58/32 Infantry
Battalion Association Incorporated.
Picture Gallery 32nd Battalion:
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Our Sincere thanks to Pierre Seillier for providing these plates from his collection. November 2016
The following plates relate to the story on the Pflaum Family Soldiers and Lt. Eric Chinner their mate. Read the full article at the end of these 5 plates.
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“WE STILL HOPE ON ‘THOUGH HOPE GROWS FAINTER”
Among the many German speaking people who migrated to the British colony of South Australia in the 1800’s there were two brothers, Heinrich Adam Theodor Pflaum (Theo) and Friedrich Jacob Theodor Pflaum (Fritz). They grew up in Schleswig-Holstein, which was then a German speaking part of Denmark, but when SchleswigHolstein later became part of Germany the two brothers migrated to South Australia to avoid being called up for military service in the German army, with Fritz arriving in 1867 and Theo in 1869.
They settled in the town of Blumberg in the Adelaide Hills and became successful businessmen and community leaders who were extremely proud of their new country. Initially they operated a mill processing wattle bark for tanning leather, and later, they commenced flour milling. Fritz went into politics and represented the Hundreds of Pflaum in the South Australian Parliament from 1902 to 1915. Theo and his wife Mary Jane had 14 children, and three of them, Theodor Milton (also known as Theo) Raymond Holstein (Ray) and Elliot enlisted as soon as the new Australian battalions were raised during the Gallipoli campaign. Theo, Ray and my grand uncle Eric Chinner were all in the 32nd Battalion, and at the commencement of the Battle of Fromelles Theo was a Corporal in charge of a machine gun section, Ray was a Private and Eric was a Lieutenant. Theo kept a diary (the original is now with the Australian War Memorial) in which he recorded harrowing details of the Battle of Fromelles, including the brief, extremely sad meeting with his wounded brother Ray on the battlefield at the height of the fighting.
Theo’s machine gun section had remained behind the parapet until it was called forward as darkness fell to support those soldiers who had made it into the German lines and were desperately trying to hold back the German counter attack. Theo wrote in his diary: “Will I ever forget that rush for life? The ground we covered was one mass of explosions and the shrapnel bursting above us, and flares continually going up lit the whole place up as bright as daylight. Time after time I fell, got hooked up in the barb wire, or fell into a shell hole, but each time managed to scramble together and start again. At last we reached their trench, and although I was exhausted I took a gulp for joy when I saw the other fellows behind me, coming in one by one until the whole lot arrived. A lucky six we were.” “While the men were getting their wind my attention was drawn to a wounded man along side of me, just along a dugout. It was Ray. I ran down to him and was told he had got a piece of shrapnel in the stomach just as he was about to get into their trench. He was quite conscious and by his appearance didn’t appear to be hit too badly.
One of the 32nd fellows helped me to put him in the dugout. I spoke to him and told him that our fellows had taken their 3rd line so that it was certain we would be able to hold the first. I managed to get him a flask of whisky (Mat Scouler had) and a mouthful of that seemed to make his spirits go up. He was not in a great deal of pain whilst lying still, but could not bear to be moved. Although this takes room to write, it was all done in a minute or so. There were dozens of wounded about, but I asked a 32nd fellow (slightly wounded in the foot) to do his best for Ray while he could. I then made my way down to find a position for my gun.”Theo and Ray never saw each other again. Ray was taken prisoner by the Germans and died of his wounds on the 24th of November, 1916, aged 19. Theo was promoted to Sergeant on the 1st of September 1916 and was on the Somme all the following winter.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on the 8th of February, 1917, and he died of wounds on the 24th of September, 1917, aged 22.
Lt Eric Chinner was killed during the Battle of Fromelles on the 19th or 20th of July, 1916. During the war the Nomenclature Committee made numerous recommendations for the changing of German street and place names in South Australia. Eric’s father, Thomas Henry Chinner, wrote a letter to The Adelaide Advertiser that was published on the 11th of November, 1916, expressing the view that he did not support a proposed change of a street name in Waikerie, from Pflaum Street to Chinner Street.
He said this: Pflaum Street was evidently named after the Pflaums of Blumberg, a family held in high honour and esteem in South Australia. Three or four sons of this family are bravely fighting the Hun in France, and some have fallen in this mighty struggle.They stood side by side, and were comrades with my son, the late Lieutenant E. H. Chinner, and fell fighting the same enemy. Therefore the name of Pflaum is worthy of honour, and might well remain as the name of a street bearing tribute to the memory of brave men.”
On seeing this letter in The Adelaide Advertiser Theo Pflaum (senior) wrote to Thomas Henry Chinner saying: “...let me tender you my sincerest thanks for your fine sympathetic spirit of altruism.”
