SHEPHERDSON, Albert Edward
| Service Numbers: | 1740, 1740A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 February 1916, Charters Towers, Qld. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 47th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia, 17 December 1897 |
| Home Town: | Charters Towers, Charters Towers, Queensland |
| Schooling: | State School Queensland |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 April 1918, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Charters Towers Methodist Circuit Great War Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1740, 47th Infantry Battalion, Charters Towers, Qld. | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1740, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hawkes Bay embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 20 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1740, 47th Infantry Battalion, SS Hawkes Bay, Sydney | |
| 5 Apr 1918: | Involvement Private, 1740A, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1740A awm_unit: 47th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-05 |
Help us honour Albert Edward Shepherdson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Matthew James SHEPHERDSON and Mrs. Sarah Jane CURTIS (formerly SHEPHERDSON nee EDGAR).
Albert Edward Shepherdson was born at Charters Towers on 17th December 1896 to parents Matthew James and Sarah Jane (nee Edgar) Shepherdson who had married on 24th December 1887. As by the Commomwealth Electoral Rolls for Queensland for the years 1903 and 1913 the parents lived at Duman Road, Charters Towers and the father was a Miner. Albert would have attended school in Charters Towers but his name does not appear on any of the school Honour Boards in the District. His name can be found on the Methodist Circuit Honour Board, which is at the Zara Clark Museum, Mosman Street, Charters Towers. On 13th February 1914 his father, Matthew James Shepherdson , died in Charters Towers and was buried in the Lynd Highway Cemetery, Charters Towers.
Albert enlisted in the AIF for overseas service on 8th February 1916 at Charters Towers and at the time of his enlistment he was a Labourer by profession. He listed his mother, Sarah Jane Shepherdson, C/- Post Office, Hughenden as his next of kin. His description was - age 19 years 1 month; height 5ft 6in; weight 126 lbs; chest measurement 35 1/2 in; dark complexion; brown eyes; brown hair and religion, Methodist. He showed on his attestation papers that he had served 3 years in the Cadets. During his training he was placed in the 2nd Reinforcements for the 47th Battalion as a Private with the service number of 1740.
He embarked for Egypt arriving there on 27th May 1916. On 2nd June 1916 he again boarded a troop ship at Alexandria and travelled to France arriving at Marseilles on 9th June 1916. On 10th January 1917 he had a letter "A: added to his service number. On 25th May 1917 he took sick and was hospitalised in France. He rejoined his unit in France on 19/1/1918. On 5th April 1918 Private Albert Edward Shepherdson was killed in action near Dernacourt in France. He was buried at the time in the Military Cemetery at Dernacourt near the railway line to Albert. His body was never recovered and now his name is on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux. His records stated that there was "No trace of grave".
A point of interest may be to the reader that his personal effects were loaded on to a ship called the SS "Barunga" which left England on 20th June 1918 but was sunk after enemy action on its return voyage to Australia and all personal effects were lost.
Click images to start slideshow.