Welshman, Alfred Charles

No.186 – Private Alfred Welshman – 44^th Battalion AIF

Alfred Charles Welshman was born in Leeds Yorkshire England in 1897 to John and Annie Welshman. He was one of several siblings, his brothers being Fred, Jack, Harry and Thomas and Sister Blanche. The family then moved to Gloucestershire and Alfred was educated at St Luke’s School in Gloucester. In 1913 all the family apart from the eldest son Jack moved to Western Australia and took up residence in Harvest Street North Fremantle. On arrival in WA Alfred secured employment as an apprentice Iron moulder at the Government workshops in Midland Junction.

In 1913 his sister Blanche married Albert A Williams in Fremantle and they also set up residence in North Fremantle. Everything was going well for the family since their arrival in WA with all the sons finding employment plus also taking up service in the local citizen’s forces units. Because he was under 18 when he arrived in WA Alfred qualified for service in the senior cadets and thus served with the 86A Cadets based out of the Fremantle Drill Hall.

This military service would soon be of service to the Welshman boys as in August 1914 the Great War began and all would soon be in khaki. Through 1914/15 Alfred saw all his older brothers enlist and not wanting to be left out he went to the Francis Street Drill Hall in Perth to enlist. The 18 year old Alfred was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner finding that he was 5 feet 7 & ½ inches tall; weight of 135lbs; chest measurement of 33-36 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England and his next of kin was his father.

Upon his successful enlistment Alfred was sent to No.38 Training Depot but on the 1^st January 1916 he was sent to the Signal School at Claremont Camp. Alfred remained training as a signaller until the 6^th March 1916, and having passed the course he was assigned to “A” Company of the 44^th Battalion AIF with the rank of Signaller and the regimental no.186.

For the next few months Alfred trained with the 44^th Battalion at Claremont Camp and on the 6^th June 1916 the 44^th Battalion boarded the HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 21^st July 1916. During the voyage Alfred got into trouble for going absent without leave when the ship reached Colombo. As a punishment he was given fatigue duty for the remainder of the voyage. As a signaller Alfred would normally be exempt from that type of work duty.

After being disembarked at Plymouth the men were marched into the 3^rd Australian Division training camp on the Salisbury Plains. They would be spending the next few months in England as they prepared for their service on the Western Front. The men were also given leave during their time in England. However this may not have been enough leave to Alfred’s liking as on the 27^th October 1916 he took three days off base without permission. After he returned to camp he was given two days of Field Punishment No.2 and also had to forfeit 5 days pay. Alfred’s need for leave was understandable as he still had many family and friends in Gloucestershire plus two of his brothers were currently in hospital in England after being wounded in France.

On the 25^th November 1916 the 44^th Battalion left the Salisbury Plains and headed for Southampton where they boarded the troopship which took them across to France. They were soon sent to the Armentieres sector where they would celebrate Christmas 1916. The 3^rd Division would remain in the Armentieres sector for the duration of the French winter while they became accustomed to life on the Western Front.

As a signaller Alfred was excused many of the normal soldier’s labouring chores but it was a hazardous role as many times they had to repair the signal wires out in the open under heavy German fire. In March 1917 the 44^th Battalion moved to the Ploegsteert sector of southern Belgium and they would remain here for the next few months. The 44^th Battalion conducted much patrol activity as well as conducting trench raids on the German front line. It was an active period as it was leading up to the Battle of Messines in June 1917.

The Tunnelling Companies had dug underneath the German lines and placed large mines beneath their trenches. On the 7^th June 1917 these mines were exploded and absolutely devastated the German front line trenches.

The assault on the German lines then went ahead and the initial advance went well. However the 44^th battalion did not come into the action until the 8^th June and were faced with German trenches that were unaffected by the mine explosions so their role was much tougher in overcoming the German opposition. The 44^th Battalion secured their objectives but casualties were very heavy. Not all the casualties were caused by German fire as the neighbouring New Zealand units mistook the Australians for Germans and called down an artillery barrage on the Australians which killed many including Alfred Welshman.

It would appear that Alfred was given a battlefield burial but after the war was over Alfred’s body could not be located and he is thus commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. His mother wrote to the Imperial authorities imploring for news on her son’s grave but he was never able to be identified among the thousands of unknown soldiers on the battlefield.