Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Mensforth (1883-1918) was a labourer who enlisted in the 48th Battalion of the Australian Army on the fourteenth of June 1916 (1). George was the child of Edward and Ester Mensforth (1). Depending on the source, George was born in April (6) or January (7) 1883 in Adelaide, South Australia. He worked as a labourer and married Sarah Jane Clarke, who was listed as his next of kin (13). Records show that they had 3 children, but their names are unknown. George was a labourer and had no prior military experience (6). Labourers were workers that performed physical work such as farm workers (3). Records also show that George had never been an apprentice. George and Sarah lived at 290 Currie Street Adelaide (6).

George Mensforth enlisted into the Australian Army in Adelaide on the fourteenth of June 1916(6). He soon became part of the 48th Infantry Battalion and embarked for war on the twenty-eighth of August the same year from Adelaide on board the HMAT A68 Anchises (1). George was 33 when he enlisted and was a private in the Battalion (6). The 48th Infantry Battalion was created from members of the 16th Battalion and recruits from South and West Australia (2). George was a member of the 48th Infantry's South Australian recruits. The Battalion was part of the 4th Division and its heraldry was a circle with the top half a cream-white colour and the bottom half a navy blue (2). The 48th Battalion was nicknamed the Joan of Arc Battalion because of her status as the Maid of Orleans and the Battalion was "made of all-Leanes". The nickname is in reference to the fact that the Leane family included eleven soldiers in the WW1, four of whom were in the 48th Battalion (10). The 48th Battalion was involved in many battles during the war including the Battle of Pozieres, the Mouquet Farm Campaign, the First Bullecourt Campaign, and the First Passchendaele Campaign (10). George was not a part of the battle of Pozieres or the Mouquet farm campaign because had not embarked yet (1). George is not included on the virtual war memorial names list for the first Bullecourt and first Passchendaele campaigns, but it is possible that he could've fought in either (12).

On the 7th of February 1917, a message was sent to Sarah Mensforth informing her that George had suffered a fractured arm(9). Later, on the sixth of November 1917, a second message was sent to Sarah Mensforth reporting that George had been wounded by gunshot although there was no hospital recorded(8). This message was sent less than a month after the first Passchendaele campaign on the twelfth of October 1917 so more than likely George served and was shot during the campaign (11), furthermore, his Service Record has a casualty record stating his injury was sustained at Ypres in Belgium. The first campaign of Passchendaele was an attack connected to the third Ypres on the town of Passchendaele to the east of Ypres (11). In the attack British, New Zealand, and Australian troops attempted to capture the Passchendaele Ridge from the Germans. This plan failed and a second attack was set into motion using Canadian troops who successfully captured the ridge. This victory wasn't without major losses for both Armies with the British forces suffering two hundred and seventy-five thousand casualties and the Germans suffering two hundred and seventeen thousand casualties(11). George was wounded so badly that he was transferred between several hospitals resulting in his right leg needing to be amputated (9) 

On the nineteenth of December 1917, a final message was sent to Sarah Mensforth reporting that George was progressing favourably(5). That was the last archived message sent before George's return to Australia on the 27th of January 1918 (1). On George's return, he was admitted to Keswick military hospital where he would stay until his death(16).

On the thirteenth of October 1918, at the age of 35, George Mensforth died in hospital (1) less than nine months after returning from war. While he passed away from an unknown cause it was most likely connected to the previous injuries he had or illness he may have gained from the war(1). He was buried at west terrace cemetery in Adelaide. His grave is No.49 located on path 23 E on road number 5 in the cemetery(1). His name was also included on the one hundred and forty-sixth panel on the role of honours in the Australian War Memorial(15). His final military rank was Private (15). George Mensforth along with the other 16 soldiers who died in Keswick military hospital and the thousands more who died in the battles of Passchendaele will be remembered and immortalised through the databases of the Virtual War Memorial, the Australian War Memorial, the Australian Defence Force Academy, and the National Archives of Australia and will be remembered for their bravery and work to protect the world we have today.

Reference list

(1)      Adfa.edu.au. (2016). George Mensforth Details. [online] Available at: https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=206527 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2022].

(2)      Awm.gov.au. (2016). 48th Australian Infantry Battalion | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51488 [Accessed 29 Nov. 2022].

(3)      Cambridge Dictionary (2022). labourer. [online] @CambridgeWords. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/labourer [Accessed 30 Nov. 2022].

(4)      CWGC (n.d.). Private George Mensforth | War Casualty Details 134330. [online] CWGC. Available at: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/134330/george-mensforth/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2022].

(5)      scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=National Archives of Australia; address=Queen Victoria Terrace, P. (n.d.). RecordGeorgeMensforthpage37 - National Archives of Australia. [online] recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8039918&S=1&N=43&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8039918&T=P&S=37 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(6)      scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=National Archives of Australia; address=Queen Victoria Terrace, P. (n.d.). RecordSearchGeorgeMensforthpage1 - National Archives of Australia. [online] recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8039918&S=1&N=43&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8039918&T=P&S=1 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2022].

(7)      scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=National Archives of Australia; address=Queen Victoria Terrace, P. (n.d.). RecordSearchGeorgeMensforthpage33 - National Archives of Australia. [online] recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8039918&S=1&N=43&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8039918&T=P&S=33 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(8)      scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=National Archives of Australia; address=Queen Victoria Terrace, P. (n.d.). RecordSearchGeorgeMensforthpage40- National Archives of Australia. [online] recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8039918&S=1&N=43&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8039918&T=P&S=40 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(9)      scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=National Archives of Australia; address=Queen Victoria Terrace, P. (n.d.). RecordSearchGeorgeMensforthpage42 - National Archives of Australia. [online] recordsearch.naa.gov.au. Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8039918&S=1&N=43&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8039918&T=P&S=42 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(10)   vwma.org.au. (n.d.). 48th Infantry Battalion. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/5 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2022].

(11)   vwma.org.au. (n.d.). Virtual War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/28 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(12)   vwma.org.au. (n.d.). Virtual War Memorial. [online] Available at: https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/28/people [Accessed 2 Dec. 2022].

(13)   www.ancestry.com.au. (n.d.). George Mensforth 1883-1918 - Ancestry®. [online] Available at: https://www.ancestry.com.au/genealogy/records/george-mensforth-24-5mkp4k?geo_a=t&geo_s=ca&geo_t=au&geo_v=2.0.0&o_iid=41016&o_lid=41016&o_sch=Web+Property [Accessed 30 Nov. 2022].

(14)   www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). First Battle for Passchendaele. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84353 [Accessed 29 Nov. 2022].

(15)   www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). George Mensforth. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1647635 [Accessed 28 Nov. 2022].

(16)   www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). Keswick Military Hospital. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PL534007 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2022].