Hughie ANDERSON

ANDERSON, Hughie

Service Number: 32
Enlisted: 19 January 1916, at Adelaide
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 43rd Infantry Battalion
Born: Mannum, South Australia, July 1883
Home Town: Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
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World War 1 Service

19 Jan 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 32, 43rd Infantry Battalion, at Adelaide
9 Jun 1916: Involvement Private, 32, 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, 32, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide
26 Oct 1917: Discharged AIF WW1, Hughie was discharged for the AIF with multiple disabilities.

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Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

Life before the war:

Hughie Anderson was born in 1883 in Mannum, South Australia. He was 32 years and 6 months of age when he enlisted for war. Hughie had a wife called Mrs Gladys Anderson. Hughie’s occupation before enlisting in the war was as a labourer. Hughie lived on 19 Carrington Street, Adelaide, with his wife and daughter. Hughie was described as being five foot, seven and a half inches tall. He weighed fifty-seven kilograms and had brown hair and a fresh complexion. He was also described as being of good character. Before Hughie enlisted in World War I he had not participated in military service in Adelaide. Hughie lied when he said he was in good health when enlisting for war, before enlisting the war, he had fallen off a horse during his military service in Adelaide and suffered synovitis of both knees.

 

During the war:

Hughie enlisted for the war on the 19th of January 1916 In Adelaide, South Australia. He was 32 when he embarked on board the HMAT A19 Afric in Adelaide on the 9th of June. Hughie was a part of the 43rd Infantry Battalion.

On the 13th of June 1916, Hughie was awarded 14 days of fatigue from being ill at sea. Hughie along with the 43rd battalion disembarked at Marseilles, and then went to Britain for further training. Hughie was admitted to Fargo hospital in Salisbury, England on the 9/8/16 because there was pain in his back and legs which resulted in synovitis. Hughie was discharged from hospital on the 12/8/16. Not long after, Hughie was admitted to another hospital in England on the 11/10/16 until the 13/10/16.  

Hughie was then sent to another hospital in Bulford, England on the 26/1/17, and was discharged on the 7/5/17 with a total of 102 in hospital. 

A captain from the 43rd battalion had a desire to have Hughie returned to Australia because Hughie was not described as ‘medically unfit’ nor fit for the job. As the war went on Hughie’s disabilities worsened due to all the hard training. Hughie left England for the return to Australia on the 22/7/17.  Hughie then disembarked in Adelaide on the 21/9/17. He then was discharged from the AIF on the 26/10/17 at Adelaide with multiple disabilities, including Myalgia (muscle pain and muscle ache) and Sciatica (radiating pain which runs down the back of leg). Hughie also had chronic synovitis of knee joints (repeated joint bleeds.) Due to the multiple disabilities, Hughie complained about not being able to walk far on account of his knees, back and legs.

 

After the war:

After the war, Hughie and his wife gave birth to their daughter Barona Harriet Dawson Anderson, on the 13th of July 1918 at Cosma-street off Kenilworth road. Later after the birth of Barona, the rest of the 43rd battalion came back to Australia in 1919.

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