Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Emily VILLIERS, husband of Clarice.

Albert Villiers was born on the 11th of December 1894, in the town of Coleraine in Ireland. Albert was the eldest son of George and Emily Villiers; he had a younger brother Sergeant James Villiers who was born on the 24th of July 1897. At some point after his brother was born Albert and his family migrated from Coleraine, Ireland to Goodwood Park, South Australia. Before enlisting Albert worked as a motor mechanic, repairing and maintaining automobiles, which were becoming increasingly popular. His mother Emily Villiers was listed as his next of kin as he was not married at the time.

In 1914, at the start of the war Albert tried to enlist at Keswick in South Australia, but he was rejected due to defective health. On the 29th of November 1915, a couple weeks before his 21st birthday, Albert enlisted again in Adelaide, South Australia. While enlisting in 1915 Albert claimed to be 23 years old, when he was in fact only 21 years old.

Albert was enlisted in the B. Company 2nd Depot as a private; he served there from the 29th of November 1915 to the 15th of December 1915. Soon after he was moved to the 10th Infantry Battalion, where he served from the 16th of December 1915 to the 16th of January 1916. He was then transferred to the A.A.M.C. (Australian Army Medical Corps), where he served from the 16th of January 1916 to the 13th of August 1916.

On the 14th of August 1916, Albert embarked from Outer Harbour, in South Australia on board the HMAT A53 ‘Itria’. After sailing for nearly 4 months, he disembarked on the 30th of December 1916 in Plymouth, England.

After disembarking in England, Albert made his way to the Bhurtpore Barracks at the Tidworth Camp in Wiltshire, England. On the 18th of November 1916, Albert was attached to the A.M.T.S. (Australian Mechanical Transport Service) in Parkhouse and then Chelsea.

On the 1st of December 1917, Albert got into trouble while he was at the Codford training camp. He got into trouble for defying an order issued to him by his superior and showing up late and in the incorrect uniform to training and other military events. This resulted in him being awarded 7 days of military punishment and discipline.

On the 30th of December 1917, after fulfilling his military punishment Albert proceeded overseas to France via the S’ Hampton. He arrived in Havre, France on the 9th of January 1918.  He entered the field on the 18th of January 1918. During his time in the field, he was attached to the 5th A.D.M.T. (5th Australian Divisional Mechanical Transport Company). 

On the 13th of July 1918, Albert was admitted to a hospital in the field because of his DAH (Disordered Action of the Heart). DAH, also known as ‘Soldier’s heart’ or effort syndrome is a condition associated with prolonged mental strain and insufficient sleep on a heart and nervous system weakened by the action of some form of toxaemia. As a result, Albert would have experienced heart palpitations, shortness of breath and dizziness. On the 16th of July 1918, he was transferred to a hospital in Rouen where he remained for a little under a month. After that he was transferred to another hospital in Havre on the 13th of August 1918. On the 9th of September 1918, he returned to England from France.

On the 19th of October 1918 after the war ended, Albert commenced his return to Australia on board the HT ‘Sardinia’. After sailing for 2 months, he disembarked in Melbourne on the 27th of December 1918, for onward travel to Adelaide. On the 6th of April, after returning to Adelaide, Albert was discharged from the army on the grounds that he was medically unfit due to his effort syndrome. 

After Albert was discharged from the army he returned to Keswick, where he married a woman named Clarice and they had a son named Ronnie. He died on the 11th of February 1934 at the age of 39 due to natural causes attributed to his effort syndrome. He is remembered at the West Terrace Cemetery, in Adelaide for his service in World War 1.

Bibliography

Websites:

Adfa.edu.au. (2016). The AIF Project. [online] Available at: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/.

Australian Army (2023). Ranks | Australian Army. [online] Army.gov.au. Available at: https://www.army.gov.au/about-us/ranks.

Australian War Memorial (2016). Advanced Search | The Australian War Memorial. [online] Awm.gov.au. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search.

Australian War Stories (2018). Memories. [online] Memories.net. Available at: https://app.memories.net/memorials/albert-villiers-58998 [Accessed 20 Sep. 2024].

Medals for Australians -World War One and World War Two/explore/people/358665). (n.d.). Available at: https://rslvwm.s3.amazonaws.com/I/documents/7285/file/Medals_for_Australians.pdf.

Naa.gov.au. (2015). Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SessionTimeout.aspx.

Naa.gov.au. (2024). Abbreviations used in First World War and Second World War service records | naa.gov.au. [online] Available at: https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/defence-and-war-service-records/researching-war-service/abbreviations-used-first-world-war-and-second-world-war-service-records.

Nixon, P.G.F. (1994). Effort syndrome: Hyperventilation and reduction of anaerobic threshold. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 19(2), pp.155–169. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01776488.

Stephens, G. (2019). Training Camps: England. [online] Following the Twenty-Second. Available at: https://anzac-22nd-battalion.com/training-camps-england/.

Images:

AWM244 ITRIA - Troopship movement cards, 1914-18 War: HMAT ITRIA (A53). (n.d.). [Photograph] www.awm.gov.au. Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2627793?image=1.

HMAT A53 Itria. (2019). [Photograph] Kangaroo Point and Districts History Group | Collecting and preserving the history of Kangaroo Point, East Brisbane, Woolloongabba and South Brisbane. Available at: https://kangaroopointhistory.com.au/photo-gallery/anzac-day/.

Jones, F. (2016). Albert Villiers Headstone. [Photograph] Findagrave.com. Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166510979/albert-villiers.