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Samuel Alexander Shedden - Information

Samuel Alexander Sheddon was born in Campbelltown c1899. As the war dragged on, Samuel was living on Arthur St in Merrylands with his family. In his short life, he had served in the militia and found work as a carpenter and joiner. When he was just 18, he decided to enlist in the AIF. He signed up on the 5th of July 1917 in Granville. He commenced his training at the Royal Showground Camp, and then became a Sapper at the 2nd M & D Depot in Liverpool. After training, Samuel was sent overseas for war service. First being shipped out from Sydney, landing in Melbourne, and from there boarded the HMAT Nestor on the 21st of November 1917.

Samuel arrived at Suez, Egypt, where he was encamped. He then left Port Said for England, landing in Southampton at the end of January 1918. He was instructed at Perham Downs. However, the monotony of training was endless; Samuel was then charged for going absent without leave for ten days in May. In mid August, he proceeded to the Western Front. In France, he was marched into Camp at Rouelles and then taken on strength to the 10th Field Company Engineers. At the time, reinforcements from Australia were drying up, and many units were fighting under strength. As a result, he was transferred to the 40th Infantry Battalion in late September. Unluckily, just three days after he joined his new unit, he was wounded in action. On the 29th of September, Samuel was hit by an artillery blast, shell fragments shredding his right side. He was carried off by stretcher bearers to Etaples, and was then evacuated to England, admitted to hospital in Lewisham. Samuel did not return to his Battalion, until the war ended. In mid January 1919, he returned to the 10th Field Company Engineers. He was then granted a furlough before he was sent home in September.