Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

World War 1 was a global war that originated from Europe and lasted from the 28th of July 1914 to the 11th of November 1918. The spark that ignited World War 1 was lit in Sarajevo, Bosnia, the place where Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was shot to death by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on The 28th of June 1914. The conflict fought during World War 1 was mainly between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire) and the Allied Powers (Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States). At the end of the war the Allied Powers came out victorious but by that time More than 16 million people, both soldiers and civilians, were dead.

Frederick George Sydney Alexander was given birth to on the 15th of December 1890. He was raised by his parents Joseph Alexander and Anna Maria Nee Ripley, in Adelaide, South Australia, a small city where he spent most of his life living in. He married his wife, Elizabeth Ann Alexander, in his mid-twenties and worked as a traveller to support his family. Frederick and his wife Elizabeth lived in a small home located at 3 Symons place, Adelaide, S.A. Frederick had no prior military service that was recorded and lived a rather peaceful life.

Frederick enlisted into the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) on the 9th of May 1917 in Adelaide, South Australia at the age of 28 and a half. He was a well-built man being 5 foot 10 with no past illnesses and therefore was accepted without hesitation. Although there is no certain reason to why Frederick enlisted into the AIF, the most plausible theory is that he needed the money. His occupation as a traveller did not earn much money and joining the AIF could’ve been his only choice.

When Frederick was accepted into the AIF he travelled to Melbourne, Victoria and embarked on the 28th of February 1918, 9 months before the war ended. The name of the ship that he embarked on was the HMAT A71 Nestor and headed towards Egypt where he joined the 46th battalion. The 46th battalion was considered as the ‘baby’ group that branched off the 14th battalion and was raised in Egypt. It was formed by transferring 50% of experienced officers, NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) and other men and supplementing them with reinforcements from Australia. After serving for a total of 18 months, Frederick was discharged and returned to Australia on the 23rd of November 1918.

When Frederick was discharged from the AIF he made his way to Adelaide to reunite with his wife and they lived together until he was once again called upon to serve his country in the 1939 to 1945 war, otherwise known as the Second World War. In the end, Frederick died on the 26th of February 1942 at the age of 51 because of natural causes, he died at Ascot Park, Adelaide SA and was buried at West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Son of Joseph ALEXANDER and Anna Maria nee RIPLEY

AKA GEORGE SYDNEY ALEXANDER