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Albert Richard Cross - Information

The Cross family lived on a property in Elderslie. Albert’s father, Richard Albert, married Ellen Norris in Narellan in 1892. Richard and Ellen were then blessed with five children. Albert, their second youngest, was born in Camden on the 18th of July 1899. Growing up in the area, Albert worked on the family farm in Elderslie. Just after he turned 18 years old, he decided to see a bit of the world, and joined the AIF. He signed up at the Royal Naval House in Sydney on the 22nd of October 1917. He commenced training at the Royal Showground Camp, before being allocated to the Light Horse. He was assigned to the 7th Regiment, and was then transferred to the 14th Reinforcements, Camel Corps at Menangle Park. Albert boarded the SS Port Darwin in Sydney on the 30th of April 1918 and headed for Egypt.

When he arrived, he was marched out to an Isolation Camp in Moascar. Despite, the precaution, Albert reported to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital with the mumps in June. He left the hospital in July, and was despatched to the 7th Light Horse Regiment, joining them in the field in August. A couple weeks later, he was detached to the Division Headquarters. However, Albert began to feel unwell. On the 19th of September, he reported to hospital with malaria. Released in early November, he was then detached to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. After the Armistice was declared, he was transported to the Dardanelles from Kantara for duty. In late January 1919, he returned to Egypt, where he was assigned to the Soldier’s Club at Rafa the following month. After a stint in hospital with an ear infection, he was sent back to Australia onboard the Madras in late June. He was discharged in August and returned to his family in Elderslie, marrying Irene Simpson Holman in Canterbury in 1924.