Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served
 
The final resting place for; - 137, 585 & V1392 Warrant Officer Class Two Alfred Henry Little of Melbourne and Canterbury, Victoria who prior to the War had immigrated to Australia from England.

Alfred was employed as a waiter when he enlisted for War Service on the 25th of November 1914 and was taken on strength with the 1st Australian General Hospital 1st AIF.

With his Unit he was embarked for Egypt and further training on the 1st of December. During the Gallipoli operations Alfred would remain in Egypt tending to the wounded and would serve continuously through the entire period of the fighting at the Dardanelles.

Following the end of the Gallipoli campaign, Alfred would be with his Unit when it was shipped to France, arriving in April 1916, and aside a short respite of Leave, he would remain with his Unit until he was transferred to the 13th Field Ambulance on the 8th of September 1917.

With this Unit, Alfred would serve in the trenches, until he was sent to England for medical treatment, at the start of November, and following his recovery he was detached to duty from his Unit to serve with the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital (Harefield) on the 29th of November.

By the 1st of January he was formally taken on strength at Harefield and would remain on duty, and aside slight bouts of sickness his service in England again would be continuous.

With the end of the War in November 1918, Alfred was assigned to nursing staff which would accompany those being invalided back to Australia, departing England on the 4th of December, and following his return to Australia he received his official discharge from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 16th of March 1919.

The following day, Alfred re-enlisted with the Australian Military Forces and was posted to the 11th Australian General Hospital (Caulfield), and again would remain on duty with this Unit until he received his discharge on the 1st of July 1920, with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

With the outbreak of a Second World War, Alfred again sort service with the Australian Military Forces when he presented for enlistment on the 6th of July 1940, accepted for full time duty within Australia, Alfred was again taken on strength with the Australian Army Medical Corps.

Alfred service during this second War, would again be continuous, and would see him posted to numerous medical establishments within Victoria, including Puckapunyal, Balcombe and Tatura. With the War’s end, Alfred was still serving with the Australian Army Medical Corps and was officially promoted to Warrant Officer Class Two at the start of June 1946.

Within weeks of this promotion, Alfred was evacuated for medical treatment at the 115th Australian General Hospital (Heidelberg), and whilst still undergoing treatment his premature death took place on the 2nd of July 1946. Alfred was aged 54.

Following his passing, whilst again in the service of the Australian Military Forces, ‘Great War’ veteran Warrant Officer Class Two Alfred Little was formally interred within Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.