AIF project

[westkent78]

Does anyone know why access to the AIF project database is not currently available for the general public.

And more importantly, will it be reinstated and if so, when?

Matthew

[Peter Bennett]

Does anyone know why access to the AIF project database is not currently available for the general public.

And more importantly, will it be reinstated and if so, when?

Matthew

Is this an Australian Government database? could you advise on the link.

[westkent78]

Peter,

Here is the homepage.

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/index.html

I think it is a University of NSW project using the various collections at the archives, but there may be a governmental component to this project.

It will be a shame if they restrict access to students alone as there must be quite a large number of researchers out there who were using this site as a "one-stop" shop.

Best Regards,

Matthew

[Andrew P]

The database has been closed for free access due to time constraints of the owners of the site. However the information that was contained on the ADFA site is readily avaialable from other sites such as the Australian War Memorial & the National Archives of Australia.

The following is a statement by Professor Peter Dennis who built the website and is taken from the Australian Lighthorse Forum website.

"I have just read the recent postings on the forum relating to the closure of the AIF database website. There is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation which I seek to correct. The database has been closed by me, and by me alone, first because I do not have the resources or time to maintain it as a public resource. Since it became available in late April I have been deluged with hundreds of e.mails, letters and phone calls, all of which have taken time, in some cases very considerable time, to answer. (All but two have been complimentary, and one of those two so abusive to me and a non-involved member of the university staff over a period of time that I made a formal complaint.) Secondly, I have an obligation to fulfil the original purposes for which the database was established, and for which funds were received from the Australian Research Council. That means that I and my associates must be able to concentrate on those tasks to the exclusion of everything else. I cannot do that and maintain the database.

Yes, public money was originally used in the first phase of the database construction, and we intend to carry out the research for which those funds, inadequate though they were, were sought and provided. A publicly accessible database was not part of the proposed outcome in the original funding submission. Since those funds ran out almost ten years ago, our main source of income has been through our fee-for-service enquiry activity. For the past seven years I have been solely responsible for that. It’s worth remembering that this activity long preceded the availability of material on the web, so that for many people it provided, in a readable and understandable form, information that they could not otherwise access. (Many of those who wrote to us forwarded copies of files from Archives, and specifically asked us to ‘translate’ them: not everyone is an expert at or familiar with such things.) Even since the explosion of material on the web it satisfies those who want material in a presentable form. That material is, for the most part, freely available from a variety of sources on the web, but it is not cost-free in the form we provide it, especially when it involves having to go to the National Archives reading room to examine material that is not yet digitized. However, to allay any concerns that my decision has been taken in the hope that enquirers will be driven to pay a fee, I have asked my programmer to remove that section from the home page. Our project can do without the $80 it raised in the last two months, and I will be well rid of the aggravation. (I might add that the word ‘subscription’ was a misleading hangover from an earlier version of the database: there has never been a ‘subscription’ service involving the payment of money, and that word has been removed to avoid confusion.)

Apart from the initial ARC grant and the money generated (by my efforts alone) through the enquiry service, we have received no other funds to assist in the construction of the database, except from a grant from the Academy of Irish Cultural Heritages, which has involved me in an enormous and on-going amount of unpaid work. My outside consultancy work has paid for the server we use, and all the data for the past seven years has been largely collected by me (often involving distant and therefore expensive field-work) and keyed in by me on my two-finger system. I have had offers of assistance on the forum pages, and I’m grateful for those, but was not able to accept them because of the advice I have been given about maintaining the integrity of the data and the way it is entered. It’s simply not practicable or sensible to let people loose on the database to enter whatever they like, and any monitoring system that would be needed would involve me in even more work, for which I do not have the time.

Yes, people have offered us additional material (Bill Woerlee and Steve Becker in particular, to whom I have written separately), and for that I’m grateful. However, if anyone who has posted material on the forum for inclusion on the database now regrets doing so, let me know and I’ll delete it. I would hope that they would be in a minority among those who made the 2.44 million requests while the database was open. It has decidedly been a two-way exchange, but I would not want anyone to feel that I have improperly used material passed on under different circumstances. I should add that my colleagues were and are amazed at my decision to make the database publicly accessible, and asked who else who is working on a project with a book or books in mind has been naïve enough to make their raw research available to anyone before writing, let alone publishing, their own book(s). Who else indeed? Any hands up?

