Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alfred Gardner #5339 25th Battalion

Alfred Gardner was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and emigrated to Australia with his family at age 20. His parents’ address when he enlisted was given as Beatrice Street, Paddington but sometime after the family moved to Halland Terrace, Mount Bruce (now Camp Hill). Alfred stated his occupation as barman.

Alfred enlisted with his elder brother, Robert, on 16th February 1916 and both were drafted into the 14th reinforcements of the 25th Battalion with successive regimental numbers. Almost six months was spent in training at Enoggera before departing on the “Itonus” on 8th August; arriving in Plymouth two months later.

After spending time at various staging camps and training battalions, Alfred was finally taken on strength on 14th December 1916. The 25th Battalion had just come out of the line after the attack on Flers and were resting in and around Vignacourt on the Somme. During that winter, the battalion performed fatigue work in support trenches as well as short stretches in the line. The winter was particularly cold and snow and sleet made work arduous. As spring of 1917 approached, the 25th began to pursue the Germans as they withdrew west to the Hindenburg Line around Bullecourt. The 25th as part of the 2nd Division were engaged in the assault on the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt during May of 1917 after which the battalion was withdrawn for a prolonged rest. Whilst in rest camp, Alfred reported sick to a Casualty Clearing Station. He was admitted to a Field Hospital on 2nd August and diagnosed with enteric (trench) fever. His illness must have been quite severe as he was evacuated to Hurdcott Hospital in England before spending four months in various convalescent depots in England. Alfred did not rejoin his battalion until February 1918. At this time the 25th were resting in Flanders but soon after Alfred’s return, word spread of a German spring offensive planned to take advantage of a superior number of German Divisions on the Western Front. Operation Michael kicked off in March 1918. This was Ludendorff’s great gamble to split the British and French forces before the American Divisions that were arriving in France could swing the balance in the allies’ favour.

Operation Michael surged back across the old Somme battlefields recapturing the towns of Bapaume and Albert and pressing towards the strategic railway town of Amiens. The entire AIF which had been preparing in Belgium was rushed back to the Somme to meet the threat which was halted at Villers Bretonneux by two Australian Divisions. Once the advance had been held (ironically on ANZAC Day 1918) the 2nd Division was employed in a series of raids and small actions that would keep the Germans guessing as to where a counterattack would be launched.

On 4th July 1918, Monash (Now commander of the entire Australian Corps of five divisions) opened the counteroffensive at Le Hamel. This was a famous battle for a number of reasons. Monash had the use of 800 troops from the 33rd Division of the Illinois National Guard (on American Independence Day). The battle had been planned meticulously with coordination of artillery, aircraft for spotting and ammunition drops, tanks and infantry. Monash estimated it would take 90 minutes to reach the objectives set; in fact it took 93 minutes. The 25th Battalion for its part in the battle was awarded one Military Cross, One D.S.O. and four Military medals.

Perhaps the strain of battle was beginning to tell on Alfred Gardner because whilst the battalion was in the line in July 1918, Alfred went absent without leave for 14 days. Normally AWL when a unit was behind the lines was treated as a misdemeanour, but it was a different situation if the unit was actually engaged with the enemy. In the British Army at the time, such behaviour was classed as desertion, and the penalty was a firing squad. Alfred was indeed lucky that the Australian Government refused to allow the death penalty for AIF soldiers, primarily because unlike every other army in the field, the AIF were all volunteers. Nevertheless Alfred was dealt with harshly and was sentenced to 28 days Field Punishment #2 (offender to be in shackles two hours in each 24), although such punishment was impractical when in the line, and it would seem his company commander fined Alfred 42 days loss of pay instead.

Back with the battalion, Alfred would have taken part in the battle of Amiens in August 1918; another triumph for Monash and one described by Ludendorff as the “blackest day”, followed by Mont St. Quentin (where the 2nd Division Memorial is located). By this time the 25th Battalion was almost spent as a fighting force. Since its inception in March 1915, the battalion had been reinforced 21 times, and still the fighting strength was down to less than 650 (A battalion would normally have a strength of 900 to 1000 all ranks). Reluctantly, the decision was made in the AIF to reduce the number of battalions in each brigade from four to three, with some units to be disbanded and amalgamated with other battalions due to a severe lack of manpower. The 25th was targeted for such a move which led to an awkward situation within the battalion when on 25th September 1918, the ranks held a meeting and decided to refuse to obey the order to disband the battalion. The feeling expressed was essentially:“if it was good enough to have fought as the 25th for almost four years, then they would go on as the 25th until either the war ended or the battalion was wiped out.” Division backed down and advised that a final decision would not be made until after the next action.

The next battle; which would prove to be the last for the 25th, was again against the Hindenburg Line at Beaurevoir. During this action on 2nd October 1918, Alfred Gardner was seriously wounded in the buttocks and both legs. Some reports indicate that they were gunshot wounds and others indicate they were shrapnel wounds. Alfred was transferred from the Casualty Clearing Station to Boulogne by hospital train, and then by ship to Christchurch Red Cross Hospital in Dorset. His family was informed that he was seriously ill and his brother, Robert, who himself was in a hospital in England, went AWOL to see Alfred. Three weeks after being admitted to hospital, Alfred died of septicaemia on 29th October 1918. The war would come to an end 13 days later.

Alfred was buried in the military section of Christchurch Cemetery with full military honours. His casket was draped with the Union Jack, a bugler played the last post, and 40 comrades including his brother Robert attended.

After Beaurevoir, the 25th Battalion was a spent force and never went into action again. In spite of the so called mutiny of September 1918, the remaining members of the 25th were subsumed into the 26th Battalion, but continued to wear the 25th colour patch and retain their original companies. Throughout the course of the war, the 25th Battalion would experience the heaviest casualty toll of any A.I.F. Battalion. When the battalion was disbanded in late 1918, the roll of honour listed 2821 wounded and 1026 killed. Alfred Gardner was one of them.

Alfred and Robert had endured two and a half years of war together. It is tragic to realise that if Alfred had been able to survive that last battle, he would have returned safely to his parents along with Robert in June 1919.