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Alexander Leslie Dobson - Information

Alexander was working as a farm labourer at Floyd’s Creek in Bellingen when he decided to join the lads and enlist. He was born in Burragorang c1893 to Edward and Christina Dobson, and later settled north with his family. He joined up in Holsworthy on the 23rd of August 1915, aged 21. He was made a Private with the 13th Battalion and departed Sydney on the 20th of December 1915 upon the HMAT Suevic.

Alexander landed in Egypt, and was shortly transported to the Western Front in June 1916. He was not in the lines long, when he was wounded on the 8th of July, hit in the face and left arm by artillery shrapnel. He was transported to Boulogne, and from there, evacuated to England on the 11th by Hospital Ship. He was admitted to the King George Hospital. His wounds were severe. He had a compound fracture in his arm and shrapnel shredded his nose and jaw. Sadly, these would have been devastating and disfiguring wounds, with orthopaedic and plastic surgery in its infancy. After his wounds initially healed, he went AWL with a false pass in November. Despite what he had been through, Alexander was given 14 days detention. He was unable to return to the lines, and invalided back to Australia for a medical discharge. He left England on the 13th of February 1917. When he returned home, he moved to Bowraville. He passed away on the 3rd of August 1953.