BACHMANN, Paul
| Service Number: | 13151 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Army Medical Corps (AIF) |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | 12 January 1970, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | South Australian Garden of Remembrance |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 13151, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Karoola embarkation_ship_number: A63 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 13151, Army Medical Corps (AIF), HMAT Karoola, Fremantle |
The hairdresser from Switzerland who served in the AIF
Paul Bachmann was born in Zofingen, Switzerland in 1892. He moved to Perth, Western Australia where he worked as a hairdresser.
Enlisting in the AIF at Perth on 8 November 1915, he was placed with the Special Reinforcements, Australian Army Medical Corps embarking on HMAT Karoola on 14 March 1916 for Egypt. His attestation papers list his brother John Bachmann, still living in Switzerland at the time as his next of kin which suggests he had no other family in Australia.
He was Taken on Strength with the 14th Field Ambulance Brigade on 28 April 1916 at Ismailia, Egypt. A month later, he was admitted to hospital at Ferry Post on 18 May 1916. Ferry Post was a camp for Australian troops located on the Nile. The hospital stay was a brief one and Bachmann returned to his unit on 26 May 1916. Two days later he was transferred to the details of the Casualty Clearing Station at Ferry Post. On 29 July 1916, he embarked on HMT Arcadian from Alexandria for Southampton arriving there on 9 August 1916.
He was now stationed at the Australian Army Medical Corps Convalescent Training Depot at Parkhouse, England. The Army Service Corps, Engineers, Signallers and Army Medical Corps were all located at the Parkhouse depot which was situated close to Tidworth. The AAMC occupied Number 2 Camp.
On 22 June 1916 he was attached for temporary duty with the No. 2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. This hospital treated wounded Australian soldiers who had lost limbs in France. After completing this assignment, he was detached from 2 AAH for return to Australia aboard HMAT Euripides for nursing duties.
He was discharged in Perth on 2 November 1917. He resumed life in Perth continuing in his profession as a hairdresser. Periodically he would take voyages back to Europe including around 1922, 1939 and 1954. In 1943, he was living in Dulwich, South Australia
He died on 12 January 1970, aged 76.
Submitted 9 March 2024 by Tim Barnett
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