Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

VX141261 Allan Nicholson was born on the 25 April 1925 in Carlton, Victoria, to unknown parents. It appears he may have grown up in the Sutherland Homes for Children, as his NOK on enlistment was Ada Wenborn, one of the superintendents there. A labourer by trade, we was working on farms in the Quantong area, when he enlisted on his 17th/18th birthday (sources differ) on the 25 April 1942, and served under three service numbers. V325368, V507362, and VX141261.
A year later, he transferred over to the AIF from the CMF, where he was serving with the 23 Australian Infantry Training Battalion in NSW. After his transfer from the CMF, he continued to serve with them, until his discharge.
He was discharged on the 24 January 1944 as medically unfit due to acute nephritis (which had a hand in his death). In all, Allan had served less than a year, making this his full entitlement. In 1950 he married Marion Margaret Hill. His occupation in his marriage certificate was given as a hairdresser. Both Allan’s and his wife’s parents are listed as unknown, and their permanent address was given as the same: A hotel in Carlton. Tracking Allan through various electoral rolls, his occupation is given as a cleaner. It appears his wife left him sometime between 1972 and 1974, where she disappears off the electoral rolls.
Allan died in Hospital in Footscray on the 14 October 1988, aged 63 years. His death certificate is quite bare on details of his life, as it appears no one knew him that well. The informant being a police officer. His address listed was a unit in a public housing tower. The main cause of death was debility and kidney failure, which he had been suffering for 40 years.
Allan’s body remained unclaimed, and he was buried in December 1988 in an unmarked public grave at Fawkner Cemetery. A death certificate was not filed until January 1989.