Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Aub Litchfield was one four boys, from amongst six surviving children of nine, born to Ernest Daniel Litchfield (1868-1916) and his wife Sarah Ann Heil (1870-1943) to serve in the Great War. The boys had, at times, a challenging childhood, with their mother suffering ongoing mental health issues due to the death of her first-born child at seven weeks and their father deserting the family in 1908. Much of their up-bringing was guided by the oldest surviving sibling, only sister Ethel (1891-1984).

Aubrey Daniel Litchfield signed up on 3 January 1916 at West Maitland. He was just over 18 years old and had been working as a farm labourer in the Glen Oak district just north of Maitland at the time. He indicated that the whereabouts of his parents where unknown.

Assigned to the 35th Battalion, like many from the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region, Aubrey left Sydney with the 35th bound for the United Kingdom in May 1916. Arriving in early July, the battalion spent the next four months training. Aubrey crossed to France in late November and moved into the trenches of the Western Front on 26 November, just in time for the onset of the terrible winter of 1916-17.

But his time in the line was short lived, he suffered a debilitating gunshot wound on 17 February 1917 to his left arm. He was evacuated to England suffering from a fractured arm and wrist. By July he had recovered from his injury but the damage to his left arm restricted his movement and he was deemed medically unfit for active service. In late August 1917 he was on a ship bound for Australia – his time abroad being just 18 months. Like his two older brothers (Ernest - amputated right arm and Cecil - amputated left leg), he returned bearing the physical scares of battle.

After the war Aubrey married Muriel Christina Shaw at Glebe in 1923. He established a successful grocery store at the corner of Illawarra Road and Cary Street, Marrickville which the couple operated for 39 years. His mother Sarah lived with them during the 1930s until her death in 1943. They raised two children and in the late 1940s the family moved from residing above the grocery store to just over the Cooks River at Bayview Avenue, Earlwood. In the last few years of her life, Aub’s sister Ethel also came to reside at Bayview Avenue.

Married for 65 years, Aub Litchfield died at Earlwood in 1988 at the age of 91. Five years later Muriel passed away also at 91 years of age.