Albert Ross CALLAGHAN

CALLAGHAN, Albert Ross

Service Number: 5117
Enlisted: 23 December 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 54th Infantry Battalion
Born: Surrey Hills, Sydney, NSW, 21 July 1887
Home Town: Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Public School, Rockdale, New South Wales
Occupation: Sailor
Died: DoW - gas 17/4/1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, Cheltenham Area War Hospital, England, United Kingdom, 26 April 1918, aged 30 years
Cemetery: Cheltenham Cemetery, Prestbury, England
Cheltenham Cemetery (Row M, Grave No. 9223), Glouestershire, Cheltenham Cemetery, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

23 Dec 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5117, 17th Infantry Battalion
5 Jun 1916: Involvement Private, 5117, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: ''
5 Jun 1916: Embarked Private, 5117, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney
12 Oct 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion
26 Apr 1918: Involvement Private, 5117, 54th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5117 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-26

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK

Died on this date - 26th April.......Private Albert Ross Callaghan was born in Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW in 1887. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 23rd December, 1915 as a 28 year old, single, Tailor from Kogarah, Sydney, NSW.

Private Callaghan arrived in England for further training & proceeded from there to France on 30th September, 1916. He was transferred to 54th Battalion on 12th October, 1916.

Private Callaghan was on leave from France from 11 - 21 October, 1917.

On 26th December, 1917 an entry was placed on the “Casualty Form – Active Service: Army Form B. 103” which recorded “Advises this man has never been absent from his Unit.”

Private Callaghan was on leave to UK from 9th March, 1918 & rejoined his Unit on 9th April, 1918.

Private Callaghan was wounded in action - Gassed on 17th April, 1918 at Villers Bretonneux.

The War Diary for 54th Battalion records the following : "At about 4 am the enemy commenced shelling C29B and D. and the village of VILLERS-BRITONNEUX with 8”, 9.9, 4.2 and 77 gas shell. Yellow cross and green cross were used.

At about 10 am men began to feel the effects of the gas and by 5 pm every man in three platoons of D. Company (No. 13, 15, 16.) had been evacuated and the majority of Battalion Head Quarters as well....."

Private Callaghan was invalided to England & admitted to the Cheltenham Area War Hospital where he died on the morning of 26th April, 1918 from the effects of Gas.
Private Albert Ross Callaghan was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, Gloucestershire, England where 9 other WW Australian Soldiers are buried.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/cheltenham.html

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