Frederick ALDRED

ALDRED, Frederick

Service Numbers: 3003, 3002
Enlisted: 25 July 1915, Liverpool
Last Rank: Driver
Last Unit: 14th Field Artillery Brigade
Born: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 26 February 1896
Home Town: Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Kogarah Public School, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Ice Carrier
Died: Carcinoma of the lung, Concord Repatriation Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia, 30 October 1960, aged 64 years
Cemetery: Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, New South Wales
Memorials: Kogarah Pictorial Honour Roll No.1
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World War 1 Service

25 Jul 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3003, 4th Infantry Battalion, Liverpool
8 Oct 1915: Involvement Private, 3002, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: ''
8 Oct 1915: Embarked Private, 3002, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Sydney
16 Feb 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 56th Infantry Battalion
16 Mar 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Division Artillery
22 Apr 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Driver, 5th Division Artillery
16 Jun 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 14th Field Artillery Brigade
7 Apr 1919: Embarked AIF WW1, Driver, 3002, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , HT Trasos Montes, England for return to Australia - disembarking Sydney 22 May 1919
24 Aug 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Driver, 3002, 14th Field Artillery Brigade

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Biography contributed by John Aldred

"The 19 year old Fred Aldred and older brother 21 year old John Aldred enlisted within days of one another in Sydney in July 1915. They were allotted the Service numbers 3002 and 3005 respectively before boarding the troop ship "Warilda" to sail from Sydney on 8th October 1915 wth reinforcements to the 4th Australian Infantry Battalion.

On 24th April 1918, the day and evening to follow would be very noteworthy as the dates on which the recapture of Villers Bretonneux by Australian and British troops occurred. The unit diary records that at 3:45am on 24th April, the enemy opened up with a heavy bombardment which would last practically all day. The Brigades batteries near Corbie and Bonnay were heavily shelled. Driver John Aldred was said to have been sleeping in a barn at 4:30am when he was struck in the head by a flying splinter of a shell which had burst in the courtyard of the billets. John was evacuated first to the Dressing station (probably the Advanced Dressing Station north of Bonnay near the Albert Road, before crossing to Franvillers). He was transported then to the 4th Casualty Clearing Station at Halloy-les-Pernois, about 19 miles further distant, but he was found to be dead on arrival at the CCS. Driver John Aldred was buried in the Pernois British Cemetery, adjacent to the 4th CCS.

Witnesses from the Brigade expressed much concern for John’s brother, Fred, who was believed to have been working out with the gun batteries at the time. Fred is said to have gone to Pernois to attend the funeral. He gathered John’s possessions and wrote to advise the family at home of what had happened.

Driver Fred Aldred continued to work with the 14th Field Artillery Brigade and survived the war. He arrived back in Australia in May 1919 and was discharged from the A.I.F. in Sydney on 24th August 1919.”

FOOTNOTE:

Fred Aldred was my Grandfather. Fred named his son (my father) and I "John" in his memory, and it is an honour to carry his name.

My father John (known as Jack) enlisted and served in the Royal Australian Navy in WW2 from 1942 to 1946. I can only imagine the father/son conversations that took place around the dinner table regarding Dad’s desire to enlist and serve and Fred’s reservations at the possibility of losing another close family member.

“All gave some. Some gave all”.

Lest We Forget.

In loving memory,

John Aldred jnr.

Sydney Australia.

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