SKELLETT, Albert John Kempson
| Service Number: | 997 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 February 1915, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 8th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Picton, New South Wales, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Clunes, Hepburn, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Clunes State School, Victoria |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Palestine, 20 April 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Deir El Belah War Cemetery, Israel Row A, Grave No. 58, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Clunes War Memorial, Officer Memorial Gates |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Melbourne, Vic. | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Uganda embarkation_ship_number: A66 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Uganda, Melbourne | |
| 17 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 5 Jan 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Egypt | |
| 9 Jul 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, Imperial Camel Corps , Egypt | |
| 4 Aug 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Egypt | |
| 23 Dec 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Battle of Magdhaba | |
| 27 Mar 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Battles of Gaza | |
| 19 Apr 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 997, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Battles of Gaza , GSW to abdomen sustained at 2nd Gaza. Evacuated to 53rd CCS at Deir el Belah, where he died of his wounds the next day 20 April 1917. |
Help us honour Albert John Kempson Skellett's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Wight
Clunes Guardian and Gazette – 14th March 1916
SOLDIERS’ LETTER.
SIGNALLER KEM. SKELLET.
Mrs Skellelt, of Clunes, has received the following interesting letter from her son, Signaller Kem Skellet:
"You will know before this arrives that we have withdrawn from Anzac and Sulva portions of the Peninsula. It seemed a great shame to have to do so, after so many of our lads falling there; but we were only losing men and gaining nothing. Up in our position the 8th Light Horse were the last to leave, 17 of us being picked from the regiment to stay. I had the pleasure of being one. We had to take over the trenches of two regiments at 4 p.m. and were there till 2.15 a.m. No matter how many Turks came we had to hold our positions until that time. The men further up had to come down first, and I can tell you it was an anxious and tiring time. I had a post on my own. Our withdrawal was timed to the minute, and was carried out without a single man being hit. After we had been on board ship a short time the gun on Walker’s Ridge was blown up. My word didn’t the Turks start firing then. We have heard since leaving that the Turks bombarded our positions for two days after we left. We had 48 hours silence once before, so l suppose they thought we were at the same game again. We had rifles rigged up to go off at intervals after we left. We were extremely lucky to get off without a scratch. On the boat I met Milton Williamson and George Pollington. It was like old times meeting them. They were also in the last party to leave. We are 0n our way back to our horses. We had our Christmas dinner on board ship (roast pork and plum pudding.) I can tell you I am glad to get a spell, for we had a busy time of it on the Peninsula. I have never felt better than l did whilst 0n the Peninsula. From the day I left Alexandria until I got back was exactly four months, so I had a fair spell over there. Two of my mates are ill, one wounded, and one killed in the last bombardment’ the Turks gave our trenches on Lone Pine."
In a later letter Signaller Skellet says he had met many Clunes boys at Heliopolis.
"They have military sports, football and boxing matches. An officer’s widow has a place where the boys can go and have meals, which is a treat, as everything is so nice. You will be pleased to hear I have been promoted to the rank of corporal. I have been acting Squadron Quarter- Master for a time. Our regiments have been re organised, and after horse drill, we will go away some- where mounted. I got a Xmas billy, the contents of which my mates and I greatly appreciated. The sender was a lady of Ballarat, whom I intend to thank."
Source: beaconsfield.org.au
Biography contributed by Robert Wight
Albert John Kempson Skellett enlisted in the AIF in Melbourne on 24 February 1915, aged almost 27. He embarked overseas on 21 June and arrived in Egypt about a month later.
He embarked for Gallipoli and was taken on strength of the 8th Light Horse Regiment in the front near Hill 60 on 17 September 1915. When the Anzacs departed Gallipoli on 20 December 1915, Trooper Skellett was in the regiment’s final group and left at 2.15 am.
Back in Egypt, on 5 January 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and then on 9 July 1916, he was transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps as an acting Sergeant. He returned to the light horse regiment a month later, on 4 August, and reverted to Corporal.
After the Battle of Romani, the 8th Light Horse chased the retreating Turks and were involved in the successful attack on the Turkish blocking force at Magdhaba on 23 December 1916. They were in action again during the unsuccessful Battle of First Gaza on 27 March 1917.
A month later the British attacked Gaza a second time and it was here on 19 April 1917, that Cpl Albert John Kempson Skellett sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, reportedly while trying to save a wounded comrade.
He was evacuated to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station at Beir el Belah however died of his wounds and was buried in the nearby cemetery the next day 20 April 1917.
Source: Extract from "Clunes War Memorial WW1" by Robert Wight, June 2022.
Click images to start slideshow.