KING, Alexander
| Service Numbers: | 2689, 143 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 September 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Reynella, South Australia, January 1873 |
| Home Town: | Woodside, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Reynella Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Veternary dentist |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 6 August 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
Ari Burnu Cemetery, Gallipoli Ari Burnu Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Manoora Institute Supreme Sacrifice Roll, Manoora Pictorial Honour Roll |
Boer War Service
| 5 Feb 1902: | Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 2689, 4th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 17 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 143, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 143, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Armadale embarkation_ship_number: A26 public_note: '' | |
| 16 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 143, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 6 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 143, 9th Light Horse Regiment, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli |
Help us honour Alexander King's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
Lance Corporal Alex King was the son of Mr W King of Morphett Vale and brother of Thomas. Born at Reynella, he spent the greater part of his life at Manoora.
Alex served in the Boer War as a Lance Corporal with C Squadron, 4th Australian Commonwealth Horse (South Australia). When he enlisted at the age of 29 he stated his occupation to be a groom and prospector and his permanent address to be Manoora.
In October 1908 he was awarded a certificate of merit by the Humane Society of New South Wales for his gallantry when the great fire occurred at Block 14 Mine in Broken Hill. He courageously descended the shaft and rescued two miners from certain death.
Alex, now a Veterinary Dentist, enlisted at Morphetville on 17 September 1914 at the age of 41 years 8 months. He was immediately attached to A Squadron, 9th Australian Light Horse. The 9th Light Horse left Mile End by train in October and moved to Broadmeadows Camp in Victoria where they trained until embarking from Victoria Docks on HMAT A26 Armadale on 12 February, 1915. During this time Alex had been promoted to Lance Corporal.
The unit disembarked in Egypt on the 14 March and moved into Mena Camp and then at the end of March moved to a new camp at the Heliopolis Racecourse in Cairo. On 17 May the 9th Light Horse sailed from Alexandria and two days later anchored 1800 yards from the shore of Cape Helles but no troops were landed. Instead the transport ship sailed for Lemnos Island. Two days later, on 21 May, A Squadron embarked from Lemnos on the destroyer HMS Scourge and landed at Anzac Cove under schrapnel fire.
The 9th Light Horse took up a position on Walker’s Ridge. A month after landing at Gallipoli Alex suffered a nervous breakdown and was admitted to No.1 Stationary Hospital on Lemnos Island and the following day transferred to 25th Casualty Clearing Station with rheumatism. Two weeks later, on 6 July, he returned to duty.
On the 6 August, 1915 the 9th Light Horse occupied the trenches and provided covering fire for an assault on the Turkish trenches on the Nek. Alex was killed in action when he received a bullet to the chest. He is buried at Ari Burnu Cemetary, Row E, Grave 12.
Click images to start slideshow.