Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert Ernest Moroney was born in 1885 at Fitzroy VIC, the eldest of 4 children born to his parents Patrick and Bertha Moroney.  He had a brother William and 2 sisters Agnes and Margaret but sadly Margaret died in infancy. 

On 21st November 1908 Albert married Marion Genevieve James and they welcomed 4 children…Phyllis 1909, Agnes 1911, Olive 1914 and Harold 1920.  At some point the family moved to Queensland and Albert worked as a miner at the Mt Morgan Gold Mine. 

Prior to WW1 Albert served with the 5th Infantry Battalion for 3 years and with the 13th Australian Medical Corps for 2 years. 

On 21st August 1914 Albert enlisted in the AIF at Mt Morgan QLD aged 30.  He’s described as being 5ft 8ins tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.  His service number was 58, his rank Driver and he was assigned to the 3rd Field Ambulance, A Section. 

Having completed his training at Enoggera Camp in Brisbane, Albert and the 3rd Field Ambulance (3rd FA) embarked from Brisbane on 25th September 1914 on HMAT Rangatira and sailed with the first convoy from Albany WA on 1st November 1914.  He arrived in Alexandria Egypt on 9th December and proceeded to Mena Camp just outside Cairo.  He remained there till 3rd March 1915 when he, together with the 3rd FA, embarked from Alexandria on HMAT Malda, anchoring in Mudros Bay off Lemnos Island 3 days later.  In mid-March he was attached briefly to the 1st Field Ambulance. 

In early April 1915, in preparation for the landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the Bearer Division of the 3rd FA with 3 Officers…Captains Conrick, (A Section), Fry (B Section) and McWhae (C Section)…plus 114 ranks, transhipped to HMT Ionian.  On the 19th April they transhipped to HMT Suffolk then on the 21st, Captain Conrick fell ill so Captain Buchanan replaced him to take command of A Section.  On the 24th April the unit transhipped to the HMAT Devanha and then to the Destroyer HMS Ribble which arrived off shore of Anzac Cove in the early hours of the 25th.  The unit disembarked into row boats and went ashore under heavy fire at 4.30am with the first wave landing just north of Anzac Cove.  The following is a quote of Captain Buchanan’s from an article called “The Landing”: 

“I don’t know what it was, shrapnel, maxim or rifle fire - I was frightened to look, but I was never so frightened in my life as when I had to stand up in the bow to dominate the men (to keep rowing)... I could feel the damned things hitting me all the time in my imagination, while we couldn’t see the other boats for the spouts of spray all around, and the men hit yelped and then whined and clawed the air as they died.”

Albert remained at Gallipoli until November 1915 when he proceeded to Mex Camp at Alexandria Egypt and then transferred to Maadi Camp outside Cairo in late November.  He re-joined his unit at Tel-el-Kebir Camp in mid-January 1916 and remained there till 26th March 1916 when he embarked with a party of 40 from Alexandria on HTS Maryland bound for France.  He disembarked at Marseilles on 2nd April 1916.  The unit moved throughout northern France and by early December 1916 were at Bernafay Wood.  It was here that Albert was admitted to hospital with bursitis of the left knee and transferred to the 26th Casualty Clearing Station on 15th December 1916.  The next he was transferred to the 25th Hospital Train and admitted to 1st General Hospital at Etretat the following day.  He remained there for 3 days before being evacuated to England on the hospital ship HMHS Glenart Castle.  He was admitted to Royal Herbert Hospital initially then transferred to King Edward Memorial Hospital at Ealing UK.  He was discharged from there on 11th January 1917 and went on leave till 26th January 1917. 

On 27th January 1917 Albert proceeded to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs Camp at Tidworth on the Salisbury Plain and then 2 days later to the Australian Medical Corps Training Depot at Parkhouse Camp at Hampshire.  In early February he proceeded to Machine Gun Company at Grantham and was there for a month before proceeding to 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp at Wiltshire in early March 1917.  Two months later he was detached for duty to No. 4 Camp at Parkhouse Camp.  In late June 1917 he proceeded to No. 2 Command Depot at Monte Video Camp at Weymouth then to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs Camp at Tidworth in mid-August 1917.  He was granted an early return to Australia for having enlisted in 1914 and embarked from England on HMAT Borda on 26th September 1917.  He disembarked at Melbourne VIC on 21st November 1917…his 9th wedding anniversary.  He proceeded to Queensland the following day and was discharged from the service on 22nd December 1917. 

Albert’s brother William also served in WW1 and was awarded the Military Medal in 1918. 

Albert passed away on 27th November 1931 aged 46, just 6 days after his 23rd wedding anniversary.  He is commemorated on the Mt Morgan Gold Mining Company Honour Roll.

Albert Ernest Moroney was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.   

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 8th March 2023.