Private Alfred (Fairy) Edmund Fairbank

Alfred was born in 1888 at Collingwood, VIC to Henry John Fairbank and Elizabeth Bradshaw.

Alfred - known as Fairy⁽¹⁾ - was a brickmaker or moulder at the Darley Brick Co.⁽³⁾ but gave his address as Montrose, VIC when he enlisted in the AIF, 8^th Reinforcements, 7^th Battalion on the 10^th of July 1915, aged 27. He embarked aboard the HMAT A68 Anchises in August.

Some time in September or October 1915 Alfred joined the 7^th Battalion at Mudros, Lemnos - the battalion had just been at Gallipoli in the Battle of Lone Pine. In mid November he was admitted to hospital in Mudros with mumps - he was either still in hospital or had been re-admitted on the 12^th of December. His service records do not show if he was at Gallipoli at all. He returned to Egypt in January 1916 and transferred to the 59^th Battalion in late February. He embarked from Egypt in June.

Alfred disembarked at Marseilles, France in June 1916. Three weeks later, during the Battle of Fromelles he received a gunshot wound to the thigh and was admitted to hospital in Wimereaux, France and then Bolougne before he rejoined his unit in August. From December 1916 to July 1917 he was detached for duty with the 15^th Machine Gun Company. He then had two weeks leave in England before a brief time at the Army Signal School in October. In September 1918 he again had leave in England. In December Alfred spent a month in hospital in France with swollen glands in the neck before returning to England at the end of January 1919.

In April 1919 Alfred embarked for Australia aboard the Trasos Montes, arriving back in Australia in May and was discharged from the AIF in October. In 1923 he applied for a Kings Certificate⁽²⁾.

Alfred died at Heidelberg, VIC in 1949, aged 61.

He is listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour, the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour, the Roll of Honour for the Bacchus Marsh ANA and the Bacchus Marsh Holy Trinity Church Roll of Honour. He is also remembered at the Montrose War Memorial.

Notes

1. The Bacchus Marsh Express 17 Jul 1915
2. The Argus 14 Sep 1918
3. The Bacchus Marsh Express 17 Jul 1915

Location of Tree Number N107

Tree Position (accuracy ±1 tree) -37.681867157738125, 144.45902567077547

Related Links

• Timeline
• Nominal Roll
• Embarkation Roll
• Service Records
• 7^th Battalion
• Unit Diaries - 7^th Battalion
• 59^th Battalion
• Unit Diaries - 59^th Battalion
• Unit Diaries - 15^th Machine Gun Company
• Battle of Fromelles

Last updated by lee, Sat, 28 Aug 2021 11:44:41