John Tognolini-A Socialist At The Battle of Beersheeba,-Hugo Throssell VC

Hugo Throsell was one man who charged at Battle of Beersheeba, nearly 100 years ago. From my novel Brothers - Part One: Gallipoli 1915

"........, two sets of brothers, Ross and Lindsay Chipper and Ric and Hugo Throssell.

They looked down from the height of the Second Ridge at Russell’s Top and watched with excitement, as did many other soldiers, as the 4th, 3rd and 2nd Battalions stormed across no-man’s-land to take Lone Pine. They shared a bottle of whiskey that one of them had “half inched” (stolen) from their Major Todd. 

The next morning, Ross and Lindsay Chipper were killed when their regiment charged across no-man’s-land towards the Turks in the trench at the Nek. The Throssell brothers survived the Nek but the following month, Lieutenant Hugo Throssell was badly wounded while commanding his men at Hill 60 and awarded the Victoria Cross. Ric Throssell was killed in the Second Battle of Gaza in Palestine in 1917. ..." 

Hugo Throsell

To learn about him click on this link to What should never happen again: Hugo Throssell Watch the story of Hugo Throssell VC, a war hero who became a pacifist and a socialist. Note: This story is a silent presentation. Minor modifications have been made to sentence structure for the purpose of digital display.

A story that should be known far and wide. What get's me about Hugo Throssell's story is the people who blacklisted and drove him to suicide, took his body and gave him a military funeral. When he died his wife Katherine Susannah Prichard, a leader of the then Communist Party of Australia was on a trip in the Soviet Union. The Conservatives stole his body and didn't consult her.

 About the Front Cover

This photograph is of Sergeant Stephen Tognolini, (back) Military Medal and Bar and Corporal Sergeant Major George Campbell Hunt, (front) Distinguished Conduct Medal, and was taken on June 27th, 1918 in Querrieu, France. It is part of a group photograph of the 21st Battalion’s Non-Commissioned Officers. Both served at Gallipoli. George Campbell Hunt was killed in the Battle of Hamel on July 4th, 1918.

If you want to buy a copy of my book click on the link 

Brothers - Part One: Gallipoli 1915 and it will take you to my author's page.