BACKWELL, Albert Leslie
| Service Number: | 3478 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Australian Army Service Corps |
| Born: | Geelong, Victoria, 3 March 1896 |
| Home Town: | Newtown, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Flinders School, The Geelong College |
| Occupation: | Stove Maker |
| Died: | Geelong, Victoria, 10 April 1983, aged 87 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Geelong Eastern Cemetery, Victoria Section Methodist, Row 03, Grave 054 (EAS-METH-03-807-054) |
| Memorials: | Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3478, Place of enlistment - Geelong, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal | |
| 17 Aug 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal | |
| 22 Nov 1915: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 22nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 3478, 22nd Infantry Battalion, Embarked on HMAT 'A19' Afric from Melbourne on 5th January 1916. | |
| 23 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 57th Infantry Battalion, Reverted to rank of Private. | |
| 7 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 10th Australian Army Service Corps |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Daryl Jones
BACKWELL, Albert Leslie OBE (1896-1983)
Born on 3 March 1896, the son of Albert Ernest Backwell and Elizabeth Clare nee Abel, he was living at Buckland Avenue, Newtown at the time of his enrolment at Geelong College. He was educated at Flinders School and admitted to the College as a day student on 13 March 1911. He left at the end of that year in December.
He served in 69th Infantry Battalion (Militia) before he enlisted (3478) in the AIF on 9 July, 1915 in 22 Battalion (8th Reinforcement Group) embarking on HMAT A19 Afric on 5 January, 1916. He transferred as a motor driver to 5 Motor Transport Company in France, and returned to Australia attached to the 1st Divisional Supply Column, embarking on 21 March, 1919, on HMT Kildonian Castle.
As a grandson of the founder, 'Les' worked at the family firm of Backwell IXL Pty. Ltd., which has manufactured metal products in Geelong continuously since 1858, becoming a director in 1938. He was Executive Chairman for 34 of the 37 years he held Directorship of the Company. In World War II, the company supplied the Australian Army with cooking stoves.
He became Mayor of Geelong from 1956 to 1959. He died on 10 April 1983.
Source : The Geelong College - http://gnet.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au:8080/wiki/BACKWELL-Albert-Leslie-1896-1983.ashx?HL=backwell