Henry Attwood ALCHIN

Henry Attwood ALCHIN Update Details

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ALCHIN, Henry Attwood

Service Number:	2102
Enlisted:	1 May 1915, at Keswick
Last Rank:	Lance Corporal
Last Unit:	27th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Laura, South Australia, 1894
Home Town:	Kapunda, Light, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Printer
Died:	Waikerie, South Australia, 20 September 1955, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Waikerie General Cemetery, SA
Memorials:	Kapunda District WW1 Honour Roll

World War 1 Service

1 May 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion, at Keswick
21 Sep 1915:	Involvement Private, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: ''
21 Sep 1915:	Embarked Private, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide
3 Jul 1916:	Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm, Bruised back
5 Nov 1916:	Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion, GSW shoulder
11 Nov 1918:	Involvement Lance Corporal, 2102, 27th Infantry Battalion

Henry Alchin at Pozieres

Henry was born at Laura, SA on 4th May 1894 (SA 1894 Book 542 Page 221). After leaving school Henry was apprenticed as a printer to the Kapunda Herald. He served in the Senior Cadets and later the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Citizen Forces (Militia). Henry enlisted in the 1st A.I.F. at Keswick on 3rd June 1915 and he was assigned to the 27th Infantry Battalion with the regimental number 2102. There is some evidence that Henry may have tried to enlist under a false name (H.A. Atwood) due to his being under-age.
Henry’s attestation sheet gives his physical description: Height 5’ 6”; weight 124 lbs; dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He followed the Methodist faith. Henry left Australia with the 4th reinforcements to the 27th Battalion and spent some time in Egypt undergoing further training. He was sent to Gallipoli but the evacuation had commenced and he was disembarked at Mudros on 21st December 1915. Henry and his unit returned to Alexandria on 11th January 1916 without seeing any action.
The 27th Battalion was sent to France to fight on the Western Front and one of their first major battles was at Pozieres. The 27th and 28th Battalions were responsible for the capture of the site of the windmill (the author has a small piece of cement from the ruins of the windmill) on Pozieres Heights on 4th August 1916. Sometime during that day Henry suffered a bruised back, probably from being buried by a shell. After a short time recovering he was back with his battalion by 16th August 1916.
The battalion was sent to Belgium to recover its strength and Henry was promoted to Lance Corporal on 11th September 1916. Henry was wounded again at the Battle of Flers on 5th November 1916. He was evacuated to England on 15th November 1916 suffering from a gun shot wound to his left shoulder. C.E.W Bean’s “History of Australia in the First World War” (Volume 3 pages 911-915) gives some information on the efforts of the 27th Battalion on that day:
“….shortly before dawn, as the 25th Battalion, which was to assault the projecting triangle known as “The Maze” had not arrived, General Paton determined to substitute for it the reserve companies of his two flanking battalions (27th and 28th)…….the men were desperately weary and short of rations but the day was bright and clear, the wind a cool gale, the barrage prompt and good. On the other hand the task of getting the 7th Brigade into the line in time for this offensive had been too hurried to permit of thorough preparation.”
The orders had been bungled and there was a lack of co-ordination between the artillery and infantry. Also the maps had been incorrectly marked and the trench system known as the Maze was not bombarded at all. The result was that the artillery barrage moved too far ahead of the infantry and the German defenders were able to take up their positions once the barrage moved over them.
“…Other grey helmets quickly appeared in growing numbers as the German sentries warned the garrisons. In the Maze – opposite the Australian centre – clusters of the enemy could from the first be seen firing with all their energy into the advancing lines on either side of them…… The right battalion (27th) had, like the rest, first seen the Germans 200 yards away busily preparing to resist. On its left about the Maze the enemy was thick, and throughout the advance machine-guns fired from there and from a distant trench on the left front.”
Henry’s wound was sufficiently serious to ensure that he would not be returned to active duty. He left England on HMAT “A71” on 22nd July 1917 and he reached Australia on 21st September 1917. Henry was discharged from the Army on 12th December 1917. He married Ella Gertruth Linke at Barossa, SA on 30th May 1923. She was born on 16th April 1900.
Henry and Ella had two children – Enid and Jeanette. The last record on Henry’s war service file is a Repatriation claim he made at Adelaide on 6th May 1944. Henry died at Waikerie, SA on 20th September 1955 aged 61 years. Ella died at Waikerie aged about 74 years on 7th May 1974. They were both buried at Waikerie cemetery.
http://www.alchin.info/volume5/volume5_002_sawyers_east_indoa_docks_descendants_william_alchin.html

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