DUCKWORTH, Alexander
| Service Number: | 3723 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bury, Lancashire, England, 4 March 1882 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 22 July 1916, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3723 | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3723, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Mooltan embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 11 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3723, 1st Infantry Battalion, RMS Mooltan, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Alexander DUCKWORTH, (Service Number 3723) was born on 4 March 1882 in Bury, Lancashire, England. He was among the younger of 10 children of Alexander and Eliza Duckworth. In the latter part of 1902 he married Louisa Lund, a widow (née Brotherton), also from Bury in Lancashire, who was 11-years-older than Alexander. No record of when Alexander and Louisa left England could be found. However, it is thought they migrated firstly to Canada and Louisa stayed there when Alexander moved on to Australia.
In any event, Alexander joined the NSWGR&T on 1 December 1913 as a Gatekeeper (Temporary) in the Sydney District of the Railway Traffic Branch. He remained in this position until 23 August 1914 except for one day (4 May 1914) when he was a porter (Temporary). On 24 August 1914 he was appointed to the position of porter (Temporary) again, and the position was made permanent on 26 August 1914. On 26 August 1915 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Alexander’s military record shows the AIF became aware on 15 February 1918 that he was in fact married to Louisa and she was therefore awarded a widow’s pension of 40 shillings per fortnight, backdated to 4 March 1917. At the time she was living in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian records show she did not re-marry, and she lived until 1964.
Submitted 20 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Alexander DUCKWORTH (Service Number 3723) was born on 4tgh March 1882 in Bury, Lancashire, England. He was among the younger of 10 children of Alexander and Eliza Duckworth. In the latter part of 1902 he married Louisa Lund, a widow (née Brotherton), also from Bury in Lancashire. She was 11-years-older than Alexander. It is thought that they migrated firstly to Canada and Louisa stayed there when Alexander moved on to Australia.
Alexander joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways on 1st December 1913 as a Gatekeeper (Temporary) in the Sydney District of the Railway Traffic Branch. He remained in this position until 23rd August 1914 except for one day (4th May 1914) when he was a porter (Temporary). On 24th August 1914 he was appointed to the position of porter (Temporary) again. This position was made permanent on 26th August 1914. On 26th August 1915 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Alexander joined the AIF ion 11th August 1915. He had the rank of Private (Service No. 3723). He was posted to the 12th Reinforcements to the 1st Infantry Battalion. On his Attestation Paper he gave his marital status as single. He nominated his father, Alexander Duckworth of Chesham, Bury, Lancashire, as his next of kin. At the time of his enlistment he was living in Darlinghurst in Sydney.
Alexander embarked for Egypt aboard RMS ‘Mooltan’ at Sydney on 11th December 1915. He was taken on strength of the 1st Infantry Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 14th February 1916. He embarked at Alexandria (Egypt) for France on 22nd March 1916. Following his arrival on 28th March 1916, he wemt to the field. On 1st May 1916 he was sent to the School of Engineers for training. He re-joined his unit on 8th May 1916. Sometime between 22nd and 25th July 1916 he was killed in action at Pozières. He is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. His place of association is given as Sydney, NSW.
The Executor of Alexander’s will was Samuel Heap, who lived at the same address as Alexander’s at the time he enlisted. Alexander’s military record shows the AIF became aware on 15thFebruary 1918 that he was in fact married to Louisa. Therefore, she was awarded a widow’s pension of 40 shillings per fortnight, backdated to 4th March 1917. At the time she was living in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Canadian records show that she did not re-marry, and that she lived until 1964.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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