Jaggs, Alfred John

2152 Corporal Alfred John Jaggs - 8th Battery 3rd Field Artillery Brigade

Alfred John Jaggs was born in Poplar London Middlesex England on the 5th February 1872 to Alfred and Ann Jaggs. He was educated in London but when he was young he migrated to Western Australia and set up residence in Fremantle.

Alfred was a photographer by trade and in 1893 he married Jane Strang in Fremantle. They would go on to have six children, Helen (1893), Malcolm (1903), Arthur (1906), Flora (1908), Andrew (1911) and Robert (1919). The family would live in Moran Street Beaconsfield.

Alfred had set up a Photography firm with a partner and the firm was called Beste and Jaggs. It had an office in High Street Fremantle and was very prolific in the early 1900's with many of their pictures republished in the Western Mail. However it also appeared that Alfred worked as a Lumper on Fremantle wharf.

On the 27th August 1914 Alfred enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. On his enlistment form he claimed that he had previous service in the Royal Horse Artillery.

Despite being in his 40's the medical examiner passed Alfred as fit for service and recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 9 inches tall;

Weight - 222lbs;

Chest Measurement - 44-46 inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Dark.

Upon his successful enlistment Alfred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. Due to his previous artillery service, Alfred was assigned to the Ammunition Column of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. He was given the rank of Corporal.

Alfred trained with his new unit for the next few months. On the 31st October 1914 Alfred and his group embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Medic. The ship then moored in Gage Roads until the 2nd November 1914 when they set sail for Egypt. After arriving in Egypt they set up camp at Mena near the pyramids.

The 8th Battery of the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade served at Gallipoli from April 25th 1915 but the records aren't clear as to whether Alfred joined them. Unfortunately Alfred's service record lacks details. However his pension file does mention that he served at Gallipoli.

However on 31st October 1915  Alfred was admitted to the 19th General Hospital in Alexandria Egypt suffering from Enteric. This was a common ailment for those who had been serving on Gallipoli.

On the 3rd December 1915 Alfred was transferred to the 2nd Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis Cairo and a week later was transferred to a Convalescent Camp at Port Said.

Due to his health the medical authorities directed that Alfred be returned to Australia. On the 3rd January 1916 Alfred boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses and set sail for home. On the 5th February 1916 Alfred arrived home in Fremantle and was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace.

It appears Alfred remained in hospital till the 13th April 1916.

On the 20th October 1917 Edward Langoulant, a returned soldier, married Alfred's daughter, Helen Goodall Jaggs at St John's Church in Fremantle. 

After the war Alfred took up employment as a Storeman at the Commonwealth Lighthouse Store Fremantle.

In the 1930's the Jaggs family moved to 14 Oakover Street and then 36 Holland Street East Fremantle.

Alfred died on the 11th July 1948 aged 75