William Henry Strahan

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William Henry Strahan
Ottoman Turkey
AllegianceAustralia Australia
Service/branchFirst Australian Imperial Force
Years of service1914–1915
RankSergeant
Unit16th Battalion
Battles/warsWorld War I
Awards1914–15 Star (posthumous)[2]
British War Medal (posthumous)[2]
Victory Medal (posthumous)[2]

William (Bill, Will) Henry Strahan (21 September 1869 – 25 April 1915) was a member of the

Gallipoli Campaign).[3] Prior to enlisting with AIF Strahan was a volunteer member of the Australian Light Horse and Guildford Rifles where he held the rank of sergeant major.[1]

Strahan wrote The Bugle Call, which was published several times after his death. The verses were sent to King George V, prompting the response from the palace that Strahan had "acted up ... to the spirit of his utterances".

Personal life

Ruth and Bill Strahan

Strahan was born on 21 September 1869, the son of James Strahan (1837–1918) and Susannah née Straghan (1841–1900), and grew up on the 100-acre (40 ha) farm and 25-acre (10 ha) family

John Henry Monger) at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Toodyay on 25 April 1894. They had ten children:[5]
Olive Myrtle (1895), Herbert Elwell (1896), William (Jim) James (1898), Ruth Eileen (1900), Eric Forrest (1902), Gordon Phillip (1904), Byron Henry (1907), Margaret Esther (1909), Stephen Monger (1911) and Kelvin John (1913).

Strahan served on the

Toodyay Road Board and was a member of the Deepdale Fruitgrowers Association. Strahan was noted for arguing his position to his own benefit but he would concede when there was benefit to the wider community. It was this character which not only made Strahan well respected in the community but also saw him become one of the first people to enlist for the First World War.[6][7]

Strahan's son, Herbert Elwell (1896–1987), also fought in France with the 39th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force in World War I.[8]

Military service

Around 1900 Strahan joined the

Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli.[2]

The Bugle Call

On 4 September 1914,[13] prior to departing for Blackboy Hill and joining the AIF, Strahan wrote The Bugle Call. After his death the lyrics were published in various papers.[1][14][15] Major General Sir Harry Barron, the Governor of Western Australia, sent a copy of the lyrics to the King, eliciting the response "Evidently the writer by his gallant deeds acted up not to the letter only, but to the spirit of his utterances".[16]

Do you hear the Bugle calling, or are you deaf or blind or dumb?
Will you fight tor Flag, and Freedom, will you let the foeman come?
Will you halt, and look, and linger, will you fail your brothers now?
Or stand and fight and conquer 'neath Australia's wattle bough.
Do you hear the Bugle calling, call all men worth the name?
Will you share your Country's conflict, or hide your face in shame?
Do you hear the millions marching, 'gainst Belgium's glorious stand?
Will you lend a hand to conquer the spoilers of the land?
Do you hear the Bugle calling, calling loud, and long and shrill?
Help to stay the marching millions – there's a place that you can fill
Shall we, when History's written, like Belshazzar weighed of old
Be in the scales found wanting, our Empire to uphold.
Do you hear the Bugle calling, Come from your Farms afar;
If it's British blood that's in you, uphold our Nation's star
For tradition proudly tells us, while Britannia rules the waves
We're the British race of people – they can never make us slaves.
Do you hear the Bugle calling, don't let it call in vain?
Let your answer be 'we're coming' to our friends across the foam
For wife and child, and sweetheart and our sunny Austral home.
Do you hear the Bugle calling, do you see the foeman reel?
Gainst a line of gleaming bayonets like a glistening wall of steel
Hold the Forts, brave lads, 'We're coming' Australia's sons are true
We'll stand or fall together 'neath the Red, White and the Blue.
Do you hear the Bugle calling, we expect you to reply!
You will stake your life for freedom, you will do your best or die
And if perchance in action for you Country you should Fall
We will not forget your answer to that thrilling Bugle call.
Chorus
Australia's sons are coming, Britain never calls in vain.
Like our proud Canadian brothers
We are sons of British mothers –
That's our answer to our Foes across the Main.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Coy, Lyn. "Strahan, William Henry "Bill"". Western Australian Genealogical Society. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "William Henry Strahan". The AIF Project. 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  3. Bunbury Herald
    . WA: National Library of Australia. 5 June 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Late Mrs. Ruth Strahan". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 10 January 1936. p. 1. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Family Notices". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Perth: National Library of Australia. 4 May 1894. p. 18. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  6. ^ "The Late Sergt. W. H. Strahan". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 12 June 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  7. ^ "Toodyay Road Board". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 12 June 1915. p. 5. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Herbert Elwell Strahan". The AIF Project. 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  9. ^ a b "The Bugle Call". Northern Valley News. May 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  10. ^ enlistment papers are dated 8 Sep 14
  11. ^ "Farewell to Sergeant Strahan,". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 21 November 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  12. ^ ["The Old Sixteenth – A Record of the Sixteenth Battalion During the Great War"]
  13. ^ "The Bugle Call". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 12 September 1914. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  14. ^ "A Call from Gallipoli". The Horsham Times. Vic.: National Library of Australia. 20 July 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  15. ^ "The Bugle Call". Toodyay Herald. WA: National Library of Australia. 25 October 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  16. ^ "The Late Sergeant Strahan". The West Australian. Perth: National Library of Australia. 29 September 1915. p. 7. Retrieved 24 July 2014.

External links

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