BLEAKLEY, Albert Claude Pugh
| Service Number: | 5354 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 15 March 1896 |
| Home Town: | Harlin, Somerset, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness, Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia, 19 April 1919, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Toowong (Brisbane General) Cemetery, Queensland Portion 5 Section 73 Grave 22 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Colinton War Memorial, Kilcoy Honour Roll, Moore WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5354, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5354, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hawkes Bay embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 20 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5354, 12th Infantry Battalion, SS Hawkes Bay, Sydney | |
| 21 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Schrapnel wound to chest, buried by concussion. | |
| 28 Nov 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Medically Unfit |
Narrative
BLEAKLEY Albert Claude Pugh #5354 12th Battalion
Albert Bleakley was born in Brisbane but by the time of his enlistment on 11th January 1916, he was living with his parents at Harlin. Bert stated his age as 21 years and gave his occupation as labourer. After enlistment, Bert was assigned as a reinforcement for the 12th Battalion, a composite unit which had originally been made up of men from Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
Bert embarked for overseas from Sydney on 20th April 1916 and after being processed through a training battalion in England was posted to his battalion in France which was in the middle of the battle for Mouquet Farm on the Somme. After being relieved from the front line the 12th Battalion spent time resting and taking on reinforcements in Belgium before returning to the Somme for the winter.
In the spring of 1917, the German forces on the Somme began a tactical retreat east to the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line. The 3rd brigade of the AIF, which included the 12th Battalion was tasked with attacking the Hindenburg Line in the vicinity of Bullecourt in May 1917.
On 21st May, Bert Bleakley was seriously injured by a shell concussion and was buried by the shell blast. He was evacuated to England with a shrapnel wound to the chest. Unfortunately his condition did not improve and Bert was returned to Australia in August 1917 suffering from pleurisy and anaemia. He was discharged from the army as medically unfit on 28th November 1917.
Bert was granted a war pension of three pounds per fortnight. His condition continued to deteriorate and he was hospitalized in Stanthorpe in April 1919. Bert died on 19th April 1919 aged 24. His death was attributed to his war service. Bert Bleakley’s body was brought to Brisbane by his parents and he was buried in Toowong General Cemetery.
Submitted 19 February 2022 by Ian Lang