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Married 1: 3rd June 1919. London, England.
Wife 1: Phyllis Wood Massie. nee: Lang.
Married 2: 20th September 1947. Washington, D.C. USA.
Wife 2: Elizabeth Emily Squire Massie. nee: Crosse.
Died: 14th February 1966. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Death Cert:835/1966
Mother: Tryphena Agnes Massie. nee:.
Robert John Allwright Massie, enlisted with the 4th Battalion AIF on the 17th of April 1914,
and left Sydney on board HMAT A14 "Euripides" on the 20th of October 1914, with the rank of Second
Lieutenant/Adjutant of the Battalion. War was declared and he enlisted immediately. In
October, his 4th Battalion sailed for Egypt and in April 1915, it formed part of the force which
landed at Gallipoli.
Throughout that wretched campain, Massie performed with reckless heroism. On only his second day
at Gallipoli, Massie's unit made a suicidal advance towards the Turkish lines after an order was
misunderstood. Whenthe Colonel leading the attack was shot down, it was Massie who tried to retreive
hid body under withering turkish gunfire.
Not all of the injuries Massie suffered at Gallipoli were inflicted by the Turks. Once he was wounded
when he accidentlly dropped a "jam tin bomb"- an improvised grenade- in his own trench. On another
occassion, he returned to his own trenches only to be bayonetted by one of his own men, who had
mistaken him for a turkish attacker. He was lucky to escape with light wounds on both occassions.
But Massie occupied the front-line so fearlessly it was only a matter of time before he sustained
a more serious injury. This happened at Lone Pine in August 1915 when a junior Officer, Iven
Mackay, sent Massie to investigate the posirion of an outpost under heavy fire.
Army medical records state that Massie was struck by shrapnel from an exploding bombshell.
The damage was severe; a shrapnel wound in the back of his left shoulder; a
splintered shoulder-blade, broken ribs and a punctured lung. His bravery at
Gallipoli was not forgotten. In January 1916 he was Mentioned in Dispatches
and in February the French Government awarded him the Croix de
Guerre.
25th January 1916 Lieutenant MASSIE; 4th Battalion AIF. In connection
with operations at the DARDANELLES. Sir, General Ian Hamilton.
London Gazette: 28th January 1916, page 1208, position 63.
Commonwealth Gazette: 6th June 1916, page 861, position 144.
February 1916 Lieutenant MASSIE; 4th Battalion AIF. Awarded the
Decoration "Croix de Guerre"
by the President of the French Republic in recognition of distinguished service during the
campaign.
London Gazette: 24th February 1916, page 2068, position 5.
Commonwealth Gazette: 18th May 1916, page 1161, position 14.
During the Gallipoli Campaign Massie was also recommended for the MILITARY
CROSS which was not supported.
Other men might have rested on these laurels but by late 1916, Massie was back at the front, this
time in France with the 33rd Battalion. He had already been
wounded four times but still disregarded his own safety.
Robert John Allwright Massie was transfered to the 33rd Battalion Headquarter Company as an
Instructor with the newly formed 33rd Battalion after he returned to Australia from the
Gallipoli Campaign. He trained with the 33rd at Rutherford Training Camp before going to Sydney
by train and left Sydney on board HMAT A "Marathon" on the 4th of May 1916, disembarking at
Devonport on the 9th of July 1917.
He proceeded to Larks Hill before going overseas from Southampton for France on the 21st of
november 1917. In April 1917 he was again Mentioned in Dispatches, this time
by the British Commander-in-Chief,Sir Douglas Haig.
April 1917 Major MASSIE; 33rd Battalion AIF.
London Gazette: 1st June 1917, page 5422, position 65.
Commonwealth Gazette: 4th October 1917, page 2624, position 77.
Richard was attatched to the 3rd Divisional Headquarters, 33rd Battalion on the 31st of May 1917.
4th March 1918 33rd Battalion; Major Robert John Allwright MASSIE.
For conspicouous ability, initiative, resourcefullness and devotion to duty, as Second in
Command of the Battalion during the period 22nd September, 1917 to 24th February, 1918. He has
shown originality and ability in organisation, tireless enthusiam and energy in training, and
the keenest interest in the welfare of the men, particularly in connection to their food and
sport. His influence on all the ranks of the Battalion cannot be overestimated.
London Gazette: 3rd June 1919, page 6461, position 36.
Commonwealth Gazette: 24th October 1918, page 2056, position 166.
When he took leave in England, Massie was called into occassional cricket matches. He appeared at
Lord's in 1917 for a team of Australian and South African servicemen against an English team
styled Army and Navy, which was composed of county players, eight of whom were or became
internationals. Massie's analysis was undramatic- he took 2/39- but his obvious class left a
strong impression on everyone at the ground. It was his last apperance in a match of any significance.
There was a cruel irony to the injury that put an end to Massie's sporting career. He was injured,
not at the front where his outlandish bravery earned him a further Mentioned
in Dispatches, in 1918 but behind the lines at a training camp when a German Plane
dropped a single bomb, and shrapnel from this random explosion ripped through
Massie's foot.