Despite all this, I don’t regret my original decision. Public access opened up a new dimension to my work, and I became aware of the extraordinary range of activities ‘out there’ pertaining to the First World War. Equally I don’t regret my decision to close public access. I hope that at some stage it will be possible to make it available, but in the meantime I hope that disappointed, even angry, people will try to understand my situation. As a number of items on the forum and elsewhere have said, the majority of the information on the AIF database is freely available elsewhere."

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/forum/topic.a...page=3&ARCHIVE=

[westkent78]

Andrew,

Thank you for providing the definitive answer to my question.

Best Regards,

Matthew

[John_Hartley]

Great shame. Wonderful easy-to-use one-stop database.

Just glad I finished Stockport's Aussies a few weeks back.

John

[spidge]

Does anyone know why access to the AIF project database is not currently available for the general public.

And more importantly, will it be reinstated and if so, when?

Matthew

I have searched for any thread that is newer than this to no avail, so please excuse me if it is discussed elsewhere.

This excellent resource is now available to the public again!

AUSTRALIAN ANZACS IN THE

GREAT WAR 1914-1918

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/index.html

Cheers

Geoff

[spidge]

An example of what is available: http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=9725

The AIF Project

Sydney Winton AYERS

Regimental number 612

Religion Roman Catholic

Occupation Mechanic

Address Main Street, Lithgow, New South Wales

Marital status Single

Age at embarkation 23

Next of kin Father, T G Ayers, Gundagai Road, Cootamundra, New South Wales

Enlistment date 14 September 1916

Rank on enlistment Private

Unit name Australian Flying Corps, No 2 Squadron, A Flight

AWM Embarkation Roll number 8/5/1

Embarkation details Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 25 October 1916

Rank from Nominal Roll Lieutenant

Unit from Nominal Roll Australian Flying Corps

Fate Died of wounds 24 November 1917

Age at death from cemetery records 24

Place of burial Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery Extension (Plot I, Row D, Grave 12), France

Panel number, Roll of Honour,

Australian War Memorial 188

Miscellaneous information from cemetery records

Parents: Thomas Gabriel and Ellen Mary AYERS, 'Fernleigh', Third and Holden Streets, Canterbury, New South Wales

Family/military connections

Brothers: 3002 Pte Charles Thomas AYERS, 55th Bn, killed in action, 26 September 1917; 2518 Pte Victor Albert AYERS, 37th Bn, returned to Australia, 27 August 1917.

Other details

War service: Western Front

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

[Fedelmar]

Yes Spidge ... the parameters have been increased ... which is a good thing. Peter has said if there are any errors then please contact them. This includes the ones missing from the list.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

[spidge]

Peter has said if there are any errors then please contact them. This includes the ones missing from the list.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

I am only doing Australian Flying Corps and so far they are all there. Australians in the RFC/RNAS/RAF do not show up as you would expect.

I am impressed with the day by day search feature and the ability to split KIA, DOW, DOD etc

Cheers

Geoff

[Guest geoff501]

An example of what is available: http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=9725

<snipped>

An excellent resource. I've only had to research one Australian to date, their archives are most useful (and free!)

A more complete list of data fields, although not all are searchable:

NAME

TRUE NAME

UNIT NAME

REGIMENTAL NUMBER

PLACE OF BIRTH

RELIGION

OCCUPATION

ADDRESS

MARITAL STATUS

AGE AT EMBARKATION

AWM EMBARKATION ROLL NUMBER

NEXT OF KIN

ENLISTMENT DATE

DATE OF ENLISTMENT FROM NOMINAL ROLL

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT

RANK ON ENLISTMENT

EMBARKATION DETAILS

RANK FROM NOMINAL ROLL

UNIT FROM NOMINAL ROLL

FATE

DATE OF BIRTH

SCHOOL

PLACE OF DEATH OR WOUNDING

DATE OF DEATH

AGE AT DEATH

AGE AT DEATH FROM CEMETERY RECORDS

PLACE OF BURIAL

COMMEMORATION DETAILS

PANEL NUMBER, ROLL OF HONOUR,

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION FROM

FAMILY/MILITARY CONNECTIONS

OTHER DETAILS

MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS

HEIGHT

WEIGHT

PREVIOUS MILITARY SERVICE

DISCHARGE DATE

REGIMENTAL NUMBER FROM NOMINAL ROLL

MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS (NOMINAL ROLL)

OTHER NAMES

PROMOTIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS (MEDALS AND AWARDS)

AGE ON ARRIVAL IN AUSTRALIA

SOURCES

OTHER TRAINING

OTHER DETAILS FROM ROLL OF HONOUR CIRCULAR

[Fedelmar]

Even though there is the ADFA site I still suggest that you refer to the primary source documents held at the NAA and the AWM.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

[Guest geoff501]

I am impressed with the day by day search feature and the ability to split KIA, DOW, DOD etc

Only the best search engines do that.

