Eastburn, Albert Harry

No.3519 – Private Albert Harry Eastburn

Albert Eastburn was born in South Melbourne Victoria in 1888. As with his brother, Albert moved over to Western Australia with his family and took up residence in Mandurah Road Fremantle. Albert worked as a labourer in the Fremantle district.

On the 6^th September 1915 he offered his services to the AIF at the Swan Barracks in Perth. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner stating that Albert was 5 feet 9 inches in height; weight of 115lbs; chest measurement of 31-33 inches; fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian.

After several weeks in the training depot Albert was assigned to the artillery reinforcements but was then transferred into the 8^th reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion AIF. This group departed from Fremantle Harbour on the HMAT Borda on the 17^th January 1916. The journey to Egypt took just over three weeks and after his arrival Albert was sent into the 7^th Training Battalion. On the 3^rd March 1916 Albert was sent to the 51^st Battalion AIF. However he was not on strength of this unit for long as on the 12^th March he was evacuated to the 3^rd Auxiliary Hospital suffering from rheumatism. This condition continued to get worse and Albert spent much of the next three months in hospital. On the 24^th June 1916 Albert was invalided back to Australia aboard the HMAT Port Sydney. After his arrival in Fremantle; Albert was discharged from the AIF due to chronic rheumatism.

On the 8^th September 1916 Albert enlisted for home service but was discharged at his own request on the 4^th December 1916. On the 5^th November 1917 Albert again enlisted for home service and was put on the camp guard duties at Karrakatta Camp however the rheumatism sprang up again and on the 12^th January 1918 Albert was again discharged as medically unfit.

Albert went to work at the saw mills in Pemberton in South West WA but was also granted a pension from the military as it was found that his condition had been exacerbated by his service.