Name
Albert Victor Allison
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/07/1916
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
25th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Albert was born in 1896 in Hitchin the son of Joseph and Emma Allision.
In 1901 the family were living at 19 High Street, Hitchin, which was The White Horse and Emma the inn keeper. Joseph was working as a leather dresser. The family were: Joseph A (junior 13), William (11), Albert (4), Archibald (2) and grandmother Maria Allison (58).
In 1911, Albert was a student and boarding at West View, 1a Parkfield Rd, Willesden Green N W, is the house of the Downing family.
He had emigrated to Australia before the war and had been a ploughman living with his brother in Hapsburg, Isis in Queensland He enlisted in Queensland on the 13th February 1915. At that time his father was recorded as living 8 Compton Street, Spring Land, Northampton.
The digital Australian Roll of Honour records an association with Childers, Queensland, Australia.
Wartime Service
Albert enlisted in Queensland on the 13th February 1915 and his Regimental Number was 13. He embarked in Brisbane on the ‘Aeneas’ on the 29th June 1915 and went to Alexandria and on to Gallipoli arriving on the 4th September 1915. In January 1916 he went to France via Alexandria and Marseilles.
He was killed in France serving with ‘A’ Company of the 25th Battalion Australian Imperial Force that was in the 7th Brigade of the 2nd Australian Division. In a letter from his brother, William Allison of the Australian Imperial Force to Mrs Grimes of Exchange Yard Hitchin, he had been reported as missing then as killed in action. He was last seen in a shell-hole. This was almost certainly during the terrific struggle for the capture of Pozieres by the Australians, when the 2nd Division was attacking north east of the village. The casualties were extremely heavy and the shellfire intense. He was first recorded as missing in action and then as killed on the 29th July 1916.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
All his effects were left to his brother in a Serviceman's Will, but after his death his personal property was returned to his father and consisted of a razor, scarf, lodge emblem, wallet, Union Jack, cards, 3 handkerchiefs, a photograph and a devotional book.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Australian War Memorial at www.awm.gov.au
