S65122
ALLEN, Robert Murray
| Service Number: | 829 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Goolwa, South Australia , 30 October 1882 |
| Home Town: | Yorketown, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Wasleys, South Australia, 22 July 1958, aged 75 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Willaston General Cemetery, South Australia Plot 17R4 ID 185421962 |
| Memorials: | Yorketown Bublacowie Pictorial Honour Roll, Yorketown and District of Melville Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Feb 1916: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 829, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 829, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 2 Aug 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, 829, Suffered wounds to his back and spine. | |
| 6 Nov 1917: | Promoted Lance Corporal, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 829, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Jan 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 829 | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 829, 43rd Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
|---|
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Son of Samuel ALLEN and Lydia nee DENNISON
Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Robert Murray Allen was born in Goolwa, South Australia on the 30th of October, 1882. He later lived with his mother Lydia Allen, father Samuel Allen and brother in Yorketown, on the Yorke Peninsula. He enlisted at the age of thirty-three after several years of working as a farmer, Robert was assigned the rank of Private.
On the 9th of June, 1916 Robert was shipped to Marseilles via Egypt and England aboard the HMAT Afric. The journey took forty-one days and by November of the same year, he and the rest of the 43rd Infantry Battalion of the AIF (mainly consisting of men from South Australia and so nicknamed ‘The Hindmarsh Regiment’) arrived in Paris. Robert was later sent to The Western Front along the French-German border, where he received shrapnel wounds to his back and skull on the 2nd of August 1917. After recovering a week later, he rejoined his battalion in time for the Third Battle of Ypres (July-November 1917) where he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was likely involved in action in the German Spring Offensive (March-May 1918), the Battle of Amiens (8th-11th August 1918) and Albert (21st-23rd August 1918).
Robert was repatriated back to Australia 8th October 1919 and was discharged on the 16th of January, 1920.
After returning to his home in Yorketown, he married Kathleen Jean at St John’s Church in Wasleys. Kathleen’s parents and Robert’s brother, along with other friends, attended the happy couple’s day on the 29th of April, 1933 at 3pm. Robert lived for another twenty-five years, passing away on the 22nd of July, 1958 at seventy-six years old. His spouse, Kathleen, re-married to William Henry Durdin. Kathleen lived until 2000, reaching the age of ninety-one. Robert and Kathleen’s gravestones stand next to each other at Willaston General Cemetery.
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