Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Oscar was the son of Johan LINDER & Emilia Augusta SANDSTROM and was born on the 1st of December 1886 in Gävle, Gävleborg, Sweden.

His parents were married on the 28th of December 1887 in Gävle, Gävleborg, Sweden.

His father was born on the 27th of March 1859 in Björklinge, Uppsala, Sweden.
His mother was the daughter of Svante Fredriksson SANDSTROM & Catharina Elisabet LINGREN and was born on the 25th of January 1861 in Gadö, Valbo, Gävleborg, Sweden.

Oscar was the second child born into the family of 8 children.

Oscar immigrated to South Australia on the 8th of April 1908, disembarking in Pt Pirie.

He moved to Snowtown and gained employment as a farm hand.

On the 16th of March 1916 Oscar received his Certificate of Naturalization; 23326.

The following day, aged 29, Oscar enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 17th of March 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 241 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He was then transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company (MGC), 2nd Reinforcements on the 14th of April and entrained to Melbourne on the 29th of April.

Oscar embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on the 4th of May 1916.
He served in France for 3 years and suffered from illness and was wounded.

Oscar embarked from England on the 5th of July 1919 on board HT Port Melbourne, disembarking in Adelaide on the 18th of August.

Oscar was discharged from the AIF on the 2nd of October 1919.

Unfortunately research has not been able to establish what Oscar did after he returned from the war, but he never married and later moved to Brinkworth.

Oscar died on the 20th of November 1933 and was buried the following day in the Brinkworth Cemetery; Plot 128.

Military

At the age of 29, Oscar enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 17th of March 1916 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 241 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Mitcham Camp.
He listed his mother, of Steneberg, Jefle, Sweden, as his next of kin.

He was then transferred to the 8th Machine Gun Company (MGC), 2nd Reinforcements on the 14th of April and entrained to Melbourne on the 29th of April.

Oscar embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on the 4th of May 1916, disembarking in Egypt on the 10th of June.
After 7 weeks training he embarked from Alexandria for England on the 2nd of August and marched into No.5 Detail Company in Parkhouse.
On the 22nd of September he was posted to the Machine Gun Training Depot at Belton Park, near Grantham, where he spent the next 9 weeks training.

Oscar proceeded to France on the 1st of December 1916, disembarking in Boulogne and marched into the Machine Gun Base Depot in Camiers on the 3rd.

On the 16th of December he was taken on strength with the 8th Machine Gun Company at Montauban Camp, who were part of the 8th Brigade, 5th Division.
Four days later they entrained for Dernancourt where they spent Christmas before marching to Rainneville, via Franvillers, for 8 days of training.
They then moved to Adelaide Camp at Montauban before relieving the 6th Machine Gun Company in front line support near Montauban.

In February they moved to Fricourt Camp before moving to E Camp at Bernafay and co operated with the 14th Infantry Brigade in minor operations before relieving the 15th MGC in front line support.
They spent March here, rotating in front line support, before moving to Bapaume in April where they were temporarily attached to the 2nd Division and engaged in Anti Aircraft duty and training.

They then supported the 2nd Division in the attack on the Hindenburg Line in May before moving back to Bapaume for training.
In late June they were engage in Anti Aircraft duty at Albert before moving onto Senlis for further training.

They then moved to Henencourt for practice operations for 2 weeks before returning to Senlis and then moving to Racquinghem for all of August and continued training.
On the 11th of September they embussed for Chateau Segard where they were in support of the front line. They were then heavily engaged at Polygon Wood from the 26th – 29th, sustaining significant numbers of casualties in the process.

They were still in this area in October and on the 21st of October Oscar was admitted into the 8th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Rheumatism and was transferred to 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Siding.
Oscar spent 6 days here before being discharged back to his Company.

Two weeks later they had moved to Dallington Camp and whilst here on the 8th of November, Oscar suffered from Scabies and was admitted into the 8th Australian Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 50th Casualty Clearing Station at Mont des Cats.
On the 11th he was transferred to the 25th General Hospital at Wiesdorf and after 3 weeks was discharged to base depot before rejoining his Company on the 11th of December in the Messines sector.

They then moved to Desvres where they spent Christmas 1917 and trained in gas drill and barrage training in January.
By Marched they had moved to near Messines Ridge and on the 9th Oscar suffered from Scabies again and was admitted into the 14th Australian Filed Ambulance at Dranoutre for 6 days.

Oscar had only rejoined his Company and the following day, the 16th of March, the 8th Machine Gun Company was absorbed into the 5th Australian Machine Gun Battalion.

Three days later, Oscar suffered from Seborrhoea on the 19th of March and was admitted into the 7th Australian Field Ambulance in the 5th Dressing Station at Westhoek Farm.
Six days later he was transferred to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station at Outtersteene and then Ambulance Trained to the 9th Canadian Stationary Hospital in Boulogne.
He was discharged from hospital to the 7th convalescent Depot in Marlborough Camp on the 31st of March before being posted to base depot on the 2nd of April and then rejoined his Company on the 16th of April near Villers Bretonneux.

The following day they were subject to a mustard gas attack fired at 4.45am which caught the men in difficulty getting their respirators on in time. Five officers and 28 men became casualties as a result.

By the 24th of April they had moved to Corbie and Oscar suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his buttock and was admitted into the 61st Casualty Clearing Station at Vignacourt before being transferred the following day to the 6th General Hospital in Rouen.
Then on the 2nd of May he was invalided to England and admitted into the Military Hospital in Sutton Veny.
Oscar remained here for 7 weeks before being discharged to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield.
On the 1st of July he was granted 2 weeks furlo and then reported to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny on the 15th.

Oscar was then posted to the Overseas Training Battalion in Longbridge Deverille on the 9th of August and 2 weeks later he was posted to the Machine Gun Training Brigade in Parkhouse.
Oscar then proceeded back to France on the 2nd of October and rejoined his Battalion on the 9th of October near Le Mesnil.

They then moved to Rambures and were here in training when the Armistice was signed on the 11th of November.
They then spent December moving through Busigny and Mazinghien and spent Christmas 1918 in Saint-Remy-Chaussee.
They remained here in training and holding sports and recreation days until they moved into billets at Solre-Saint-Geyr in mid March.

They then moved to Nalinnes on the 7th of April and on the 23rd Oscar marched out, as part of No.41 Quota, for Le Havre.
On the 1st of May Oscar embarked for England and marched into No.5 Group in Weymouth, awaiting his embarkation back to Australia.

Oscar embarked from England on the 5th of July 1919 on board HT Port Melbourne, disembarking in Adelaide on the 18th of August.

Oscar was discharged from the AIF on the 2nd of October 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.