DAY, Albert George
| Service Number: | 13404 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 December 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Army Medical Corps (AIF) |
| Born: | Belair, South Australia, 11 September 1896 |
| Home Town: | Peterborough (Formerly Petersburg), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Bugle Ranges School. South Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway shunter |
| Died: | Railway shunting accident, Peterborough, South Australia, 8 August 1923, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Peterborough Cemetery, SA Grave #454 Protestant 3 Section |
| Memorials: | Bruce WW1 & WW2 Roll of Honor, Hammond Roll of Honor, Peterborough Uniting Church Porch Memorial Leadlight Window 1 |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 13404, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 13404, Army Medical Corps (AIF), HMAT Kanowna, Melbourne | |
| 4 Dec 1916: | Enlisted | |
| 29 Sep 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 13404, 5 Field Ambulance |
Help us honour Albert George Day's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Netta Blatchford
DAY Albert George – 13404
Albert was the son of Jabez Gideon DAY & Emma FIDLER and was born on the 11th of September 1896 in Belair, SA.
He was the only child born into this marriage.
His parents were married on the 4th of September 1895 at Emma’s parent’s residence in Bordertown, SA.
His father was the son of Samuel DAY & Anne Elizabeth BRICE and was born on the 28th of March 1870 in Auburn, SA.
His mother was the daughter of George FIDLER & Sarah Ann MOTT and was born on the 21st of June 1877 in Bakers Range, SA.
His father was a clerk employed by the South Australia Railways.
His father then remarried to Alice Mary MALONE on the 14th of May 1901 in Pirie Street, Adelaide.
Alice was the daughter of Edmund Terence MALONE & Mary SIMMONS and was born on the 16th of May 1879 in Burnside, SA.
They made their home in Nile Street, Glenelg and his father was a clerk.
Albert gained 3 half siblings whilst they lived in Glenelg; Winifred Alice, on the 22nd of February 1904, Frank Jeffrey on the 12th of April 1904 & Elsie Mildred on the 30th of October 1905.
Albert attended his first day of school at Glenelg Primary School on the 23rd of January 1906, but he was only there for 10 months as his father had gained a promotion to Stationmaster and was transferred to the Bugle Ranges Railway Station as Stationmaster on the 5th of November 1906.
Albert then attended the Bugle Ranges School.
After 4 years his father was then transferred to William Creek on the 3 foot 6 inch gauge line and was the youngest Stationmaster on the Oodnadatta Line.
In July 1913 his father was then transferred to Bruce as Stationmaster.
Albert followed in his fathers footsteps with the South Australia Railways and gained employment at Peterborough as a Porter.
He joined the 81st Battalion, D Company CMF in 1914 in Peterborough
At the age of 19, Albert enlisted into the 1916 March Reinforcements in Adelaide on the 4th of January 1916 and was allotted the service number 13404.
He listed his father, of Bruce, as his next of kin.
Albert was appointed to the 2nd Depot Battalion, E Company and then appointed to Australian Army Medical Corp on the 1st of February. He was then posted to the 5th Field Ambulance on the 16th of March.
Albert embarked from Melbourne on board the HMAT A61 Kanowna on the 1st of April 1916, disembarking in Alexandria.
He then proceeded to France on the 29th of June and was posted to base detail.
He joined his unit on the 11th of August who were located at Halloy, but Albert was struck down sick with Mumps 2 days later and spent 3 weeks recuperating in hospital.
He rejoined his unit on the 4th of September in Beuval and they moved onto Poperinghe 3 days later.
Being a field ambulance they were constantly on the move where required.
On the 1st of October they were in the front line at Ypres and by the end of October they were at Buire, but by the 1st of November they were in the Somme.
January was spent at Becordel, Becourt & Ribemont and they spent February at Albert & Contalmaison in the main Dressing Station.
March was Pozieres before moving to Bapaume in mid April. In Bapaume they cleared 868 sick & 3508 wounded in 5 days.
They spent most of September at Menin Road after evacuating wounded from Polygon Wood.
Christmas 1917 was spent at Nieppe and they remained in this area for all of January and moved onto Samettes in February. While here they had a sports day which included; Tug o War on horseback, cockfight, flag race, throwing the cricket ball, kicking the football, high jump and many yard races.
They moved onto Pont d’ Achelles in March, Franvillers in April and Allonville in May and by June they were in the main Dressing Station in the Camon Rivery Area.
In August they were at the Divisional Collecting Station and then in Herecourt in September and in October they were at Flesselles.
Albert became ill with Influenza and was transferred to the Colchester General Hospital in London on the 12th of November and then onto the 1st Auxiliary Hospital 10 days later.
On his recovery he was transferred to Admin HQ and attached to the War Chest Club in England on the 9th of December 1918.
Albert embarked for Australia on the 10th of June 1919, disembarking on the 5th of August.
Albert was discharged on the 29th of September and moved back to Peterborough and continued his employment with the South Australian Railways, this time as a trailer shunter.
Albert married Rachel WILLIAMS on the 26th of October 1920 in Peterborough.
Rachel was the daughter of John Albert WILLIAMS & Rachel STANYER and was born on the 29th of May 1898 in Rosebery, SA.
They made their home in Bourke Street, Peterborough and welcomed their first child; Albert Gideon DAY on the 11th of November 1921 and then their second child; Silva May, on the 24th of May 1923.
On the 7th of August 1923, Albert went to work as usual and at about 2.30 a.m. he was making up No. 5 down Cockburn. He kicked off two trucks and pulled one back and while kicking off the final truck, which was next to the engine, he got his heel caught under the brake spreader at the rear end of the tender, the engine was shunting tender first. The wheels of the tender, up to the bogies, passed over his legs. One leg was completely severed above his knee and the other badly crushed.
He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors amputated his other leg just below his thigh.
Albert was conscious throughout. He remarked: "My legs are frozen," and went to sleep.
Sadly, Albert died from shock the same day at 7.35 pm, on the evening of the 8th.
A Military funeral took place for Albert in the afternoon of the 9th of August.
The returned soldiers acted as pall bearers and the railway men, in uniform, marched in front of the hearse whilst the Federal Brass Band played the Funeral March
Albert is buried in the Peterborough Cemetery; Protestant 3, Row 2, Plot 454.
At the time of Albert’s death, little Silva May, was in the Adelaide Children's' Hospital.
Rachel never remarried and died on the 6th of July 1972 and is buried with Albert.
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