WOODRIFF, Geoffrey Beasant: was born on 7 January 1894 at his parent's home in Penrith, New South Wales. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School and at the time of his enlistment was with the 41st Infantry Regiment. His parents were Francis Henry and Margaretta Woodriff (nee Tingcombe) of ‘Combewood’ in Penrith. He was related to Captain Daniel Woodriff who received one thousand acres of land in the district in the early 1800's. Geoff had three brothers younger than he. Daniel (1897), Kenneth Felix (1900) and Henry (1903). Geoff owned a block of land on Castlereagh Road valued in excess of £640. He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 13 May 1915. His enlistment papers describe him as five foot six and a half inches in height and one hundred and forty six pounds. He had a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was originally posted to the 7th Reinforcements of the 4th Battalion but was transferred to the original 18th Battalion. He left Australia aboard the 'Ceramic' on 25 June 1915 and joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Forces on 18 August 1915. He arrived on the Peninsula in the early hours of 20 August 1915. Two days later he participated in the first ill-fated charge on Hill 60. He was wounded in the second charge five days later. He was wounded by shrapnel fire in his hand, arm, back and leg. He spent two days in the casualty clearing station on Mudros before being evacuated to Hunt's Green Hospital in Hampstead England. He returned to Egypt in early 1916 and back to his battalion on 7 March 1916. He sailed with his battalion from Alexandria to Marsailles in March 1916. He was promoted to corporal on 28 June 1916 after acting as temporary sergeant two days earlier. Trench foot hospitalised him from 26 November 1916 to 29 December 1916. Two weeks later influenza saw him return to hospital for another three weeks. He distinguished himself as a Non-Commissioned Officer and was sent to Number 4 Officer Cadets Training School in Oxford on 7 June 1917. Three months later he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and transferred to Southampton awaiting a position within his battalion. This did not take long and he returned to France on 14 October 1917. He continued to show initiative and judgment and received his second star on 1 January 1918. On 19 May 1918 Woodriff was chosen for an important task. The 18th Battalion needed to straighten up its line during the afternoon and he was asked to capture a cross road several hundred yards forward of their current position. The objective of this exercise was to straighten a huge bend in the Australian lines. The line presently looped around the front of the crossroad and the battalion commander had orders to take it. Geoff and his platoon attacked the heavily defended crossroad and then established their own strong-post. After starting to dig in a machine gun opened up a short distance away. Geoff quickly reorganised his weary platoon and led from the front. Through the hail of bullets ripping up the ground he silenced the troublesome enemy position. Lieutenant-Colonel George Murphy personally congratulated Woodriff on the splendid job he had just carried out. A few moments after Murphy left a second machine gun opened up on the platoon killing several of Woodriff’s platoon. He did not hesitate and selected Privates Edward Dunkinson and Brain for the task of removing the new threat. The three men slowly and cautiously crawled towards the machine gun to get close enough to bomb them. A few feet after starting Woodriff was hit through the chest and died instantly. The machine gun was destroyed a short while later. He is buried at Heilly Cemetery but commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme. Although his war may have ended his father Francis had an on going battle with the Defense Department attempting to, firstly, get Geoff's effects and, secondly, to get his pay. The latter taking more than two years after the war ended before he received the £162-11-7. His two cousins, Harry and Noel were killed at Pozieres in 1916.
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