Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Albert George Dermody
Service Number: 6068
Place of Birth: Gladstone SA
Date of Birth: 30 July 1887
Place of Enlistment: Broken Hill, NSW
Date of Enlistment: 17 August 1916
Age at Enlistment: 29
Marital status: Single
Next of Kin: Mother – Catherine Dermody, James St. Paddington, near Rosewater.
Occupation: Miner
Religion: Church of England
Rank: Private


Biographical Details:
The son of William John Dermody and Catherine Hepner, Albert worked as a miner in Broken Hill prior to enlisting in the 27th Battalion. His unit embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on 6 November 1916 and were sent to France on 5 April 1917. Albert was wounded in action in Belgium 1918, on two occasions, being 10 March while in action in Egypt, and 16 June, at Morlancourt,16 kilometres north-east of Amiens, sustaining injuries to the calf of his left leg and the scalp. His mother, Catherine was advised of the first incident in which her son was wounded, on 19 March. For the second occasion of being wounded, Albert was treated at a Casualty Clearing Station and then invalided to England where he was admitted to Tankerton Hospital at Shorncliffe on 19 June. Catherine was advised of her son’s situation on 27 June. He was returned to Australia on RTA Burma, reaching Melbourne on 29 January 1919. Albert was discharged as medically unfit on 24 May 1919(1).
Fruit Block Information:
Albert George Dermody Occupied Block 123 on 1 December 1921 and part of 286 [now167] on 1 April 1923. Block 123 comprised 14.5 acres and was situated on Lehmann road, Monash. Bert grew sultanas, zante, 6 acres of doradillos, lucerne and 1 acre of currants. He built a house of concrete with one large room [32’x 26’]. It had a wood and iron roof and was valued at 350 pounds when constructed in 1919. Albert complained to the Royal Commission on the Soldier Settlement cheme, over the value of the house he had constructed on his block(2).

Other Anecdotal Information:
Albert married Natalie Gertrude Parham. They had five children, Marjorie Catherine, born at Mile End on 4 September 1920; Albert Keith, born in Berri on 4 July 1922, who died of infantile diarrhoea at Berri Hospital on 29 January 1923 (3); John Murray born 10 May 1924;Eric James born 26 June 1926 and Melba Florence born 3 April 1928. John, Eric and Melba were born in Lone Gum(4). John attended Monash Primary School in 1929 and 1930, while Melba attended in 1934(5). Albert participated in the Monash Model Parliament in 1921, which was a precursor to the Berri Council being formed and Councillors being elected from surrounding towns, including Monash/Lone Gum,and serving in the Parliament(6).
John played cricket for Monash in 1928.
References:
1.National Australian Archives: B2455: Dermody A G: Barcode 3502041.
2. Barmera Berri Council, Berri Barmera & Districts Local History Collection
3. Trove / The Murray Pioneer & The Australian River Record 2 February 1923.
4. South Australian Births, Deaths & Marriages Records.
5. Monash Primary School Records.
6. Barmera Berri Council, Berri Barmera & Districts Local History Collection.