Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Described on enlisting as 19 years 11 months old (consent form parents); single;
5' 4.5" tall; 135 lbs; Sallow complexion; hazel eyes; light brown hair; Church of England.

Father  Alexander Anderson and Mother _______, 26 Lock Street, St Peters, South Australia.

Served for 2 years in the Senior Cadets; transferred to 78th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces; still serving at time AIF.

14/2/1917       Enlisted in Adelaide

12/7/1917       Father, Alexander Anderson wrote to Army giving consent for his son to join AIF.

16/7/1917       Embarked from Sydney on 'HMAT A16 Port Melbourne'
The HMAT A16 Star of Victoria, later renamed Port Melbourne, weighed 9,152 tonnes with an average cruise speed of 13.5 knots or 25.00 kmph. It was owned by the Commonwealth & Dominion Line Ltd London and leased by the Commonwealth until 2 October 1917.

16/9/1917       Disembarked into Liverpool, England

20/10/1917     Admitted to hospital - 'influenza'

23/10/1917     Admitted to Military Hospital - septic wound, Sutton Veney, England

16/1/1918       Proceeded overseas to France, ex 12th Training Brigade at Codford,
                       via Southampton, England

17/1/1918       Marched in from England, Havre, France
18/1/1918       Marched out to unit

22/1/1918       Taken on Strength into 48th Battalion, France

6/7/1918         Wounded in action, in the field, France
16/7/1918       Invalided to UK, multiple gunshot wounds, Rouen, France
17/7/1918       Admitted to Beaufort War Hospital
                      Gunshot wound to Right Shoulder and Left Thigh, in Bristol, UK

9/12/1918       Return to Australia ex England, per 'HMAT A8 Argyllshire'
22/1/1919       Disembarked

19/3/1919       Discharged from service.

Medals:
Star 1914/15; British War medal (20762); Victory medal (20273).

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  12/9/2014.  Lest we forget.

Alexander Anderson

Many people enlisted in World War 1, many were just average people who did it for many different, and personal reasons. One of these average people who enlisted was a 21 year old from Adelaide named Alexander Anderson. While he may not have been a war hero, returning home to fame and glory, he was still part of the combined effort of the Commonwealth forces. 

Alexander Anderson was born in Adelaide, South Australia on the 17th of March, 1896. He was the son of Alexander Anderson. They resided at 26 Lock St, St Peters, South Australia, until Alexander enlisted in Adelaide in 1917, on the 14th of February. Before enlisting, Anderson had served 2 years in the Senior Cadets and transferred to 78th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces. He and his unit (48th Battalion, 10th Reinforcements) embarked from Sydney on the 16th of July, 1917.

Anderson served on the Western Front under the nominal rank private, until he commenced his returned home on December 9th, 1918, well after the war had finished. He was discharged on 19 March 1919.  He was given a British War Medal, although this was given to everyone who served, and a Victory medal, given for victory in the First World War.

While he may not have returned home a famous, well known and wealthy war hero, with lots of medals for outstanding braverey, enlisting to go to war is proof of bravery enough. Alexander John Anderson may not have had a massive impact on the war, but he and many others who served, is what helped achieve a positive outcome.