Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alfred George Stringer was the fourth son of Stephen and Emma Stringer (nee Overall).

Alfred was born at Wokurna. His mother Emma, whose address was given as Sherlock, was nominated as his Next of Kin. A labourer Alfred was 21 years old when he enlisted at Adelaide on 18 January 1916. Initially taken on the strength of A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion AIF he was then transferred to D Company 1st Depot Battalion, then to A Company before finally being taken on strength with A Company 43rd Battalion AIF at the Morphettville Camp. 43rd Battalion embarked from Outer Harbour on 9th June 1916 aboard HMAT A19 “Afric” and  3 days later arrived in Albany where the battalion did a route march through the town before sailing on the 13th. “Afric” arrived in Colombo on June 26th and on the 27th sailed for Suez where it arrived on July 11th. Alfred disembarked in Marsailles in southern France on 20th July 1916 and entrained for the port of Le Harve from where he crossed the English Channel. On July 24th 1916, Alfred with the 43rd Battalion arrived at Lark Hill Camp on the Salisbury Plains where Bayonet sacks, bombing (grenade) practice, route marches and gas mask drills were part of the daily life. Alfred would have also been issued with the equipment needed on the Western Front. On November 25th, 1916 the 43rd Battalion left Lark Hill in 3 trains for Southhampton  from where they embarked for France at 8pm and disembarked at Le Harve at 8am on 26th November. Initially Alfred would have been billeted one mile east of Steenwerk. Here the battalion continued training which included physical exercises, bayonet fighting, route marching, rifle training and inspections.

On the 23rd December the 43rd Battalion marched to the trenches at Armentieres and on the night of 29th and 30th December moved into the line. For the next four months the Battalion rotated through fighting in the trenches, patrolling no-man’s land and raiding German trenches to supporting the other battalions with work parties and training while in reserve.

Beginning on the 1st May Alfred endured a 4 day route march to Journay about 12 miles west of St Omer where training continued. After two weeks away from the trenches Alfred and the 43rd marched back to the trenches at Armentieres. On 1st June the Battalion was again relieved and proceeded to billets at Ponte Nieppe where it was prepared for the Battle of Messines. On 5th June 43rd Battalion moved into line fully equipped for an attack which occurred on 7th June.

On 11th July, 1917 43rd Battalion moved into a rest camp where it was refitted and trained for an offensive on the 30th July. Equipped for attack Alfred and the 43rd left camp at 8pm by motor lorry. On reaching the front they marched to the line and went straight into attack at 3.40 am on the 31st July 1917. It must have been on this first day of the Battle of Pilckem that Alfred received a gunshot wound to the left shoulder.  

He was taken to the field ambulance and from the 2nd Australian Clearing Station was placed on an ambulance train to 55 General Hospital near Wimereux. On the 7th August he was evacuated to England on the Hospital Ship Saint Patrick and admitted to Reading War Hospital. From here he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital from where notification to his mother varied from “progressing favourably” to “seriously ill”.

On the 16th December 1917 he embarked aboard HS No.2 “Kanowna” and disembarked in Australia on the 12th February 1918. Alfred was discharged medically unfit on 14th August , 1918 after serving abroad for 1 year  249 days.

Completed by Port Brougton Area School

Alfred George Stringer was born on the 10 of September 1894 in Wokurna, South Australia. He was one of 9 children and was the fourth born son to his parents, Stephen, and Emma Stringer. Alf, his parents and all 8 of his siblings grew up and lived in Mundoora South Australia (183km north of Adelaide) . Alf later grew up to become a labourer where he would often help on local farms around the Mundoora region. Alf has been described as having blue eyes with brown hair and being 5 ft 5 ½ inches tall and living in Sherlock (east of Tailem Bend SA) when he enlisted for the First World War.

On 18 January 1916, Alf, along with his 2 older brothers, Arthur, and Robert, enlisted for the First World War. He was 21 years and 4 months old upon enlistment. Alf served as part of A Company within the 43rd Battalion. After initial training at Morphetville, he embarked from Outer Harbour on 9 June 1916, aboard HMAT A19 Afric; he was destined for Suez, where he undertook further training. His journey to Suez took 32 days and included overnight stops in Albany and Colombo. After training in Suez, he sailed to Marseilles, where he boarded a train for the 950 km journey to Le Havre and then sailed across the English Channel for further training at Larkhill Camp. He arrived in Larkhill on 24 July 1916.

While training at Larkhill Camp Alf learnt to handle bayonets, undertook bombing grenade practice, route marches and gas mask drills. Alf also would have been educated about the equipment that would be needed on the Western Front. Alf trained at the Larkhill Camp for 4 months and 1 day before the battalion would be split up and put into 3 trains heading for Southampton on the 25 of November. The train ride from Larkhill to Southampton would have taken around 2 hours. Alf boarded train 2 out of 3 and disembarked the train in Southampton, then embarked a small boat at 8pm heading back to Le Harve, France. Alf disembarked the boat in La Harve at 8am on the 26 of November where he was billeted one mile (1.6km) east of Steenwerck. Alf was taken by a small army troopy up to Steenwerck from La Harve. Alf continued training in Steenwerck which included practising physical exercises, bayonet fighting, route marching, rifle training and inspections. One criterion that the inspections included was looking at the level of supplies the battalion had left before arriving on the Western Front.

