SWEETLAND, Albert Graham
| Service Number: | 4549 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 18th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kensington, London, England, 6 January 1895 |
| Home Town: | Roseville, Ku-ring-gai, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Oxford Gardens, Kensington, London W11, England |
| Occupation: | Station hand |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Appendicitis & Heart failure, Bath War Hospital, Somerset, England , United Kingdom, 7 November 1918, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Bath (Locksbrook) Cemetery Plot C, Row H, Grave 35, Locksbrook Cemetery, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4549, 18th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 4549, 18th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 4549, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Nestor, Sydney | |
| 3 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4549, 18th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), GSW right leg | |
| 3 Oct 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4549, 18th Infantry Battalion, Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal, Gas and GSW to back DoW Bath England | |
| 15 Sep 1919: | Honoured Military Medal, Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal, 'After the objective was gained on 9th August 1918 near RAINECOURT, east of AMIENS, wounded men were lying in front. These two men[Sweetland and 4700 R. Lord] left their entrenchment and crossed an open road, went out 300 yards in front of their position and carried back 2 wounded men. They then salvaged a stretcher and carried their comrades back to the R.A.P. through a hail of fire.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 109 Date: 15 September 1919 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 7th November…… Private Albert Graham Sweetland was born at Kensington, London, England in 1895.
According to information supplied by his father for the Roll of Honour Albert Sweetland came to Australia when he was 18 years old.
Albert Graham Sweetland enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 22nd December, 1915 as a 21 year old, single, Station Hand from Roseville, NSW.
Private Sweetland embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Nestor (A71) on 9th April, 1916 with the 18th Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.
He was Absent without Leave from 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone, Wiltshire, England from 24.00 on 11th September, 1916 to 06.30 on 13th September, 1916 & was awarded a total forfeiture of 4 days’ pay.
On 19th November, 1916 Private Sweetland proceeded overseas to France from 5th Training Battalion in England. He was taken on strength of 18th Battalion in France on 4th December, 1916 from 11th Reinforcements.
Private Albert Graham Sweetland was wounded in action on 3rd May, 1917. He was admitted to 6th Australian Field Ambulance with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to right leg then transferred to Casualty Clearing Station on 5th May, 1917. Private Sweetland was transferred & admitted to 26th General Hospital at Etaples, France on 7th May, 1917. He was transferred to Boulogne on 10th May, 1917 & embarked for England on Hospital Ship St. Denis on 11th May, 1917.
He was admitted to War Hospital at Reading, England on 11th May, 1917 with G.S.W (gunshot wound/s) to right leg & left thigh – severe. He was transferred from Reading War Hospital on 24th August, 1917 to 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. Private Sweetland had a shrapnel ball embedded in neck of his left femur. It was advised to not operate. Private Sweetland was discharged to furlough on 14th September, 1917 & after was to report to Weymouth.
On 28th September, 1917 Private Sweetland was marched in to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, Dorset, England. He was transferred to No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 26th November, 1917 & was medically classified as B1 A3 (fit for Overseas Training Camp in two to three weeks) on 27th November, 1917. Private Sweetland was marched in to Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire on 15th February 1918 from No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire. He proceeded overseas to France on 3rd June, 1918 & rejoined 18th Battalion in France on 10th June, 1918.
Private Albert Graham Sweetland & Private Roy Lord (4700) were recommended for the Military Medal on 14th August, 1918 for their following action: “After the objective was gained on 9th August 1918 near Rainecourt, east of Amiens, wounded men were lying in front. These two men left their entrenchment and crossed an open road, went out 300 yards in front of their position and carried back 2 wounded men. They then salvaged a stretcher and carried their comrades back to the R.A.P. through a hail of fire.”
Private Albert Graham Sweetland & Private Roy Lord were recommended for the Military Medal on 6th September, 1918 for the same action on 9th August, 1918 but with a slightly different version by G.O.C. 5th Australian Infantry Brigade: “After the objective had been gained on 9th August 1918 near Rainecourt, east of Amiens, wounded men were observed 250 yards in advance of the position. These men salvaged a stretcher and went forward under heavy machine gun and shell fire, bound up their wounds and carried them back to safety. The enemy were firing on stretcher bearers and these men had no red cross.”
On 9th August, 1918 Private Albert Graham Sweetland & Private Roy Lord were both awarded the Military Medal for their actions. (London Gazette 14 May, 1919 & Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 15 September, 1919).
Private Albert Graham Sweetland was wounded in action (2nd occasion) in France on 3rd October, 1918. He was admitted to 141st Field Ambulance on 3rd October, 1918 with Shell Gas then transferred & admitted to 50th Casualty Clearing Station on 3rd October, 1918. Private Sweetland was transferred & admitted to 6th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 9th October, 1918 with G.S.W. to back. He embarked for England on Hospital Ship Panama on 17th October, 1918 & was admitted to Bath War Hospital, Somerset, England on 18th October, 1918 with G.S.W. (bullet) to back. He suffered acute Appendicitis & Pneumonia from 25th October, 1918.
Private Albert Graham Sweetland died at 1.30 am on 7th November, 1918 at Bath War Hospital, Somerset, England from Pneumonia, Appendicitis & Heart failure.
He was buried in Locksbrook Cemetery, Bath, Somerset, England where 6 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/bath.html
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