In June 1915, the spirit of volunteering in the Great War was spreading on the Macleay and young men were enlisting in groups.
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One such group, from the Upper Macleay, were described by the medical officer as the best types yet submitted for enlistment.
They were: Justice Hudson, George Eldridge, Andrew Ryan, James Charlton, Joseph Dowling, Osman Hudson, Alonzo Hudson and Oliver Waters.
Justy, Ossie and Lonnie Hudson were brothers and all men were still in their twenties except for Ossie who was eighteen.
They all enlisted at Liverpool on 12 June 1915, save for Oliver who enlisted a week earlier. Ossie was sent home for not having his parents' consent, being under age.
They became known as the Hickeys Creek boys, with Lonnie in particular writing numerous letters home. Their exploits and losses were followed with great interest by newspaper readers of the time.
The Hickeys Creek boys all sailed with the 3rd Battalion on the troopship Runic on September 9, 1915. They arrived in Egypt, where after some brief training, they landed on Gallipoli in October during the last stages of that campaign.
They were then sent to the Western Front in France where Joe Dowling became the group's first casualty, killed by a sniper at Fleurbaix in May 1916.
Two months later, the 3rd Battalion faced its first major action in France at the Battle of Pozieres.
Writing a few weeks after, Lonnie said "Justy and I are the only Hickeys Creek boys to come out of Pozieres the way we went in.
"Andy Ryan was hit by a shell, blown to pieces. Jim Charlton shot in the hand and Oliver Waters hit in the back by a shell."
Lonnie himself was wounded in the arm in November 1916 and spent some months in England recuperating.
He rejoined his unit in France in February 1917 and a few months later was in action at Bullecourt where he was recommended for a Victoria Cross, for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty".
Lonnie would eventually be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, but for him the war was over. Severely wounded, he was again transferred to hospital in England where his left leg was amputated. Lonnie was then put on a boat back to Australia for discharge in April 1918.
After being wounded at Pozieres, Jim Charlton recovered to fight on with the 3 rd Battalion but was seriously wounded in January 1917 on the Somme River and later died of his wounds.
Also wounded by a shell at Pozieres, Oliver Waters spent fifteen months in England recovering.
Back in Belgium with his unit, Oliver was wounded again in
November 1917 at Ypres. He was being carried back to the dressing station on a stretcher when both he and the bearer were killed by a shell.
Justy Hudson was engaged to Ollie Powick when he went to war and three years later he wrote to her: "I'm getting pessimistic about ever getting home and you have been a marvellous girl to stick to me the way you have when you know I could be skittled any time."
He returned safely to Australia and he and Ollie were married in All Saints Anglican Church, Kempsey on 7 August 1920.
