SEAGE, Allen James
| Service Number: | 11131 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Cowra, New South Wales, Australia, 14 November 1894 |
| Home Town: | Homebush, Strathfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Christian Brothers Lewisham, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 30 September 1918, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ste. Emilie Valley Cemetery, Villers-Faucon |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Strathfield WWI Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 11131, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement 11131, 103rd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 11131, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked Gunner, 11131, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 16 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Gunner, 11131, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Gunshot wounds to left knee and cheek. Transferred to England. | |
| 30 Sep 1918: | Involvement Gunner, 11131, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 11131 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1918-09-30 |
Seage, Allen
Allen Seage was born in Cowra NSW in 1894, he attended Christian Brothers College in Lewisham, Sydney, where he worked as a railway clerk for two years in the goods office at Flemington station where his father James was the station master. He enlisted on the 21st September 1915 in Holsworthy aged 21 years old. He served in the 3rd Field Artillery brigade. 103rd Howitzer battery.
He embarked from Sydney, Australia on 15th January 1916 on the ship, the RMS Osterley. Stops visited were 15th February 1916 Cairo, 11th March 1916 Tel-el-Kebir, 5th June 1916 Alexandria, 13th June 1916 Marseilles.
Allen was a howitzer gunner and seriously wounded in action on 16th July 1916 in Fleur Baix, France, injuries sustained on the left knee and neck, he was admitted to 7th General Hospital, St Omer, France, then on 26th July to Military Hospital, Colchester, a telegram was sent to inform the family on 2nd August “regret reported gunner Allen Seage admitted 7th General Hospital St Omer France 18th July gunshot wounds multiple severe” on 9th August, Allen’s father James sent a reply “please ascertain present condition of my son reported severely wounded” on 23rd November 1916 the hospital patient remarks were “wounds now healed, complains of some tenderness and difficulty in swallowing”
In April 2017 he contracted mumps and was admitted to Parkhouse Military Hospital, UK for 19 days, followed by scabies in May 2017 spending 29 days in Tidworth Military Hospital, he left England via Southampton to Rouelles, France on 11th September 1917, Belgium on the 17th September 1917, leave was granted for a trip to Paris from 13th July to 25th July 1918,
At day break on the morning of 30th September 1918 near the village of Epehy, France, on the Hindenburg line, Allen was a gunner on the No 2 gun alongside Sgt Arthur Leslie from Brisbane, a few minutes after they commenced, a shell burst just in rear of the gun killing Allen and wounding Arthur and two others.
He was buried nearby with a cross the next day, in Ste Emilie Valley British Cemetery, Villers Faucon, Roisel, Picardie, France, Mr Farrer of the 7th Battery read the service over his grave and his wallet, photos, postcards and chevrons returned to his devastated family back in Sydney, his great niece and nephew have returned to visit his grave, on the headstone is “an unblemished life brave and true” he was single with no children and was fondly remembered by his parents and siblings as a well liked chap.
He was fined twice for AWL on 10th February 1916 in London and 9th December 1916 in Wareham, forfeiting 5/-
Submitted 17 November 2021 by Sarah Anderson
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Allen James SEAGE, (Service Number 11131) was born on 14th November 1894 in Cowra. He began working with the NSW Railways and Tramways on 23rd May 1910 as a probationer in the Sydney District in the Tramways Traffic Branch. By January of the following year, he had changed position to a junior porter. After just over five years, he was released from duty to join the AIF. He enlisted on 21st September 1915 and was 21-years-old at the time.
On 10th February 1916, he was found guilty of being Absent Without Leave on the RMS ‘Osterley’ – the ship on which he embarked from Sydney. As punishment, he was made to forfeit five days’ pay. Three days later, on 13rd February 1916, he arrived in Cairo (Egypt). He was taken on strength of the 10th Field Artillery Brigade on 23rd March 1916 and was attached to headquarters in Tel-el-Kebir.
After a few more months in Egypt, he proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Forces on 5th June, embarking from Alexandria. He disembarked shortly after in Marseilles on 13th June. On 16th July, he was wounded in the field, and was admitted to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station. He had received gunshot wounds to his left knee and cheek. By 24th July 1916, he was transferred to England. After a few months recovering in England, he was granted furlough on 5th September 1916. After marching out to Wareham in early November, he was once again found to be Absent Without Leave on 9th December. He was given as punishment 24 hours of detention and was made to forfeit three days’ pay.
By 5th April 1917, he was in Parkhouse, and was admitted to hospital there with mumps. Just over a month later, on 14th May, he was admitted again for scabies – though he was not in hospital long for either of these illnesses. He proceeded to France on 11th September 1917 and marched into Rouelles two days later. He was taken on strength in Belgium by the end of September 1917.
Two months after returning from leave in Paris, he was killed in the field in France on 30th September 1918. One eyewitness account stated:
‘… he was killed by a shell almost bursting his gun at Epehy. He was hit in the back and killed instantaneously’.
He was buried near his place of death, in Ste Emilie Valley Cemetery, Picardie, France.
Following his death, his mother was sent some of his personal items, including a wallet, photos, and postcards. She was also sent war medals on behalf of her son’s service – the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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