NAME: Albert Edward BARNES
SERVICE NO: 55337
YEAR OF BIRTH: 1899
PLACE OF BIRTH: Stawell
DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 8 April 1918
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT: Horsham
AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 19
UNIT: 6th General (Victorian) Reinforcements
EMBARKED: 17 July 1918
TROOPSHIP: HMAT A30 Borda
FATE: Returned to Australia 6 May 1919
Albert Edward Barnes was born in 1899 in Stawell to Alfred Henry Barnes and Bessie Wild. Alfred was a builder and contractor residing in Stawell, however, during the war, he moved to Halls Gap sometime around 1916. By 1917 he was President of the Halls Gap Progress Association and by 1918 Alfred had opened a General Store in Halls Gap.
“Advertising.” Stawell News and Pleasant Creek Chronicle (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 21 Dec 1918: 2. Web. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120966100>.
In that year he also began operating guest house Killarney, later renamed Grampians House.
“Classified Advertising.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 8 Jun 1918: 22. Web. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1664725>.
GRAMPIANS HOUSE c1950 (FORMALLY KILLARNEY). Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria Railways Collection. Image no. 91.50/1604 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/96669
It was in the same year, 1918 that nineteen-year-old Albert Barnes travelled to Horsham to enlist. He then went on to training camp at Broadmeadows with the 6th General (Victorian) Reinforcements. On 18 May 1918, Albert left Broadmeadows and sailed via Sydney for France During his time in France he spent time with the 1st Training Battalion.
Albert remained overseas after the armistice and on 12 March 1919, he was admitted to the Fulham Military Hospital, London with pleurisy. He returned to Australia on 6 May 1919. After the war, Albert married and moved to the Wangaratta area, working as a carpenter.
ONLINE LINKS FOR ALFRED EDWARD BARNES
Australian War Memorial – Embarkation Roll – Albert Edward Barnes
Discovering Anzacs – War Service Record of Albert Edward Barnes
The AIF Project – Albert Edward Barnes
OTHER REFERENCES
