Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alfred Webster was one of four brothers born in and around the Southern Darling Downs. Alfred was born at Killarney near Warwick. At the time of his enlistment in Toowoomba on 7 November 1916, he was 27 years old, single, and gave his occupation as labourer. His next of kin was stated as being his father, Alexander, who lived in Rowe Terrace Darra and may have been the Postmaster there.

Upon enlistment, Alfred was placed in the 11th Depot Battalion before being transferred into the 49th Battalion. On the day of embarkation, 22 December 1916, he was transferred again into the 47th Battalion as a reinforcement. The relatively short period of training in Australia before embarkation (6 weeks) is indicative of the urgent need to provide men to the Western Front at this time. The first of the conscription referenda had recently been defeated. In fact, Alfred recorded that he had originally been refused enlistment due to defective teeth. By late 1916, either his teeth had been fixed or the medical criteria had been relaxed.

Alfred arrived in Plymouth Harbour in March 1917 and within a month was in hospital with mumps. It seems that there was a mumps epidemic around this time in the training camps as several other soldiers whose stories appear above also were hospitalised with this disease. By June 1917, Alfred had crossed the channel to France and eventually joined his unit which was now in Flanders. The 47th was involved in the conflict around Messines, Broodsinde Ridge and Passchendaele.

After Flanders, the battalion spent time in rest and training before going into the line again in the Somme in March 1918 in an attempt to halt and turn the German spring offensive. Operation Michael was Ludendorf’s last gamble to force a decisive victory on the Western Front. The 47th Battalion were moved into the line around Dernacourt in an attempt to hold the German advance. The situation was chaotic as this area was virtually virgin ground with very little in the way of defensive trenches. On the 27 March, the 47th was charged with establishing a defensive line on a railway embankment just west of Dernacourt. It is probably in this action that Alfred Webster was killed.  The battalion suffered 80 casualties that day and almost two entire companies were taken prisoner as the Germans outflanked the defenders.

Alfred was buried in Dernacourt Communal Cemetery Extension along with another 480 Australians who fell at Dernacourt. The “Queenslander Illustrated” in May 1918 contained a photograph of Alfred Webster, as well as details of his death, which prompted a Mr A. Cooper of Tannymorel to write to the military authorities enquiring into the settlement of Alfred’s financial affairs as Mr Cooper was “monetarily interested.” There is no indication as to whether the debt was paid.

As was usual practice, any personal effects were despatched to the next of kin but the file indicates that Alfred’s effects were “lost at sea.” The Roll of Honour Card was completed by Alfred’s mother who indicated that Alfred had four brothers, 3 of whom were abroad, and his Father Alexander was in the Home Defence.

Alexander requested that the following inscription be placed on Alfred’s gravestone:

“Crown him with many crowns,

A lamb upon his throne.”

Private Alfred Webster is also commemorated on the Oxley War Memorial, Brisbane.

Courtesy of Ian Lang

Mango Hill