Herbert Wright Aldred

Western Mail 13 Oct 1916 page 28
Personal Information
Date of Birth	1 Dec 1890
Place of Birth	Berkshill, England
Death	10 May 1915
Place of Death	Quinn's Post, Gallipoli, Turkey
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 9 months
Description	5'5½" ( m) tall; weight 138 lbs ( kg); fair complexion, grey eyes, brown hair.
Occupation	labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr A.G. Aldred
Military Information
Reg Number	238
Date of Enlistment	14 Sep 1914
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion D Company/4th Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	22 Dec 1914 - ? Jan 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A40 Ceramic
Fate	Killed in Action 10 May 1915
Monument	Jarrahdale
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Herb's records covering the time from enlistment until his departure from Egypt for Gallipoli are missing. On 12 Apr 1915 he departed Alexandria, and joins the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.

An entry dated 16 May 195 noted that Herb was missing, and had been so since 10 May 1915. The next day the record s updated to indicate that on 10 May Herb had visited the 4th Field Ambulance with influenza. He was either fit enough to return to his unit, or knowing that they were attacking Turkish trenches above Quinn's Post, he discharged himself in order to join the fray.

During the attack the battalion lost 300 men, and given Herb was never seen again, nor his body found we might assume that he was killed defending the trenches that they had captured, before the Turks regained their territory.

159th List of Casualties - Missing H.W. Aldred 16th Battalion (England) Also published in the West Australian and the Western Mail. It wasn't until a Court of Enquiry was held at Serapeum on the 6th, 8th and 28th Apr 1916 that he was officially declared to be Killed in Action.

Casualty List 171 Killed In Action, previously reported Wounded Private H.W. Aldred (England)

Notes

Commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial - Panel 51.