Gustaf Nikolai AALTO MM

Service Numbers:	3676, 7683
Enlisted:	29 July 1915, Bendigo, Victoria
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	2nd Infantry Battalion
Born:	Abo, Finland, 1891
Home Town:	Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Labourer
Memorials:

29 Jul 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Bendigo, Victoria
23 Nov 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3676, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne
23 Nov 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3676, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
17 Oct 1917:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 7683, Enlisted at Sydney, New South Wales
19 Dec 1917:	Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 7683, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: ''
19 Dec 1917:	Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 7683, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Sydney
30 Jun 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 7683
10 Jul 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1

Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Medal: British War Medal

Biography contributed by Aberfoyle Park High School

Father Atolf Aleksantera Alto and Mother (nee ) Nystad, Finland, Russia.

Lived at prior to enlisting Nar Nar Goon and Eaglehawk, Gippsland, Victoria

26/12/1912 Arrived in Melbourne, per Bertha, from Sweden

Described on enlisting 21 years 10 months old; single; 5' 10 1/4" tall; 171 lbs;
fair hair; blue eyes; fair hair; Lutheran.

Tattoos: Naked woman on right forearm; Emu and Kanagaroo around Australia
on left forearm.

6/7/1915 Obtained "Certificate of Naturalization into Australia"

29/7/1915 Enlisted in Bendigo, Victoria
completed medical - fit for service

23/10/1915 Embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Ceramic A40
5th Infantry Battalion, 12th reinforcements

29/10/1915 Commanding Officer appointed Aalto to 12th Infantry, 5th reinforcements

22/2/1916 Taken on strength, 5th Battalion, Serapeum

25/3/1916 Proceeded from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force
31/3/1916 disembarked Marseilles

17/6/1916 Admitted to Field Ambulance
22/6/1916 rejoined Battalion

31/5/1917       Admitted to 1st Field Ambulance - diptheria
                       admitted to 1st Australian Division Rest Station
8/6/1917         rejoined unit

21/11/1917     Admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital, Boulogne
29/11/1917 transferred to England
                       admitted to Horton, c/o London War Hospital, Epsom - trench fever
2/1/1918         to 1st Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield
4/1/1918       discharged to furlough (leave)
8/1/1918        to report to No. 3 Command Depot, Hurdcott
9/1/1918         Admitted to 2nd Auxiliary Hospital, Southall - pains and debility, post trench fever
7/2/1918         discharged to report to No. 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veney
27/2/1918       Marched out to Overseas Training Brigade

16/3/1918 Admitted to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Bulford
19/3/1918 discharged

5/6/1918 Proceeded overseas to France
12/6/1918 rejoined Battalion

14/6/1918

19/7/1918       Admitted to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance - jaundice, Weil's disease
20/7/1918       transferred to New Zealand Stationary Hospital
30/8/1918       discharged, 30 August 1918; rejoined Bn, 2 September 1918.

Awarded the Military Medal.

15/1/1919      On leave to United Kingdom
18/1/1919      Admitted to North West Hospital, Hampstead - mumps
7/2/1919        discharged
21/2/1919      granted furlough to report to No. 2 Command Depot
      leave extended until 22 February 1919
                      further extension of leave until 1 March 1919
8/3/1919    Marched into No. 2 Command Depot, Weymouth.

5/4/1919        Returned to Australia on board HMT Armagh, ex Devonport, England
28/4/1919      admitted to ship's hospital
16/5/1919      discharged

18/5/1919 disembarked into Melbourne

10/7/1919 discharged from service

Medals:
Military Medal, 1914/15 Star (1047); British War Medal (29079); Victory medal (28870)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 29/10/2014. Lest we forget.

*******************************************

"At 19 years old, Atolf Aleksanter Aalto left his family home in Nystad, Finland and travelled alone to Australia to seek his fortune as a miner. He arrived in Melbourne on 26 December 1912 after a long sea voyage.

Two years later, after the outbreak of the First World War, Atolf decided to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. At this time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire, so in order to be able to enlist for war service, Atolf had to sign naturalisation papers which made him a British Subject. This he did on 6 July 1915 and joined the AIF three weeks later in Bendigo, Victoria. In the physical description section of Atolf’s service record, it notes that he had a tattoo of an emu and a kangaroo, and the words “Advance Australia” on one of his forearms.

Atolf left Australia with a reinforcement group for the 5th Battalion in November 1915. After a period of training in Egypt he went on to serve in France until June 1916, when he was evacuated sick to hospital. He returned to his unit a week later, but over the next two years was continuously in and out of hospital, once with trench fever. On 14 June 1918 Atolf showed great bravery during a German attack near Strazeele in France, for which he was awarded the Military Medal. The citation for his award read:

Pte. AALTO, who had just taken up his position in a new Lewis gun post, found himself heavily attacked, and, realising that his platoon post was depending on his protection of the flank, he continued to work his gun, causing the enemy many casualties and prevented them from getting round the flank of the platoon post … After having fired 600 rounds his gun was red hot and stopped. Pte. AALTO then withdrew under heavy fire carrying his gun.

