Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

NOK: Mother, Mrs Elizabeth Betterman, Kapunda PO, Kapunda, South Australia

Wounded in Action GSW 22 October 1917

Wounded second occasion 28 March 1918

Invalided to Australia 15 September 1918

Albert was the son of John Henry BETTERMAN & Elizabeth Jane WALLACE and was born on the 17th of July 1890 in Kapunda, SA.

His parents were married on the 3rd of October 1883 in Kapunda, SA.

His father was the son of Johann Heinrich BETTERMAN & Jane BIGGIN and was born on the 20th of April 1859 in Greenock, SA.
His mother was the daughter of James Kelly WALLACE & Jane ASHTON and was born on the 19th of May 1865 in Streaky Bay, SA.

Albert was the fifth child born into the family of 13 children.

His father was a wood carter and they lived in Gray Street, Kapunda.

Albert was educated in Kapunda and after he finished school he gained employment as a labourer.

On the 2nd of November 1915 his brother William enlisted into the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 14th Reinforcement and embarked on the 10th of February 1916.

At the age of 25, Albert enlist into the AIF on the 2nd of May 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 2128 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp. Albert was then posted to the 48th Battalion, 4th Reinforcements on the 26th of May.

He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Ballarat on the 12th of August 1916, disembarking in Devonport, England and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Perham Downs.
He served in France and was wounded twice before embarking from England on the 15th of September 1918 on board HT Arawa and disembarking in Melbourne on the 18th of November and then entrained to Adelaide.

Albert was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 23rd of December 1918.

In 1923 he was living in Morgan and then by 1925 he was living in Melbourne Place, Alberton and was a labourer.

By 1939 he was living with his brother Clarence at 12 Chapel Street, Thebarton and was employed as a labourer.

With the outbreak of WW2 Alberts youngest brothers enlisted; Edward on the 7th of May 1941 (SX12630) & Stanley on the 18th of March 1942 (SX18028).

By 1946 he had moved to 24 Young Street, Parkside and then 186 Morphett Street, Adelaide in 1948.

Albert died on the 18th of April 1957 and was buried 2 days later in the Kapunda Public Cemetery; Old Section, Row F, Plot 43C.

Military

At the age of 25, Albert enlist into the AIF on the 2nd of May 1916 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 2128 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, of Gray Street, Kapunda as his next of kin.

Albert was then posted to the 48th Battalion, 4th Reinforcements on the 26th of May.

He embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Ballarat on the 12th of August 1916, disembarking in Devonport, England and marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Perham Downs.

Albert proceeded to France on the 4th of December 1916 on board SS Princess Victoria and 2 weeks later he was admitted into the 20th General Hospital in Camiers suffering from Scabies.
He spent Christmas Day 1916 here before being discharged the following day to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD).

On the 19th of January 1917 he was taken on strength with the 48th Battalion who were at Brisbane Camp, near Flers on fatigue duty.

Five days later they moved to Brazentin Camp on the 24th of January where they were employed in railway and road work in the cold and heavy frosts.
They were then moved to Albury Camp where they were employed in the same work before moving into the reserve line on the 9th of February.
Six days later they were relieved and moved to Townsville Camp and the following day they moved into the front line in Bulls Trench.
They remained here for 10 days before being relieved and moved to Becourt Camp.

They then moved to Henecourt Wood on the 1st of March for training and after 3 weeks here they moved to Shelterwood Camp, near Fricourt.
Five days later they moved to Eaucourt-sur-Somme and then on the 1st of April they moved to Biefvillers-les-Bapaume, where they carried out fatigue work.
Seven days later they relieved the 52nd Battalion in the front line at Noreuil and they were then scheduled to attack Bullecourt on the 10th.
In a hastily planned operation, and for the first time on the Western Front, the assault was to proceed without a supporting artillery bombardment. Instead tanks, being used for the first time by the British 5th Army, including the 4th Australian Division, were to lead the attack.

