General News
12 July, 2025
VETERANS' VOICES: Solas Nassau
Solas Nassau was the foster son of Reverend Frederick Bignell and Alice E Oldham of Horsham.
Although Solas’s hometown was Horsham, he was born in New Ireland, New Guinea.
The Oldhams fostered Solas as a child as both of his parents had died.
Frederick and Alice Oldham also had two sons, Harold Grant and Frederic Horace, both born in Kabakada, East New Britain, New Guinea.
Harold enlisted on January 13 1915 and served in 2nd Machine Gun Battalion.
His service number was 703 and he served in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.
Harold returned to Australia on April 5 1919.
The second brother, 1714 Sergeant Frederic Horace Oldham of 22nd Battalion, 2 Reinforcements, enlisted in the AIF on January 11 1915.
Frederic died of disease on March 11 1917.
Like Harold, he also served in Egypt, at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.
Frederic is buried in Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension Plot Vi, Row C, Grave No 40, France.
Frederic is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour on Panel 94.
On enlistment, the Oldhams were living in St Arnaud.
Solas had done previous service of 12 months in the 17 Light Horse at Laura, South Australia, six years before he enlisted in the AIF.
He enlisted on October 19 1915, aged 27, and received service number 2145.
Before enlistment he was a farm laborer.
His next of kin was his foster father, Fred Oldham, of the Parsonage, Terang.
Solas was allocated to 15th Reinforcements of the 8th Light Horse on January 28 1916 at Seymour.
He was serving at No 4 Depot Light at Seymour from April 20 1915 to January 28 1916, when he was taken on strength to 15/8 Reinforcements.
Solas was transferred to 3rd Lighthorse Reserve Regiment on June 23 1916.
He was taken on strength to 3rd Double Squadron at Seraprum, Egypt, on July 6 1916.
Again, he was taken on strength to 8th Lighthorse Regiment, 3rd Training Unit, on May 10 1916 at Tel-el-kebar, Egypt.
From there Solas was taken on strength to Camel Corp Training Unit at El Ferdanon, Tel-el-kebar, in November 1916.
On February 14 1917 Solas was taken on strength to Imperial Camel Corps at Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
He was marched out to 1 Anzac Camel Battalion on February 24 1917, then transferred to Australian Reserve at El Arish, Egypt, the following day.
He was a trooper of the 1st Battalion Imperial Camel Corps when he was killed in action in Palestine on April 19 1917.
An army report of the death of a soldier of 1st Anzac Battalion Imperial Camel Brigade, No 3 Company, states that Solas Nassau died on April 19 1917 at Sheikh Abbas Ridge, Gaza, Palestine (now Syria), towards Beersheba Road.
Solas was killed in action.
He was found on the battlefield and was buried where he fell by Captain JR Rowley, who was attached to 1/5 Suffolk Regiment.
His burial was presided over by Reverend ED Rennison.
The report was from the OC of Australian Records Section, 3rd Echelon General Head Quarters, Alexandria, on July 30 1917.
Solas was entitled to the 1914-1918 Star medal, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
After an extensive inquiry and investigations, the Imperial War Graves Commission was unable to recover the remains of Solas Nassau.
His name was inscribed on the memorial to the missing in Jerusalem War Cemetery, on panel 60 with others who fell in the line of duty in Palestine and Syria and have no known grave (“Known unto God”).
The unveiling ceremony was performed by Field Marshall Lord Allenby and a copy of the printed register containing all the particulars of those commemorated in this manner was made.
The Jerusalem Memorial stands in Jerusalem War Cemetery, north of the walled city on the neck of land on the north end of the Mount of Olives and west of Mount Scopus.
The cemetery is on Churchill Boulevarde, between Hadassah Hospital and the Hyatt Hotel.
An Australian Memorial is opposite the cemetery entrance.
Solas is also commemorated on the Appila World War I and World War II Memorial, and on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour.
Fred Oldham of Queens Avenue, St Arnaud, was informed of the two plaques for his sons, 1714 CSM FH Oldham of 21st Battalion, AIF, and 2145 Private Solas Nassau of Imperial Camel Corp.
War in Palestine
At the outbreak of World War I, Palestine (now Israel) was part of the Turkish Empire.
It was not entered by the Allied forces until December 1916.
The advance to Jerusalem took a further year, but from 1914 to December 1917 about 250 Commonwealth prisoners of war were buried in the German and Anglo-German cemeteries of the city.
With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.
