Joe, I spent yesterday in the Australian War Memorial's Research Centre in Canberra. They advise the exciting news that World War 1 Unit Diaries are currently being digitalised, & should be available on-line within, they predict, 3 months time. The Unit Diary for the 5th Battalion may provide you with some more detail of your grandfather's career, although the staff did caution that the contents of Unit Diaries varied markedly from Unit to Unit. C.E.W. BEAN wrote the "Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18." I expect you will already know this, as this resource is already online through the awm website. BEAN did refer directly to Sgt F.E. PIGGOTT in Volume 1 - The Story of Anzac, which clearly suggests the Unit Diary will hold further details, although you may already have them from prior research. At p.395, BEAN wrote: "Between 1 & 2 o'clock, the incessant fire upon the plateau and Bolton's Ridge was having its effect upon the infantry. The Turkish battery near Anderson's Knoll had been attracted by the bark of the guns, and this part of the plateau was now being raked by a cross-fire from two directions. The line could be seen coming & going in front. After almost every retirement, some brave man led it forward. But parties, or single men, finding themselves unsupported or in some place which seemed to their tortured brains a range mark for the enemy's shells, worked rearward into the crevices behind the hillside and tended to straggle into the bottoms of the gullies behind the Australian line. KIRBY, seeing this movement, became anxious for the safety of his guns. RAFFERTY's escort was now reduced to 12; KIRBY therefore moved him to the right rear of the guns, while he himself, with Sergeant-Major PIGGOTT (fn) of the 5th Battalion, an old British soldier, rounded up what men they could f! rom the valley. "(fn) - S.S.M. F.E. PIGGOTT, 5th Bn. Instructor in Aust Permanent Forces, of Melbourne; born St Peter's, Kent, 1 Sep 1877. Died of wounds, 26 Apr 1915." He is also named in Brig F.W. SPEED's "Esprit de Corps. The History of the Victorian Scottish Regiment & the 5th Infantry Battalion" (Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1988), at page 40: "In the confused situation, several N.C.O.s were outstanding in gathering together stragglers and leading them forward. One was Sergeant N.C. CRELLIN... "Another was Sergeant-Major F.E. PIGGOTT, an old British regular, who gathered several groups of confused and leaderless men from various battalions and led them across the plateau. Unfortunately, both were killed later in the fight." Regards, Chris.

Hi Chris, At 07:08 PM 05/02/2007, you wrote: >I spent yesterday in the Australian War Memorial's Research Centre >in Canberra. You make me jealous !! :-) Thanks once again for your support, both to me personally and to the list. I assure you that it is much appreciated. I have seen references to the quotes you sent to me, and they fill out another piece in the puzzle that was my Grandfather. I will be waiting in anticipation for the digitized 5th Battalion diaries. I was not aware of this project, so you brought me good news on that issue, as well. Warm regards, Joe Joe Bissett, PIGGOTT/CUMMISKEY List Administrator/Rootsweb I use America's Book CDs in my genealogical research to access otherwise unavailable primary source material. http://www.abcd-usa.com/ I support the Godfrey Memorial Library. http://www.godfrey.org/ Proud to be a member of LostCousins! http://www.LostCousins.com/