However, there are a number of fates given. The main ones, or those of interest (there are quite a few other odd categories):

KILLED IN ACTION 39618

RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA 229491

DIED OF DISEASE 3867

DIED OF WOUNDS 13483

DISCHARGED 4943

EFFECTIVE ABROAD (STILL OVERSEAS) 16443

DROWNED AT SEA 7

DIED AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT 266

DIED WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 167

DISCHARGED ON ACCOUNT OF DESERTION 5

DIED AT SEA 142

DROWNED 35

DESERTED 2

KILLED ACCIDENTALLY 40

NO DETAILS OF FATE ENTERED ON NOMINAL ROLL 4803

DECEASED 142

RESIGNED 13

DIED OF SICKNESS AT SEA 3

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED 26

DIED 83

DEMOBILISED 82

LOST AT SEA 2

DIED OF DISEASE WHILE A PRISONER OF WAR 1

DIED OF WOUNDS WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 16

DIED OF ILLNESS 27

DIED OF WOUNDS (ACCIDENTAL) 14

ILLEGAL ABSENTEE 5

SUICIDE 8

KILLED WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 1

SUCIDE WHILST INSANE 1

DISMISSED 7

DIED OF INJURIES 23

MURDERED 2

DIED ACCIDENTALLY 22

DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES 3

DIED OF WOUNDS AT SEA 5

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED INJURIES 12

DIED IN HOSPITAL 2

DIED OF EXPOSURE 1

KILLED 11

DIED OF DISEASE AT SEA 7

DISCHARGED ON ACCOUNT OF ILLEGAL ABSENCE 1

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED (SHOT) 2

DIED OF SUN STROKE 1

KILLED (AEROPLANE ACCIDENT) 6

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS 1

HANGED 1

Even though there is the ADFA site I still suggest that you refer to the primary source documents held at the NAA and the AWM.

Thanks, I already have - and got about 20 pages.

[NeilEvans]

What the heck is the the difference between Suicide and Suicide whilst insane?

I'm getting ready for the jokes!

It's a serious question, are there any examples of Insane Suicides?

Neil

[spidge]

What the heck is the the difference between Suicide and Suicide whilst insane?

I'm getting ready for the jokes!

It's a serious question, are there any examples of Insane Suicides?

Neil

Hi Neil,

If insane suicide is listed, the term is appropriated to one or more persons on the search engine.

Suicide would be a purposeful act........

Suicide whilst insane is deemed to be not knowing what you are doing.

[montbrehain]

Only the best search engines do that.

However, there are a number of fates given. The main ones, or those of interest (there are quite a few other odd categories):

KILLED IN ACTION 39618

RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA 229491

DIED OF DISEASE 3867

DIED OF WOUNDS 13483

DISCHARGED 4943

EFFECTIVE ABROAD (STILL OVERSEAS) 16443

DROWNED AT SEA 7

DIED AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT 266

DIED WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 167

DISCHARGED ON ACCOUNT OF DESERTION 5

DIED AT SEA 142

DROWNED 35

DESERTED 2

KILLED ACCIDENTALLY 40

NO DETAILS OF FATE ENTERED ON NOMINAL ROLL 4803

DECEASED 142

RESIGNED 13

DIED OF SICKNESS AT SEA 3

ACCIDENTALLY DROWNED 26

DIED 83

DEMOBILISED 82

LOST AT SEA 2

DIED OF DISEASE WHILE A PRISONER OF WAR 1

DIED OF WOUNDS WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 16

DIED OF ILLNESS 27

DIED OF WOUNDS (ACCIDENTAL) 14

ILLEGAL ABSENTEE 5

SUICIDE 8

KILLED WHILST A PRISONER OF WAR 1

SUCIDE WHILST INSANE 1

DISMISSED 7

DIED OF INJURIES 23

MURDERED 2

DIED ACCIDENTALLY 22

DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES 3

DIED OF WOUNDS AT SEA 5

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED INJURIES 12

DIED IN HOSPITAL 2

DIED OF EXPOSURE 1

KILLED 11

DIED OF DISEASE AT SEA 7

DISCHARGED ON ACCOUNT OF ILLEGAL ABSENCE 1

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED (SHOT) 2

DIED OF SUN STROKE 1

KILLED (AEROPLANE ACCIDENT) 6

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS 1

HANGED 1

Thanks, I already have - and got about 20 pages.

