Name
Albert Sturgess
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/12/1917
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4544
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
22nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. ALBANS (HATFIELD ROAD) CEMETERY
Mil. G. 3.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the St Albans memorials (*1)
Biography
Albert Sturgess was born at North Melbourne, Victoria in 1891 to parents Frederick Ralph & Valerie Sturgess (nee Barradell).
Frederick Ralph Sturgess, father of Albert Sturgess, died on 5th November, 1894 at 91 Curzon Street, North Melbourne, Victoria. He was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery, Victoria.
Albert Sturgess attended school at Macedon, Victoria.
According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – Albert Sturgess had served with Citizen Forces.
Albert Sturgess was a 25 year old, single, Labourer from Blackburn Road, Macedon, Victoria when he enlisted on 18th January, 1916 in Melbourne, Victoria with the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.). His religion was Church of England & his next of kin was listed as his mother – Mrs Patrick Russell, Blackburn Road, Macedon, Victoria. Albert Sturgess stated on his Attestation Papers that he had served for 2 years with 66th Infantry at Castlemaine 1912 – 1914.
Private Albert Sturgess was posted to “B” Company of 10th Battalion Recruits on 2nd February, 1916. He was transferred to 11th Reinforcements of 22nd Battalion at Broadmeadows on 23rd March, 1916.
Private Albert Sturgess, Service number 4544, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on RMS Orontes with the 6th Infantry Brigade, 22nd Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.
(Normally the Australian War Memorial lists the date that a WW1 Soldier embarked from Australia. At the time of researching – the embarkation dates were missing. Normally the date would be recorded somewhere in a soldier’s Service Record file but in this case the date is not listed nor is the date & place of disembarkation in England listed)
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located on the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire & the county of Dorset. Later Training & Convalescing Units were combined under the one Command Depot.
Private Albert Sturgess embarked for overseas on 25th July, 1916 from 6th Training Battalion. He joined 22nd Battalion in France on 10th August, 1916 from Reinforcements.
Private Albert Sturgess reported sick on 4th January, 1917 & was admitted to 38th Casualty Clearing Station on 6th January, 1917 with Trench Feet. He was transferred & admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital at Rouen, France on 7th January, 1917. Private Sturgess was transferred to England on 11th January, 1917 on Hospital Ship St Andrew.
Private Albert Sturgess was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England on 13th January, 1917 with Trench Feet. He was discharged to Furlough on 6th February, 1917 & was to report to Perham Downs on 21st February, 1917.
Base Records advised Mrs V. Russell, Blackwood Road, Macedon, Victoria on 6th February, 1917 that No. 4544 Private A. Sturgess had been admitted to 3rd London General Hospital on 13th January, 1917 suffering from Trench Feet.
Private Albert Sturgess was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 21st February, 1917 from Furlough & was medically classified as B1 A (fit for Light Duty for a few weeks). He was transferred & posted to No. 4 Command Depot at Wareham, Dorset on 23rd February, 1917.
Private Albert Sturgess was transferred & posted to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire on 13th March, 1917. He was medically classified as B1 A3 (fit for Overseas Training Camp in 2 – 3 weeks).
Private Albert Sturgess was marched out to Hardening & Draft Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 10th May, 1917. He proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 10th June, 1917. Private Sturgess was marched in to 2nd A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Havre, France on 11th June, 1917. He rejoined 22nd Battalion in France on 24th June, 1917.
Private Albert Sturgess was wounded in action on 4th October, 1917 & was admitted to 44th Casualty Clearing Station with shrapnel wounds to Back & Hand. He was transferred to Ambulance Train on 8th October, 1917 & was admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 9th October, 1917. Private Sturgess was invalided to England on 19th October, 1917 on Hospital Ship Jan Breydel with Shrapnel wounds to Chest & posterior.
22nd Battalion
The 22nd Battalion AIF was formed on 26 March 1915 at Broadmeadows Camp in Victoria. The battalion became part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Division.
In March 1916, the battalion embarked for France and experienced their first service on the Western Front in reserve breastwork trenches near Fleurbaix at the end of the first week of April 1916. The battalion's first major action was at Pozieres, part of the massive British offensive on the Somme. In September/October they were moved to the Ypres sector then back to the Somme for the winter. The battalion spent most of 1917 bogged in bloody trench warfare from Bullecourt to Broodseinde in Flanders
(Extract of Battalion information from the Australian War Memorial)
War Diary – 22nd Battalion
Front Line near Broodseinde Ridge – 4 October, 1917:
Battalion attacked at 6 am and captured its objective RED LINE. Details of Action including Order B.O. 38/17
Private Albert Sturgess was admitted to County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England on 19th October, 1917 with G.S.W. (Gunshot wound/s) to Chest – slight. The Hospital Admissions form recorded: “Piece of shell recovered from ___ _____ of left thoracic cavity in France. Pt transferred to England – signs of Empyema supervened – piece of rib removed _____ P.M. showed __ ___abscess at open of L Thoracic cavity.”
