Private

George Beattie

Private George Beattie was born on the 10th of March 1888 in Coomera, Queensland to Mr John Beattie and Mrs Mary Elizabeth Beattie (nee Harding) as the eighth of their 10 children.

Private George Beattie was born on the 10th of March 1888 in Coomera, Queensland to Mr John Beattie and Mrs Mary Elizabeth Beattie (nee Harding) as the eighth of their 10 children. His older siblings (from oldest to youngest) were Eliza, an unnamed brother (died at birth), William, Alfred, Mary, Caroline and Alice. His younger siblings, (from eldest to youngest) were Annie and Edwin (also on the Upper Coomera memorial). George attended Coomera State School from 1894-1902. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 28th March 1916 as a 27-year-old Farmer from Coomera. His younger brother Edwin had enlisted just 3 days earlier and one is left with the impression of an older brother joining up to watch over his younger sibling. Both brothers were attached to the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF and neither were to return home to Australia.

The 47th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 24 February 1916 as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its new recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 15th Battalion and the other half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 15th, the new battalion was composed mostly of men recruited in Queensland and Tasmania.

Multiple eyewitness accounts report that Private Beattie was shot through the head and killed instantly early in the afternoon on the 28th of March 1918. His comrades recounted that his body was buried by shellfire shortly afterwards and this section of the line was subsequently overrun by the Germans, preventing recovery and formal burial of his body.

On the Battle of Dernancourt:
On the 28th of March 1918 the 47th Battalion was stationed on the line near the town of Dernancourt. The 47th was heavily shelled and attacked by the Germans who broke through the Australian lines. The 47th defeated this breakthrough, capturing 33 prisoners and then successfully beat off two more attacks that morning, inflicting heavy losses on the Germans. On the afternoon of the 28th, the 47th Battalion was was reinforced by the Australian 45th Battalion. The Australians then attempted to recapture Dernancourt, which they were unable to achieve due to strong German resistance. This battle occurred during the closing stages of Operation Michael, the unsuccessful 1918 German Spring offensive to end the war which saw British Commonwealth troops successfully halt the German advance toward Amiens. The fighting between Australian and German troops over Dernancourt would not conclude until the 5th of April, after which the Germans halted Operation Michael.

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