Tree 3375, Sergeant Joseph Felix Bergin, The Avenue of Honour, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

The Ballarat Avenue of Honour is significant as the earliest known memorial avenue to have been planted in Victoria, Australia. The trees were planted in order of the soldiers enlistment ( from Ballarat and surrounds) , and stretched some 22km along the Western Highway, consisting of 3,771 trees.? On 3 June 1917, the first 1,000 trees in the Avenue were planted by staff from the local textile mill E. Lucas & Co. Just over two years later the final planting took place on 16 August 1919, with a total of 3,771 trees.


Sergeant Joseph Felix Bergin 15
8th Battalion A.I.F.

Enlisted: Aged 24 years: 18 August 1914 (K in action 16.4.18 France)
“He was in B. Company and was a sergeant in No. 8 Platoon, when I saw him killed near Nieppe Forest. He fell in my arms and lived about 5 minutes. He was hit by a piece of shell in the right kidney at the time of which he was observing. This happened about 8 O’c in the evening. I knew him well and he was working in Ballarat Victoria, prior to enlisting…”

Informant:-Pte Odgers, W.A. 3218 B.Go. 8th Battn. No3 A.A.H. DARTFORD. W.Omen.London. 6.8.18 H.G./Australian War Memorial Archives.

“Bergin was a Sgt., and was killed in Hazebrouck front by a shell which inflicted stomach wounds. He was in the same Coy. As I, but I did not see him killed, but saw his dead body on a stretcher on the road near there. I knew him well and had a good look at him.”

Informant:_ Morris. A. 2491. 8th Battn. B.Coy.,Hut 12, WESTHAM. W.A. Rand London 25.7.18 J.E.A. /Australian War Memorial Archives

“It was my sad duty to lay T/Cpl. J.F.Bergin to rest in the little cemetery behind the line. It is near Hayebrook in a large wood. Hidden away from the outside is a tiny patch of green grassland surrounded by trees. Here we laid him to rest and place above him a good substantial cross to mark his last resting place…”

Informant:- Joseph Booth, Chaplain C. of E. 9/10/18 Australian War Memorial
Archives.

“J.F.Bergin was a Sgt. Of B.Coy. v111 pl. I was Coy. Runner and happened to be actually with him when he was killed outright by a piece of a stray shell. We were in a little trench just in front of Vieux-Berquin, near Nieppe Forest, where they had dug in the day before. I was also at his burial and he was buried on his own, out in the open, just by this
little trench. There is a cross up to mark his grave. He was the first to be
buried there, but there will be plenty more graves there now…”

Informant:-Dale.A. 167.8B.(Coy.Runner)
Informant:-Dale.A. 167.8B.(Coy.Runner)
A.T. “Newhaven.” Calais 20.8.18 / Australian War Memorial Archives.