S23828
BORCHARDT, Alfred George
| Service Number: | 514 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 February 1915, Keswick, SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, SA, 2 June 1894 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Adelaide, SA, 28 March 1956, aged 61 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) AIF Cemetery (Row 8, Grave No. 64), West Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia Section: KO, Road: 8, Site No: 64 |
| Memorials: | Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Feb 1915: | Enlisted Keswick, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 514, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 514, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide |
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Son of Hermann Gustav BORCHARDT and Bertha nee ADAM
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Born in Norwood Adelaide on June 2nd, 1894, Alfred George Borchardt was the son of Bertha Borchardt. He lived in Norwood as a butcher. He was unmarried and his next of kin was his mother. He continued to work as a butcher until he was 21 years old, with permission from his mother he decided to enlist on February 25th 1915, in Keswick. He was 5’7 weighed 148 pounds with pale skin, green eyes, and brown hair. After enlisting he was immediately placed in the 27th Infantry Battalion.
He embarked via the HMAT Geelong A2 to train in Egypt to then fight in Gallipoli on May 31st, 1915. The 27th Infantry Battalion worked as reinforcements for Gallipoli to eventually make their way to the Western Front. He continued to fight in the battle until January 10th, 1916. After returning to Australia on January 20th, he suffered from meningitis for a couple of weeks. Shortly after he was discharged from his battalion and joined the British Expeditionary Force on February 16, 1916. He then immediately embarked on Marseilles, France on the same day. He disembarked shortly after on March 21st, 1916. From there he stayed in Paris on and off leave from April 1917 to February 1918.
When he came back on the 5th of March, he immediately went to fight in the battle of Amiens. Sadly, Alfred George was wounded in action on August on 9th 1918. He was shot in the left leg and urgently sent to a Casualty Clearing Station. From there he was sent via ambulance train to a hospital in France. On the 14th of August, he was transferred to Coombe Lodge in England. He was transferred to the Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield for rehabilitation on the 7th of September 1918. Alfred George was seen as unfit for battle so after rehabilitation, he marched from the hospital to the No. 2 Command Depot on the 21st. He assisted in collecting, sorting, and dispatching reinforcements to units in the field. After a month of that, he was upgraded to no. 1 command depot. He continued like that for 3 days until he suddenly became absent without leave. This unauthorised leave was his first crime, he was absent from the 23rd of October to the 25th of October 1918, and as punishment, he lost 7 days of pay. He was then sent back down to no. 2-command depot on the 29th.
World War 1 had finished when he went absent without leave again, this time for only 1 day. Because of his past crimes, he was punished for 4 days without pay for one day of leave. He Marched out overseas to Training Brigade Bordeaux, France, to rest waiting for repatriation back to Australia. He embarked on the 6th of December 1918 and disembarked on the 14th of December 1918.
After 4 years and 45 days of service, Private Alfred George Borchardt returned to Australia on the 14th of February 1919. He was discharged on April 4th, 1919. He lived a long life and died at 61 years old on the 28th of March 1956. Today he is laid at the West Terrace Cemetery.
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