Alexander Robert ANDERSON

Badge Number: 2517, Sub Branch: WESTBOURNE PK
2517

ANDERSON, Alexander Robert

Service Numbers: 2578, 2678
Enlisted: 20 August 1915, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion
Born: Adelaide, South Australia , 25 August 1898
Home Town: St Peters (SA), Norwood Payneham St Peters, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farm Labourer
Died: Natural causes, South Australia, 28 November 1984, aged 86 years
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

20 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2578, Adelaide, South Australia
27 Oct 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2578, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

embarkation_roll: roll_number: 15 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note:

27 Oct 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2578, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide
2 Apr 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 50th Infantry Battalion
13 Aug 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2578, 50th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm
10 Jun 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2578, 50th Infantry Battalion, Battle of Messines
25 Apr 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2678, 50th Infantry Battalion, Dernancourt/Ancre, 2nd occasion - GSW (chest)
31 Mar 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2578, 50th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Alexander Robert Anderson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography

Surname: ANDERSON; Given Names: Alexander Robert; Date of Birth: 25 August 1898; Date of Enlistment: 20 August 1915; Trade or Calling: Farm labourer; Birth Location: Adelaide; Address prior to enlistment: 56 Nelson Street St Peters; Photograph sent by: Miss J Anderson
Source: State Records SA

 

Enlisted into the 6th Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion, Alexander Anderson's parents were resident at 56 Nelson Street St Peters at the time. He had served for 2 years in the 79th Battalion of the Senior cadets.

After initial training at Mitcham Camp he embarked with his reinforcement draft on 27 October 1915.

By the time he arrived in the Middle East the withdrawal for Gallipoli was under way.  The 10th Battalion returned to Alexandria first and needing reinforcements, Alexander Anderson was drafted to the Battalion.

However the 10th was identified to spawn another Battalion, the 50th, and Alexander joined a group of men from the 10th transferred to form the nucleus of the new Battalion  The 50th was itself reinforced and as part of hte 4th Divisionb made its way to the port of Marseilles in France and then embarked on a long rail journey north to the Armentieres sector and "the Nursery" where they were conditioned to trench warfare, Western Front style..

They were not there long however, before being moved along with the 1st and 2nd Divisions, to the Somme.

Work in Progress.........

 

 

1914/15 Star             397

British War Medal      6446

Victory Medal            6383

Read more...