Died of Sickness at sea = 3 ? Are you sure ? Is this per battalion ? "MO"

[spidge]

Died of Sickness at sea = 3 ? Are you sure ? Is this per battalion ? "MO"

I am only having a guess here however many of these fates may be specific to certain services.

The one you are asking could be only RAN shipboard personal who died of sickness whilst at sea.

It may have been three nurses or three chaplains whilst on board a troop or hospital ship between ports.

I feel that Sandra was correct in that cross referencing would have to be carried out at the appropriate official Australian website to achieve the definitive result. The good thing about that is...................it doesn't usually cost you anything.

A search of that terminology may give the (3) incindences that occurred.

Geoff

[Guest geoff501]

Geoff,

Is this chap known to you in your project? He survived Gallipoli (wounded 25/4/15) joined the RFC as a cadet and was one of those listed as died in aeroplane accident. He is buried in Surrey, UK.

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=3501

[Guest geoff501]

Died of Sickness at sea = 3 ? Are you sure ? Is this per battalion ? "MO"

That's just the way these three are recorded. I presume they are in the general category "Died at Sea" but for these three records, more details are given in the Fate field, in the first link below, 'Died of Sickness at sea 1 June 1915' (all 3 include a date). My 'search engine' only looked at the first 30 characters to get the group counting. The AIF fate is a bit more detailed than the UK's (Kia, Dow, Died at home, Died at sea, Died)

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=20097

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=199691

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=336745

[elle72]

Yikes, it really gives you a picture of the anguish some of the men were going through -

SUICIDE 8

SUCIDE WHILST INSANE 1

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED INJURIES 12

DIED OF SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS 1

HANGED 1

Awful. How bad must things have to be that you even consider shooting yourself rather than waking up another day.

[Guest geoff501]

HANGED 1

Not a suicide, but a judicial execution:

Joseph Harold DURKIN

Murdered 27 November 1917

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=86571

Admitted to 17th General Hospital, Alexandria, 8 May 1916; transferred to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Cairo, 15 June 1916; discharged, 15 August 1916; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 100 days.

Embarked Alexandria, 27 August 1916; disembarked England (date not recorded).

Proceeded on furlough, 14 September 1916; reported back to No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, from furlough, 30 September 1916; marched into 2nd Training Bn, No 3 Camp, Perham Downs, 30 October 1916.

Appointed Acting Corporal, 24 October 1917.

Found dead in Lewis Gun Hut, No 2 Camp, 27 November 1917; buried in Sutton Veny Churchyard, 1 December 1917.

Coroner's Court held at Military Hospital, Sutton Veny, 29 November 1917, returned a verdict of death by a self-inflicted wound during a period of temporary insanity.

Several days later 'a soldier in the adjoining hut made a report inculpating [296A Acting Corporal V.] Asser', who was subsequently tried by Civil Court at the Assizes, Devizes, found guilty of murder, and subsequently hanged on 5 March 1918.

Verney ASSER

Hanged 5 March 1918

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=336970

Enlisted in Egypt, 1 March 1916.

Admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital, Cairo, 2 March 1916 (influenza); discharged to unit, 11 March 1916.

Admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, 14 March 1916 (follicula); discharged to duty, 17 March 1916.

Proceeded to England, May-June 1916 (date not recorded).

Admitted to Hospital, Camp Delhi, England, 22 July 1916 (mental derangement); marched into Australian Army Service Corps Training Depot, Parkhouse, from hospital, 28 July 1916.

Proceeded overseas to France as Reinforcements for 2nd Divisional Train, 12 September 1916.

Found guilty, 25 September 1916, of being out of bounds, 2nd Divisional Base Depot, Etaples, 24 September 1916: awarded 7 days' confined to camp.

Found guilty, 1 November 1916, of when on Active Service being absent without leave, returning off pass from 2130 to 0600 (8.5 hours): forfeited 15 days' pay; total total: 16 days' pay.

Found guilty, 23 November 1916, of being absent off fatigue duty from 10.30 to 11.30: awarded 3 days' confined to camp.

