SUTHERLAND, Hugh Douglas (1887-1977)Hugh Douglas Sutherland was born at Shepparton on 22 March 1887, the son of Hugh Mann and Sarah Elizabeth nee Crossley.
He was educated at Geelong College entering in 1899. His address at the time was 'Elcho', Lara, Victoria.
He subsequently followed pastoral pursuits on his father's property, 'Elcho', from 1903 until 1914, when he purchased 'Kenilworth', at Cavendish.
During World War I, he enlisted (No. 24437) in the AIF on 4 March 1916, and embarked with the 3rd Division Ammunition column on
HMAT A37 Barambah on 27 June 1916.
His daughter, Margaret Gardner collated his letters to his family in a booklet, which she entitled
'Letters from the Front: A War Story that isn't the Story of the War' . She described his experiences:
'He began his war experiences as a ' driver', who drove horses (or sometimes mules). Each driver had in his charge two horses, with the 'driver' riding one horse and leading the other. The teams to pull the guns or ammunition waggons were made up in pairs, and a team usually consisted of six horses. Harness was of a 'quick release' type, with chains. Each pair of horses were hooked together to form the team, and then the team was hooked to the gun carriage or waggon.
The idea was for the team to be galloped to the front line with the gun or ammunition, to quickly release it for use by the artillery, and then to be galloped back out of range of enemy fire. Although he knew his father was terminally ill (he died on 19 July 1916, while Doug was on board ship) H D Sutherland volunteered for service with the AlF on 4 March 1916, as a Driver with the 3rd DAC, at a pay rate of 2/ - per day. He and his great friend, Billie Philip (William Hamilton Philip), together went into training at the Army Camp at Maribyrnong, on the outskirts of Melbourne. They were both country men, experienced with horses and working draft horses and, because the Ammunition Colunm used horse power and waggons, they were both happy to continue working with horses.
Before leaving for the 'Front' he had only three months training at Maribyrnong, for which time there are no letters, nor is there a Pay Book covering that period. There is one Leave Pass, which was issued during the training period . Then, just before he sailed on 27 June 1916, he must have been given a 'Final Leave' which he spent at 'Elcho', near Geelong, with his brother Jack and sister-in-law Nellie. It seems that his Mother must have come from Kenilworth and spent the few days of 'Final Leave' at 'Elcho' too. Doug's letters to his Mother begin from June 1916, and cover his experiences until he came home in 1919. They are mostly well preserved and easily readable, although the paper is becoming fragile after so many years. '
He served in France until the Armistice, having transferred to the Australian Army Pay Corps, where he was awarded his Sergeant's stripes, then after the Armistice he transferred to th Australian Army Veterinary Corps Details. He returned to Australia on
HT Warwickshire, embarking on 5 April 1919.
His son,
Hugh Henry Malcolm Sutherland (1925-2017), was also educated at Geelong College.
Sources: Based on an edited extract from ‘Geelong Collegians at the Great War’ compiled by James Affleck. p 324 (citing Alexander Henderson, 'Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverina' (1936); Margaret Gardner (Ed), 'Letters from the Front: A War Story that isn't the Story of the War'; The Pegasus; National
Archives).