Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Albion Marshall Perrers was born at Port Lincoln on the 30th of March 1891, the son of William Tardrew Perrers and Margaret, formerly Francis, nee Fertch (SA Birth Registration 476/364). At the time of Albion’s birth, William held the Publicans’ Licence for the Port Lincoln Hotel. In late 1894 the family left Port Lincoln for Adelaide. William passed away in 1897 when Albion was only 16 years old.

Schooling

Albion’s early schooling was at the East Adelaide Public School. In October 1904, he passed his Primary Examinations at East Adelaide and was awarded an Exhibition tenable at the Pupil Teachers’ School (Adelaide High School from 1908).

Albion attended the Pupil Teachers’ School from 1905. He passed his Junior Examinations in 1905, three subjects in the Senior Examinations in 1906 and a further three subjects in the Senior Examinations together with two subjects in the Higher Public Examinations in 1907. He had also passed Intermediate Plane Geometry at the Arts and Science Examinations in July 1905.

While at Pupil Teachers’ School, Albion was a member of the League of the Empire (a group with the aim of inculcating patriotic feelings).

Albion played cricket for East Adelaide Avenue in East Torrens Junior Association in the 1907/08 season.

Early Career

Albion was appointed a Provisional Teacher at Nangkita (near Mt Compass) in August 1908, but in October 1908, he was appointed as monitor back in the city at Parkside. In May 1909, Albion visited to Nangkita and sang at the monthly meeting of the Band of Hope.

During the 1909/10 cricket season, Albion played for Wesley in the East Torrens Association. In April 1910 Albion was appointed a Provisional Teacher at Thebarton. He played cricket for St Peters in the Adelaide and Suburban Association in the 1910/11 to 1912/13 seasons.

In December 1910 Albion joined the committee of the Adelaide High School Old Scholars’ Association. In 1912, Albion played football for St Bartholomew’s in the South Australian Amateur League.

University

Albion commenced studying toward a Bachelor of Science in 1912. He was at Adelaide University from 1912 to 1914. Albion gained a Division I pass in mathematics in 1912 and Division III passes in pure mathematics and compulsory chemistry in 1914.

In November 1912, Albion won a position in the Federal Public Service and was appointed a clerk in the meteorological branch of the Home Affairs Department.

University Sport

Football
Albion commenced his football career with the Adelaide University playing a pre-season match against North Adelaide in April 1913. He played the 1913 season for University A Grade in the Amateur League.

Cricket
Albion Perrers played at least three A Grade games and three B Grade games for Adelaide University in the 1913/1914 season. His best batting performances was an innings of 22 in A Grade in January 1914. University compiled a good score against East Torrens, who were the leading of the SACA competition (Premiers five times in the last six seasons and went on to win it again in the 1913/14 season). On a “soft wicket”, Perrers partnered Northey in a fine tail end partnership which helped take the score to a very respectable total. After Perrers had hit one of the bowlers for three fours in an over it forced a change in the bowling.

Unfortunately, during the second week of the game, East Torrens had little trouble passing the students score, with Ernie Mayne a State and Test batsmen, who was at the height of his career (4 Tests and 141 State), blasting 254 not out, the highest score by any batsman that season.

Albion had been promoted from B Grade in late December after playing the first few matches of the season in the B Grade. His promotion came mainly because of player unavailability during the University holidays. He held his place in the team until the better players returned at the start of the academic year.

Post University

Albion does not appear to have continued with his University studies after 1914 and returned to his old club, playing cricket for St Peters in the Adelaide and Suburban competition in the 1914/15 season.

In March 1916, Albion passed the Federal Government Junior Assistant Engineers examinations for the Post Master’s General Department (PMG).

World War I

On the 2nd of October 1916, Albion enlisted with SN 34320. He was an Electrical Engineer, aged 25½ and his mother, of Norah St, Maylands, was listed as his next of kin. He was described as 5’ 7”, 129 lbs, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. He was appointed a private and attended Musketry School.

Albion embarked from Melbourne on the 11th of May 1917 onboard the HMAT A11 Ascanius and disembarked at Devonport, England on the 20th of July 1917. He first went to the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery School at Larkhill.

Albion proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 5th of September 1917 and was taken on strength with the 2nd Field Artillery Battalion. Albion was an acting Bombardier with the 5th Battery in Belgium and on the 30th of October 1917 he was gassed. He was repatriated to the Norfolk War Hospital in England on 7th of November 1917.