Found guilty, 15 December 1916, of when on Active Service, drunkenness: deprived of 14 days' pay.

Attached to 1st Anzac Entrenching Bn, 21 December 1916.

Admitted to 1st Field Ambulance, 7 January 1917 (gastritis); transferred same day to 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen; to England, 17 January 1917 (gastritis, debility); admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital, Brighton, 19 January 1917; discharged on furlough, 19 February 1917, to report to No 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs, 6 March 1917.

Attended a course in the Lewis Gun at Tidworth Camp, 16-25 August 1917: passed 2nd Class.

Appointed Acting Corporal, 24 October 1917.

Found guilty, 29 November 1917, of conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in that he made a false statement to his Commanding Officer: reduced to permanent rank of Private.

Tried in Civil Court, Wiltshire Assizes, Devizes, 15-16 January 1918, being charged with the murder of 5372 Acting Corporal Joseph Harold DURKIN, 6th Bn, at Sutton Veny Camp on 27 November 1917. 'The prosecution showed by experiments with the Lewis Gun that the deceased could not have shot himself, that it was discharged within five inches of the deceased's head, and that as Asser was the only other occupant of the hut he must have shot him. The Jury believed this account and [accused] was sentenced to death.' Found guilty; sentenced to death.

Appeal in the Court of Criminal Appeal was dismissed. Mr Emanuel, appearing for the applicant, said that Asser 'had been subject to insanity and that it was in his family. His father had committed suicide at Bootle some years ago, and that he (the applicant) had himself been in Asylums and in the Mental Wards of Hospitals ... Enquiries were made [regarding hospitalisation in July 1916] and a telegram was received from the Military Authorities confirming the entry [in his record] and containing the words-"Diagnosis: alcoholism". After the trial enquiries were made which showed that a James Nugent a bugler boy on one of His Majesty's Ships was discharged from the service 14 years ago for Dementia. The applicant said that he was that boy, and that he had enlisted in this war under the name of Asser, so that the Military Authorities might not knowt hat he had been in a Lunatic Asylum.'

Hanged, HM Prison Shafton Mallet, 5 March 1918; buried within the prison precincts.

Report from the 'Wiltshire Times', 9 March 1918: 'Sequel to Camp Tragedy. Verny [sic] Asser, late a member of the Australian Field Force, was hanged at Shepton Mallet on Tuesday morning for the murder of a comrade, named Joseph Harold Durkin, who was found dead in the Camp,while two used cartridge cases were found among the Prisoner's effects. It will be remembered that Asser was condemned to death at the Wilts Assize on January 16th, but an appeal was lodged on the grounds of insanity. This appeal was, however, dismissed. Great secrecy was taken in regard to the execution, and there was no hoisting of the black flag, or the tolling of the bell. The first intimation the inhabitants of Shepton Mallet had of the occurrence was the posting of the notice outside the gaol. A Coroner's Inquest was held on the body and the evidence of the governor of the gaol, as also the doctor in attendance was to the effect that death had been instantaneous. No statement had been made by the Prisoneras to his guilt or innocence.'

Deemed ineligible to receive medals, or for next of kin (who could not be traced) to receive Memorial Scroll or 'Where the Australians Rest' document.

[spidge]

Geoff,

Is this chap known to you in your project? He survived Gallipoli (wounded 25/4/15) joined the RFC as a cadet and was one of those listed as died in aeroplane accident. He is buried in Surrey, UK.

http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=3501

Yes Geoff, even though he was born in Samoa.

This most detailed report and grave photo was supplied by a forum Pal, Nigel S and I thank him for his efforts.

Joined RFC school of military aeronautics as a cadet trainee and died as a result of an aeroplane accident. He was wounded at Anzac on 25/4/15.

"I have discovered however that the Grave is surmounted by a 6' White Marble Cross with Kerbs, and can be located 15 graves to the right of CWGC Headstone to Jackman and two forward of CWGC Headstone to Barton." Although I didn't count the graves, this certainly pointed in the right direction, so I've now been able to add 3 photos of the Allen's grave to the folder on Photobucket.

http://s233.photobucket.com/albums/ee178/Nigse999/AFC/

If the kerbing looks a bit uneven, it's because it is! (as can be seen from the other gravestones in the background a lot of the older graves suffer from the same problem, I think its down to tree roots). The lowest part of the inscription has gone "subterranean"; fortunately somebody has put a piece of board across so it can still be viewed, as you will see from the photos

