BRUHN, Walter Gustav
| Service Number: | 3520 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 May 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Morgan, South Australia, 13 May 1890 |
| Home Town: | Waterloo, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Morgan Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Illness, United Kingdom, 31 March 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Melcombe Regis Cemetery, Dorset, England Grave No. 2592, Plot III, Section C |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Burra District WW1 Honor Roll, Burra Fallen Soldiers Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 9 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3520, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 3520, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 3520, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Walter Gustav Bruhn (1890-1917) was an ANZAC soldier, born on the 13th of May, 1890, in Morgan, South Australia. Educated at Morgan public school, he lived his life as a Blacksmith, and enlisted in the great war on the 9th of May 1916, at the age of 26. He had embarked as a part of the 8th reinforcement in the 32nd Battalion, on the 12th of August 1916, on the HMAT 170 Ballarat. He had finished his military career in the private rank, before passing away less than a year after his enlistment. He was pronounced dead as of the 31st of March, 1917, due to disease (Tubercle of lung and pneumothorax), in the Sydney Hall Military Hospital, England. He was then later buried at Melcombe Regis Cemetery (Plot III, Row C, Grave no.2592), on the 3rd of April that same year.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 31st March…… Walter Gustav Bruhn was born on 13th May, 1890 in South Australia.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 9th May, 1916 as a 26 year old, single, Blacksmith from Waterloo, South Australia.
Private Walter Gustav Bruhn, Service number 3520, embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Ballarat (A70) on 12th August, 1916 with the 8th Infantry Brigade, 32nd Infantry Battalion, 8th Reinforcements & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 30th September, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 30th September, 1916 Private Bruhn was admitted sick (slight) to Military Hospital at Devonport & was discharged to Perham Downs on 5th October, 1916.
He was taken on strength of No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 7th October, 1916 & medically classified as C1 (permanently unfit for General Service but fit for Home Service). He transferred & taken on strength of 8th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 9th October, 1916.
Private Walter G. Bruhn was taken to Camp Hospital at Codford on 12th November, 1916 & was admitted to Codford Group Clearing Hospital, Wiltshire, England on 13th November, 1916 with Mumps. He was discharged on 22nd November, 1916.
On 23rd November, 1916 Private Bruhn was marched in to 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 23rd November, 1916.
A Medical Report was completed on Private Walter Gustive Bruhn on 29th January, 1917 at No. 8 Training Battalion, Hurdcott, Wiltshire. The disability was recorded as “Recurrent Hernia left side”. The Officer in charge of the Medical case recommended Private Bruhn be classed as C3 (Permanently unfit for Service) & have a change to Australia. The Medical Board decided on 26th February, 1917 that Private Walter Bruhn be discharged as permanently unfit.
He was marched in to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, Dorset, England on 15th March, 1917 from Hurdcott. He was admitted to Camp Hospital at Monte Video, Dorset on 18th March, 1917 seriously ill. Private Bruhn was transferred to Sidney Hall Hospital at Weymouth on 21st March, 1917.
On 21st March, 1917 Private Bruhn was admitted to Weymouth (Sidney Hall) Military Hospital, Dorset, England. The Hospital Admissions form recorded “Both lungs extensively involved with tubercle, Pneumothorax on L side. Treated with stimulants & oxygen. Died of cardiac failure.”
Private Walter G. Bruhn died at 6.55 pm on 31st March, 1917 at Sydney Hall Military Hospital, Weymouth, Dorset, England from Tubercle of Lung & Pneumothorax.
He was buried in Melcombe Regis Cemetery, Weymouth, Dorset, England where 82 other WW Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/a---c.html
(Note: The age of 18 engraved on CWGC headstone is wrong – age should be 26. CWGC were advised at the time of researching – March, 2023)
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