Anderson, Alexander Slimmin

2777 Private Alexander Slimming Anderson - 44th Battalion AIF

Alexander Slimming Anderson was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne Northumberland England on the 29th December 1884 to David and Ann Anderson. He was one of eleven siblings born into the family.

Alex was educated in Northumberland and after leaving school went into the boiler making trade. He took up a four year apprenticeship with Wighan Richardson in Northumberland. After this apprenticeship was finished he had qualified as a boilermaker.

In 1910 Alex emigrated to Australia with his brother John aboard the ship SS Bremen. 

The brothers settled in Fremantle, with Alex setting up residence in Mason Street North Fremantle and finding work as a boilermaker locally. His brother John returned to England but Alex remained and in 1913 he married Olive Wilkinson.

On the 22nd September 1916 Alex enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 2 & 1/2 inches;

Weight - 110lbs;

Chest Measurement - 31-33 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment Alex was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.87 Training Depot. On the 6th November 1916 Alex was then transferred to the 6th Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next several weeks.

On the 29th December 1916 Alex and his group entrained from Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Persic. The ship then set sail for England, arriving there at Devonport Harbour on the 3rd March 1917. After being disembarked Alex and his group were sent to the 11th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.

Alex would remain in England until the 19th June 1917. He was then shipped across to France where he was sent to the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre. He had a few more weeks based there and on the 9th July 1917 Alex joined the 44th battalion. 

The 44th Battalion were then stationed on the Messines battlefield and a few weeks after joining his unit, Alex took part in the operations against the village of Warneton on the 31st July 1917. He came through this unscathed and the 44th Battalion remained in the Messines sector through August 1917.

In September 1917 the 44th Battalion were moved up to Ypres in Belgium where they would take part in the current offensive taking place there. On October 4th 1917 the 44th Battalion took part in the attack at Hill 40 at Zonnebeke and Alex came through unscathed. A week later on the 12th October 1917 the 44th Battalion were holding the front line positions while the 9th Brigade passed through for their attack on Passchendaele. Subsequently the Germans rained shellfire on this area. Alex was hit by shrapnel in his foot. After being treated at the Field Ambulance and Casualty Clearing Station Alex was sent to the 2nd Stationary Hospital at Abbeville. He spent a week here undergoing treatment then on the 20th October 1917 was shipped to England.

On arrival in England Alex was sent to the 1st London General Hospital at Camberwell. It was a serious wound to his foot and Alex remained under treatment here until the 30th November 1917 when he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. Alex remained here for another four weeks during which time his wound was assessed as serious enough that he would be sent back to Australia.

On the 3rd January 1918 Alex was transferred to No.3 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. He spent two weeks there and on the 17th January 1918 was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth where he would await while being assigned a berth on a ship home.

On the 31st January 1918 Alex boarded the transport ship Osterley and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 6th April 1918. After being disembarked Alex was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical checkup.

He was then discharged from the AIF on the 25th April 1918. Due to his wound, Alex was given a military pension of 20/- per fortnight.

 He then returned home to North Fremantle, now residing in Ainslie Street.

By 1922 they were still residing in 10 Ainslie Rd North Fremantle with Alex still working as a boilermaker.

By 1925 Alex and Olive had moved to Jandakot where Alex had taken up being a Group settler and farming in the region. He continued this in Jandakot through the early 1940's when they moved to Peel Estate at Wellard.

Alex died on the 16th May 1945 aged 60 in Fremantle. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Methodist MON B4 0255.