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Alfred Arthur (Fred) Rouse

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Alfred Arthur (Fred) Rouse
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Personal Information
Date of Birth unknown
"unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth Victoria Park, Western Australia
Death 11 Apr 1917
Place of Death Reincourt, France
Age at Enlistment 27 years, 5 months
Description 5'6" (1.68m) tall ; 117 lbs
53.07 kg
; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair
Occupation Grocer's Clerk
Religion Methodist
Address Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin Mother , Mrs Mary Barber Rouse
Military Information
Reg Number 5415
Date of Enlistment 15 Feb 1916
Rank Private
Unit/Formation 16th Battalion, 17th reinforcements
Date of Embarkation 17 Apr 1916 ‒ 14 May 1916
Ship Embarked On HMAT A60 Aeneas
Fate Missing in Action 11 Apr 1917, later confirmed Killed in Action 1st Bullecourt
Monument Kelmscott War Memorial (South panel)
Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
WA State War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
Medals British War Medal
Victory Medal




Pre War

War Service

Six weeks after commencing his military training at Blackboy Hill, Alfred was allocated to the 17th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, travelling with them to Egypt aboard HMAT A60 Aeneas which sailed from Fremantle on 17 Apr 1916 and disembarked its passengers in Egypt on 14 May 1916. On 7 Jun 1916, soon after arrival in Egypt, Fred embarked on the HMT Ionian in Alexandria for Marseilles in southern France where he disembarked on 14 Jun 1916.


On arrival he was transferred to Étaples where he joined the 4th Division Base Depot, remaining there until 23 Aug 1916 when he left to join the 16th Battalion. He joined them just in time to participate in the attack on Mouquet Farm on the night of 29 Jun 1916. Nine months later, he was one of the large number of casualties suffered by the 16th Battalion in its attack on Reincourt during the 1st Battle for Bullecourt.


Declared at the time to be Missing in Action, his Red Cross file [1]. bluntly reveals that on 30 October 1917, as a result of a Court of Enquiry, AIF Head Quarters certified that Rouse was Killed in Action on 11 Apr 1917 - no reason was given, and no statements from his colleagues are included in the file.

  • Villers-Bretonneux Memorial 2015 photo
  • Section of 16th Battalion panels 2015 photo L.Reynolds


Alfred's Mother received a 40/- per fortnight pension from 10 Aug 1917, in addition to the 15/- per fortnight she was already receiving for John Edward Rouse, his younger brother who had been Wounded in Action, (wounds to his thigh, shoulder and chest while serving with the 51st Battalion who had attacked Mouquet Farm on 3 Sep 1916.)

Her pension for John was reduced to 7/6 from 3 Jan 1918 as his ability to work improved.


Notes

No known grave, Memorialised at Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery Son of George and Mary Barber Rouse, of 44 Cargill St, Victoria Park, Western Australia

  1. "Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files - Aldred Arthur Rouse". Australian War Memorial. 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018. 

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