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Alfred Gearie - Information

Alfred was born in Musselburgh, Scotland. He later migrated to Australia, where he settled on Railway Avenue in Picton, finding work as a farrier. He was 41, when he enlisted in Picton on the 18th of February 1916. Training in Goulburn, he was placed with the 5th Reinforcements, 55th Battalion. He then boarded the HMAT Aeneas in Sydney on the 30th of September 1916 for war service.

Alfred landed at Plymouth Harbour on the 19th of November, and was taken to the 14th Training Battalion. Just before Christmas, he left Folkestone for France. Billeted at Etaples Base, he joined the 55th Battalion in early February 1917. After some months in the trenches, Alfred’s unit was moved to the Flanders Region in Belgium, for the Third Battle of Ypres. Here, Alfred was wounded in action on the 13th of September, with a shell wound to his hip. He was admitted to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station, and then the 35th General Hospital. He was invalided to England to the Reading War Hospital, and by mid October, was moved to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford. He was granted a furlough before leaving Southampton to return to France in late November. A week later, he reunited with the 55th Battalion. Alfred and his unit suffered through another harsh winter. On the 30th of January 1918, Alfred reported to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station with a sprained knee. While a patient, he was transferred to the Casualty Station as staff. He began working there in early June helping to take care of the sick and wounded lads. He continued to take care of the men, until he was sent back to England in March 1919. He returned to Australia on the 23rd of June 1919.