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Fitzgerald-A-J-Pte-3193A

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 3 years, 11 months ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

Fitzgerald A J   Pte  3193A    Alfred John         14 Inf Bn    24    Carpenter    Single    C of E        

Address:    Moonee Ponds, Mt Alexander Rd, 647    

Next of Kin:    Fitzgerald, John, 647 Mt Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds    

Enlisted:    10 Jul 1915        

Embarked:     A17 Port Lincoln 16 Oct 1915  

 

Relatives on Active Service:

Fitzgerald T G Pte 4536 brother

 

Mr Joseph Fitzgerald, of 647 Mount Alexander road Moonee Ponds, has received word that his son, Private Alfred Fitzgerald, has been wounded.

The Argus 21 September 1916

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1598583

 

Private Alfred J. Fitzgerald, fourth son of Mr. John Fitzgerald of Moonee Ponds, has been wounded for the second time in France. His brother, Corporal G. Thomas  Fitzgerald, has been promoted to the rank of sergeant.
The Argus, Thursday 26 October 1916
Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1619760

 

 

OUR SOLDIERS

 

Mr. and Mrs. John Fitzgerald, of 647 Mt. Alexander road, Moonee Ponds, have received the following letters from their son, Private Alf. Fitzgerald, on active service with the A.I.F.:—  

 

11th March.

We are still somewhere in Egypt, and though we hear many rumours of our next move, all have as yet proved false. We sometimes have a little amusement here, but one of the funniest things I've seen happened the other day, when a kangaroo got loose, and was chased by a mule all round the camp, over the headquarters gardens, round tents and over ropes, till finally the kangaroo ran into a tent, and a good half-hour's amusement ended by the mule being caught. It is my usual practice to mark my name where it may be seen wherever I may happen to be, and this I did when on guard at the officers' stables recently, with the result that I had a visit from Cliff Small, a pal I met when I was visiting in Sydney. It is well for me that the police are not looking for me, for my name is marked in so many places now that they couldn't possibly miss me. Our company, along with some of the old 14th, have been put into this company, so I have a new address.

 

Yesterday and to-day we had a "birthday," and to-day our food bag contains 5 tins of pudding, 6 tins of jam, 5 tins sardines, tin pineapple, tin pork beans, tin ginger, 3 tins paste, 2 tins cheese, tin milk, 40 packets cigarettes, 4 tins tobacco, and tin golden syrup. The smokes are no use to me, but the other things will receive my fair share of attention, and you can see that we are well treated. I've got another easy job over here again, carpentering, and it is a complete change for me after the heavy drill I've been doing lately. When we came to this camp, I met a lot of the fellows who came with the first lot. I tried to get a transfer to the Artillery, as some of my mates had got in, but I was not successful, owing to their wanting me for this work. I am very busy, and I get one job nicely started when the sergeant takes me off to start another, so I've got five different jobs on at present, and I find plenty to do. I am glad you got the parcels I sent, and I suppose by now the returned chaps will have been out with the one I sent by him.

 

I get my letters pretty regularly here, and I like the papers, too, especially the "Gazette,' because one sees by it how his chums and his district are getting on. We had a splendid concert by star artists at the Y.M.C.A. Hall last night. Of the eight in our tent only two go to drill. The others are batmen to officers, and I am a carpenter. We had "just a passing shower" here last night, but I've never heard such heavy rain in Melbourne. It just flooded some of the tents out, and the men were up at 3 a.m. because their tents were practically floating about, so you can guess what it was like. Since I've been at the tools here I get splendid food. You see, I handle all the timber, and I see that the cook gets the short ends, and he appreciates it. I had bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning, and roast meat and vegetables for dinner, while the others dined on the usual stew— we all love stew! I think that there is something in the rumour that we are shortly going to France, and I'm glad, for, as you know, there is really some business doing there, and we'd like to be in it. I am now off to the service in the Y.M.C.A., so must close.

 

31st March, 1916.

Just a few lines to let you know 1 am still alive and well, after our very long march. We left camp at 3.30 p.m. on Monday, and reached our destination on Thursday morning, having done 40 miles hard marching. Some of it was hard going, especially with full packs up, including 120 rounds of ammunition, in all about 100 pounds weight. We travelled 12 miles the first day, and a few fell out on the way. We had the camels to carry our blankets and other necessities, so, on the next morning, I took my overcoat from my pack, put my ammunition in the pockets, and rolled all in my blankets, and let the camels do the carrying for me for the next two days; but on the last day we were told that if we had any or our things in our blankets we were to get them and carry them, so we had to do that last 12 miles with full packs up. There were the same eight of us in the front of our battalion right through the journey. On the second day's march there was a battalion about a mile in advance of us, and they were dropping out all along the desert, while we also left three behind. At times we were very short of water; but we managed to get through. You cannot realise how vast an extent of desert it is over which we marched, and the sand is the worst I've ever seen. The battalions took it in turns to lead, and ours was in advance on the last day's march, which lasted from 6 a.m. till 11 a.m. The first seven or eight miles was good going, but that last few miles was just ploughing through heavy sand, and I shall never forget it as long as I live, but I finished well. As soon as we reached camp, I went in for a swim, and I can tell you I enjoyed it, and will have a few more before we leave here on Monday for the trenches, about 10 miles off. We are in Asia Minor at present. Some of the fellows are in hospital through the severe march, but I think nothing short of a brick house falling on me would knock me out on the march. I was in the front row, and they often laughed at me for the way I'd get along through the heavy sand with my head down, but I finished in good form.

 

The swimming here is good, and fun is not wanting. There are boats plying on the canal, and they throw us cigarettes and other things, and of course the nearest man gets them, and things are kept lively. Talk about a crowd in the water— why, Chelsea at its best days is not to be compared to this. The biscuit we had on the march was good, but it was so hard it loosened the gold filling in my tooth, and I lost it; so I'll have to get the dentist to put a temporary filling in when he starts work here again. So that my friends will know where to write, my new address is 3193 A Company, 46th Batt., 12th Infantry Brigade, A.I.F. We do like letters, you know, and please keep sending the papers and the "Gazette." I like to see what you are all doing at home, and my mates find the "Gazette" interesting, too.

 

OUR SOLDIERS. (1916, June 15). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 4 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74593215

 

 

Mentioned in this correspondence:

Cracknell R B W Cpl 1025 letter to mother in Essendon Gazette 4 May 1916

 

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall F-L

Essendon State School

South Essendon Methodist Church

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour Wounded

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