Born in 1894 at Krambach, Oswald (known as Ossie) was the eldest of four children to John and Mary Gallagher. As a teenager he spent 2 years with the Cadets.
Ossie was a Station Manager aged 21 years and 4 months, when he enlisted at Newcastle on the 3rd of September 1915 to the 11th Reinforcements, 20th Infantry Battalion. His father, John of Bundook via Gloucester was listed as his Next of Kin. On the 9th of April 1916, Ossie embarked aboard the ‘HMAT A71 Nestor’ at Sydney bound for England.
The 20th Battalion had served at Gallipoli before returning to Egypt to undertake further training, and afterwards was sent to France, arriving there on22nd of March 1916. From there it proceeded to a position near Pozieres, where it took up position in the trenches in April and a month later, had the dubious honour of being the first Australian battalion to be raided by the Germans. Later, in July and August the 20th took part in the Battle of Pazieres, during which time it served in the line twice before moving to a quieter sector in Belgium for a period of rest. Ossie left the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone to depart overseas on the 5th of September arriving at the 2nd ADBD, Etaples on the 6th. He was taken on strength with the 20th Battalion in Belgium on the 18th of September 1916.
In October, the entire 2nd Division was moved to the south again and put back into the line in France once again and in November they launched an attack at Flers, in conditions that were so muddy that they were described by the official historian, Charles Bean, as “the worst ever encountered by the AIF”.
The village of Flers, in the Somme valley of France, gave its name to a series of attacks launched by 1 ANZAC in November 1916. By this time the Somme battlefield had been deluged with rain and the attacks were made in atrocious conditions. The attacking waves of troops were sucked down by the cloying mud and thus, unable to keep up with their creeping artillery barrage, became easy targets for German machine-gunners and riflemen. The first Flers attack was launched on the 5th of November with the 1st Brigade advancing against trenches north of Gueudecourt, and the 7th against a complex of trenches known as “the Maze”. Both attacks managed to capture some of their objectives, but they were eventually forced to withdraw. Another attack was launched against the Maze by the 5th and 7th Brigades on the morning of the 17th of November, it also succeeded in capturing a portion of the German trenches, but a surprise attack two days later returned the captured trenches to the enemy.
A report dated the 18th of November stated Ossie was reported missing on 16th of November in France. A statement taken by Pte. A Winn, 4544 from his hospital bed at the War Hospital at Dunston, Northampton on the 20th of January 1917 states:
“Gallagher was killed going over the top of a trench at the right hand side of Bapuame. It was about 8 o’clock in the morning, he was my chum and close to me when he disappeared, and no one saw him again. We were being shelled and he must have been blown to pieces by a shell. I have written to his people and have told them all I know.”
On the 4th of March 1917 the CO reported that the men of the 3rd Battalion had buried Ossie at Maze 57 and had forwarded his personal effects to the CO of the 20th Battalion. An official report on the 24th of April 1917 officially stated he was ‘Killed in Action’ on the 16th of November 1916. Ossie was just 22 years old.
A silver wristwatch inscribed “Pte. O Gallagher, from his Coolongolook Friends 6.11.15” believed to belong to Oswald was found and in October 1920 his father was asked for communication of ownership. John received the watch on the 22nd of June 1921
