Bertram Clarence SHORTRIDGE

Bertram Clarence SHORTRIDGE Update Details

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SHORTRIDGE, Bertram Clarence

Service Number:	293
Enlisted:	Not yet discovered
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	41st Infantry Battalion
Born:	Not yet discovered
Home Town:	Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Not yet discovered
Died:	Died of wounds, Belgium, 16 October 1917, age not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brisbane 41st Battalion Roll of Honour

World War 1 Service

18 May 1916:	Involvement Private, 293, 41st Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: ''
18 May 1916:	Embarked Private, 293, 41st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Sydney

Finding a soldier from postcards his brother sent home from Cairo

I bought a booklet of postcards at a market in Melbourne, to add to my collection of Egyptian postcards. Most of the postcards I collect do not have writing on them, but these did. The words were poignant and captured experiences which must have been similar for many soldiers. I wondered who this man was and what happened to him, especially as my grandfather was also in Egypt with the army in 1914/15.

This is the story of finding out what happened to Ivan, the soldier who wrote those words, and his brother Bertram:

https://siwasoul.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/mystery-of-the-australian-soldier-in-cairo-1914/

The Commonwealth War Graves website shows that Ivan was a Sergeant with the Australian Engineers 2nd Field Company. He was awarded the Military Medal, which is given for bravery in battle on land. He is buried in Borre British Cemetery in France.

Bertram died 8 months earlier, aged 31. He was a Private in the Australian Infantry, A.I.F. 41st Battalion, and is buried at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Zonnebeke, which is near Passendale in Belgium.

Two brothers, buried in different countries, who died too young and very far from home.

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia