Loney, Allan Stanley

238 Gunner Allan Stanley Loney - 36th Heavy Artillery Brigade

Allan Stanley Loney was born in Victoria Australia on the 28th July 1896 to Peter and Isabella Loney. He had two older brothers Peter, born in 1893, and Ernie born in 1895.

Shortly after their birth the family moved to Western Australia in 1902 and the boys completed their education in the Fremantle/Cottesloe region. The Loney's lived in both areas but eventually took up residence in Cottesloe.

All three boys were good athletes but it was Ernest who seems to have been the champion swimmer in the family. Though Allan competed with his in Swimming and Rowing.

Allan joined the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks in 1912. He also lived in the accommodation at the Barracks.

With the advent of the Great War, Ernie and the other permanent Gunners at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks were put on a full war footing, manning the guns around Fremantle Harbour including at Fort Forrest and Arthurs Head.

On the 1st June 1915 Many of the Gunners including Allan were able to enlist for service overseas as a new unit was being formed called the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. This would be a Heavy Artillery Group that was going to serve on the Western Front in France and Belgium.

The 5 foot 10 inch, 19 year old Allan was accepted as fit for service. With the other Gunners that were enlisted (which included his brother Ernest Reg No.237) they were sent across to Victoria to complete their training.

They eventually left Victoria aboard the transport ship Orsova and set sail for England. During the voyage Allan came down ill and spent some time in the ships hospital.

After arriving in England the men were sent to Lydd and then Taunton near Somerset where they undertook their training.

On the 27th February 1916 Allan arrived in France with the other Gunners and they were soon on their way to the front. Allan spent the next several months on active duty on the Western Front.

On the 5th December 1916 he was evacuated back to England suffering badly from Rheumatism. The freezing French winter was taking a high toll on the men. He was evacuated back to England but was in a bad way for a few months.

He was released from hospital in February 1917 but kept having a recurrence of Rheumatism and so was in and out of hospital in England for the next few months. It was clear to the doctors that his health was not improving while in England and on the 31st October 1917 Allan was put on a hospital ship Berrima for return to Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 22nd December 1917.

Allan was discharged from the AIF on the 17th January 1918.

While in England he met his future bride and when Allan returned to WA she soon followed and in 1920 in Cottesloe Allan married Flora Bessie Petitjean.

They then took on a soldier settlement scheme block at Noombling Estate. Noombling Estate is a locality just off the Hotham River in southwest Western Australia in the shire of Wandering.

In 1921 a son Allan was born and was followed in 1923 by Peter and a daughter Joyce.

After immense hard work Allan established a farm on his settlement scheme and raised his family. He became heavily involved in the district and also with the Returned and Services League.

In World War Two, Allan enlisted again and was a Lieutenant in the local Volunteer Defence Corps unit, though during this time he also had to run his farm as both his sons were off on active service.

He died on the 29th October 1951 in West Popanyinning and was buried in Wandering Cemetery on October 31st 1951.