He went on to say: “Our Ray is presumed to be wounded by shrapnel on the stomach in their attack July 19th and 20th (32nd Batt) & fell prisoner in the hands of the Germans by their counter flank attack obliging our boys to retreat.
Among the many German speaking people who migrated to the British colony of South Australia in the 1800’s there were two brothers, Heinrich Adam Theodor Pflaum (Theo) and Friedrich Jacob Theodor Pflaum (Fritz). They grew up in Schleswig-Holstein, which was then a German speaking part of Denmark, but when SchleswigHolstein later became part of Germany the two brothers migrated to South Australia to avoid being called up for military service in the German army, with Fritz arriving in 1867 and Theo in 1869.
They settled in the town of Blumberg in the Adelaide Hills and became successful businessmen and community leaders who were extremely proud of their new country. Initially they operated a mill processing wattle bark for tanning leather, and later, they commenced flour milling. Fritz went into politics and represented the Hundreds of Pflaum in the South Australian Parliament from 1902 to 1915. Theo and his wife Mary Jane had 14 children, and three of them, Theodor Milton (also known as Theo) Raymond Holstein (Ray) and Elliot enlisted as soon as the new Australian battalions were raised during the Gallipoli campaign. Theo, Ray and my grand uncle Eric Chinner were all in the 32nd Battalion, and at the commencement of the Battle of Fromelles Theo was a Corporal in charge of a machine gun section, Ray was a Private and Eric was a Lieutenant. Theo kept a diary (the original is now with the Australian War Memorial) in which he recorded harrowing details of the Battle of Fromelles, including the brief, extremely sad meeting with his wounded brother Ray on the battlefield at the height of the fighting.
Theo’s machine gun section had remained behind the parapet until it was called forward as darkness fell to support those soldiers who had made it into the German lines and were desperately trying to hold back the German counter attack. Theo wrote in his diary: “Will I ever forget that rush for life? The ground we covered was one mass of explosions and the shrapnel bursting above us, and flares continually going up lit the whole place up as bright as daylight. Time after time I fell, got hooked up in the barb wire, or fell into a shell hole, but each time managed to scramble together and start again. At last we reached their trench, and although I was exhausted I took a gulp for joy when I saw the other fellows behind me, coming in one by one until the whole lot arrived. A lucky six we were.” “While the men were getting their wind my attention was drawn to a wounded man along side of me, just along a dugout. It was Ray. I ran down to him and was told he had got a piece of shrapnel in the stomach just as he was about to get into their trench. He was quite conscious and by his appearance didn’t appear to be hit too badly.
One of the 32nd fellows helped me to put him in the dugout. I spoke to him and told him that our fellows had taken their 3rd line so that it was certain we would be able to hold the first. I managed to get him a flask of whisky (Mat Scouler had) and a mouthful of that seemed to make his spirits go up. He was not in a great deal of pain whilst lying still, but could not bear to be moved. Although this takes room to write, it was all done in a minute or so. There were dozens of wounded about, but I asked a 32nd fellow (slightly wounded in the foot) to do his best for Ray while he could. I then made my way down to find a position for my gun.”Theo and Ray never saw each other again. Ray was taken prisoner by the Germans and died of his wounds on the 24th of November, 1916, aged 19. Theo was promoted to Sergeant on the 1st of September 1916 and was on the Somme all the following winter.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on the 8th of February, 1917, and he died of wounds on the 24th of September, 1917, aged 22.
Lt Eric Chinner was killed during the Battle of Fromelles on the 19th or 20th of July, 1916. During the war the Nomenclature Committee made numerous recommendations for the changing of German street and place names in South Australia. Eric’s father, Thomas Henry Chinner, wrote a letter to The Adelaide Advertiser that was published on the 11th of November, 1916, expressing the view that he did not support a proposed change of a street name in Waikerie, from Pflaum Street to Chinner Street.
He said this: Pflaum Street was evidently named after the Pflaums of Blumberg, a family held in high honour and esteem in South Australia. Three or four sons of this family are bravely fighting the Hun in France, and some have fallen in this mighty struggle.They stood side by side, and were comrades with my son, the late Lieutenant E. H. Chinner, and fell fighting the same enemy. Therefore the name of Pflaum is worthy of honour, and might well remain as the name of a street bearing tribute to the memory of brave men.”
On seeing this letter in The Adelaide Advertiser Theo Pflaum (senior) wrote to Thomas Henry Chinner saying: “...let me tender you my sincerest thanks for your fine sympathetic spirit of altruism.”
He went on to say: “Our Ray is presumed to be wounded by shrapnel on the stomach in their attack July 19th and 20th (32nd Batt) & fell prisoner in the hands of the Germans by their counter flank attack obliging our boys to retreat.
But so far cannot find any trace of him. We still hope on though hope grows fainter.
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