Albert Charles Andersen 1895~1919

 

Born in the October of 1895 at Kamarooka in Victoria (40kms north of Bendigo) Albert was the eldest of the five children who were born to Thorvald & Selina Andersen nee Elliott.

 

Although Albert's birth record shows Kamarooka as being his place of birth, his WWI service file (attestation papers), the WWI Embarkation Roll, and the information found in circular distributed to family members requesting further details about the deceased for inclusion on the Roll of Honour from the Australian War Memorial, clearly state Lavington as his place of birth.

 

Why? I believe that the Recruiting Officer has inadvertently used Albert's postal address – Lavington via Albury Nsw – for his place of birth. The place of birth shown on Albert's “Application to Enlist” form is unreadable … however the abbreviated “Vic.” can be seen after the name.

 

Even though these documents state that he was from Lavington Albert's name does not appear on the plaques that adorn what is the entrance to the Urana Road Oval – the Memorial Gates.

 

However he should have been included, his family did reside here, and he did after all - give his life in the service of his country albeit not in the usual manner!

 

Albert was not "killed in action" in the true meaning of the words. Albert never saw active service. Albert never even made it to England let alone the Western Front. Albert never made it off the ship he had sailed in!

 

Albert had embarked from Sydney Nsw for England and active service on the 4 September 1918 per HMAT “Bakara" A41. Whilst aboard, and for reasons known only to himself, Albert has blotted his copybook somewhat. The offence committed:

 

“Conduct to the prejudice of good order & Military discipline in that he – refused to go on parade when ordered to do so”

 

The punishment being: 6 days CB (confined to barracks). This took place on the 23 September 1918. Not quite one month later Albert would be dead!

 

On Saturday October 12 1918 Albert has been admitted to the ships infirmary suffering from pneumonia - there is the suggestion here that the reason Albert had refused to "go on parade" was because he had been ill but had not informed anyone. Sadly, on October 19, Albert passed away after suffering a Heart Attack induced by the pneumonia.

 

This description of Albert has been found on his Attestation papers at the time of his enlistment: he was 5' 8½' tall, weighed 141lbs (10 stone or 64kgs), had a dark complexion, with grey eyes, and brown hair. What is also included on that paper, and is at odds with the Embarkation Roll information, is his religion. The Attestation paper lists Church of England. The Embarkation Roll lists Roman Catholic

 

 

 

The following details are from the Australian War Memorial Embarkation Rolls:

 

Anderson: Albert Charles

• Service Number: 60326

 

• Rank: Private

 

• Unit: 16 to 27 G. S. Reinforcements "N" (September-November)

 

• Date of Embarkation: 4 September 1918

 

• Name of Ship: HMAT "Bakara" A41

 

• Place of Embarkation: Sydney Nsw

 

• Date of Enlistment: 12 July 1918

 

• Age on Enlistment: 22 years 9 months

 

• Place at Enlistment: Henty Nsw

 

• Occupation: Farm Labourer

 

• Religion: Roman Catholic

 

• Next of Kin: Thorvald Andersen (father)

 

• Martial Status: Single

 

• Fate: Died at Sea 19 October 1918  (Buried at Sea 20 October 1918)

 

• Honours & Gallantry: None for display

 

Albert Charles Andersen was only entitled to one medal for his service to his country - British War Medal! He was entitled under this critera (provided by the Australian Government Department of Defence):

 

"Entry into a theatre of war on duty, or who left places of residence and rendered approved overseas service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918."

 

---------(O)---------

 

Although Albert was buried at sea his name has been commorated in perpetuity at the Hollybrook Memorial Cemetery in Southampton England.

 

The Hollybrook Memorial is situated in Southampton (Hollybrook) Cemetery behind the plot of First World War graves near the main entrance.

 

The Hollybrook Memorial commemorates by name almost 1,900 servicemen and women of the Commonwealth land and air forces* whose graves are not known, many of whom were lost in transports or other vessels torpedoed or mined in home waters (*Officers and men of the Commonwealth's navies who have no grave but the sea are commemorated on memorials elsewhere).

 

The memorial also bears the names of those who were lost or buried at sea, or who died at home but whose bodies could not be recovered for burial.

 

Almost one third of the names on the memorial are those of officers and men of the South African Native Labour Corps, who died when the troop transport Mendi sank in the Channel following a collision on 21 February 1917.

 

Other vessels sunk with significant loss of life were:

 

• HS Anglia, a hospital ship sunk by mine off Dover on 17 November 1915.

 

• SS Citta Di Palermo, an Italian transport carrying Commonwealth troops, sunk by mine off Brindisi on 8 January 1916. In rescuing survivors, two Royal Naval Otranto drifters were themselves mined and blown up.

 

• HMTs Donegal and Warilda, ambulance transports torpedoed and sunk between Le Havre and Southampton on 17 April 1917 and 3 August 1918.