7th August 1918 Major MASSIE; 33rd Battalion AIF.
London Gazette: 28th May 1918, page 6202, position 53.
Commonwealth Gazette: 24th October 1918, page 2056, position 166.
Yet not even this injury prevented him returning to France after six months of treatment and
convalescence. By the time of the armistice, Massie had reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
Richard was seconded to Duty as Commandant, Australian Corps School with the rank of temporary
Lieutenant Colonel on the 24th of September 1918. Richard applied and received special
Marriage Leave on the 14th of June 1919 in London with leave
granted to work with the British-American Tobacco Company in London from the 5th of May to the 31st of October 1919. Richard was Discharged 04/12/1919.
(James Rodgers and Ray Kershler; The Daily Telegraph. 1st December 2006)(D Harrower)
Robert was the Vice President of the 33rd Battalion Renunion Committee and lived at
Narrabeen. N.S.W. after retirement. He returned to a successful career in buisness and died in
1966, aged 76.
Hugh Massie was an Ashes Legend, but his brave son Jack never wore the baggy green. No writer of
fiction would have dared to invent the character of Jack Massie. A young giant, powerful enough
to excel at boxing, rowing and rugby, little enough to be a champion hurdler, pricise enough to
be and expert rifle shot and with the fine co-ordination of an outstanding cricketer.
That would be hard enough to credit. But who would suspend disbelief so far to accept that such
an athlete could also be a brilliant scholar, a successful buisnessman and an unflinchingly
courageous, highly decorated war hero? Massies story is almost unbelievable.
Jack was born Robert John Allwright Massie in 1890, into the heart of the sydney establishment.
his father, hugh was a prominent banker who had plated nine Tests for Australia as an adventurous
batsman. Although Hugh Massie's succusses were sporadic, he illuminated the low-scoring 1882
Oval Test with a dazzling innings of 55 that gave his bowlers, notably Fred "The Demon",
Spofforth, just enough runs to defend for the seven-run victory which later provoked the mock
obituary for English cricket which appeard in The Sporting Times. And thus the legend of the
Ashes was born.
At Shore School, Massie played every sport available and excelled at all. In his four years in
Shore's First XI, Massie claimed 223 wickets at an average of just over 10 runs a wicket.He was
the school's rifle-shooting champion, a powerful forward in the unbeaten First XV of 1908, and
would have won a place in the NSW rowing team had his father not decreed this inappropriate for a
schoolboy. Had he never set foot on a cricket pitch, Massie would still have been an exceptional sportsman.
He was tall -190cm- and powerful, lean and very athletic.
In 1911, 1912 and 1913, he packed down in the second-row for Sydney University's First XV, while
on his way to first-class honours in civil engineering. His strength and mobility earned him a
call-up to the NSW team for two matches against Queensland in 1912 and twice again in 1913. He
performed so well in these games that in August 1913 he was named in the Australian team to tour
New Zealand.
Unable to spare the time away from his studies Massie withdrew. In 1914 he also withdrew from the
Australian Cricket team's subsequently aborted tour of south Africa, thus holding unique
distinction of being invited to tour with the Australian Rugby team and the Australian Cricket
team - but declined both invitations.
Massie won four Blues from the five sports in which he represented the university. He also won the
NSW Amateur Boxing Heavy Weight Championship in 1913 and the NSW 120 yard hurdles in 1914. However,
it was cricket that Massie's blend of strength, athleticism, stamina and skill found its fullest
expression.
He was a left-arm, fast bowler, who generated uncomfortable pace and bounce but also possessed a
bewildering range of variations. Massie was only 20 with just eight first-grade matches (and 19
wickets) behind him, when he was selected for NSW. Without posing a very great threat, he bowled
neatly to take three wickets against the touring South Africans and help his side to victory.
But the selectors decided he was not quite ready for the first-class game and returned him to club
cricket. He was overlooked for the 1911-12 season but the following seasin he had irresistible
claims for a place in the Sheffield Shield side. He ended his full season of first-class cricket
with 59 wickets from 10 matches.
(James Rodgers and Ray Kershler; The Daily Telegraph. 1st December 2006)
Hugh Hamon and Tryphena Agnes Massie had 3 children, 2 boys an a girl. Hugh Hamond I Massie
Born 1888 at St-Leonard, N.S.W. Birth Cert:13311/1888 and died in 1967 at Sydney, N.S.W. Death Cert:
2235/1967. Robert John Allwright Massie Born 1890 at St-Leonard, N.S.W.
Birth Cert: Nil Record, and Died in 1966 at Sydney, N.S.W. Death Cert:835/1966.
Tryphena Agnes Massie Born in 1896 at St-Leonard, N.S.W. Birth Cert:25418 and Married Leslie
W Dunlop in 1920 at Sydney, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:10311/1920. No record found of death.
(Australian National Archives)
Updated 09/12/2006.
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