Allen, Wilfred George
3027 Private Wilfred George Allen - 15th Battalion AIF
Wilfred George Allen was born in Bendigo Victoria in 1893 to George and Clara Allen and was one of four siblings in the family. He was initially educated in Bendigo but in the late 1890's the family moved to Cornwall in England. Wilfred resumed his education at St Erme and then the Isle of Man.
In 1907 the family left England and returned to Australia, arriving in Fremantle in December 1907.
Wilfred then appears to have taken up work for the WA Government Railways. The Allen family was now living in the WA Goldfields and Wilfred was working as a Railway Porter. He was working in the metropolitan area and also the country. Prior to the Great War he was in the Goldfields.
In 1915 he married Beatrice Evelyn Ivy Berryman in Menzies WA. After their marriage they moved to Fremantle and took up residence at 25 Jenkins Street South Fremantle. (later renumbered to 9 Jenkins). A daughter Doris had been born in 1915. His parents also resided at this address.
On the 6th September 1915 Wilfred 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 7 inches tall;
Weight - 150lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment, Wilfred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the training depot. He spent a few weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work and on the 1st November 1915 he was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion.
Wilfred trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 18th January 1916 Wilfred and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Medic. The ship then set sail for Egypt arriving at Alexandria on the 16th February 1916.
The men were then disembarked and sent to the reinforcements camp. As the 28th battalion was already at full strength, Wilfred and his group were retained in the reinforcement camp for the next few weeks. In late February 1916, the AIF expanded size, with the original 16 battalions splitting in half to provide men for the new units.
Wilfred was sent to the 15th Battalion AIF on the 7th March 1916. The 15th Battalion was part of the 4th Brigade, 4th Division AIF.
He then began training with his new Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. He fell ill with gastritis in late March 1916 but only had a few days in hospital and soon rejoined his unit. He then resumed training with his new unit. They were in Egypt till the 1st June 1916. They then boarded the troopship Transylvania in Alexandria and set sail for France, reaching Marseilles on the 8th June 1916.
Wilfred and his Battalion were then entrained north to the Armentieres sector. They had a few weeks in the trenches near Bois Grenier gaining experience of the Western Front. They only had a few weeks here before they were shifted to the Somme battlefield.
On the 23rd July 1916, the 1st Australian Division had captured Pozieres Village. They then had to withstand several days of severe German shellfire. On the 28th July they were then relieved by the 2nd Division AIF who furthered the gains already made. They were then relieved by the 4th Division, including the 15th battalion circa 5th August 1916.
The 15th Battalion saw action around Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August 1916. Their casualties were heavy but fortunately Wilfred came through unscathed.
After this they were moved to Ypres in Belgium for around six weeks before returning to the Somme. They spent the 1916/17 French winter on the Somme battlefield near Flers and Delville Wood. They saw action in February 1917 during the capture of Stormy Trench.
In March 1917 the Germans began a strategic withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. Their withdrawal was pressed all the way by Australian and British units and several sharp actions were fought around what was known as the Outpost Line villages.
On the 11th April 1917, the 15th battalion took part in the action at Bullecourt. The men made it to the German trenches without the benefit of supporting artillery fire, but were soon surrounded by the Germans and the survivors had to withdraw under very heavy fire. Wilfred came through the action unscathed but the 15th battalion had very heavy casualties.
In May 1917 the 4th Division were transferred to the Messines front in Belgium. They would take part in the Messines Offensive which began on 7th June 1917. The 15th Battalion took part in the offensive and then continued to hold the line in this sector till August 1917.
In September 1917 the 15th Battalion moved north to Ypres in Belgium. They then took part in the offensive operation taking part there. Wilfred and the 15th battalion saw action at Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele from September to November 1917. Wilfred again came through these actions unscathed.
During the war Wilfred had regularly played with the 15th Battalion band. He played the trombone. On the 12th March 1918 the Official Photographer took a photo of the 15th battalion band. (Wilfred is pictured in the front row 2nd from right)
As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent towards the Somme to help stop this German advance.
The 15th Battalion, as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, moved to Hebuterne where they joined New Zealand and British units in stopping the German advance in this sector. They also started putting the Germans on the back foot by conducting raids on their positions.
In April 1918 the 15th Battalion moved to the Somme River and Villers-Bretonneux sector. They were in this area till July 1918. On the 4th July 1918 Wilfred and the 15th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. He came through this action unscathed.
Wilfred then took part in the successful advance on August 8th 1918 on the Villers-Bretonneux front. The 16th Battalion advanced on the southern side of the Somme River. During the advance they were getting heavy fire from the flank as the northern side of the Somme had not been cleared of the Germans, yet the 15th Battalion managed to take their objectives.
For the next few weeks, the 16th Battalion were constantly on the advance. However Wilfred got a break from the action as on 29th August 1918 he was given a fortnights leave to England. He returned to his unit on the 16th September 1918, just in time for their last action of the war.
On the 18th September 1918 the 15th Battalion took part in the action at Le Verguier and again Wilfred came through unscathed as the 15th Battalion successfully took their objectives.
The 15th Battalion were then withdrawn from the front line for a well deserved rest. They were still out of the line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
As a result of the Armistice, the Germans soon withdrew behind their own lines and the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of France and Belgium. Wilfred remained with the 16th battalion until April 1919.
On the 15th April 1919 Wilfred returned to England and was sent to No.4 Group Camp at Hurdcott. He would remain here for about six weeks while he waited to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 1st June 1916 Wilfred boarded the troopship Somali, and set sail for home, arriving at Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.
Wilfred was discharged from the AIF on the 30th August 1919.
His parents remained residing in Jenkin Street South Fremantle and the family visited their regularly, but Wilfred was mainly living at Greenbushes for the rest of his life.
A son Lionel was born in Fremantle 1923 and a daughter Rona in 1925. After their births they also went to Greenbushes.
Wilfred's mother died in Fremantle on the 15th April 1936. (His Father died in Fremantle in 1957).
Wilfred George Allen died in Bridgetown WA in 1973 aged 80.
His wife Beatrice died in 1980.