ALDRED, John
| Service Number: | 3005 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 July 1915, Sydney |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 25 August 1893 |
| Home Town: | Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Kogarah Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 24 April 1918, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Pernois British Cemetery, Halloy-les-Pernois, France I. A. 1, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kogarah Pictorial Honour Roll No.1 |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3005, 4th Infantry Battalion, Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3005, 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, 3005, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Sydney | |
| 13 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 56th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Division Artillery | |
| 16 Jun 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 14th Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 26 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Driver, 3005, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , GSW face | |
| 24 Apr 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Driver, 3005, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , Bonnay, Shell wound head. | |
| 24 Apr 1918: | Involvement Driver, 3005, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3005 awm_unit: 14 Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1918-04-24 |
Help us honour John Aldred's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Aldred
"The 21 year old John Aldred and 19 year old younger brother Fred Aldred enlisted within days of one another in Sydney in July 1915. They were allotted the Service numbers 3005 and 3002 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, primarily on the Corvette HMAS Katoomba. 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.
Click images to start slideshow.