Batters, Alfred
No.3612 – Private Alfred Batters – 51st Battalion AIF
Alfred Batters was born in London England in 1873. Much of his early life is unknown but he did serve in the East Surrey Regiment prior to arriving in Australia. On arrival in Western Australia he took up work as a cook and was working as such when he enlisted into the AIF on the 13th January 1917. Even though Alfred was 44 years old he was accepted into the AIF. The medical examiner found him to be 5 feet 5 & ½ inches in height; chest measurement of 34-36 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
After a period of time spent in depot service, Alfred was allotted to the 10th Reinforcements to the 51st battalion. This group embarked at Fremantle on the 29th June 1917 aboard the H.M.A.T. “Borda”. After arriving in England in August, Alfred marched into the 13th Training Battalion Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains with his reinforcement group.
Alfred went AWOL from Codford in November 1917 and when he returned, he was given 7 days of Field Punishment No.2 and forfeited 9 days pay. In 1918 Alfred racked up further offences for drunkenness, failing in his duty as instructed, and failure to attend the defaulter’s parade.
It seems that after arrival in England, Alfred’s health continued to go downhill so he was never sent to active service in France. He was given duty at Codford & Hurdcott Camps through 1918. In December 1918 Alfred was shipped home on the “Somali”, reaching Fremantle on the 21st January 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 28th February 1919.
Alfred was admitted to hospital with his health complaints, and he died on the 4th June 1919 at the Artillery Barracks hospital at Burt Street Fremantle, the official cause of death being Cardiac failure and dropsy. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery Plot .CE.AA.1605.
His next of kin was his sister, a Mrs. E.E. Grimshaw of Balham London England, as Alfred had no relatives in Australia.