On the 23rd of February 1918, Albion returned to active service in France and on the 24th of August 1918, he was taken on to the staff of the 1st DA Headquarters, France. Tragically, on the 19th of March 1918, Albion’s elder brother, Sapper Harry Cudmore Barker Perrers, died of wounds (aged 35) and was buried Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension, Bailleul, France.

In 1919, Albion was promoted to ER Corporal and then ER Sergeant while on Educational Services at Tidsworth. He embarked for Australia on the 20th of June 1919 on-board the HT ‘Kronig Frederick August’ arriving in Adelaide on the 6th of August 1919. Albion was discharged on the 6th of September 1919.

Post War Career & Family Life

On returning from the war Albion would have returned to his employment with the PMG.

Albion recommenced playing cricket and was with St Luke in the Adelaide and Suburban competition in the 1919/20 season and by the 1922/23 season he was playing for the Kensington Oval Club.

On the 17th of October 1925, Albion Marshall Perrers (aged 34) married Gladys Taylor Heath (aged 29), the daughter of Mr & Mrs John Heath, at Christ Church, Kadina. In May 1926 the couple attended the St Peters Masonic Lodge Ball. They had a son, Brian Cudmore Perrers who was born in 1927 and a daughter, Margaret “Meg”, born in January 1930.

Albion was actively involved in returned soldier’s activities. He was on the committee for the 10th and 48th Battalion Club in 1928. He assisted at the TB Soldiers Annual Dinners in 1928 and 1930. In 1934 he was a Vice-President of the A.I.F. Artillery Club.

Albion returned to Adelaide University in 1929, passing second year Physics. By 1930 Albion and Gladys were living at 11 Ellesmere St, Kensington Pk. In December 1911 Albion presented a prize at the AHS annual speech night.

In September 1936, Albion and Gladys sold their household furniture in preparation for their move to Queensland. Albion had been promoted to the role of Divisional Engineer, PMG, Rockhampton. On arrival in Rockhampton, the family stayed at the Commercial Hotel for about a month before moving into a house on Private Street. In February 1938 Albion travelled to Mackay to help resolve telephone issues caused by a storm.

In June 1938 Albion visited Aramac in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland on PMG business. In September 1939 he reported on the likelihood of extending telephone services to the Yeppoon Road area of Rockhampton.

During WWII Albion was involved in training the Women’s National Emergency Legion in Morse Code and was Officer on Charge of the Post Office Volunteer Defence Corps at Rockhampton.

Albion was in charge of the line sections of the rollout of a new telephone exchange at Rockhampton which opened in November 1940.

World War II

On the 17th of June 1942, Albion enlisted with Service Number Q155025, he held the rank of Captain and was discharged on the 17th of January 1945. Further details of his WWII service are not yet publically available (at time of writing).

Note: Since the writing of the document Albion's WWII record is available at
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4857079

Albion's WWII service was with the Line of Communications Signals at Rockhampton, QLD.

By 1943, Albion and Gladys were living at 187 Quarry Street, Rockhampton.

Post WW II

While at Rockhampton Albion set up a linesmen’s training school as part of a scheme to assist in the rehabilitation of ex-servicemen and by September 1949, more than 50 men had passed through the school.

The couple moved from Rockhampton to Brisbane in October 1948 when Albion was appointed assistant supervising engineer in Brisbane. They took up residence at Milson St, Coorparoo.

In June 1953, Albion was awarded a Coronation Medal. By 1954 Albion and Gladys were living at Ray Street, Wilston, Brisbane. Living with them were Brian Cudmore Perrers (student), Margaret Perrers (physiotherapist) and Lucy Amelia Margaret Perrers (Albion’s sister, born 1887).

Death

Albion Marshall Perrers passed away on the 30th of April 1955, aged 64, in Queensland. His widow, Gladys Taylor Perrers died on the 4th of December 1962 aged 66.

Family Legacy

In November 1954, Margaret became engaged to Laurence Aspinall, the younger son of Mrs F.A. Aspinall of Sydney and the late Mr A.R. Aspinall. Margaret died in Brisbane in 2020 aged 90.

Brain qualified as a veterinary surgeon. He died in Brisbane in 2012 aged 85.