ALDERTON, Edwin Thomas
| Service Number: | 6457 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 May 1916, Sydney, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | North Sydney, SW, 1886 |
| Home Town: | North Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tram Driver |
| Died: | Accidental (Injuries), France, 28 August 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France VII A 35, Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, Daours, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, North Sydney Tramways Pictorial Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 10 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6457, 1st Infantry Battalion, Sydney, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 6457, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 6457, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 28 Aug 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 6457, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6457 awm_unit: 1 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-08-28 |
Great Sydney Central Honour Board
Edwin Thomas ALDERTON, (Service Number 6457) born in 1886 in North Sydney, joined the Tramways in 1909 as a conductor, and became an acting electric tram driver in May 1916, but was released from duty and joined the AIF the same month.
Embarked from Sydney in October he was sent via England to France, where he joined his unit in February 1917. He had a fortnight’s leave in England in February 1918, was wounded in action in April but only off duty for a day, was appointed Lance Corporal in June, given ten days rest in August, but accidentally seriously injured after re-joining his battalion on 28 August. ‘Alderton was playing cards with others… One of the [other] men picked up a small German shell that was lying near, and went to throw it away. He must have knocked it, as it exploded in his hand wounding L/Cpl Alderton and two others.’ Alderton died the same day at a Casualty Clearing Station. He was buried at Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, 2¾ miles W of Corbie.
(NAA B2455-3024271)
Submitted 9 May 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Husband of Mrs C U Alderton, c/o Mrs F E Smeal, Cambridge Street, Willoughby, New South Wales
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