OPIE, Elgar Watts (1893-1917)Elgar Watts Opie was born on 16 November, 1893, the son of Ernest Charles Edward Opie and Alice Estelle nee Carr, of Laurel Bank Parade, Geelong. Educated at The Geelong College, he was on the staff of Geelong Grammar School in 1915, acting as assistant science master.
He enlisted in the AIF on 6 February, 1917, and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 6 Battalion (24th Reinforcement Group) on 15 February, after attending an Officers’ Training School at Broadmeadows, and a Musketry School at Port Melbourne. He embarked on
HMAT A70 Ballarat 19 February, 1917, this vessel was torpedoed and sunk near the Scilly Islands on Anzac Day, 1917, without loss of life. However, the three Old Geelong Collegians on the Ballarat when she was torpedoed were ultimately to pay the Supreme Sacrifice - Private John Stawell George, Chaplain-Captain Alfred Ernest Goller, and Elgar Watts Opie.
Opie proceeded to France, and only joined his battalion in the last few days of September, being placed in charge of 2 Platoon, A Company. He was killed in action on 4 October, 1917, in a huge German barrage which opened at 5.27 am on the waiting line of 1 Anzac just south of Zonnebeke, and north-east of Ypres, at the Battle of Broodseinde. Some twenty officers are known to have been killed by the bombardment, and about a seventh of the attacking force of 1 Anzac appears to have been killed or wounded. Lt Opie was buried where he fell by Lt Taverner of 5 Battalion, and although the place of burial was temporarily marked, it was lost in subsequent fighting.
Pte Hubert Esmore (an older compatriot from schooldays) wrote to the Red Cross Information Bureau of the circumstances of his death:
‘2/Lt Opie of Chilwell, Geelong, Victoria, whom I knew well as I went to school with him at Geelong, was killed soon after going over top when leading his men from first line trench. This was at Westhoek Ridge.’ Pte M J Powell, Opie’s batman, wrote to the Red Cross Information Bureau:
‘I knew casualty, he was a tall man, about 5ft 10ins, well-built, dark complexion, about 25 years of age, known as Elgar. Casualty was advancing at Broodseinde Ridge, I was in the same advance and was casualty’s batman. He was shot, by a bullet wound in the abdomen mortally wounding him. I was one yard from him when he was hit but I immediately went to his assistance and dressed his wounds. He was partly unconscious and was trying to tell me something, but I could not understand him. That was the last I saw of casualty, I heard that he was taken back behind the lines and buried.’ His friend, Second Lt D W MacLachlan was with him when he was killed, and wrote to the Red Cross Information Bureau:
‘I state that Lt Opie was killed on Oct. 4th in the morning by a gun shot wound in the stomach. He was conscious for a moment or two before he died. He was buried by Lt H Taverner of the 3rd Batt. on the Westhoek Ridge. He was a great pal of mine, and I wrote full particulars to his Mother, and received a letter of acknowledgement and thanks from her. His Christian name was Elgar.’ Opie’s name is commemorated on The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. The battalion lost five officers, seven sergeants and 66 other ranks that day.
Names in his memory, the
Elgar Watts Opie Memorial Cup was contested from 1924 to 1939 at the annual Geelong College athletic sports.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from Geelong Collegians at the Great World War compiled by James Affleck. pp80-81 (citing Australian War Memorial; Ron Austin, As Rough As Bags: The History of the 6th Battalion, 1st AIF, 1914-1919; Photo Pegasus December, 1917.)