ALFORD, William James
| Service Number: | 2301 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps |
| Born: | Maffra, Victoria, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Maffra, Wellington, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Maffra Primary |
| Occupation: | Butter packer |
| Died: | Heidelberg, victoria, 16 June 1952, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Warringal Cemetery, Victoria Died in Heidelberg Repat |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 2301, 4th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Itria embarkation_ship_number: A53 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 2301, 4th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Itria, Melbourne | |
| 29 May 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2301, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Egypt and Palestine - Light Horse and AFC Operations, Taken on strength of 1st Light Horse Training Regiment, Tel el Kebir, 29 May 1916. | |
| 1 Jul 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps, 14th Company | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 3 Battalion Imperial Camel Corps, Admitted to No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, Tel el Kebir, 20 July 1916 (diarrhoea); discharged, 22 July 1916, and rejoined unit the same day. |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Steve Larkins
William James ALFORD
William James ALFORD was born in Maffra, Victoria, the son of James Robert Alford. By the time war broke out the family were living in Yarram in Gippsland.
William enlisted into the 4th Light Horse Regiment in Melbourne on 14 January 1916 and embarked with the unit from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A53 Itria on 18 April 1916.
On arrival 'in theatre' it was usual for newly arrived troops to be inducted through preparatory training to familiarise them with procedures, tactics and routines they would use when deployed with their units.
Accordingly William was 'taken on strength' of 1st Light Horse Training Regiment, Tel el Kebir, 29 May 1916.
At about that time, it was decided to raise the Camel Corps becasue those animals fare better in the deep sand of the Sinai Peninsula than horses. William transferred to the Camel Corps, 1 July 1916, and taken on strength of 14th Company, Imperial Camel Corps, Abbassia, the same day.
His service record provides a very complete history of mainly medical events. It is necessary to consult unit diaries to gain an understanding of operations he would heve been engaged in. Not long after getting used to looking at the world from atop a camel, William was admitted to No 2 Australian Stationary Hospital, Tel el Kebir, 20 July 1916 with diarrhoea; discharged, 22 July 1916, and rejoined unit the same day.
After completing initial training he was taken on strength of 3rd Anzac Bn, Imperial Camel Corps, 1 November 1916.
He was subsequently detached to Imperial Camel Corps Bde Headquarters, 26 December 1916.
Another bout of minor medical issues beset William , and he was admitted to Imperial Camel Corps Field Ambulance, 13 June 1917 (septic sores); transferred to New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance, 16 June 1917; to No 2 Light Horse Field Ambulance, 16 June 1917; discharged, 28 June 1917, and rejoined unit the same day.
Further maladies followed and William was admitted to No 21 Casualty Clearing Station, 7 December 1917 with scabies and transferred to No 26 Casualty Clearing Station, 8 December 1917; discharged, 13 December 1917; marched into Australian Base Depot Company, Abbassia, 14 December 1917.
He proceeded to unit, 20 December 1917; rejoined unit, 22 December 1917.
Admitted to No 2 Australian Field Ambulance, Moascar, 8 March 1918 (otitis media); discharged, 27 March 1918, and marched into Australian Base Depot Company, Abbassia, the same day.
He proceeded to and rejoined his unit, at Serapeum, 3 June 1918.
Transferred to, and taken on strength of 15th Light Horse, 6 July 1918.
A more serious event occurred when on 19 September 1918 he was Wounded in Action (WIA), He is recorded as having been admitted to No 26 Casualty Clearing Station on 20 September 1918 with a gunshot wound, right arm; transferred to No 47 Stationary Hospital, 21 September 1918; to No 44 Stationary Hospital, 26 September 1918; to No 14 Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 28 September 1918; to Rest Camp, Port Said, 4 November 1918; to No 14 Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 5 November 1918; to Rest Camp, Port Said, 13 December 1918; marched into 5th Light Horse Training Regiment, Moascar, 27 December 1918.
Fightng had ended in the Middle East in late October but William was still recuperating from his wounds
He eventually returned to his unit on 5 January 1919.
The Light Horse were used in suppressing a revolt in Egypt in early 1919, but the repatriation process was also underway. William began his return to Australia from Kantara on board HT 'Dongola', 26 July 1919; admitted to Ship's Hospital, 14 August 1919; discharged, 16 August 1919; disembarked Melbourne, 28 August 1919; discharged Melbourne (termination of period of enlistment), 17 October 1919.
Compiled by Steve Larkins May 2019
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