Abbott, Albert Robert (4980)
Place of Birth: Port Melbourne, VIC
Age: 27 years 11 months
Enlistment Details: Wednesday, 26 September 1917 – Port Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 4980 view online service record
Address:
50 Rouse Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Next of Kin:
Lucy Rose Abbott (wife)
50 Rouse Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Saturday, 22 December 1917
Ship: HMAT Ulysses A38
Port: Melbourne, VIC
Unit: 29th Infantry Battalion – 14th Reinforcements
Fate:
RTA: Sunday, 16 March 1919
Discharged: Saturday, 22 November 1919
Brother: Arthur David Abbott
6 Comments
Brian Membrey
Education Department records show Abbott as the teacher at school 2720 at Willow Grove via Moe – he would almost certainly have resided there with his father in Albert Street
David Thompson
Thanks Brian. It’s hard to work out exactly where people were living at what time. As you know, sometimes the papers contradict themselves and often the Next of Kin moved either prior to the soldier embarking for the front or while he was serving overseas.
Brian Membrey
Education Department Record of Service
“Private A. D ABBOTT, son of Mr. J. Abbott, of 163 Albert-street, Port Melbourne, enlisted on the 24th of April, 1916 He embarked with Reinforcements to the 46th Battalion on the transport Orontes on the 16th August, and disembarked at Plymouth on the 2nd of October. He joined the 46th Battalion in France on the 12th of February, 1917, and served with it till he was wounded on the 8th July, 1918, when he was evacuated to hospital, afterwards being transferred to a hospital in England. He returned to Australia as an invalid on the transport
Shropshire on the 16th of May, 1919, and was soon afterwards discharged from military service. His engagements included Guedecourt (beyond Flers, February, 1917); Fremicourt (April to May) ; Messines (7th to 14th June) ; Hill 63 (29th June to
18th July); Wytschaete (7th to 23rd August); Menin-road (26th September to 1st October); Hill 60—Zanboorde (11th to 20th January, 1918); Albert (March) ; Beaumont-Hamel (July). Prior to enlisting, he was headteacher of School No. 2520, Willow Grove, near Moe”.
Steve Brown
Hello Brian, you’re describing an AD Abbott not Albert Robert Abbott. AR Abbott was a blacksmith (his sign up papers state he was working as blacksmith in Port Melb the previous 4 years), not a teacher. He signed up in Sept 1917 (not 1916 as stated for AD Abbott) in the 29th Battalion. However, he was the son of James Abbott of Albert St, Port Melb but his siblings (I’ve taken this from his death notice) were Edward, Ernest, Lydia, Arthur, Alice & Harold. He had 3 Abbott children (Ada, Alice & Albert David) – his son is not the AD Abbot who enlisted. He died in 1934, aged 46 from colon cancer. He was definitely in Port Melb before & after the war as he had 2 other children with Annie Fennessy in Port M – John Albert Fennessy (b. 1924) and Janet Beatrice Fennessy (b.1925). Janet was my mother.
Steve Brown
Just an addition then – I believe the AD Abbott you refer to is Arthur David Abbott, Albert’s brother. Both served in France & were wounded & returned to Oz within a few months. Albert’s injury was to his leg & he had to wear a height correcting boot after the war.
David Thompson
Thank you very much for the clarification Steve!