08. Theatres of War
Of the 54 men in this study who are listed on the Pontville Memorial, the overwhelming majority fought on the Western Front. Over a quarter of them served in the 40th Battalion, which was a Battalion raised completely in Tasmania. Their first major battle was The Battle of Messines in 1917 where over 350 of the men were killed or wounded.
Nine of the 54 men fought at Gallipoli, and of these, six of them miraculously made it home to Tasmania.
Lewis McGee was the 40th Battalions' first Victoria Cross recipient.
"For most conspicuous bravery when ... Sergeant McGee led his platoon ... though strongly opposed, and under heavy shell fire." McGee singlehandedly rushed a 'pill box' post armed only with a revolver. He "shot some of the crew, and captured the rest, and thus enabled the advance to proceed".
(www.aif.adfa.edu.au)