FITCH, Alfred William
| Other Name: | Ansell, Alfred William Fitch - Birth Records |
|---|---|
| Service Number: | 2825 |
| Enlisted: | 1 July 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia, 1886 |
| Home Town: | Swan Hill, Swan Hill, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Swan Hill State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Fromelles, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Plot III, Row E, Grave 12. Inscription: WORTHY OF RESPECT WAS HE FROM THOSE HE LEFT BEHIND A MUCH LOVED SON AND BROTHER TRUE AND KIND |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2825, Depot Battalion (AIF), Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Infantry Battalion, Joined Unit -- T.O.S -- Tel El Kebir, Egypt | |
| 17 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 57th Infantry Battalion, T.O.S. from 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 21 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 5th Pioneer Battalion, T.O.S. from 57th Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Admitted -- 8th Australian Field Ambulance -- Sick -- Ferry Post, Egypt | |
| 18 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Discharged to Duty -- Rejoined Battalion | |
| 19 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Embarked Alexandria for B.E.F per H.M.T. "Canada" | |
| 25 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Disembarked Marseilles, France | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2825, 5th Pioneer Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), Killed In Action |
Help us honour Alfred William Fitch's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by VWM Australia
Private Alfred William Ansell (Fitch) has been found and identified along with 6 others in 2024. His remains were discovered in 2007 but only recently with the use of DNA and forensic evidence has he been positively identified.
Private Ansell will have his headstone rededicated on the anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 2024.
During the process of entering his information into the VWMA, the date of death is now corrected. On page 33 of his service records, a translated German document outlines he fell on 19.7.1916 near Fromelles. He was originally marked as falling on 23 July 1916. The Red Cross file indicates he went out on the attack on the 19th of July 1916 and didn't return.
Lest We Forget.
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