By John Telfer
The Darling Downs region has produced many brave military men and women, some with familiar names such as the lowes, Foster, Ryan, Costello.
However, many others that go unnoticed never receive the accolades that should be accorded to them.
One such Anzac is former Warwick resident William Montague Cory, who won the Military Cross, and later a Bar to that cross, (indicating that he had won it previously).
This medal is ranked third to the highest award, that is, the Victoria Cross.
This story is a tribute to him.
William Montague Bell Cory (known as Mont) was born in Clermont, North Queensland, on 10th November 1884, the son of Henry and Maime Cory and brother to Fitzroy and Vincent.
Henry, because of sandy blight, would take the family south to Warwick where he purchased a property near Murray’s Bridge named “Vermont” and took up the life of a grazier in the region.
It is not clear where Mont did his primary education, possibly Swanfels State school, but later attended the Armidale Proprietary School, renamed the Armidale School in New South Wales.
On leaving school, Mont returned to Vermont and became prominent in the social life of Warwick and was a keen marksman at the Warwick Rifle Club.
He worked on the family property as a Grazier for a number of years until the outbreak of the first World War in 1914, and as many of the district’s youth were clamouring to enlist on this “great adventure”, Mont (at the mature age of 29) also felt the need to serve his country, so decided to enlisted as a Private in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron at Warwick on 24th August, 1914.
After a short period of training at Fraser’s Paddock in Brisbane, Mont embarked for the war on the ship A15 “Star of England”, on 24th September, 1914.
On landing in Alexandria in Egypt, the 2nd Light Horse began training for the desert campaign before the situation on the Gallipoli peninsula intensified with mounting casualties, that the military authorities decided to send the Light Horse to Gallipoli to strengthen the infantry there.
On 9th May 1915, Mont was transferred over to 50th Battalion, then the 13th Infantry Brigade and lastly, the 13th Machine Gun Battalion.
Mont was involved in the fighting and as his leadership qualities started to emerge, he was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal.
After the evacuation from Gallipoli, Mont was sent to the Western Front in France and such was his bravery and leadership, he was granted a field commission and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 22nd.
March 1916. On 14th February 1917, Mont was saddened when was notified that his brother Vincent had passed away at Tidworth Military Hospital in Wiltshire, England.
Vincent had followed Mont into the army when he also enlisted on 14th February, 1915, and served with the Light Horse and the 9th Field Artillery Brigade until contacting pneumonia.
On 1st. January, 1918, Mont, now with the 4th Australian Machine Gun Battalion was awarded the Military Cross for his activities in the field.
It was awarded as was said in the Commonwealth Gazette: “Awarded for and act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land.”
On 1st March 1918 Mont was promoted to Captain and to command the 13th Australian Machine Gun Battalion.
However, a war weary Mont applied for, and was granted, a 75- day furlough in England, which effectively ended his period of combat at the Front.
Further accolades for Mont arrived on 1st January 1919 when he was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross which was promulgated in the Commonwealth Gazette on 18th April, 1918 which said: “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in command of sixteen guns in a night attack on a village.
Although his guns were all in a position over a wide front, and he had a very short notice of the attack, he had them all ready to move off at zero hour.
He made a thorough reconnaissance of the forward position, and sited his guns to cover the consolidation.
He led the company in the attack on five different days, and always with good results.”
On 17th February 1919 Mont was posted to the Australian training and convalescent camp at Sutton Very, situated in the upper Wylye area.
This place was a very large camp made famous by the war poet Siegfried Sasson in his poem “On Scratchbury Camp”. Shortly after on 5th March 1919, Mont returned to Australia on board the ship HT “Anchies” to return to civilian life as a highly decorated war hero.
Once back home, Mont was keen to return to agriculture, so applied, and was appointed overseer on Alice Downs station owned by the Whittingham family of Blackall, and later, as Manager, where he stayed for several years.
He then purchased a property he named “Glenlea” at Bogantungan, near Springsure.
He also met and married Maida Scott of Toowoomba, on 24th June 1925, a marriage that lasted 11 years until Aida’s death in 1936 and produced no children.
On 1st January 1938, Mont courted Katherine McDonald, the Matron of Springsure Hospital and later they were married at St. Peter’s Catholic church in Longreach and moved back to the family property “Vermont”, near Murray’s Bridge, Warwick, which is still in possession of the Cory family to this present day.
Once again, there were no children to the marriage, but Mont became very involved with the Warwick town and community until he and Katherine retired and moved to Ashgrove, in Brisbane.
Mont passed away on 22nd March 1958 aged 73, and now lies at rest in Brisbane’s Lutwyche War cemetery.
William Montague Bell Cory was a very brave and resilient officer who survived the “great adventure” that, to the nation’s youth, was not what they thought it would be.
He fought in the mud and blood of the Western Front in France and survived the slopes of Gallipoli and the trenches of France and Belgium. He demonstrated courage under fire with his leadership and devotion to duty.
Mont Cory was an original Anzac and his memory, like all Anzacs, should never be forgotten.
It is hoped that his story shows up all the accolades that he richly deserves.
“LEST WE FORGET”.
