David Tait

History

David John Tait (719) enlisted for service during World War One. He was a member of the 22nd Battalion. His mother, Mrs A.E. Tait, lived at Landsborough Streetm Ballarat North.

Legacy

The World War One service of David Tait recognised on the Ballarat Avenue of Honour.

See also

Ballarat Avenue of Honour

Notes

Grieving mother Elizabeth Tait from Landsborough Street, Ballarat North, knew little of the circumstances of her son's death, just that he had been killed in action in France on August 5th 1916. He son David had been born at Invermany where he attended Invermay State School. He joined the AIF in June 1915 and left Australia in August to serve with the 22nd Battalion. On August 5th 1916 David Tait was killed in action, becoming one of the many thousands of Australian casualties at Pozieres, a place described by historian Charles Bean as 'more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth'. In May 1917 Mrs Tait visited the Army's Base Records Office in Melbourne seeking further information but found out nothing more until July when she was visited by one of her sons comrades who had returned to Australia. He reported to her that David had been killed when he selflessly threw himself on a bomb (grenade) to protect his mates. She later wrote in a letter to the army 'if he had not done what he did the whole of his comrades would have gone to their death ... better to go to his death then to betray his comrades.' Her pride in her son's courage and sacrifice was further strengthened when the battalion chaplain wrote to her saying 'no man could have died more bravely.' David John Tait has no known grave and is commemorated on the Australian Memorial at Villers-Bretonneaux, and tree 719 in Ballarat's Avenue of Honour, and on the Honour Board of the Invermay State School.

External links

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--Beth Kicinski 15:52, 24 August 2013 (EST)