Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The great grandson of Scotsman Robert Cameron and an unknown Ngarrindjeri woman Alfred Joseph Walker was born in Bordertown 17 May 1924 to Amy Cameron and Stephen George Walker. He had two sisters Harriet, aka Dorothy and Alma who died as an infant, two half-brothers and four half-sisters from his father’s first marriage.

Alfie was five when he moved to Point McLeay where his mother was the hospital cook and where he began his schooling. His parents separated in 1937 when he was twelve and Amy moved to Glenroy in the South East taking the two children with her. She moved in with Alfred (Tracker) Ryan on the Provis block at Comaum for a time until she went to work for Mrs Ted Collins at Goddesville at Maaoupe as a cook and housekeeper.  Ted Collins provided them with a home here. Dorothy would ride her bike to school at Comaum and later Coonawarra. Alfie was now fourteen and old enough to leave school. His first job was stripping bark from trees for the tanning industry. From here he progressed to driving a tractor planting 380 acres with wheat. Willing to try anything he found work at the Pound at Penola milking about 30 cows twice a day by hand. Alfie liked this work and went to work at Coonawarra for Arthur Manser milking 120 cows this time by machine.

October 1942 aged 18 years and looking for adventure Alfie decided to enlist, he said his mother had not been pleased about the enlisting because his uncle, after whom he was named, had served during the First World War. He undertook a medical and on 18 February 1943 received his call up and enlisted at Wayville to begin his training. Four days later due to labour shortage he was sent to Barmera to help with the grape harvest.  He returned to reinforcement depot on 3 April 1943 and on 27 April the 3rd Battalion was taken by train to Dubbo where they underwent more training at Canungra in Queensland to allow them to acclimatise for battle in New Guinea.

 Alfred Joseph Walker undertook another medical at Dubbo NSW and on being declared fit for active service and swearing an oath of allegiance on 11 May 1943 was given a new number SX31719 officially making him a soldier of the 19th Australian Infantry Force.

November 22 1943 the 19th embarked from Townsville on the transport ship Katoomba arriving in Port Moresby, New Guinea a week later as reinforcements to the 2/27th.  The 2/27th saw action in the Finistere Range and Ramu Valley   occupying several key features during these operations they bore the brunt of the one major counterattack launched by the Japanese on 12 October. It suffered heavily in series of rushed and ill-conceived attacks and was further assailed by the ravages of tropical disease. By the time Alfie arrived the 2/27th was primarily carrying out patrols.

 In January 1944 the 2/27th was withdrawn from the fighting and in March returned to Australia. A further period of training was undertaken until late in the war. In June 1945 the 2/27th was again dispatched this time to Borneo. The battalion took part in an amphibious landing at Balikpapan on 1 July. The battalions casualties were light and hostilities were short lived as the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki took place only weeks after.

With the war over the 2/27th was sent to Makassar, Indonesia as part of the occupation force. They remained there until February 1946 when they were relieved by Indian troops.

Alfie returned to Australia aboard the transport ship Winchester Victory which took the troops to Brisbane. From here he went to Loveday South Australia and after almost three years’ service (one year on active service) was discharged on 10 September 1946.

Alfie used some of his pay to buy a motorbike and travelled back to Glenroy where his mother was living. As always Alfie was keen to work and got a job in the Mount Burr saw mill and then Mount Burr Forest Headquarters driving a truck and other forestry work.

In 1953 Alfie returned to Glenroy to care for his mother. He took a position here with The South Australian Railways at the Glenroy Station and worked there until the station closed in 1976. Not wishing to be unemployed at only fifty two he got a job on the Penola District Council. He kept this position until 1979 when arthritis in both knees forced retirement and he was granted an invalid pension. Alfie lived in a small weather-board house on the main street.  Not wanting to get out of bed once he was settled he devised a plan to turn the light out. A piece of string went from the wall near his bed across the ceiling and down to the light switch on the other side of the room. A sharp pull and the light was out.  His mother had died in 1971 and he moved to Nangwarry until a place was available for him at Boandik Lodge Mount Gambier where he stayed until he died in 1998 aged seventy four years.

Alfred Joseph Walker aka Alfie or Chief died 12 July 1998 is buried 17 July in the Mount Gambier Carinya Gardens lawn Cemetery, Eucalypt Garden 17 July 1998 Row V plot 7.