Albert Edward SIMMONS

SIMMONS, Albert Edward

Service Number: 2438
Enlisted: 24 March 1915, Enlisted at Keswick, SA
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion
Born: Hallett, South Australia, 19 November 1895
Home Town: Wirrabara, Mount Remarkable, South Australia
Schooling: Mt Bryan East and Jamestown Public Schools, South Australia
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Killed in Action, France, 25 April 1918, aged 22 years
Cemetery: Adelaide Cemetery Villers-Bretonneux
Plot III, Row G, Grave 12, Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide The 50th Battalion Commemorative Cross, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Wirrabara District WW1 Roll of Honour, Wirrabara War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

24 Mar 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2438, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Keswick, SA
23 Jun 1915: Embarked Private, 2438, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide
23 Jun 1915: Involvement Private, 2438, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: ''
16 Aug 1916: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2438, 50th Infantry Battalion, Wounds to the face. Transferred to England on 18 August 1916
25 Apr 1918: Involvement Private, 2438, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2438 awm_unit: 50 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-25

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Biography contributed by Allen Hancock

Albert Edward Simmons

Albert Edward Simmons was born on 19 November 1895 at Mount Bryan East in the mid-north of South Australia, the seventh of ten children of James Simmons and Elizabeth Doyle. The family had a long relationship with the mid-north, Albert’s father having been born at Kanyaka near Hawker in 1857 and married at Kooringa near Burra in 1884. By 1915 the family were living at White Park near Wirrabarra.

Prior to WW1 Albert served in the Jamestown Cadets. He enlisted in the AIF on 24 March 1915 at the age of 19 years and 3 months, as a member of the 7th Reinforcements for the 10th Infantry Battalion. On 23 June 1915 he departed for overseas service from Adelaide on board the troopship Kanowna (A61). The exact date of the Kanowna’s arrival at Alexandria is uncertain but after discharging her 1,100 troops the ship continued to England where it was converted to a hospital ship.

Albert left Alexandria on 11 September 1915 on board the troopship Kingstonian and landed at Gallipoli on 17 September. After the Battle of Lone Pine, the previous month the situation on Gallipoli was in a state of stalemate with winter quickly approaching. On 16 November the battalion was embarked for Lemnos where it remained until after the withdrawal of ANZAC troops from Gallipoli in December. On 29 December 1915 Albert arrived once again in Alexandria.

The battalion’s losses on Gallipoli had been heavy – 711 casualties were reported in the battalion between April and September 1915 – and the AIF underwent a period of reorganisation as it was expanded in preparation for its deployment to the European battlefield. As a part of this process, the 10th Battalion provided a cadre of experienced personnel to the newly raised 50th Battalion, which was assigned to the 13th Brigade, 4th Division, and was brought up to strength with fresh recruits from Australia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Battalion_(Australia)  

Albert was among those members of the 10th Battalion who were transferred to the 50th Battalion.

After arriving in France on 11 June 1916, the battalion was committed to the fighting, moving up to front on 28 June. Its first major action came during the Battle of Mouquet Farm during August and September, during which the 50th suffered over 400 casualties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50th_Battalion_(Australia)

On 14 August 1916 Albert Simmons received a gunshot wound to his face resulting in his evacuation aboard the hospital ship Panama to England where he was treated at the London General Hospital. He was later transferred to Perham Downs for convalescence. Albert’s older brother, John was also wounded near Mouquet Farm and the two brothers spent time concurrently at Perham Downs until John was transferred to Codford.

Albert was able to rejoin his unit in France on 3 November 1917.

In early 1918, the 50th  Battalion undertook a defensive role south of the Ancre, helping to repulse the German spring offensive, a major German offensive that was launched on the Western Front following the collapse of Russia. In early April, the battalion took part in the Second Battle of Dernancourt. Later that month, on the morning of 24/25 April 1918—Anzac Day—the battalion took part in an Allied counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux, in Belgium. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50th_Battalion_(Australia)

Albert Edward Simmons was killed on 25 April during the attack on Villers-Brettoneux and was buried in the field about 500 yards south of the village. After the war his remained were exhumed and interred at the Adelaide Cemetery at Villers Brettoneux.

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