Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Osborne Alexander Dobson was born 20 November 1896 in Balaklava, Colony of South Australia. He was the son of Charles Dobson and Mary Ann Haines. Dobson was an engraver before enlisting in the war. Dobson enlisted on the 2nd of June 1915.
Dobson was five foot 5 1/2 when he enlisted, and he was 130lbs, and he had brown hair and hazel eyes, and his religious orientation was the Church of England. On September 21st, 1915, Dobson embarked for just over a three-month trip, then disembarked from Seang Bee in Alexandria on 29/12/15 to train in Egypt and prepare for a battle. Dobson started in the 10th Battalion as the 9th Reinforcement in Gallipoli, however, likely saw no combat since this was about the time the campaign was being evacuated, so was just a back-up.

He was transferred to the 50th Battalion on the 26th of February 1916, so he spent about 3 months in the 10th Battalion. He was taken to the 1st Australian Stationary hospital on the 9th of January, although the reason for it is unknown, he was presumably sick or injured which was common throughout war. He was transferred to the newly created 50th battalion on the day that the 10th Battalion returned to Egypt.

He Re-embarked overseas from Alexandria on the 14th of September of 1916 headed for the UK, where he undertook training in Parkhouse Training depot No.2, and prepared to go into battle on the Western Front. Dobson committed an offence on the 26th of November 1916, for being absent without leave at a 6:30am parade and he was awarded 10 days of C.S. Dobson was waiting quite a while in the UK while most of the 50th Battalion were on the Western Front. They were in Somme and later Ypres, fighting German forces, in the harsh 1916/17 winter in freezing and muddy conditions, the 50th Battalion also were involved in the German retreat to the Hindenburg line, where Allied troops marched forward.

On the 16th of April 1917 Dobson left the 50th Battalion to join the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital. The 50th Battalion suffered heavy casualties throughout this period, leading to Dobson to be sent to France from the Australian Army Medical Corps, on the 22nd of April of 1917, Dobson was then found committing another offence of being absent without leave from 10pm on the 7th of May in 1917, to 9pm on the 11th of May 1917. His punishment was harsher this time and lost 23 days of pay. On the 2nd of June 1917, Dobson was marched into a unit stationed in Rouelles through the A.G.D.B (Australian General Base Depot). Just 2 days later, on the 4th of June 1917, Dobson was marched out to the 3rd Divisional Ambulance, likely to do medical duties. A further 2 days and on the 6th of June he took on strength from the 1st Australian General Hospital in Rouen, France, and this hospital was extremely busy at the time due to the massive number of casualties on the Western Front at the time.

Then, on the 7th of June 1917, Dobson took on strength in the 10th Field Ambulance where he would spend the rest of his time serving for. The 10th Field Ambulance was tasked with collecting the wounded from the battlefield and bringing them away from the frontlines. They constantly faced the threat of artillery shelling, gas attacks, and being infected with serious diseases, such as the Spanish Flu, as hygiene was not great in World War I. They would constantly stretcher wounded soldiers across for ages, over muddy, cold, and wet terrain.

The 10th Field Ambulance served in key battles like the Battle of Messines, and the 3rd Battle of Ypres/Passchendaele. According to the Unit Diaries on the Australian War Memorial website, when he joined the 10th Field Ambulance, he was either in France on the Western Front doing his role and retrieving the wounded, or he was stationed at the Charing Cross Station in London, where the wounded from the Western Front would be sent to receive medical treatment form nearby hospitals, this would be particularly busy given that Dobson was here during the time that the Battle of Messines was on. He was working here for quite a while, until in 1918 on the 21st of March where he was admitted to the 3rd Scottish General Hospital in Glasgow whilst on leave in France and it is because he was sick. On the 23rd of April 1918, Dobson was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Hospital with Influenza, which likely refers to the Spanish Flu which was prominent at the time.

On the 8th of May of 1918, Dobson was discharged from the Command Depot (C.D). It looks like Dobson was sick from the Spanish Flu about a month and a half before returning to his duties in the 10th Field Ambulance. On the 2nd of August, Dobson was marched out from the Australian Ambulance Training Depot in Longbridge and marched into the Overseas Training Brigade in Parkhouse. On the 22nd of August 1918, Dobson was marched out to the No.2 Command Depot in Fovant/Weymouth. 2 days later, on the 24th of August, Dobson was marched in from the Australian Army Medical Corps Training Depot in Fovant/Weymouth, and was classified as Class A, meaning he was fit for service again. He continued his service with the 10th Field Ambulance, until the 19th of October 1918, where he would have been reassessed by medical staff and deemed unfit for service and he returns to Australia from the Orthopaedic Staff, and his involvement in the war is finished.

In conclusion, Dobson’s military service was quite busy, and he was transferred a lot and got to experience a lot of different roles. Dobson’s service also reflects the harsh conditions of the war, with two counts of AWL, showing the stress the war can have on you mentally, and physically, and highlighting the need for a break. Dobson further reflects this by catching the Spanish Flu and being sent to hospital for one and a half months before being able to serve again. Dobson spent his early few months in Egypt, then he spent most of his time transferring between England and France, coming in and out of battles and training. Dobson’s last rank was a Private, and any documents about medals received have not been recovered. Dobson lived until he was seventy-eight and died on the 9th of May 1975.

Bibliography:
Australian War Memorial. “Home | the Australian War Memorial.” Awm.gov.au, 17 May 2019, www.awm.gov.au
“Osborne Alexander DOBSON.” Vwma.org.au 2026, vwma.org.au/explore/people/307766.
National Archives of Australia. “Home Page | Naa.gov.au.” Naa.gov.au, National Archives of Australia, 2019, www.naa.gov.au/