Vivian Neville Main

Vivian Neville Main
Vivian Neville Main was the younger son of May Main “The Nook” Tranmere Terrace, Tranmere, South Australia and Mark Main, of 2 Virginia Flats, 77-79 McLeay Street, Potts Point, Sydney. He was born at Sandgate in Queensland in 1892. He sailed from Adelaide on the 24th January 1917, on board the HMAT Miltiades A28. He was promoted to acting Sergeant for the trip to Devonport UK. At various times he was promoted to acting roles in the army, acting Lance Corporal, acting Sergeant Etc. So he must have been well thought of and ready for promotion. On Christmas Day 1917, the Battalion was celebrating back at the camp in Romerin. Vivian Neville Main and a couple of others were asked to help 7th field engineers to replace 450 meters of barbed wire at the front line in Ploegsteert Wood. As they worked they were shelled, and four of them were killed. A pall was cast over the Battalion Christmas celebrations. They were all buried at Prowse Point Military Cemetery, Wallonie, Belgium, which was just down the road, and had been established during a major action in 1914. It is ironic that at this very spot on December 25th 1914, the war stopped for the day, and both opposing armies together, celebrated a Christmas truce.

Sources
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1953385/
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) Saturday 12 January 1918 p 27
http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/ploegsteert/visiting-toronto-avenue-ce...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce