Law, Albert Frederick
1860 Private Alfred Frederick Law - 44th Battalion AIF
Albert was born in 1876 in Fremantle to Samuel and Sarah Law, being one of eleven siblings.
His father died in 1892 in Fremantle, and his brother John Law died in Fremantle in January 1895 followed by his sister Phoebe, dying in Fremantle in March 1899. His mother then died in October 1906 in George Street East Fremantle.
During this time Albert was working as a Lumper and in 1912 was residing at 104 King Street East Fremantle. By 1916 Albert was living at Point Street Fremantle.
On the 3rd March 1916 Albert enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 130lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Ruddy;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Grey.
Upon his successful enlistment, Albert was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he spent a month at No.60 Training Depot being taken through the basics of infantry work. On the 1st May 1916 he was then transferred into the 5th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion AIF. However in early June 1916 Albert was transferred into the 2nd Reinforcements to the 44th battalion AIF. He was assigned the Regimental Number 1860.
Before leaving camp the 2nd Reinforcements had a group photo taken. (below)
He trained with this group in WA until the 9th August 1916 when they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Miltiades” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England.
Arriving at Plymouth on the 25th September 1916, James reinforcement group were sent to the 3rd Australian Division Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Upon arriving Albert began training and on the 13th October 1916 was taken on strength of the 44th battalion. However he only had a few weeks with the unit as the authorities found out that he was overage and he could not complete the route marches.
He was thus medically boarded and sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth and remained there for the next several months. Albert left England in July 1917 aboard the troopship Euripides as medically unfit for further service. He arrived back in Fremantle on the 12th September 1917. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 28th September 1917.
Albert then returned to Fremantle wharf to resume work as a Lumper. In 1919 he was living at 25 Norfolk street Fremantle.
His brother George Law died at 64 Hubble street East Fremantle in 1918; and in 1921 his sister Sarah died at Elizabeth Street North Fremantle. His Sister Annie then died in March 1922; and his brother Thomas in May 1925 and James in 1928
By 1925 Albert was living at Preston Point Road East Fremantle. Albert died on the 28th August 1929 at North Lake Road in Melville. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON AA 1021.