Base Records advised Mrs V. Russell, Blackwood Road, Macedon, Victoria on 10th November, 1917 that Private Sturgess had been wounded. She was advised on 19th November, 1917 that Private A. Sturgess had been admitted to County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England on 19th October, 1917 suffering from gunshot wound of chest – mild. Base Records advised Mrs V. Russell on 28th November, 1917 that Private Albert Sturgess was seriously ill.
Private Albert Sturgess died at 6 am on 5th December, 1917 at County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England from wounds – Shell wound of Thorax & Empyema.
A death for Albert Sturgess, aged 26, was registered in the December quarter, 1917 in the district of St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England.
Private Albert Sturgess was buried at 3.30 pm on 7th December, 1917 in Hatfield Road Cemetery, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England – Grave No, G 3 Section S.G. This is now recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as Plot number Mil. G. 3. and he now has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
From the burial report of Private Albert Sturgess - Coffin was good polished Elm. The deceased soldier was accorded a Military Funeral, Firing Party and Bearers being supplied by Administrative Headquarters, A.I.F. London, and the Gun Carriage by No. 309 Coy. A.S.C. stationed at St. Albans. A service was conducted in the Cemetery Chapel and at the graveside by Rev. Jones, St. Peters, St. Albans. The “Last Post” was sounded by a Bugler of Administrative Headquarters Staff, A.I.F. London. A wreath by an anonymous donor was placed on the grave. Administrative Headquarters, A.I.F. London were represented at the funeral.
The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for Private Albert Sturgess contains a report from Captain Patrick Steele, County of Middlesex War Hospital, St. Albans which reads: “re 4544 Pte A. Sturgess. With reference to your request for a report on this man’s death, I beg to inform you that he was admitted to this Hospital from Overseas on the 19th October 1917, suffering from wound of chest and head. His chest wound was serious and shortly after admission it was found that he was suffering from pleurisy with effusion. This condition became worse and he developed an empyema (abscess in pleural cavity). He was operated on but his condition became steadily worse and he died on 5.12.17. A Military Funeral was arranged which took place at the St. Albans Cemetery on 7.12.17. Particulars of the grave are as follows – Section – Soldiers Corner No. of grave G.3.”
A War Pension was granted to Valarie Russell, Macedon, widowed mother of the late No. 4544 Private Albert Sturgess, 22nd Battalion, in the sum of 40/- per fortnight from 8th February, 1918.
Weigall & Crowther, Solicitors, 459 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, wrote to The Secretary, Department of Defence, Melbourne on 11th January, 1918: “We act for Mrs Valerie Russell, mother of the late Private Albert Sturgess, No. 4544, 22nd Battalion, who died on 5th ulto. at St. Albans Hospital, England, as a result of wounds received whilst on active service in France. Mrs Russell is also the sole Executrix and devisee under deceased’s Will, which we have instruction to prove, and we shall be glad if you will let us have in due course official certificate as to death, and also advise us of the amount due to the deceased by the Department.”
Weigall & Crowther, Solicitors, 459 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, wrote to The Secretary, Department of Defence, Melbourne on 25th March, 1918 with the following: “We shall be glad if you will expedite the issue to us of the Certificate of Death of Private Albert Sturgess No. 4544, 22nd Battalion, who died on 5th December last at St. Albans Hospital, England, asked for by our letter of 11th January. It is desired that the estate of the deceased be wound up as early as possible, and the Certificate is required before this can be done.”
Base Records replied to Weigall & Crowther, Solicitors on 28th March, 1918 enclosing a certificate of report of death of the late 4544 Private A. Sturgess, 22nd Battalion.
The Acting District Paymaster, 3rd Military District wrote to Base Records on 30th August, 1918 with the following regarding No. 4544 Private A. Sturgess, 22nd Battalion: “Appended herewith, is an extract from a letter received from Messrs Weigall & Crowther, Solicitors, 459 Little Collins St, which is referred to you for reply direct. “Mrs Russell would like to ascertain on what dates the deceased entered and left respectively the Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, and the 3rd London General Hospital, Westminster, London, or any other hospitals of which deceased was an inmate.”
Base Records replied to Messrs Weigall & Crowther, Solicitors on 6th September, 1918 with: “The District Paymaster, Melbourne, has forwarded to this office an extract from your communication and in reply to same I have to state the records show the following entries in connection with the abovenamed deceased soldier.”
Private Albert Sturgess was entitled to British War Medal & the Victory Medal. A Memorial Scroll & Memorial Plaque were also sent to Private Sturgess’ mother – Mrs V. Russell, as the closest next-of-kin. (Scroll sent December, 1921 & Plaque sent October, 1922).
Acknowledgments
Gareth Hughes, Jonty Wild, Cathy Sedgwick, Beth Page - https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/
