Sydney Mathew (Syd) CARTER

CARTER, Sydney Mathew

Service Number: SX11919
Enlisted: 24 March 1941
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 2nd/8th Field Ambulance
Born: Port Pirie, South Australia, 22 July 1912
Home Town: Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Winch Diver
Died: Killed in Action, Egypt, 27 October 1942, aged 30 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Alamein Memorial (El Alamein), Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, City of Port Pirie WW2 Memorial Gates, Whyalla BHP Employees War Memorial, Whyalla Roll of Honour
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World War 2 Service

24 Mar 1941: Involvement Private, SX11919
24 Mar 1941: Enlisted Pt Pirie, SA
24 Mar 1941: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, SX11919, 2nd/8th Field Ambulance
Date unknown: Involvement

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Biography contributed by tony griffin

Private SYDNEY MATHEW CARTER

Service No: SX11919

Sydney Mathew Carter was the youngest son of Ernest Edward Albert Carter and May Eliza Matthews of Railway Terrace, Solomontown. He was born at Port Pirie on 22 July 1912.

At the age of 25 Sydney married  20 year old Elizabeth Christina Donaldson. They were married at Solomontown on 18 September 1937. Sydney and Elizabeth had a son Alexander, born on 22 January 1941 .

A winch driver by trade, 28 year old Sydney worked and lived at Whyalla before enlisting at Port Pirie on 24 March 1941. He was posted to 3 Training Battalion (2/27 Battalion Reinforcements). On 2 June he was admitted to hospital at Woodside for 4 days suffering from pleurisy. A week after his discharge Sydney went Absent without Leave for 2 days and was subsequently awarded 3 days confinement to barracks and forfeited 2 days pay. After serving his punishment Sydney was detached from 3 Training Battalion and attached to 101 General Hospital which was forming at Woodside.

On 12 August Sydney went absent without leave again. This time his one day of indiscretion resulted in a fine of one day’s pay. Four days later he was allocated to 6 Reinforcements 2/8 Field Ambulance and on 20 August was mobilised and entrained to Melbourne.

Sydney embarked from Melbourne on 3 September 1941 and after disembarking in the Middle East was taken on strength of the Australian Army Medical Corps. On 4 July Sydney marched out to the AAMC Training Wing and a fortnight later moved to the AIF (Middle East) Staging Camp. After 4 days in the staging camp Sydney marched out to 2/8 Field Ambulance on 21 July. 2/8 Field Ambulance had only returned to Egypt from Tripoli on 3 July.

On 23 October 1942 the Battle of El Alamein began. 2/8th Field Ambulance, being part of the 9th Australian Division, was heavily involved and on the fifth day, 27 October, Sydney was killed in action.

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