Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born on the 14th of May 1895 in Payneham, Allan Elliott was a patriotic man who called Adelaide home. Before enlisting in the Great War on the 17th of November 1916, Elliott had service experience previously as a Senior Cadet for 3 years. A Methodist who worked as a market gardener to grow fruits, Elliott was ready to give up his life to protect his country and serve the king. His service number was 3579 and the branch he was a part of was the Army Flying Corps. As a mere twenty-one-year-old Elliot was neither married nor did he have any children when he enlisted. His only kin was his father Albert Elliott who lived in Hectorville just east of Payneham.

When the war began, people wanting to enlist had to meet some requirements however during the war as there were many casualties the requirements began to loosen until they finally disappeared. At the beginning of the war the requirements included a height of 180cm, chest measurement around 86cm and aged between 19 to 38. Based on these desired requirements Elliott was the perfect recruit as he was a 21-year-old who was 180cm tall and had a chest measurement from 83-88cm.

Elliott enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the 17th of November 1916 in Adelaide. Elliott ranked as a private and out of the Pioneer Battalions he was allocated to the 5th Pioneers, a division in charge of enhancing protection of their troops and finding ways to deny the mobility of enemy powers. Elliott was involved with tasks such as constructing shelters, preparing barbed wire fences, building command posts etc. On the 10th of February 1917, he embarked a troopship named the HMAT Seang Bee which was headed to Europe.

By 1919, the stress of the war had begun to take its toll on Elliot, and he was admitted to hospital on the 20th of April. Elliott was diagnosed with debility and was hospitalised for two months and twenty-one days. He was discharged on the 11th of July 1919 after he was deemed fit to leave and his disability was not considered permanent. On the 18th of August 1919 Elliott had fainted. Even so it was not deemed serious, and he remained active in the army. Following this incident Elliott became more and more weak and was finally sent back to Australia from Argyllshire. When Elliot arrived on the 18th of September in the same year, he was diagnosed with Anaemia. The cause for this diagnosis identified as effects of military service. Due to his health issues, Private Allan Elliot had been discharged from the forces on the 23rd of November 1919.

What happened in Elliot's life after the war as of now is unknown however we know he passed away on the 21st of October 1961 at the age of 66. Elliott passed away at his birthplace in Payneham due to a Cerebral Haemorrhage and is buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery.  Private Allan Elliott’s name and the sacrifices he made for his country have been kept alive at the Campbelltown WW1 Memorial where his name is engraved.