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Mystery surrounds the enlistment of Private Gerald Henry Joyce. He was born in London to Elizabeth Joyce on 24 September 1884, and perished at 26 Casualty Clearing Station on 18 December 1918, aged 34 years. He will forever be remembered

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae (1872–1918)

Buttes New British Cemetery in Belgium contains the graves of 142 Australian soldiers in addition to New Zealanders and British soldiers.

The V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission World War I cemetery and memorial. It lies west of the village of Fromelles and contains the remains of more than 400 soldiers whose bodies were recovered two years after the armistice from the battlefield.

Lieutenant Colin Aiston enlisted on July 5 1915 aged 20. Shot in the leg and hip, he died of his wounds on 22 September 1917 aged 22. His grave is amongst 243 Australians at Boulougne Eastern Cemetery, France.

Victor Roy Swann (Roy) (3rd Light Horse Regiment) enlisted on 26 August 1914 in Morphettville, South Australia. On 22 October he embarked on HMAT Port Lincoln in Adelaide. One of the lucky ones, Roy returned to Australia and was eventually discharged with the rank of Lieutenant on 23 February, 1919.

By the outbreak of World War I, there were 23 light horse regiments within Australia's part-time military force, consisting of 9,000 personnel.

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ON THIS DAY, 1916: British forces were making progress north of Gueudecourt. Lieutenant Newton said of the trenches, "There was literally nowhere for the men to sit down and many of them spent the whole 24-hours in a standing position with this wet, clammy mud up to, and in some cases, over their knees. Sleep in the front line was almost an impossibility."

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Standing on a hill overlooking the Buttes New British cemetery and New Zealand's Memorial to the Missing is the Fifth Divisions classic Obelisk with plaques listing its battle honours.

Private Charles Frederick Byrnes of the Australian Infantry 60th Battalion was 19 years old when he was killed in action. He was buried at Rue-Du-Bois Military Cemetery in Fleurbaix, France.

ON THIS DAY IN 1916: Heavy bombardments continued along Belgian and French fronts, especially in Arras region. At History Imprint we help you create a lasting memorial for your loved ones lost during WW1. Use code word OPENING at checkout to receive 20% off your order. Learn more at www.historyimprint.com

Lance Corporal Thomas Henry Priest was the son of Henry & Sarah Priest from Katanning in Western Australia. He was 29 years old when he fell in battle on the Western Front in 1916.