417 men. The left flank had advanced 3000 yards and the right flank2500yards. It came out of the battle with a mere 6 officers and 141 men. Despite the heavy casualties, the 6th Battalion had fought very well, and in the matter of only several days, captured 900 prisoners, including 20 officers, 4 field guns, 60 machine guns. One of the soldiers wrote"Herleville Wood was tough going - the only things left of the forest after the shelling were a few tree stumps sticking out of the ground where theHun had his trenches."
On 16th September he was admitted to the London General Hospital, Wandsworth, and about 4 weeks later he was transferred to the No. 5 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Welwyn (near St Albans in Hertfordshire). He was officially made a convalescent in November and was finally returned to Australia from England in the "Takada" on 24th December 1918, arriving back in Australia in early 1919.
In 1920 Bill received his 1914-1915 Star Medal at Ballarat and again in 1922 he received a Victory Medal at Creswick. He also received the British War Medal.
Letters were sent from the Army to his father James in Broomfield at various times:-
27th June 1916
"I regret to advise you that No. 3132 Corporal A.W. Rachinger, 6th Battalion, has been reported wounded. It is not stated as being serious, and in the event of further information coming to hand, you will be promptly notified. In the absence of further reports it is to be assumed that all wounds are progressing satisfactorily."
18th September 1918
"I beg to advise you that Lieutenant A.W. Rachinger has been admitted to 8th General Hospital, Rouen, France, on 2/9/18, suffering from gunshot wounds back and chest, severe."
30th September 1918
"I now beg to advise you that Lieutenant A.W. Rachinger has been reported transferred to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England, 16/9/18."
7th November 1918
"I now beg to advise you that Lieutenant A.W. Rachinger has been reported convalescent."
There is an undated recommendation for the Military Cross in his file but I don't know whether it was not awarded to him.
Action for which commended:-
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the night of the 9th/10th July 1918 near MERRIS. In the course of an attack by a company on his right Lieut. RACHINGER noticed a section on the left of the attack had lost direction - his own post being safe he went out to the section and set it moving in the correct direction and having visited his own post and seen it was correct he went out again, caught up to the section and advised the section commander as to the siting and construction of this post. This initiative undoubtedly assisted materially in making the attack a complete success, by the establishment of this left post as otherwise a considerable gap would have existed. It required exceptional courage to fearlessly make 2 return trips across the seized ground with the enemy engaged on his left.
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AIGS/FHC Member's - Family Trees
1893 - 1942 (48 years)