Kirton, Alexander Mann
No.450 CQMS Alexander Mann Kirton – 11th Battalion AIF
Alexander Mann Kirton was born in Bunbury Western Australia in 1893 to Richard and Mary Agnes Kirton (nee Mann). The family soon moved to Fremantle where Richard Kirton worked as a Chemist. Alex was educated in Fremantle and it seems during this time that his parents split. His father lived in High Street while his mother lived in Hill St East Fremantle. After leaving school Alex found work as a Bank Clerk for the Bank of NSW Fremantle branch. Alex also served for two years as a Cadet Lieutenant in the 86A Militia.
On the 8th September 1914 Alex went to Blackboy Hill Camp to enlist in the AIF. He was passed as fit by Captain Brennan of Fremantle Hospital who had been appointed the medical officer for the 11th Battalion. He found Alex to be 5 feet 8 ¼ inches; weight of 136 lbs; chest measurement of 34 inches; fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England. Alex was assigned to No.14 Section of No.8 Platoon as a Corporal of the 11th Battalion. He trained with his battalion in WA until the end of October 1914. They then received their orders to depart and so packed up camp at Blackboy Hill and entrained for Fremantle where they boarded H.M.A.T. “Ascanius” on the 2nd November 1914.
After arriving in Egypt in early December 1914 the men were disembarked and sent to camp at Mena near Cairo. The 11th Battalion remained there until early March 1915 when they were shipped off to Lemnos Island, off the coast of Turkey. A further six weeks training took place here in preparation for a landing on the Turkish coast. As part of the 3rd Brigade the 11th Battalion had been chosen to make the initial assault. In the evening of the 24th April the transport ships left Lemnos and made their way to Gallipoli.
The 11th Battalion landed early in the morning of April 25th at what is now known as North Beach. The men made their way inland up the ridge between Plugges Plateau and Russel’s Top. Alex survived the first day of fighting unscathed and served on the battlefield until the 29th May 1915. He was sent ill to a hospital ship where he was diagnosed with cardiac trouble. He was admitted to No.1 Stationary Hospital on Lemnos Island and was then sent to Alexandria where he was admitted to the 17th General Hospital. Alex was found to be troubled by a dilated heart. He remained in hospital for the next few weeks.
Alex did not return to Gallipoli as when his health had improved he was taken on strength of the Imperial School of Instruction on the 19th August 1915. The same day he was promoted to be Sergeant. Though still nominally attached to the 11th Battalion Alex remained attached to the School of Instruction into 1916. On the 8th January 1916 he was promoted to Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant. The article (pictured left) about Alex was in the Sunday Times newspaper.
On the 18th February 1916 during instruction work Alex was mortally wounded when something went wrong in bombing practice. He was hit with bomb fragments in the chest and head and was evacuated to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis. The wounds proved too severe for recovery and Alex died the same day. He was buried at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery in plot D.321 with a service conducted by the Reverend G.W. Clarke.
Hi Sister Dora Kirton was a nurse, and his brother Roland Gervase Kirton was with the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital and both survived the war.