Alexander Edward (Alec) NELSON

NELSON, Alexander Edward

Service Number: 4860
Enlisted: 22 September 1915, Narrabri, New South Wales
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 55th Infantry Battalion
Born: Coonabarabran, New South Wales, February 1889
Home Town: Coonabarabran, Warrumbungle Shire, New South Wales
Schooling: Coonabarabran State School
Occupation: Road contractor
Died: Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916
Cemetery: VC Corner Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France
VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Coonabarabran War Memorial Clock Tower, Moree ANZAC Centenary Memorial, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial
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World War 1 Service

22 Sep 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4860, Narrabri, New South Wales
8 Mar 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4860, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: ''
8 Mar 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4860, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney
20 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4860, 55th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4860 awm_unit: 55th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-20

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Biography contributed by John Edwards

"...Alexander 'Alec' Edward Nelson was among the more than 5,500 soldiers injured in less than 24 hours at the Battle of Fromelles, the first major action involving Australians on the Western Front. His remains have never been found.

"He left home in September 1915, he would have been sent to Egypt for basic training and then across the Mediterranean to Marseilles and then onto a troop train to the north east of France into what they called the 'nursery' sector," Ms Ferguson said.

"Fromelles was meant to be a diversion for the battle on the Somme and he dies there.

"My great-grandmother Susannah Nelson experienced endless sorrow and grieving for her boy Alec who never came back.

"Nobody knew what happened to him and I think about what his life might have been if he had survived, if he had come home, if he had had a family." - SOURCE (www.abc.net.au)

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