At war’s end in November 1918, Atolf was again in hospital, this time with the mumps. He made the long sea voyage back to Australia on board the Armagh in April 1919." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

Biography contributed

Father Atolf Aleksantera Alto and Mother (nee ) Nystad, Finland, Russia.

Lived at prior to enlisting Nar Nar Goon and Eaglehawk, Gippsland, Victoria

26/12/1912 Arrived in Melbourne, per Bertha, from Sweden

Described on enlisting 21 years 10 months old; single; 5' 10 1/4" tall; 171 lbs;
fair hair; blue eyes; fair hair; Lutheran.

Tattoos: Naked woman on right forearm; Emu and Kanagaroo around Australia
on left forearm.

6/7/1915 Obtained "Certificate of Naturalization into Australia"

29/7/1915 Enlisted in Bendigo, Victoria
completed medical - fit for service

23/10/1915 Embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Ceramic A40
5th Infantry Battalion, 12th reinforcements

29/10/1915 Commanding Officer appointed Aalto to 12th Infantry, 5th reinforcements

22/2/1916 Taken on strength, 5th Battalion, Serapeum

25/3/1916 Proceeded from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force
31/3/1916 disembarked Marseilles

17/6/1916 Admitted to Field Ambulance
22/6/1916 rejoined Battalion

31/5/1917       Admitted to 1st Field Ambulance - diptheria
                       admitted to 1st Australian Division Rest Station
8/6/1917         rejoined unit

21/11/1917     Admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital, Boulogne
29/11/1917 transferred to England
                       admitted to Horton, c/o London War Hospital, Epsom - trench fever
2/1/1918         to 1st Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield
4/1/1918       discharged to furlough (leave)
8/1/1918        to report to No. 3 Command Depot, Hurdcott
9/1/1918         Admitted to 2nd Auxiliary Hospital, Southall - pains and debility, post trench fever
7/2/1918         discharged to report to No. 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veney
27/2/1918       Marched out to Overseas Training Brigade

16/3/1918 Admitted to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Bulford
19/3/1918 discharged

5/6/1918 Proceeded overseas to France
12/6/1918 rejoined Battalion

14/6/1918

19/7/1918       Admitted to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance - jaundice, Weil's disease
20/7/1918       transferred to New Zealand Stationary Hospital
30/8/1918       discharged, 30 August 1918; rejoined Bn, 2 September 1918.

Awarded the Military Medal.

15/1/1919      On leave to United Kingdom
18/1/1919      Admitted to North West Hospital, Hampstead - mumps
7/2/1919        discharged
21/2/1919      granted furlough to report to No. 2 Command Depot
      leave extended until 22 February 1919
                      further extension of leave until 1 March 1919
8/3/1919    Marched into No. 2 Command Depot, Weymouth.

5/4/1919        Returned to Australia on board HMT Armagh, ex Devonport, England
28/4/1919      admitted to ship's hospital
16/5/1919      discharged

18/5/1919 disembarked into Melbourne

10/7/1919 discharged from service

Medals:
Military Medal, 1914/15 Star (1047); British War Medal (29079); Victory medal (28870)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 29/10/2014. Lest we forget.

*******************************************

"At 19 years old, Atolf Aleksanter Aalto left his family home in Nystad, Finland and travelled alone to Australia to seek his fortune as a miner. He arrived in Melbourne on 26 December 1912 after a long sea voyage.

Two years later, after the outbreak of the First World War, Atolf decided to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. At this time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire, so in order to be able to enlist for war service, Atolf had to sign naturalisation papers which made him a British Subject. This he did on 6 July 1915 and joined the AIF three weeks later in Bendigo, Victoria. In the physical description section of Atolf’s service record, it notes that he had a tattoo of an emu and a kangaroo, and the words “Advance Australia” on one of his forearms.

Atolf left Australia with a reinforcement group for the 5th Battalion in November 1915. After a period of training in Egypt he went on to serve in France until June 1916, when he was evacuated sick to hospital. He returned to his unit a week later, but over the next two years was continuously in and out of hospital, once with trench fever. On 14 June 1918 Atolf showed great bravery during a German attack near Strazeele in France, for which he was awarded the Military Medal. The citation for his award read:

Pte. AALTO, who had just taken up his position in a new Lewis gun post, found himself heavily attacked, and, realising that his platoon post was depending on his protection of the flank, he continued to work his gun, causing the enemy many casualties and prevented them from getting round the flank of the platoon post … After having fired 600 rounds his gun was red hot and stopped. Pte. AALTO then withdrew under heavy fire carrying his gun.

At war’s end in November 1918, Atolf was again in hospital, this time with the mumps. He made the long sea voyage back to Australia on board the Armagh in April 1919." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

Biography contributed

Test biography

Virtual
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