PARSONS, Alfred James
| Service Number: | 2197 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 January 1915, Previous military service - Nil Place of enlistment - Warragul, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Terang, Victoria, October 1894 |
| Home Town: | Terang, Corangamite, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Pamnure State School, Victoria |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 8 August 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Panmure Volunteers of Panmure who served in the Great War |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Jan 1915: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2), 2197, 14th Infantry Battalion, Previous military service - Nil Place of enlistment - Warragul, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2197, 14th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2197, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Melbourne | |
| 1 Aug 1915: | Embarked Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, 2197, 14th Infantry Battalion, Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Glenunga International High School
Alfred James PARSONS Biography
World War 1 began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. Differences in foreign policies were to blame, although the immediate cause was the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand.
The two main sides were the Allies, which included France, Great Britain and Russia; and Germany and Austria-Hungary. In total, 30 countries were involved in the conflict. Italy, once part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, fought on the side of the Allies.
By the end of WW1, over 9 million soldiers had been killed, and another 21 million wounded. Over a million soldiers were killed in the infamous Battle of the Somme alone, including about 30,000 in just one day.
Alfred James Parsons was twenty-one years old and single when he made the decision to join the Australian Army on the 21st January 1915 with no previous army experience. He was born in October 1894, at Terang in Victoria and was educated in the Pamnure State School. Before he enlisted in the Australian Army, he was a labourer. His parents were George John and Sarah Parsons. He was 5’ 7.5” tall and weighed 142 lbs. His place of enlistment was Warragul in Victoria. He had a florid complexion with hazel eyes and light brown hair. He was a natural born British subject and followed Christianity. He enlisted in the army in Warragul, Victoria on the 21st of January 1915. His unit was the 14th Infantry Battalion, 6th Reinforcement.
From May to August 1915 the battalion was involved in establishing and defending the ANZAC front line. In August, the 4th Brigade attacked Hill 971. The hill was taken but they suffered heavy casualties, one of whom was Alfred James Parsons. Alfred James’s first cousin Henry Parsons was also killed in the battle, he also had three second cousins and one of them was killed too. They fought bravely until the last breath.
Alfred James was killed in action at around 3 pm on 8th August 1915 in Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey due to heavy rifles being fired on him. He died when he was only twenty-two. He has no known grave. His commemoration details are Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 42), Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey. He was reported missing on 8 August 1915. Court of Enquiry, held at Serapeum, April 1916, concluded: 'Killed in action, 8 August 1915.'
Bibliography
Aif.adfa.edu.au. (2017). Details. [online] Available at: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=234403 [Accessed 4 May 2017].
Awm.gov.au. (2017). Australian Imperial Force unit was diaries, 1914-18 war. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/bundled/RCDIG1004677.pdf [Accessed 4 May 2017].
Awm.gov.au. (2017). Australian War Memorial. [online]. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51454/ [Accessed 4 May 2017].
Awm.gov.au. (2017). Roll of Honour: Alfred James Parsons | Australian War Memorial. [online]. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1656878/ [Accessed 4 May 2017].
Rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au. (2017). RSL Virtual War Memorial. [online]. Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/campaigns/1 [Accessed 4 May 2017].
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