King, Alfred Glanville
7487 Private Alfred Glanvile King - 11th Battalion
Alfred Glanville King was born in Arkaba SA on the 14th June 1892 to Alfred and Fanny King, being one of six siblings in the family.
The family moved to WA in the 1900's, taking up residence in Brookton. Alfred found employment as a Clerk in Fremantle and was living at 277 High Street. He had enlisted earlier in 1916 and after spending a month at Claremont Camp was discharged as medically unfit. However he tried again, enlisting on the 12th October 1916.
He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical officer recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 10 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 132lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Light Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Alfred was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the Training Depots. He spent nearly two months in the training depot being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 30th January 1917 Alfred was then assigned to the 25th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He spent the next five months with this group training in WA.
Sadly his mother Fanny died in Brookton June 17th 1917, and just under two weeks later Alfred departed for service overseas. On the 29th June 1917, Alfred and his reinforcement group went aboard the transport ship HMAT Borda in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 25th August 1917.
After being disembarked, Alfred and his group were sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He remained here training for the next few months. On the 7th November 1917 he was transferred to the 2nd Training Battalion at Sutton Veny Camp. He had several more weeks here and was then put in a draft of soldiers heading for France.
On the 27th December 1917, Alfred left England and proceeded across to France. He had a couple of days at the Australian Infantry Base Depot Camp at Le Havre and was then taken on strength of the 11th Battalion on the 2nd January 1918. The 11th Battalion were then situated in Belgium, holding the front line south east of Ypres, between Hollebeke and Messines. He spent four weeks with the 11th battalion at the front but on the 30th January 1918 was evacuated ill with mumps. He was sent to the 7th Stationary Hospital at St Omer, before going to the convalescent camps to fully recover his health. Alfred rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 5th April 1918.
In his absence there had been many changes to the front line positions. As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 when they broke through the British front in the southern sector, the five Australian divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this advance. The 11th Battalion, as part of the 1st Australian Division was the last of the divisions to leave Belgium and had just arrived near Amiens when the Germans broke through the line in Belgium and made a speedy advance into northern France. The 1st Australian Division was then returned north and met the Germans around Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here. Alfred would have seen much action in this sector through April to June 1918.
On the 21st June 1918 Alfred was sent away ill with influenza, but fortunately he recovered quickly and was back with his unit a week later.
In early August 1918, the 11th Battalion was moved south to Villers-Bretonneux where they would take part in the large advance that was due to take place on August 8th 1918.
The 11th Battalion didn't take part in the first day of the advance but went into the line on the 9th August 1918 and on the following day attacked the German positions at Lihons. The Germans had well entrenched positions and unleashed a heavy machine gun fire on the advancing men of the 11th Battalion. Many of the 11th Battalion were killed and wounded by this fire, Alfred being one of them, being shot through the right ankle.
He was treated at the 5th Field Ambulance and was then sent to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station. After more work was done on his wound here, Alfred was then put on an ambulance train and taken to the French town of Rouen. He was admitted to the 5th General Hospital. After eleven days here, Alfred was shipped to England and was sent to Southwark Military Hospital in Dulwich.
Unfortunately despite the work done on his ankle it had to be amputated. Alfred was here recovering till the 17th September 1918 when he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. This hospital specialised in amputations and helping soldiers recover. Alfred would be a patient here till the 30th January 1919.
He was ready to be sent home but just had to wait to be assigned a hospital ship. On the 16th March 1919 Alfred was put aboard the ship Czaritza which took him to Egypt, he was then disembarked and on the 7th April 1919 reboarded the Dunluce Castle, which would being him back to Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 7th May 1919.
After being disembarked, Alfred was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle. After more medical work here Alfred was discharged from the AIF on the 7th June 1919.
Alfred returned to his job as a clerk in Fremantle and it appears he did not claim a military pension. He was married in Mt Hawthorn in 1920 to Hettie Martha Lorie, and a daughter Norma was born in South Fremantle in 1925 but sadly died shortly after birth.
The family were now living at 92 Petra Street Fremantle through the 1930's and Alfred was still working as a clerk.
Alfred lived a long life, dying on the 18th August 1984 in Mandurah. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.