Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alfred was one of nine children and the youngest son, born to Minnie Christina and Magnus Cheyne at Coward Springs, on the 15th April 1894. The railway town is in the far North of South Australia and a popular stop-over for those travelling to Oodnadatta. Magnus owned the very successful hotel at Coward Springs. Alfred had three older brothers, Arthur Charles, (1885) Magnus George (1887) and James, (1890) . He also had four sisters, Mina (1889), Barbar Catherine (1892) Minnie Christne (1896) and Constance (1899) and Hettie.
Magnus Snr, the son of a fisherman, originally lived on the Shetland Islands before coming to Australia. He was hailed as a hero in January 1883 while working as a shunting guard on the train traveling from Quorn to Parachilna. A fire had erupted in one of the trucks, which were also carrying magazines of gunpowder and dynamite. Quick thinking Magnus unhooked the truck and signalled for the train driver to move away in the opposite direction for half a mile. He then unhooked the other end of the truck. The truck finally exploded from the dynamite with the noise heard up to 20 miles away. Cheeses and potatoes being carried in the truck acted like cannon balls and bullets. Fortunately, no person was harmed, although the truck and rails were severely affected.
Alfred was eleven when his 52-year-old father, Magnus was accidently kicked in the head by a brumby in December 1906 and died. He was buried in the Port Augusta Cemetery. Minnie took over his role with the hotel, before marrying Edgar Dodd in 1909. Arthur Charles then assuming the role before joining the Northern Territory Police Force. Younger brother James then became the publican until 1912.
Alfred worked as a stockman until the outbreak of WWI when, aged 21 he enlisted on the 20th September 1915, as 1580. A fellow stockman, also from Alice Springs, Archibald Tregilgas enlisted with him as 1762 at Quorn. Both were able to put their natural horse riding skills to use in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcement Battalion. (Archibald later died of wounds sustained at Palestine in November 1917.)
Alf’s older brother, Magnus George enlisted in May the following year as 2155 in the 43rd Infantry Battalion. Just over a year later, 30-year-old Magnus first received a gunshot wound to his thigh and was hospitalised. He returned to his unit in mid-May to be promoted to Lance Corporal, however, within a fortnight he was killed in action in Belgium on the 31st July 1917 from a fatal heart or head shot. In the constant fighting, his body was not recovered, but he is remembered on the Menin Gate Ypres and at the Australian War Memorial.
Another older brother, James (the publican) also enlisted in 1916 as 6448 in the 10th Battalion. Soon after arriving in France, he was acting as a runner when he was captured in April 1917 at Bullecourt. He was sent to a POW camp in Poland, a move that probably saved his life as his 10th battalion was part of the vicious fighting on the Western Front.
Alfred was listed as wounded in February ’16 and being treated in the Australian Hospital at Heliopolis for ‘Nile fever’, influenza, followed later by dengue, malaria and jaundice. By August the following year he was employed on railway construction. In Army fashion, Alfred received the harsh penalty of being confined to barracks for a week as punishment for appearing on parade unshaven in December ’18. The following month he was hospitalised with bronchitis but in March was listed as embarking at Suez and returning to Australia on the troopship Euripides. He had earned the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Alfred returned to Australia in March1919 followed by James, released as a POW on the 23rd July that year. The Advertiser newspaper undertook to help returned servicemen find employment, with Alfred advertising he was looking for work at his pre-war occupation of being a stockman.
He was finally discharged on the 14th June 1919. Alfred’s mother, Minnie (who had re-married) died on the 30th October ’39 as WWII erupted.
Sadly, the War to End All Wars was not to be. Alfred again enlisted in June ‘40, omitting his middle name and making himself younger with a birth date of 1901 and thus ostensibly 39 years old. He was given the number SX4490 and placed in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion, training at Woodside. Older brother, James also enlisted as S67325 in the 2/2 Guard Battalion.
Alfred was soon on the Stratheden, leaving on the 7th November and arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. He was to become one of the highly regarded and respected Rats of Tobruk. Ironically, this term was designed to affect the morale of the under-fire troops as they burrowed into hand-hewn, sandy underground bunkers, beset by files, rats, poor hygiene and rations and minimal water supplies who were taunted as living like rats.
By August the following year Alf had fractured several ribs on his left side, spending several days recovering in hospital and was soon transferred to the Guard Battalion in January ’42. He returned to Australia via Melbourne with his fellow 2/48th Battalion in February ’43. Following leave, he moved to Queensland for further training before he was discharged on the 25th March ’44.
A fellow 2/48th soldier, Pte. Hartley Gerlach, SX7501 was a link between Alfred and Percy Earl, 3658 who had served in the Light Horse Regiment with Alfred. Hartley recalled that “Alf was like a father to us” in the Middle East but he also marvelled at how much things have changed since the last war." At one of their camps, Hartley explained, they had as cook—a really good one, too— a Turk who fought against the Australians in the last war. Now he and his young sons are lined up alongside the Aussies.
At the Annual Dinner at the Penola RSL Sub-branch in May ’50, old pals met reminiscing of the days in France and Egypt. The Pennant Newspaper reported that Roy Kidman (S5347 from Naracoorte) introduced an old pal to Toby Sanderson. The years may have changed the stature; the step may have been steadier, but Roy recalled an odd happening in the days now gone. It was Alf. Cheyne. All three were in the 3rd Light Horse in 1914 - 1918. Alf, incidentally, was in the 2nd -48th Battalion of War II and a Tobruk Rat.
Alfred married Jean Theobald Bown but they were not to spend decades together as she pre-deceased Alfred in Adelaide on the 17th April ’52. Alf chose to have “My Loved One’ engraved on her headstone.
Aged 71, Alfred died in Adelaide on the 20th July ’64 and was buried with Jean at Centennial Park Cemetery in the General AB section, Path 6, Grave 462.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.