Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Villers-Bretonneux Memorial | ||
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.135 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 22B GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Walter Brooks Spong and Elizabeth Spong; husband of Nita Spong, of Windsor, New South Wales. Born in London, England.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 45/Australian Infantry, A.I.F. |
Mike: BEAN 45th Bn. (N S IV.) 119, 140, Isan. 163, 173. loa, 358,? 364. 646. 647. 660% 763. 764; commd. 369. Dernanct a8 hfar, aoj, ao5-6; relieves 47 ?Bn.. ap Mar, 360. relieved b 47th 3 A p , 362, Ger attack, 5 A?&., 368 et seq. 3 ~ 3990-~1. 395. 399. 402 et s c q , caslties, 412n: V.-Bret, end Apr, 645, 648. |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.
Detail :
Private Cecil Brooks SPONG was an Englishman who had emigrated to Australia, who enlisted in November 1916 and on 30/9/17 was wounded in the back & shoulder. He returned to his unit on 15th November, 1917 and was killed during the chaotic retreat as part of the German advances in the Spring of 1918. The Australian archives show in March 1920 a letter from his widow asking for a photo of his grave 'before all the alterations take place in the cemeteries' as 'I want it just as the cross was erected by his comrades when he was killed'. There was no grave and he is remembered on the Villers Brettonaux memorial.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Gregory No. 2139 E.C. | Queensland |
| Joined : | St. George's No. 1372 E.C. | Unknown |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
30th November 1914 | 10th March 1915 | 29th March 1915 |
Initiated into Gregory Lodge No. 2139 where he is recorded as a 33 year old Bank Manager from Cairns. War Service recorded 1916-17, but nothing to show what happened to him.
Joining member of St. George's Lodge No. 1327. 12th September, 1916 where he is listed as a soldier based at Warwick. The contribution record shows war service 1917-18 followed by "Killed in Action" in the 1919 column.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley