Abner Clifford John ANDERSON - 6763

Studio portrait of 6763 Private
(Pte) Abner Anderson, AWM

Abner Clifford John ANDERSON was born in Wickham, NSW on 1900, the son of Eugene Clifford ANDERSON and Amelia May HOPKINS. He had six siblings, John Eugene ANDERSON, Millie Sarah Elizabeth ANDERSON, Jessie Maud ANDERSON, twins Aubrey ANDERSON and Wilfred David ANDERSON and finally, Ida ANDERSON. His parents are living at 4 Douglas St, Stockton at the time of his enlistment[1].

Prior to the war, he was employed at Morrison and Bearby Foundry in Carrington, NSW as an engineers’ apprentice. He was also a member of the Naval Cadets for four years[2].

He enlisted on 28 May 1917 at the age of 18 into the 17th Battalion, 20th Reinforcement, which embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 16 June 1917 and arrived at Plymouth on 25 August 1917. After being transferred to Belgium in January 1918, he saw service in France, where he was gassed on 3 Oct 1918. He was initially taken to the 58th Casualty Clearing Station and then transferred by Ambulance Train No. 148 to the 1st Australian General Hospital where he died of wounds on 18 Oct 1918 at Rouen, France. He was interred at St. Sever Cemetery Extension (Block S, Plot II, Row O, Grave No. 10), Rouen, France.

"DISTRICT CASUALTIES."
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate
9 November 1918: 7. Web. 10 Mar 2024
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137500233>.

 

He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is commemorated on the Stockton Soldier's Memorial, the St Paul's Church of England Roll of Honour, and Cooks Hill Superior Public School Roll of Honour. 

Links

• Abner’s Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
• AIF Project
• AWM Roll of Honour
• NAA Attestation papers

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[1] Austalian War Memorial, AWM8 Unit Embarkation Nominal Rolls, 1914-18 War, (Canberra, ACT: Australian War Memorial, 1914-1918)

[2] National Archives of Australia, "B2455 First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920."

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