By Tony Moon
NORMAN Durston came from Poowong and was living in St Kilda at the start of the war. At one point Norman was working as a “military staff clerk” in Barracks, a role he qualified for when he was 18 years old.
He then attended Duntroon Military College in 1912 and was an early graduate. He had served in the pre-war Militia, and this assisted him when he joined the Australian Imperial Force. Like many pre-war Militia officers, he resigned his commission in the Militia and had to be reappointed as an officer in the Australian Imperial Force. He was posted to C Coy of the 16th Bn.
Norman Durston left Melbourne on December 22, 1914, on board HMAT Ceramic and landed in Egypt with the battalion at the end of January 1915. There with the battalion, he joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on April 4, 1915. He landed with the battalion on April 25 and served at Quinn’s Post.
On the evening of May 9/10, 1915, the 15th Battalion, with the 16th in support, conducted an offensive movement from Quinn's Post with the view of testing the enemy's strength and to occupy certain Turkish trenches 25 to 50 yards in front of Quinn's Post. The attack commenced at 22:45 and the trenches were occupied. A large gap between the centre and the left attacking force was reported and the enemy was able to infiltrate the trenches and inflict heavy casualties. At 02:00 the 16th Battalion was ordered to fill this gap.
Soon after the men of the 16th advanced, all the officers became casualties and the attack failed. As a result, the position became untenable, and the entire attacking force withdrew to their starting lines. Casualties were seven officers, and 29 other ranks killed, and seven officers and 164 other ranks wounded or missing. A subsequent Red Cross Investigation was supported by 157 Private H P Wilson (also of the 16th Battalion) who wrote: “that volunteers were asked to charge a certain trench at Quinn’s Post. Capt. Towsend, Lieutenant Durston and 25 men, of whom the witness was one, made the charge during which he saw Mr Durston fall badly wounded (shot in the legs). He was carried down and witness was subsequently told that he had died the same night on a hospital ship.”
Norman Durston has no known grave and is commemorated at Lone Pine. He was 22 years old. Locally Norman is remembered at: Korumburra Cenotaph, Poowong Cenotaph, Poowong District Honour Roll, Poowong State School Honour Roll, All Saints Church Poowong, Korumburra and District Honour Roll, Former Shire Office Honour Roll. Normans brother was 61387, Corporal Raymond Durston of the 14th Battalion, from Poowong who returned to Australia in 1919.