The verger at St Giles, Ken Lane, was also very helpful; it looks as though the confusion over the shared burial may be down to the 165 reference given by the CWGC and the service record; Plot 165 on the church's plan doesn't tie up with Allen's grave, but it does correspond with one of two adjacent plots for the Mellish family (who may, or may not, have been part of the same family given as attending Allen's funeral as friends in the burial report included in his service records!); Ken said that if he gets the time he'll investigate further and let me know if anything comes to light) His opinion is that it is highly unlikely that Allen would have been buried in a shared grave with a non-family member, and that the mention of this possibility had only come about because of the likely mis-identification of the plot number and/or its location. Oddly, the parish records don't have an entry in 1917 for Allen's burial which might also help to explain the confusion.

A couple of odd points: firstly, the monument states Allen's rank as Lieutenant but his service record gives that when he died he had the rank of private (also described as a cadet, presumably, because he was training); there is no indication of him ever having had a commission (I believe that if the grave had been CWGC he would have been ranked as cadet or private) . Secondly, and a minor point, his date of death is given as the 26th April; the service records indicate that he crash landed on the 24th April, 1917 and died in hospital on the 27th.

The funeral report from the service records give that Allen's funeral took place on the 30th April (another document gives a time of 3pm at "Woodfield House", the address given for Mr. & Mrs Mellish):

The deceased soldier was buried with Military Honours. Firing Party comprising members of the Administrative Headquarters Staff, A.I.F. London were in attendance. The "Last Post" was sounded at the graveside by a bugler of the of the A.I.F. and 3 other buglers of an Imperial Regiment stationed at Woodcote Park Epsom. Prior to the internment of the deceased soldier's remains a Memorial Service was held in the Parish Church, Ashtead by Chaplain Wray of the A.I.F., assisted by the Revd. Waddilove of the Parish of Ashtead. The coffin was draped with the Australian flag and covered with many beautiful floral tributes. The deceased's remains were borne to the graveside by members of the Administrative Headquarters staff, A.I.F. London. Lieut Allen (brother) of the Royal Naval Service Mr & Mrs Mellish and several other friends were present at the funeral. Temporary Memorial will be erected by the Commonwealth Military Authorities.

A summary of other details from his service record:

No. 1313 of the 2nd Reinforcements 2nd Infantry Battalion A.I.F., Thomas Meredith Allen, was born in Apia on the Island of Samoa where, prior to enlisting, he was a seaman with the Samoa Shipping Company (his father was Managing Director and his brother, Frederick, who was originally given as next-of-kin, is also given as a seaman with the company); His attestation papers give that prior to enlistment at Liverpool Camp N.S.W. on the 28th November 1914, he had served with the Territorials at Auckland, N.Z for 5 years. He embarked on H.M.A.T. A48 "Seang Bee" on the 11th February 1915; April 1915 (date given as 25/30th) he received a bullet wound at Gallipoli (politely put as to the thigh, but more accurately recorded as - and it makes me very uncomfortable just thinking about it - to the scrotum); He was initially hospitalised at Ras-el-Tin Military Hospital, Alexandria before being transferred to England on H.M.H.S "Goorkha", before going into the 1st Southern General Hospital R.A.M.C.T, Dudley Road Section, Birmingham and later to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex before convalescing at Woodcote Park Convalescent Hospital, Epsom (Ashtead is adjacent to Epsom, and maybe this is where he was befriended by the Mellish's) from where he was discharged for "Home Service" in September 1915. It appears that "Home Service" may have been at Montevideo Camp, Weymouth; he certainly transferred from there to Perham Downs in June 1916. During his time at Montevideo Camp - if this is where he was the whole time - he was promoted to lance corporal then temporary corporal for a short while before returning to lance corporal. In July, while at Perham Down, Allen was AWOL for an early morning parade and was subsequently demoted back to private. In August 1917 he rejoined his unit at Etaples, France until December when he joined the RFC School of Instruction of Military Aeronautics, Reading, and started training at Norwich Aerodrome. On the 24th April 1917 he crashed is plane after failing to level out when he coming in to land after an evening training flight having only flown solo for 2 hours and twenty five minutes. The accident inquiry witness statements give that he was thrown out of aircraft, and subsequently died of his injuries in Norfolk War Hospital, Thorpe, Norwich. (The inquiry, held on the 27th of April, reported that there was no indication of a failure of the plane, or its engine, and concluded that the crash was down to pilot error.)