Albert FORREST MM, MM

FORREST, Albert

Service Number: 2953
Enlisted: 16 March 1915
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 5th Field Ambulance
Born: Stanhope, Durham, England, 16 December 1888
Home Town: Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Boxmaker
Died: Oamaru, New Zealand, 8 July 1971, aged 82 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Newcastle Congregational Church
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World War 1 Service

16 Mar 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2953, 5th Field Ambulance
31 May 1915: Involvement Lance Corporal, 2953, 5th Field Ambulance, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ajana embarkation_ship_number: A31 public_note: ''
31 May 1915: Embarked Lance Corporal, 2953, 5th Field Ambulance, HMAT Ajana, Sydney
9 Jul 1917: Honoured Military Medal
8 Nov 1917: Honoured Military Medal, Bullecourt (First), 'The men [2879 C.O. POWER, 2953 A. FORREST, 13629 E.C. MUNRO, 2807 B.C. BARWICK] formed a stretcher squad carrying wounded on May 3rd North of NOREUIL during the intensity of the bombardment. While so engaged they were in the vicinity of a Trench Mortar Shell Dump near NOREUIL, when an enemy shell fell in the dump causing a fire and great explosion killing and wounding a number of men near by. The stretcher squad with utter disregard of danger rushed to the spot and attended the wounded and carried them away in safety, in spite of a intense enemy barrage following on the explosion. They carried wounded continuously for 36 hours in spite of heavy barrages. Between the hours of 4 and 6 a.m. on that date the barrage was particularly heavy and there were no troops moving on the road at the time on account of the heavy fire. In spite of this 28 cases were carried 1 3/4 miles to a place of safety. During this time they frequently stopped to attend to wounded on the way.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 189 Date: 8 November 1917

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

Military Medal

'The men [2879 C.O. POWER, 2953 A. FORREST, 13629 E.C. MUNRO, 2807 B.C. BARWICK] formed a stretcher squad carrying wounded on May 3rd North of NOREUIL during the intensity of the bombardment. While so engaged they were in the vicinity of a Trench Mortar Shell Dump near NOREUIL, when an enemy shell fell in the dump causing a fire and great explosion killing and wounding a number of men near by. The stretcher squad with utter disregard of danger rushed to the spot and attended the wounded and carried them away in safety, in spite of a intense enemy barrage following on the explosion. They carried wounded continuously for 36 hours in spite of heavy barrages. Between the hours of 4 and 6 a.m. on that date the barrage was particularly heavy and there were no troops moving on the road at the time on account of the heavy fire. In spite of this 28 cases were carried 1 3/4 miles to a place of safety. During this time they frequently stopped to attend to wounded on the way.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 189
Date: 8 November 1917

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