S82112
WARD, Audley Mervyn
| Service Number: | 969 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 November 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Destitute Asylum, Magill, South Australia, 5 March 1895 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Wistow Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Gardner, Cabinet Maker |
| Died: | 13 May 1985, aged 90 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth, South Australia North, Row 49, Plot 7494 |
| Memorials: | Mount Barker Soldiers' Memorial Hospital Roll of Honor, Snowtown & District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Nov 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Trooper, 969, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 969, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Botanist embarkation_ship_number: A59 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 969, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Botanist, Adelaide | |
| 31 Oct 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Trooper, 969, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 969 | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Trooper, 969 |
Help us honour Audley Mervyn Ward's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Audley was the son of Harry (surname illegible) & Sarah Ann WARD and was born on the 5th of March 1895 in the Destitute Asylum, SA.
His mother was born on the 1st of November 1876 to William Jennings WARD & Emily used the name of Nellie Stephens
She was living with her grandmother; Mrs Albert Davis, at Drayton Street Bowden as her mother was living in Cobar, NSW.
His mother had previously had another illegitimate son, some 2 and ½ years earlier. This child stayed in the care of her mother in Cobar.
His mother was in service to Mr Harry (surname illegible) at Broken Hill
After his birth, his mother went into the service of Mr Victor J Pavia, schoolmaster of Semaphore & his wife.
In February 1896, when he was just 11 months old, his mother placed him into the care of the State Children’s Department and he was sentenced until he turned 18 years of age.
Audley was boarded out to Mr Joseph Lacey, a farmer, of Wistow on the 10th of February 1896.
He attended the Wistow Primary School and when Mr Lacey died, Audley remained with Mrs Lacey until he was transferred on the 11th of April 1908 to Mrs Elizabeth Blanchard, daughter of Joseph Lacey, of Mt Barker, SA.
He attended the Mt Barker Primary School and joined the senior cadets in 1914.
After leaving school he became a gardener.
At the age of 19, Audley enlisted into the AIF on the 28th of November 1914 in Oaklands, SA and was allotted the service number 969
He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 2nd of June 1915,
disembarking in Egypt and marched into Aerodrome Camp in Heliopolis for further training.
After serving at Gallipoli and Egypt he embarked from Suez on the 17th of August on board HMAT Borda, disembarking in Adelaide on the 16th of September.
Audley was discharged; medically unfit, suffering from Myocarditis, on the 31st of October 1916 and at the time was living in Field Street, Adelaide.
Audley married Mary Elizabeth Nellie HARRELL on the 15th of February 1917, St Bartholomews Church, Norwood, SA.
Mary was the daughter of Francis HARRELL & Mary Elizabeth Ann GRACE and was born on the 10th of July 1894 in Merriton, SA.
Mary was widow and was previously married to Eric Chalcroft BELL.
Mary and Eric had 3 daughters; Eva, Dulice & Erica.
Her husband had enlisted into the 3rd Light Horse, 3rd Reinforcement on the 28th of November 1914.
Eric was Killed in Action on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 19th of May 1915 when Mary was 8 months pregnant.
Audley joined the South Australian Railways on the 9th of November 1917.
Audley was a member of the Kensington RSL Sub Branch.
Mary died on the 3rd of September 1932 at her sister’s residence (Mrs Amy MATTERS), 49 Bridge Street, Kensington and Audley buried her in the Payneham Cemetery; Section CT, Path 46.
Audley & Mary had no children.
Audrey retired from the Railways on the 8th of March 1949.
He remarried to Alice HODGE before 1953.
Alice was the daughter of Gilbert HODGE
Audley died on the 13th of May 1985 and is buried in the North Road Cemetery with his wife Alice HODGE and her father.
Military
At the age of 19, Audley enlisted into the AIF on the 28th of November 1914 in Oaklands, SA and was allotted the service number 969 and posted to the Light Horse Base Depot.
He listed a friend; Mr Raymond Joseph Stead, of Tintinara as next of kin.
On the 16th of April he was posted to the 3rd Light Horse, 5th Reinforcement
He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 2nd of June 1915, disembarking in Egypt and marched into Aerodrome Camp in Heliopolis for further training.
He proceeded to Gallipoli and on the 25th of August he was taken on Strength from the reinforcements with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment and posted to B Troop.
This was just after the 3rd Light Horse Regiment’s disastrous attack on the Nek.
The Regiment was located at Quinn’s Post with 16 Officers, 326 other ranks.
They then moved onto Destroyer Hill and whilst there Audley suffered from severe Dysentery on the 15th of September and was admitted into the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance for 4 days.
He returned to Destroyer Hill and on the 19th of October was again admitted into the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, but this time was suffering from Typhoid and Paratyphoid.
Two days later he was transferred to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station and then to the Hospital Ship HS Nevasa.
After 6 days he was evacuated to Malta and admitted into the St Andrew’s Military Hospital, suffering from Enteritis.
On the 13th of November he was transferred to England on board HS Morea and admitted into the 3rd Southern Hospital in Oxford where he spent Christmas 1915.
After 2 months recuperating he was discharged from hospital on the 20th of Januaty 1916 and transferred to the AIF Headquarters, training and command centre in Horseferry Road, London.
He proceeded to Egypt and on the 16th of June he rejoined his Regiment in Romani and was posted to B Squadron.
Four weeks later, on the 18th of July he was admitted into the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance suffering from Influenza.
He was then transferred by Ambulance Train to the 31st General Hospital in Port Said on the 20th and 5 days later he was transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbassia. Whilst here he was diagnosed with Myocarditis and recommended for return to Australia.
Audley embarked from Suez on the 17th of August on board HMAT Borda, disembarking in Adelaide on the 16th of September.
Audley was discharged; medically unfit, suffering from Myocarditis, on the 31st of October 1916 and at the time was living in Field Street, Adelaide.
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