39th Battalion
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Joseph Best (Captain Chaplain) was born at Concongella near Stawell and was a 36 year old married clergyman at St John’s Anglican Church in Ballarat when he enlisted on March 25th 1916. He embarked two months later on the Axonius and sailed to England. In November 1916 he crossed to France and for the next 18 months he served as a chaplain attached to various Australian units in England and France. In June of 1918 he was moved to Egypt where he saw out the remainder of the war. He left Suez on January 22nd 1919 aboard the City of York and was discharged back in Australia on April 6th 1919.
