OLIVER, William Donald (1885-1950) William Donald Oliver was born at Toorak on 27 August 1885, the son of William Oliver and Margaret Robina nee Affleck, of Broadmeadows Station, South Australia, and Grosvenor House, South Yarra.
He was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1901 with an address of Grosvenor House, Walsh St, South Yarra and rowed at College in the 1st Rowing Crew in 1904.
He served five years in the Geelong College Cadets, and was working as a station overseer when, during World War I, he enlisted on 4 November 1914 at Victoria Barracks, New South Wales. He embarked with 3rd Light Horse Brigade Headquarters as a Driver for Egypt on
HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on 25 February 1915, and ultimately Gallipoli from Alexandria on
HMT Menomence on 16 May. On Gallipoli, he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, and transferred to the 8th Light Horse.
He was at the graveside when
Major E A E Gregory (1882-1915) was buried at Ari Burnu Cemetery, Anzac, on 27 June 1915.
Peter Burness in
The Nek wrote of his memories of 7 August and The Nek:
'
Lt William Oliver later told the official historian: ‘I am in a position to absolutely confirm the suggestion that a red and yellow flag was raised. It was my duty on that day to watch carefully for those flags as I was to hurry our trench mortars across as soon as the Turks had been driven out.’ Oliver said that he felt ‘very nearly certain’ that the flag was planted by Sergeant Roger Palmer¹. Others have suggested it was a Sergeant Cameron², or Trooper Grant³. Geoffrey Grant was a lanky nineteen-year-old trooper, and his parents’ only son. He had previously served in the army cadets and had been an active boy scout and a good amateur athlete.' Some conjecture exists as to the sighting of the flags, and whether Palmer or Grant raised the flags.
Donald Oliver served throughout that campaign, and returned to Australia, suffering from gastritis and dysentery on three months’ change.
The
Geelong Advertiser reported:
'Donald Oliver, an old Geelong Collegian and nephew of Mr Frank Guthrie, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant for gallantry on the field at Gallipoli. He is being invalided to Australia after a strenuous time with a howitzer battery. He stuck to his piece when the rest of the crew were out of action, and his third shot is said to have lobbed amongst the Turkish staff and stopped an awkward advance. He is the son of another Old Collegian, Mr William Oliver.' He re-embarked with the 19th Reinforcement Group on
RMS Mongolia 11 July 1916 for Egypt, where he was wounded at the Battle of Romani in August, and evacuated to Australia, embarking on 23 October 1917, on
HMT Port Campbell. He died on the 25 July 1950.
His father, William Oliver (1853-1950), a station owner and explorer, was also educated at Geelong College
¹Roger Ebden Harcourt Palmer, born at Kew in 1893, the son of Walter Harcourt and Antoinette Louise (Glennie) Palmer, educated King Alfred’s College, Taunton, Somerset, he was wounded in May, and killed in action at The Nek on 7th August, he had passed examinations for the rank of officer, but refused the opportunity of a commission in an infantry battalion so he may stay with his regiment, no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli. His next of kin on his embarkation papers is listed as Miss M Palmer, c/o Mrs de Little, Caramut House, Caramut, and his address as Mountside, Winchelsea. He embarked with A Troop, A Squadron, under Major E A E Gregory (Old Geelong Collegian), who was killed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 27th June.
²Sergeant Major Colin Henry Cameron, the son of Wilson and Charlotte Cameron, of Kilmore and Hawthorn, educated Scotch College, killed in action that day at The Nek, his name is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.
³Geoffrey Treacher Grant, native of New Zealand, the son of William Treacher and Emilie Mary Catherine Grant, of Eltham, he came to Australia when he was seven years of age, of Eltham, educated Williamstown State School, he was killed that day at The Nek, his name is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. Grant’s Roll of Honour particulars state that it was ‘reported by his sergeant and two returned comrades that he carried his signalling flags, although first wounded, right into the Turkish trench’.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 279-80 (citing Peter Burness, The Nek: The Tragic Charge of the Light Horse at Gallipoli; Pegasus; National Archives).