SWANSON, Alfred
| Service Number: | 6817 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 29th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Albury, New South Wales, Australia , January 1886 |
| Home Town: | Albury, Albury Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Permanent Way (Track) Worker |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 17 February 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Torreken Farm Cemetery No.1, Belgium E 4 |
| Memorials: | Albury St. Matthew's Anglican Church War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 6817, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Port Napier embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 6817, 14th Infantry Battalion, SS Port Napier, Sydney | |
| 17 Feb 1918: | Involvement Private, 6817, 29th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6817 awm_unit: 29th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-02-17 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Alfred SWANSON (Service Number 6817) was born at Albury about January 1886. He worked on the Railways Permanent Way (track). The NSW Government Gazette shows a man of that name working between Junee and Albury in 1911 and on the Mundoon to Cootamundra Duplication and Deviation in 1914.
Swanson enlisted at the Cootamundra on 15th July 1916. He gave his wife, Ellen Swanson living in Albury as his next of kin. He gave his ‘trade or calling’ on his Attestation Papers as ‘Platelayer’. He transferred to the 29th Battalion before embarkation although he had initially been allotted to the 22nd Reinforcements to the 14th Battalion. He embarked SS ‘Port Napier’ on 9th November 1916 and reached Devonport (England) on 29th January 1917. At first he was placed with the 4th Training Battalion. He proceeded overseas to France on 20th March and was taken on the strength of the 29th Battalion on 11th April. He was admitted to the Hospital Train with Influenza whilst en-route to join that unit, and subsequently treated for that ailment at the 5th Divisional Rest Station, the 2nd Convalescent Depot, the 12th General Hospital at Rouen, The 11th Convalescent Depot and the Divisional Base Depot at Etaples. He did not actually join the 29th Battalion until 25th May 1917.
In December he was again sick, now with scabies. He re-joined the unit on 14th December. He was killed in action on 17th February 1918. He was buried at Torraken Farm No. 1 Cemetery, Wytschaete, 9¼ miles NW of Messines.
Swanson left his widow Ellen and four children, Alfred Charles, Percy George, Sarah Hazel and Dulcie Ellen.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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