Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert Harold East was born on the 25th January 1891 at Forest Range. Up to enlisting on the 11th November 1915 aged 24, East’s occupation was that of a butcher. On enlisting, his next of kin was given as his father, Mr. George East of Forest Range. This was later altered to being his wife Annie Elizabeth Heath.
Private East left Australia on the 9th March 1916 bound for Alexandria in Egypt. He joined the 50th Battalion in France on the 13th August 1916. Throughout November and December of 1916 East spent much time in hospital with haemorroids and bowel haemorrhaging. On the 26th August 1917 he wrote from Windmill Camp, England:
“I am glad to know someone has sympathy for a chap who has lost all. I came from Australia with my two brothers, one was killed in the landing at Gallipoli, the other W.H. {William Henry} was killed at Mucourt {sic} Farm on Sept. 4th 1916, caused by a shell.10 of us were in a small sap when a shell lobbed in and the consequence was, all of us were buried, after getting out of my stifling position I lost no time in digging for my brother. I dug 10 bodies out altogether including my brother. They were all torn to pieces with the exception of one and I sent word for stretcher-bearers and he was taken away some little time later and I remembered no more. Sad but true, he is dead.” {Red Cross file No. 0980812 Private A.H.East 70th Battalion, Windmill Camp, England 26th August 1917.}
After hospitalisation and furlough in England, he eventually rejoined his unit in France on the 24th October 1917.
On the 14th July 1918 East was admitted to hospital in France, suffering from pyrexia {fever}, rejoining his unit on the 20th July. He was wounded in action on the 11th August 1918 when he was shot in the right leg. East was then sent to the 4th Southern General Hospital in Plymouth, England, where the leg was amputated on the 22nd August 1918. Due to the healing progress being slow he was discharged to A.I.F headquarters at Southall on the 15th April 1919. East married Annie Elizabeth Heath on the 21st June 1919 and left England for Australia on board the Mahana on the 25th September 1919 and was discharged due to being medically unfit on the 30th July 1920. Albert Harold East died on the 15th February 1944.