Mick Vickers

LANE, Cyril Herbert Dodson: was born in Bondi on 23 February 1888 to parents Herbert Dodson and Kate. He was educated in Armidale before completing his schooling at Sydney Technical College. He was a partner in the Automobile Importors firm of MacLurcan and Lane of Loftus Street, Sydney when war broke out. He lived in the Wentworth Hotel in Church Hill and was owned by his business partner, Mr MacLurcan. Cyril served for six years in the Senior Cadets and eight years with the Citizen Forces of the Australian Military Forces. He was the adjutant of the 21st (Woollahra) Regiment when he enlisted with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force on 18 August 1914. He set sail for New Guinea on 19 August 1914 aboard the transport vessel 'Berrima'. Aboard the 'Berrima' he was appointed adjutant of Colonel Holmes' Brigade staff. He returned from New Guinea in January 1915 and was discharged from this force on 6 February 1915. He enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force on 18 March 1915 as a Captain. He married Evelyn Clara MacLurcan (the daughter of his partner) on 27 January 1915 at the St Phillip's Cathedral in Sydney by the Reverend Canon Bellingham. Evelyn was the third daughter of Mrs MacLurcan. Cyril was promoted to Major on 1 June 1915 and took command of 'B' Company, 18th Battalion. He sailed out of Sydney with his company aboard the 'Ceramic' on 26 June 1915. The voyage took exactly four weeks to travel to Egypt and he set about training his company for the battle. After three weeks of training he received word to prepare for embarkation to Gallipoli. Cyril believed his men were not up to battle readiness but did as ordered. He led his men across the pebbly beach on the morning of 20 August 1915. Two days later he was ordered to take his men up to the front line in readiness for an attack on Hill 60. He watched his friend, Sydney Goodsell, led the first wave over the top at 5.00am. The second wave followed shortly after and he gestured to his men to move up. He was to lead the third wave. He advanced towards Goodsell from the left and soon reached him with several casualties. After a brief discussion with Goodsell he ordered his men east along the trench Goodsell and his men lay in. Lane continued to lead his men gallantly for the next three hours and at 10.00am he received orders to retreat. This order was unable to be confirmed but Lane still ordered the withdrawal. His company lost several men as they rushed frantically across fifty yards of exposed ground in an effort to get back behind their lines. The battalion lay low recuperating for the next five days when orders were issued, along with a regiment of Light Horse and some New Zealanders, to assault the hill again. Lane volunteered to lead the attack and asked for volunteers. He had to select them as every one of those not wounded put their hand up. He led his men over the top in the afternoon of 27 August 1915 and fought his way to the enemy trench with a few others. He quickly got into a one-sided bomb fight with the Turks and kept lobbing back those they had tossed. The enemy soon picked up of this and allowed the fuses to burn slightly longer. He was shot at least eight times around the heart after ordering his men to retreat. His remains lay in a grave on the Gallipoli peninsula and his body is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. Corporal Rose, of his battalion provided the following words, "Every man in the battalion would have followed him to the ends of the earth after the first charge. He was a fine officer." His father had just been elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Armidale. In a unique act of parliament the Acting-Premier, Mr Cann, passed a resolution of sympathy for Cyril after hearing the news of his death. Cyril was recommended for a decoration on 16 November 1915 but did not receive it. His brother, Lionel, enlisted with the 53rd Battalion and was killed in action on 21 November 1917.

Geoffrey Besant Woodriff was born on January 7, 1894 at Combewood in Penrith, NSW Australia, and died at age 24 years old in 1918 in Morlancourt, Somme County, Picardy France. Geoffrey Woodriff was buried on May 19, 1918 at Heilly Cemetery. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Geoffrey Besant Woodriff.