Karlsen, Andrew

No.1369 – Private Andrew Karlsen – 51^st Battalion AIF

Andrew (Andy) Karlsen was born in Christiana Norway in 1890 to Mrs. Netta Karlsen. Much of Andrew’s early life is unknown though it seems he may have moved to Western Australia in his teenage years where he took up residence in Bay Rd North Fremantle with a Mrs. Emily Hudson. According to a letter she later wrote to the Army, she acted as a foster mother for Andrew and he continued to live with her family until he enlisted in the AIF. Andrew had become a naturalised British citizen and at the time of his enlistment he was working as a labourer. He was great mates with Mrs. Hudson's son Horace and both enlisted together.

On the 4^th October 1914 Andrew enlisted into the AIF. He was passed as fit by the medical examiner who found him to be 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall; weight of 126 lbs; chest measurement of 36-38 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Andrew was assigned to the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until the 22^nd February 1915 when they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Itonus” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail overseas.

Arriving in Egypt in early March, Andrew’s group were soon sent to join the 11^th Battalion on Lemnos Island. They trained here in the weeks prior to the landing on April 25^th. The records for this period are sparse but it seems that Andrew landed on April 25^th on North Beach Anzac with the 11^th Battalion. He came through the landing and subsequent days unscathed. He was sent to the 4^th Field Ambulance on the 9^th June 1915 suffering from influenza. From here he was sent to the Hospital Ship “Grantully Castle” where he was diagnosed with dysentery. The ship took him to Mudros where he was disembarked and admitted to the 15^th Stationary Hospital.

Andrew was released from hospital on the 19^th June 1915 but did not rejoin the 11^th Battalion for a few days. On the 8^th July Andrew was assigned to be a permanent member of the Beach party at Anzac Cove which was under the control of Captain Littler of the 12^th Battalion. He remained working in the Beach party for the remainder of the campaign and only rejoined the 11^th Battalion on Lemnos Island on the 23^rd December 1915.

The 11^th Battalion returned to Egypt on the 6^th January 1916. They took on reinforcements and began training as well as taking part in the defence of Egypt by holding sections of the Suez Canal Defence line. With the expansion of the AIF, the original battalions of the first four Brigades would be split in half so as to provide the new units with experienced veterans. On the 29^th February 1916 the 11^th Battalion split in half, with Andrew going to help form “B” Company of the new 51^st Battalion. He trained with the 51^st Battalion in Egypt for the next few months. It wasn’t until the 5^th June 1916 that Andrew and the 51^st boarded the transport ship “Ivernia” in Alexandria and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12^th June 1916.

The men of the 51^st were disembarked and marched through Marseilles to the railway station where they boarded a train for northern France. The 51^st Battalion eventually reached the area around Fleurbaix where they had their first taste of life on the Western Front. They only remained here till mid July when they were relieved by the 5^th Division AIF. The 51^st Battalion as part of the 4^th Division were then sent to the Somme battlefield.

The 1^st Australian Division had captured Pozieres village and were relived in turn by the 2^nd Division who had furthered the gains. The 4^th Division then relieved the 2^nd in early August. The 51^st Battalion launched an attack on Mouquet Farm with the 13^th Battalion on the 14^th/15^th August. During the action Andrew was killed and as the assault was a failure his body was not recovered. He is therefore commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.

The Hudson family put a memoriam notice in the newspaper for Andrew.