 

• HS Glenart Castle, a hospital ship torpedoed and sunk off Lundy on 26 February 1918.

 

• SS Galway Castle, torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic on 12 September 1918.

 

• RMS Leinster, the Irish mail boat, torpedoed and sunk in the Irish Sea on 10 October 1918.

 

Among those commemorated on the Hollybrook Memorial is Field Marshall Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, who died when the battle cruiser HMS Hampshire was mined and sunk off Scapa Flow on 5 June 1916 (Source: Hollybrook Cemetery & Commonwealth War Graves Commission).

 

Albert is also remembered at panel # 185 in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial.

---------(O)---------

 

I believe that it would be fitting to also include Albert Charles Anderson's younger brother Thorvald Magnus Anderson as he too was killed in action serving his country.

 

Although his service record indicates that he was born in Kamarooka as was his elder brother Albert their family did live in the Lavington area.

 

The information below has been obtained from the Australian War Memorial Embarkation Rolls:

 

Anderson: Thorvald Magnus (1896~1916)

 

• Service Number: 2555

 

• Rank: Private

 

• Unit: 21 Battalion, 6th Reinforcements

 

• Date of Embarkation: 5 October 1915

 

• Place of Embarkation: Melbourne Vic

 

• Ship Embarked on: RMS "Moldavia"

 

• Date of Enlistment: 7 August 1915

 

• Age at Enlistment: 23 years 3 months

 

• Place of Birth: Kamarooka Vic

 

• Occupation: Drainer

 

• Religion: Roman Catholic

 

• Place of Enlistment: Melbourne Vic

 

• Abode at Enlistment: Barandanda Kiewa via Wodonga Vic

 

• Next of Kin: Father Thowald Anderson

 

• Prisoner of War: No

 

• Honours & Gallantry: None for display

 

• Fate: KIA 11 November 1916

 

 

 

Thorvald, or Tom as he was known, has two service record listings at the National Archives of Australia. The first, under the name of Thorvald Magnus ANDERSON with the service number - 2555, consists of only 6 pages and the amount of information contained within those pages is very limited: a couple of pay card records and some blank sheets of paper.

 

Thankfully the other file is 43 pages in total and does give us an insight into Tom's whereabouts duing his time on active service. This file is listed under the name of: Thorwald Magnus ANDERSEN with the same service number - 2555.

 

There are some inconsistencies documented in Tom's embarkation roll information (as I'm sure there are in almost all service records):

 

• His age at enlistment is stated as: 23 years and 3 months. Tom was born in 1896 so when he enlisted in August 1915 he would have been only 19. However like most young men in those heady days he has advanced his age to join.

• His father's name has been recorded incorrectly as Thowald Anderson. It should read THORVALD.

• The address of Tom's NOK and his abode at the time of his enlistment has been incorrectly transcribed as Barandanda when it should read BARANDUDA, Kiewa, near Wodonga Vic.

 

This is from the Australian War Memorial and describes, while not fully, the last engagement Thorvald's Battalion was involved in (https://www.awm.gov.au/units/event_124.asp) :

 

"The village of Flers, in the Somme valley in France, gave its name to a series of attacks launched by 1 ANZAC in November 1916. By this time the Somme battlefield had been deluged with rain and the attacks were made in atrocious conditions. The attacking waves of troops were sucked down by the cloying mud and thus, unable to keep up with their creeping artillery barrage, became easy targets for German machine-gunners and riflemen.

 

The first Flers attack was launched on 5 November with the 1st Brigade advancing against trenches north of Gueudecourt, and the 7th against a complex of trenches known as "the Maze". Both attacks managed to capture some of their objectives, but were eventually forced to withdraw. Another attack was launched against the Maze by the 5th and 7th Brigades on the morning of 17 November, it also succeeded in capturing a portion of the German trenches, but a surprise attack two days later returned this to the enemy."

 

This also comes from the Australian War Memorial and is from the 21 Battalion's Unit Diary (http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AWM4/23/38/15/) :

 

“Nov. 5 - Owing to left Brigade failing to make good their objective out left flank became exposed. Company of 23 Battalion reported at 10pm to fill the gap. Patrolling very vigerous throughout the night. “C” Coy engaged as Stretcher Bears to 7 Brigade. “B” Coy carrying. Casualties: 5 killed - 16 wounded”.

 

Thorvald was one of those 16 wounded and was admitted to 36 Casualty Clearing Station suffering SW back (Shrapnel Wounds to the back). Suffering from the same wounds he was admitted to the 1 Australian General Hospital at Rouen on the 10 November 1916 finally succumbing to those wounds on 11 November 1916. He was buried at St. Sever Cemetery Extension (Block O, Plot I, Row P, Grave No. 9), Rouen, France

 

Thorvald is also remembered at panel # 93 in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial