96474
HURLEY, Albert Bails
| Service Number: | 5385 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Walkerville, Adelaide, South Australia, 11 June 1884 |
| Home Town: | Croydon, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Driver |
| Died: | Accident, Brompton Park, South Australia, 15 December 1930, aged 46 years |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: LO, Road: 2S, Site No: 6 |
| Memorials: | Nailsworth Primary School Great War Roll of Honour, Prospect Roll of Honour G-Z WWI Board |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Jan 1916: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5385, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5385, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 3 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5385, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, Gassed. |
5385 Private Albert Bails Hurley
From How We Served
5385 Private Albert Bails Hurley of Croydon, South Australia had been employed as a driver when he enlisted for War Service on the 2nd of January 1916, and was allocated to reinforcements for the 10th Battalion 1st AIF.
Albert departed Australia on the 11th of April bound for England and further training, and once his training phase was completed he was sent over to France on the 5th of September 1916. Following last minute training at the ‘Bull Ring’ at Etaples Albert proceeded to join his Unit in the field on the 19th of September. Now in the trenches, Albert’s service would be continuous until he was wounded in action by a gas shell on the 3rd of October 1917, and by the following week he was sent back to England for hospitalisation to treat the gas poisoning he had received.
Following his discharge from hospital plus time spent whilst a convalescence before he could undergo further training prior to being returned to his Unit meant Albert would not get back to France until the 19th of October 1918, where he re-joined his Battalion. From this time on Albert would remain on active service in the field until after the Armistice, and was returned to England on the 4th of April 1919, where he awaited his repatriation back to Australia.
On the 12th of May, Albert departed England bound for Australia and following his return to Adelaide, and further treatment for the gas poisoning at the 7th Australian General Hospital (Keswick) he received his formal discharge from the 1st AIF on the 11th of August 1919.
Now re-entered back into civilian life, Albert’s untimely and accidental death at the age of 45 occurred on the 15th of December 1930 when he was struck by a train, and following this he was formally laid to rest within West Terrace Cemetery, South Australia.
Submitted 6 December 2019 by Evan Evans
Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Albert Bails Hurley was born on June the 11th 1884 in Walkerville, Adelaide SA. Before enlisting into the army he was a driver/bread deliverer. He was married to Agnes Annie Hurley and had one son called Clive Bails Hurley. On enlistment, Albert had lue eyes, dark hair, and was 5'7" tall.
During service
Mr Hurley enlisted in the military on 12th January 1915 in Adelaide, South Australia. Mr Hurley’s rank was private and he was a part of the 10th battalion, 17th reinforcement. The 10th battalion trained at Morphettville and did a variety of mental and physical activities to prepare for the war the officers at Morphettville, particularly those who’d seen action in the South African War, knew about how to maintain a good mental state of mind (toughness) to help their men break through the pain barrier, they conducted activities that included long route marches, cross country runs in full kit, obstacle crossing drills, bayonet fighting, rope climbing, stretcher carrying and crawling along the ground under low barbed wire.
Mr Hurley left from Adelaide, South Australia to Gallipoli with his battalion which they then boarded the HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916. He reached France and was taken on strength with the 10th battalion on 19th September 1916. Albert was quite severely wounded in a gas attack on 3rd October 1917, at the Third Battle of Ypres. This innjury, and further illnesses, meant he did not rejoin the 10th Battalion until October 1918, by which time the war was almost over.
After war
Albert Bails Hurley was one of the lucky men to survive the war and he returned to Australia on the 10th of October 1919. He was awarded two service medals: a British war medal and a victory medal. He died in an accident when, on 15 December 1930, he was hit by a train while riding his bike.
Biography:
‘The AIF Project’ 2004, in UNSW CANBERRA, accessed 29 March 2019, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search>.
‘Australian War’ 2004, in Australian War Memorial, accessed 29 March 2019, <https://www.awm.gov.au/people/roll-search>
‘Record search’ 2019, in Australian government, national archives of Australia, accessed 27 March 2019, <http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au>
‘Trove’ 2003, in National Library of Australia, accessed 26 March 2019, <http://trove.nla.gov.au/?q&adv=y>.
‘Australian war memorial’ 2004, in virtual war memorial Australia, accessed 25 March 2019, <https://vwma.org.au/education/resources-for-students>.
‘National archives of Australia’ 2004, in Discovering Anzacs, accessed 29 March 2019, <https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/218009>.
‘Albert Bails Hurley’ 2004, in Australian Red cross information Bureau, accessed 29 March 2019, <https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/packet_images/4330/SRG76_1_4330_3.jpg>.
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