Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of World War I, Dexter was one of twelve chaplains whose appointments dated from 8 September 1914. He sailed with the first convoy and served in Egypt and on the Suez Canal; he then tended the Anzac wounded on a hospital ship and joined the troops on Gallipoli. First with the 5th Battalion, then the 2nd Brigade, and finally as an acting senior chaplain HQ, he shared the lives and dangers of the men, helping them practically and spiritually, and using effectively his long experience of acquiring things—as a piece of A.I.F. doggerel 'The pinching padre' attests. 'He was as good as a doctor', wrote a sergeant. He was entrusted with the task of carefully surveying the cemeteries before leaving Gallipoli on 17 December 1915, and was one of two chaplains awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
After a brief stay in Egypt and Sinai, he went to France in April 1916. From Pozières in July to the A.I.F.'s battles in August 1918, with a short period at A.I.F. Headquarters in London, he tended the troops' welfare as a senior chaplain and as a compassionate 'handyman'. One example is given by the official war historian: 'Chaplain Dexter, with support from the Australian Comforts Fund, established at the corner of Bécourt Wood a coffee stall which henceforth became a cherished institution on the edge of every Australian battlefield'. In 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross, becoming the most decorated chaplain in the A.I.F.
Walter Dexter, DSO, MC, DCM, remains the most distinguished and highly decorated Australian military chaplain of all time. Of all the chaplains of the AIF, he gave the longest frontline service, from the earliest appointments in 1914 until demobilisation in 1920. His work for the spiritual, material and emotional welfare of the soldiers was unmatched and in return he was held in the highest regard by the soldiers.
This book explores the extraordinary career of Dexter, taking in his colourful life and unparalleled achievements. His story should stand as a cornerstone in Australia’s Anzac memory.
