Cordingley, Albert

2052 Private Albert Cordingley - 5th Battalion AIF

Albert Cordingley was born in Bendigo Victoria in 1887 to Carie (Caroline) Cordingley.

He was educated and grew up in Bendigo Victoria and in 1909 was working at the golden square mine in Bendigo.

His mother was living in Victoria Ave North Fremantle though it is unknown how long Albert spent in Fremantle.

Albert enlisted in Melbourne Victoria on the 2nd March 1915 and was accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 inches;

Weight - 11 Stone;

Chest Measurement - 35-37 inches;

Complexion - Medium;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark.

Upon his successful enlistment Albert was sent to Broadmeadows Camp. He was assigned to the training depot where he spent two weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work.

On the 15th April 1915 he was then assigned to the 5th Reinforcements to the 5th Battalion AIF. He only had two days in camp with this group as on the 17th April 1915, Alberts group departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Hororata and set sail for Egypt.

After arriving in Egypt in May 1915, the men were sent into the AIF Reinforcements camp. Albert was then posted to Gallipoli, being taken on strength of the 5th Battalion on the 13th July 1915.

Albert served at the Lone Pine action in the first week of August 1915 and survived the battle unscathed. However when the 5th Battalion went in again to hold the Lone Pine trenches Albert was shot through the arm while defending one of the barricades on the 22nd August 1915. He was treated at the nearest Field Ambulance and was then sent onto the hospital ship Arcadian. 

This ship took Albert to England where he was admitted to the Military Hospital at Hampstead. He underwent treatment here over the next several months.

As well as recovering from his wound Albert had developed chronic rheumatism, so he was therefore marked down as medically unfit for further service. On the 17th March 1916 Albert went to Portland Harbour and boarded the transport ship Ascanius and set sail for home, reaching Melbourne on the 30th April 1916.

Albert was then sent to a military hospital for further examination and was then discharged from the AIF on the 7th July 1916.

Albert then set up residence in South Melbourne and received a military pension of 30/- per fortnight however in May 1918 this was reduced to 20/- per fortnight.

Albert died 9th July 1919 at Austin Hospital Coburg and was buried Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery