Michael Orr - The Men who sailed on the Australind
On 26 October 1914 728 men of the 1st Battalion 28th London Regiment (the Artists Rifles) sailed for France. More than half of them had joined the Army after 4th August. The battalion did not see front-line service until June 1917, but nearly a third of all ranks would die before the end of the war. The battalion served as GHQ Troops until June 1917 and was also used as an officer-training unit. 579 of the other ranks on the Australind would be commissioned, mostly in regular battalions in 1915. Men of the Artists also played a crucial role in establishing the GHQ Machine School and other specialist units. The lecture will tell the story of these men, highlighting some of the most notable individuals.
Michael Orr is well-known to members of the Thames Valley Branch, having been a member until he and his wife moved away to Gloucestershire. Having served in the Artists’ Rifles, and former lecturer at Sandhurst, Mike was a major speaker on our battlefield tours for many years, his “stands” often featuring the Artists’ Rifles.