ANDERSON, Gustav
| Service Number: | 3262 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 October 1917 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Australian War Graves Detachment |
| Born: | Venesburg, Sweden., 5 April 1887 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Sailor |
| Died: | Bordertown, South Australia, 6 September 1948, aged 61 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Bordertown Cemetery, South Australia Old section, Row U, Plot 64 |
| Memorials: | Mannum District Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Oct 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 3262, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Mar 1918: | Involvement Private, 3262, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: SS Ormonde embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 7 Mar 1918: | Embarked Private, 3262, 43rd Infantry Battalion, SS Ormonde, Melbourne | |
| 15 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, 3262, Australian War Graves Detachment |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Gustav was the son of Anders Gustaf ANDERSSON & Kristina JANASDOTTER and was born on the 5th of April 1887 Venesburg, Sweden.
His parents were married in 1875 in Sweden.
His father was born on the 6th of March 1848 in Sweden.
His mother was born on the 3rd of September 1856 in Frandefors, Västra Götaland, Sweden.
Gustav was the fifth child born into this family of 9 children.
His father was a carpenter and ship builder.
On leaving school Gustav became a sailor and by the late 1900’s the family had immigrated to England and were living at 9 The Cresent, High Street South, East Ham.
Gustav had immigrated to Australia in 1910 and by 1915 was living with his cousin; Albert Limberg, at Stone Wall, River Murray and was a fisherman.
At the age of 30, Gustav enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 9th of October 1917 in Mannum and allotted the service number 3262 and posted to B Company at Mitcham Camp. He was transferred to the 43rd Battalion, 8th Reinforcements on the 30th of January 1918.
Gustav embarked from Melbourne on board RMS Ormonde on the 7th of March 1918 and disembarked in Suez on the 4th of April.
He was then transferred to Port Tewfik and embarked for England on the 30th of April, disembarking in Southampton on the 15th of June and marched into the 9th Training Battalion at Fovant.
On the 4th of June Gustav was transferred to 50th Battalion Details in the 12th Training Battalion at Codford and two weeks later he went AWOL.
Gustav married Edith Emma EVANS on the 1st of August 1918 in the Registry Office in Bomford, England.
Edith was the daughter of Thomas EVANS & Emily Selina ORTON and was born in 1883 in Hornsey, London, England. On their marriage certificate Edith states she is a widower.
They were living at 3 Boundary Road, Barking, at the time and Edith was a Munitions Worker.
Gustav was arrested on the 25th of August in Codford and after a Court Martial was sentenced 150 days detention at Lewes Detention Barracks. He was discharged on Armistice Day and then proceeded to France.
On the 13th of April he returned to England and was discharged from the AIF 2 days later.
They welcomed a daughter in England and then they embarked from England on board HT Wahehe on the 31st of August 1920, disembarking in Adelaide on the 19th of October.
They moved back to Pellaring Flat, near Mannum and shared a little home with Mr & Mrs Stringer and their family and Gustav returned to fishing.
Eric Peter was then born on the 24th of December 1922, followed by Maisie the following year.
For the next 26 years Gustav was fined and imprisoned for being idle and disorderly and begging alms and managed to accumulate 32 convictions all over South Australia.
It appears that Edith remained at Pellaring Flat and raised her 3 children during this time.
With the outbreak of WW2 their son Eric enlisted on the 1st of January 1942 (SX25734).
Gustav died on the 6th of September 1948 in Bordertown and was buried in the Bordertown Cemetery; Old Section, Row U, Plot 64.
Military
At the age of 30, Gustav enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 9th of October 1917 in Mannum and allotted the service number 3262 and posted to B Company at Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, Mrs Christina Anderson, of 9 Hay Street South, East Ham, Essex, England, as his next of kin.
He was transferred to C Company on the 24th of October and then to the 43rd Battalion, 8th Reinforcements on the 30th of January 1918.
On Thursday evening, the 23rd of February Gustav with his 169 fellow reinforcements were entertained at a farewell smoke social by the Glenelg Cheer-Up Society and were handed the flag of the 43rd Battalion.
Gustav embarked from Melbourne on board RMS Ormonde on the 7th of March 1918 and disembarked in Suez on the 4th of April.
He was then transferred to Port Tewfik and embarked for England on the 30th of April, disembarking in Southampton on the 15th of June and marched into the 9th Training Battalion at Fovant.
On the 4th of June Gustav was transferred to 50th Battalion Details in the 12th Training Battalion at Codford and two weeks later he went AWOL.
He was arrested more than 2 months later on the 25th of August in Codford and during this time he had married.
Gustav’s Court Martial was held on the 11th of September and he was sentenced to 150 days detention.
On the 19th of September he was transferred to the Lewes Detention Barracks (HM Prison Lewes was handed over to the AIF and became the first official detention barracks).
Gustav didn’t serve his full sentence and on the 11th of November 1918 (Armistice Day), he was discharged from detention to the Overseas Training Battalion in Longbridge Deverill.
He proceeded to France on the 21st of November, marched out to the 50th Battalion who were in billets at Sivry and was taken on strength with them on the 2nd of December and posted to C Company.
They moved from Sivry on the 12th of December, arriving in Dinant 4 days later.
Then on the 19th of December his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales visited and inspected the Battalion.
Christmas 1918 was spent here and they enjoyed soup, roast dinner, plum pudding with rum sauce and 150 litres of beer per Company with a double shot of rum.
They then started education classes and continued Disciplinary Training and General Instruction along with church parades and sports days.
In February they were employed to remove the snow off the nearby roads and by the beginning of March they were preparing to be demobilized.
On the 8th of March they moved to Sart Eustache and on the 20th they were amalgamated with the 51st Battalion.
On the 24th of March Gustav was detached to the Graves Register. This unit consisted of a Battalion of 5 companies of 1,100 men with motor and horse transport. Volunteers were called for work on locating, exhuming, identifying and reburying of Australian war dead, on the Western Front, for an indefinite period.
Gustav was only with this unit for a few weeks before proceeding to England on the 13th of April.
He was discharged from the AIF, in England on the 15th of April 1919 and awarded the British War Medal.
Gustav, Edith & child embarked from England on board HT Wahehe on the 31st of August 1920, disembarking in Adelaide on the 19th of October.