4036
DOBSON, Reginald Edgar Enfield
| Service Number: | 17685 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Norwood South Australia, 31 May 1883 |
| Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood Primary School |
| Occupation: | Packer |
| Died: | 16 June 1956, aged 73 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Payneham Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Jul 1917: | Involvement Private, 17685, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1917: | Embarked Private, 17685, Army Medical Corps (AIF), HMAT Port Melbourne, Sydney | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 17685, 11th Field Ambulance |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Reginald Edgar Enfield Dobson was born on the 30th of June, 1883, in the town of Norwood, South Australia. His parents were listed as William Samuel Dobson and Fanny Soden. Reginald was 5 feet and 5 and a half inches tall and weighed 124lbs. By the time he was 21 (03/6/1905), married a woman named Eleanore Laura Grace Eddy, who he also listed as his next of kin in his attestation papers. His occupation was stated to be a “Packer”, who prepare products in a factory.
When he enlisted in the A.I.F on the 30/10/1916 (Service Nu.17685), Reginald stated that he previously tried to enlist 2 and a half years before but failed. On the 16th of July 1917, he was officially embarked for the “active service board”. On the same day 2 months later, he was disembarked at Liverpool and was hospitalized due to spinal fever. However, on the 27th of October, he was Taken on Strength of the 11th field ambulance. This unit supported the 11th Brigade Of The Third Division, comprised with the 41st – 44th battalions.
The 11th field ambulance embarked for England in 4 different ships, the Suevic, Berrima, Wandilo and the Afric. They trained in the hills of south Mitcham, which proved to be valuable as it was like the terrain they would encounter in France. Shortly after, the unit went to Salisbury Plains for 4 more months of training, and it is said that: “They had the most pleasant time ever experienced in the unit”. During the war, the 11th field ambulance’s main job was to retrieve and cure soldiers if they got injured during the war, as well as to make sure they are in their best condition. It should be noted that despite being an ambulance unit, soldiers in this unit could still be easily injured or killed as they must approach the fields with other soldiers. There was a total of 19 deaths, and 56 injuries throughout the lifetime of the unit.
Reginald got transferred to the Casualty Clearing Station on the 6th of June. It is a unit established in October 1914 as a new type of medical unit to help the Australian Army’s casualty evacuation chain located on the beach at Anzac Cove. The unit was extremely important to provide emergency medical care for injured soldiers. The CCS started with 93 men including 7 doctors and increased to over 140 people as the war progressed. The total estimated number of casualties that they successfully treated and evacuated were about 2700 wounded Australians. Reginald was hospitalized sometime after he joined the CCS. He took just less than 3 weeks to recover and re-joined the 11th field ambulance on the 26th of June 1918. Interestingly enough, he was furloughed for 2 months right after he recovered and re-joined again on the 9th of December 1918. During this time, he travelled to France and England to help the 11th Brigade. He continued to stay with the battalion until the 18th of October 1919 as he was disembarked. He was officially discharged from the A.I.F due to a disability (it was stated that he became short winded). Although he was hospitalized many times, Reginald never actually got hurt in battle. Despite many long breaks due to health complications, he still put an amazing effort to help his country by saving the lives of many soldiers.
After the war, he lived his life with his wife, Eleanore, at 24 Grenfell Street, Kent Town. His wife then went on to pass away on the 25th of May 1954, at the age of 67 years. Reginald also passed away 2 years later, on the 16th of June, aged 74.