Two of the 4th Division’s Brigades, the 4th and 12th, were to advance to the right of Bullecourt, turn left along the Hindenburg trench system and advance until they linked up with men of the British 62nd Division attacking from the other side of the town.
Both formations were then to push through to the rear of the German defences.
When the tanks failed to reach their start line on the morning of the 10th of April the attack was postponed, leaving Walter and his Battalion lying in the snow covered no-man’s-land to hurry back to their own lines.
Dawn was breaking as they retreated under the eyes of the enemy.

The attack did go ahead the following morning on the 11th of April. Again some of the tanks failed to arrive. Those that did either broke down or were destroyed; just one reached the enemy’s first trench.
Without armoured support, Walter and the Australian infantry achieved what was, until then, considered an impossible feat; breaking into the German trenches without a protective artillery barrage.
Within hours though, they faced annihilation.

Exposed on both flanks, cut off from reinforcements by German artillery fire and at risk of being trapped by Germans working their way to the Australians’ rear, the survivors made a break for their own lines.
Less than ten hours after it began, the assault had ended in failure. Some 3,000 Australians had been killed or wounded and more than 1,100 were taken prisoner.
The following night they moved to Bapaume and then entrained for Albert on the 12th and marched to Fricourt.
They began training here before moving to Henencourt Wood on the 17th to continue training before moving to billets at Millencourt 5 days later.

They then moved to Bailleul on the 16th of May where they were engaged in unloading ammunitions.
Whilst here on the 23rd Walter was found drunk while on active service and awarded 7 days Confined to Camp and fined 2/6.
By June they had moved to Steenwerck and were engaged in digging assembly trenches before moving to La Creche into the front line.
They were in and out of the front line here until the end of June when they moved to Ploegsteert Wood where they were engaged in cable burying and front line rotation.

August was then spent in the front line near the Wambeke River and by the end of August they were at Zuypeene. Then most of September was spent at Greuppe in training before they moved to Ypres.

Their next major battle came at Westhoek & Passchendale Ridge on the 12th of October and it was during this battle that Albert suffered a Gun Sot Wound to his left shoulder and face and was admitted into the 11th Australian Field Ambulance before being transferred the following day to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance at Wippenhoek and then to the 55th General Hospital in Wimereux.

He was then invalided to England and admitted into the 2nd Military Hospital in Old Park, Canterbury on the 20th of October. After 4 weeks here Albert was transferred to the Fort Pitt Military Hospital in Catham on the 22nd of November and then 5 days later he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford.
Albert spent 6 days here before he was discharged to No.3 Command Depot in Hurdcott on the 3rd of December.

Then on the 10th of December he was posted to No.4 Command Depot in Hurdott, where he spent Christmas 1917 before being posted to the Overseas Training Battalion in Longbridge Deverill on the 7th of January 1918.
After 4 weeks here in training he then proceeded to France on the 1st of February and then rejoined his Battalion on the 9th of February at Crater Dugouts and after 5 days here they relieved the 47th Battalion at White Chateau, near Hollebeke.
They were then relieved on the 20th and moved to Murrumbidgee Camp in the Hollebeke sector, before moving to La Clytte 7 days later and then onto Meteran for training.

On the 21st of March 1918, following the collapse of Russia, the Germans launched the "Spring Offensive", a major operation on the Western Front.
Albert and the 48th Battalion were moved to Senlis on the 27th of March and no sooner had they taken up their position here, they were ordered to move forward into the front line.

Then at 4:30am on the 28th of March the enemy attacked in strength and one of their own planes fired on them as they moved up and caused 5 casualties.
One of these casualties was Albert, who suffered a severe Gun Shot Wound to his right shoulder joint and partially fractured the neck of his Humerous.
He was admitted into the 105th Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen the following day.
Albert underwent surgery to remove the bullet on the 30th of March and after being stabilized he was invalided back to England on board HS St David on the 9th of April and admitted into the Southwark Military Hospital, Dulwich Grove.

Albert spent 3 months here before being transferred to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 5th of July.
Three weeks later he was discharged to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth for return to Australia.

Albert embarked from England on the 15th of September 1918 on board HT Arawa and disembarked in Melbourne on the 18th of November and entrained to Adelaide.

Albert was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 23rd of December 1918 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.