Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Allen Samuel Radford was born in Uraidla, South Australia on the 20th of February 1891. Allen lived at Two Wells, Mallala, South Australia with his mother, Annie Elizabeth Radford and father, Walter Henry Radford. Allen also lived with three siblings, a brother, William Ambrose Radford and two sisters, Edith Annie Radford, and Eva Emma Radford. Allen attended North Adelaide Primary School in his youth, eventually find an occupation as a cabinet maker. At the age of 24 and 6 months, Radford enlisted in the A.I.F on the 16th of August 1915 to serve in the great war. 

Assigned the service number 4254, Radford embarked on the 11th of January 1916 aboard the HMAT Borda to Egypt. Here, he trained with the 13th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion as a private. Radford was later allocated into the 50th Battalion, then transferred into the 4th Pioneer Battalion, his allocation due to the 4th Pioneer Battalion requiring those with trade qualifications. The 4th Pioneer Battalion’s purpose was to construct defensive support for the army and used as infantrymen when required. Their support constructs included command posts, dugouts, and barb wires.  

After training for five months in Egypt, Radford’s battalion disembarked to Marseilles, France and then onto the western front. The 4th Pioneer Battalion majority of the time, served in support roles for the entirety of the war, not needing to face direct combat as infantry. 

Though there is unsubstantial information into the specific battles Radford had participated in, Radford’s battalion participated in conflicts in the battle of the Somme (1/7/1916 – 18/11/1916) such as the battle of Pozèires (23/7/1916 - 3/9/1916) or Mouquet farm (23/8/1916 – 26/9/1916). Radford received an injury on the 3rd of August, a gunshot wound in the back and mild one in the arm, being admitted to 4th General Hospital. 
Returning to his battalion on the 19th of August 1917, Allen Samuel was eventually promoted to Lance Corporal (L/Cpl) on the 30th of June 1917 and a temporary promotion to Corporal (Cpl) on the 15th of September. On the 27th of September, Radford was wounded in action by a H.E Shell and suffered a severe gunshot wound in the left arm on the 3rd of October. This ended his temporary promotion and admitted him to the Reading War Hospital for recovery. Radford was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital before being discharged to Weymouth, England on the 27th of October. 

Having recovered from his wounds, Radford returned to his unit at Western Front on June 8th,1918. His battalion’s next battle was the Hundred-Day Offence (France, 8/8/1918 - 11/11/1918) at the Battle of Amiens (France 8/8/1918 – 11/8/1918). Radford unfortunately met his untimely demise on the 10th of August at the age of 27, perishing only 93 days before the end of the war.  

L/Cpl A.S Radford was buried in Lone Farm Cemetery, one and a half miles north-northeast of Harbonnieres, and seven and a half miles east-southeast of Corbie, France. His remains would later be exhumed and re-interred in Heath Cemetery, built after the end of the first world war dedicated to the soldiers who fell. A commemoration of the late soldier was made on his father’s headstone in Payneham Cemetery, South Australia, who passed a month after Allen Samuel’s death. Radford received 2 medals for his service, a British war medal commemorating the end of the 1st World War, and the victory medal, awarded to those who served in the war until 1919.