On the 23 December, Alf, along with the rest of the soldiers in the Battalion marched to the trenches at Armentieres which would have taken 2-hours, maybe even more. Armentieres was a stop along the way for the Germans as they tried to reach the coastline and the English Channel. This was known as the ‘Race to the Sea.’ By reaching the French coast the Germans would be 40km away from reaching the English coast where they had the ability to launch missiles and send ferries of soldiers from Calais to Dover to invade England. When Alf arrived at Armentieres, he set up camp and waited to be positioned into the firing line against the Germans. Six days later, on the 29 December, Alf was called upon to move into the firing line as an artillery. For the next four months the Battalion took turns fighting in trenches along with guarding no-man’s land and attacking German trenches. Alf was withdrawn from fighting after 4 months and took this time to keep training along with other members of the Battalion.
On the 1 May Alf encountered a 4-day route march 12 miles (19km) west of St Omer, France where training for battle continued. After two weeks away from the firing line Alf marched back to the trenches at Armentieres. On 1 June Alf was moved to billets at Ponte Nieppe where he would prepare for the Battle of Messines. On 5 June 1917 the Battalion moved into the firing line fully equipped and ready for attack against Germany, the fight didn’t start until the 7 of June. Alf fought in the Battle of Messines for 34 days before on the 11 July they moved into a rest camp where Alf was refitted and trained with new weapons. On the 30 July Alf trained for an offensive as he wasn’t used to that type of environment and the Battalion strategized their next game plan. On 31 July 1917, armed for attack, Alf left camp at 8pm by a motor lorry. Finally reaching the front, the Battalion marched to the firing line and went straight into battle at 3.40 am. Unfortunately, on the first day of the Battle of Pilckem that Alf received a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

Taken to the field ambulance then to the 2nd Australian Clearing Station, Alf was placed on an ambulance train to 55 General Hospital near Wimereux. On the 7 August Alf proceeded to England on the Hospital Ship “Saint Patrick”. Alf finally arrived in England and was admitted into the Reading War Hospital where he stayed for 1 month while his wound healed. From there Alf was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital from where he was able to notify his mother. Alf’s mother Emma got responses from “Alfred is progressing favourably” to “Alfred is seriously ill”. This left Emma in a state of confusion. On the 16 December 1917 Alf embarked aboard HS No.2 “Kanowna” where he stayed for 58 days before returning to Port Adelaide South Australia on the 12 February 1918. Alf was discharged and declared as medically unfit for duty on 14 August 1918 after serving aboard for 2 year and 209 days .

Alf arrived home from the First World War and continued to be a labourer in Mount Gambier. On the 7 September 1918 Alf married Dorothy, who was mother to a 6-year-old daughter named Blanch. and was 7 or 8 weeks pregnant when she and Alf got married. Alf and Dorothy then went on to have 5 children together.

Coming back from the First World War Alf was presented with some medals to show his courage and determination. He was given the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory medal. Up until Alfs death he enjoyed life with his wife Doll and all 5 of his children. Alf died on the 19 August 1973, aged 78 and was buried at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery in Mount Gambier, South Australia. Alf is remembered for his dedication and bravery at the Mundoora and Port Broughton War Memorials.

Reference List
Alfred George STRINGER (no date) Virtual War Memorial | Alfred George STRINGER. Available at: Virtual War Memorial | Alfred George STRINGER (vwma.org.au) (Accessed: 5 May 2024)
All Family Trees results for Alfred+George Stringer (no date) Ancestry.com. Available at:
ancestry.com.au/search/categories/42/?name=Alfred%2BGeorge_Stringer&birth=1894-9-10&father=Stephen_Stringer&mother=Emma_Stringer (Accessed: 7 May 2024).

NAA: B2455
Mount Schank Man Acquitted of Serious Charge - EVIDENCE IN INDECENT ASSAULT CASE - Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 - 1954) - 29 Oct 1942 (no date) Trove. Available at: 29 Oct 1942 - Mount Schank Man Acquitted of Serious Charge - Trove (nla.gov.au)Morrish (Accessed: 2 June 2024).
(No date). Available at: SRG76_1_5158.pdf (slsa.sa.gov.au)pdf (Accessed: 6 June 2024).

Bibliography
43rd Infantry Battalion (no date) Virtual War Memorial | 43rd Infantry Battalion. Available at: Virtual War Memorial | 43rd Infantry Battalion (vwma.org.au) (Accessed: 28 May 2024).

All Family Trees results for Alfred+George Stringer (no date) Ancestry.com. Available at:
ancestry.com.au/search/categories/42/?name=Alfred%2BGeorge_Stringer&birth=1894-9-10&father=Stephen_Stringer&mother=Emma_Stringer (Accessed: 7 May 2024).

1916: Armentières and the Battle of the Somme (no date) The Battle of the Somme | NZ History. Available at: The Battle of the Somme | NZ History (Accessed: 4 June 2024).

Battle of Armentières (2023) National Army Museum, London. Available at: Battle of Armentières - National Army Museum, London (nam.ac.uk) (Accessed: 6 June 2024).