THURSTANS, Alfred Charles
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 October 1916, Claremont, Tas. |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wolverhampton, England, UK, 12 December 1875 |
| Home Town: | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Erdington Orphanage, Birmingham, UK |
| Occupation: | Accountant |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Morlancourt, France, 5 April 1918, aged 42 years |
| Cemetery: |
Mericourt-L'Abbe Communal Cemetery Extension Plot II, Row F, Grave No. 12 |
| Memorials: | Hobart Roll of Honour, Websters Limited Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Oct 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 40th Infantry Battalion, Claremont, Tas. | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 1917: | Involvement 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 14 Jun 1917: | Embarked 40th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Sydney | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Involvement Second Lieutenant, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 40th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-04-05 | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 40th Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Killed in action at Marett Wood, near Morlancourt, France |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Second Lieutenant Alfred Charles Thurstans, of the 40th Battalion, AIF, was killed in action that April 5, by shellfire near Morlancourt, in France's Picardie region, and is buried in the 207 Mericourt L'Abbe Communal Extension. Born in Wolverhampton, England, he was an accountant, and 45 when he died, having enlisted in Hobart in May, 1916, and being sent among reinforcements a year later.
He left a wife, Annie, and she had written several letters to the army saying how glad she would be to have any news of the whereabouts of her husband's personal effects.
"Mrs. Thurstans,of Ilfracombe Mount Stuart Road, Hobart has received the following letter from Captain Ruddock, written at No. 3 Loudon General Hospital Wandsworth, London:-
"Dear Mrs. Thurstans, On behalf of the officers, N.C.0.s, and men of my company, I wish to convey to you our deepest sympathy in the loss of your gallant husband who was killed on the morning of April 5. It will bo comforting for you to know that he suffered no pain as he was killed instantly by a shell. He was a brave and efficient officer and most popular with all. Your husband belonged to B Company but had lately been attached to my company (C). Nothing that I might say will make your great loss easier to bear, but it must be some consolation for you to know that he died bravely in action in a great and just cause.”
The Mercury 8th July 1918
Source: tasmanianwarcasualties.com
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