Acland, Elson Robert

Gosford District Casualties of World War One Acland, Elson Robert Service Number 6216 Killed in Action 6 May 1917 Bullecourt, France

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of Benalyn Campbell And Vivienne Tranter in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records held in the The Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia (ÂŠ Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013) Further information on this soldier may be found online at: Commonwealth War Graves The AIF project Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1 st AIF. This resource is presented by Gosford City Council for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

NAME

ACLAND;- Elson Robert

SERVICE NO

6216

UNIT

20th Reinforcement, 4th Btn, 2nd Infantry

RANK

Private

DATE OF BIRTH/AGE PLACE OF BIRTH

21 yrs 4 mths NSW Births;- Acland, Elson R- 1896/31413 reg Katoomba parents Alfred A & Sarah E. Katoomba, NSW

ADDRESS

Hill Street Gosford. NSW

OCCUPATION DATE OF ENLISTMENT

Carpenter, 7 yrs apprenticeship served with Barns & Blackwood, Builders, Katoomba. 25 Jan 1916

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT PREVIOUS SERVICE

Jr & Senior Cadet- 7 yrs Militia Katoomba

NEXT OF KIN

Alfred Albert & Sarah Eliza Acland, Hill St., Gosford

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION RELIGION

Height-5’ 5½”. Weight 121 lbs. Chest 30½ - 33½. Complexion- Fresh. EyesGrey. Hair-Brown. Scar upper right arm Methodist

EMBARKED

9 Sept 1916-Sydney-per “Euripides”

DISEMBARKED

26 Oct 1916-Plymouth

WOUNDED/ILLNESS NOTES DIED

AWOL-Overstayed leave 6 hrs 21 Nov 1916 8 Feb 1917- left Folkstone for France per ”Invicta” KIA- 6 May 1917

BURIED

In the vicinity of Bullecourt-

MEDALS

British War Medal-47881, Victory Medal-47324. Memorial Plaque & Scroll324554

DEPENDANTS PERSONAL EFFECTS

Returned to father;- wallet, photo & letter

WILL CORRESPONDENCE

REMARKS

Red Cross Reports

Letter from T Robinson (Base Records) acknowledged parents correction of Elsons’ age Elson had put his age up by twelve mths. He was born September 1896. Letters from Miss N Willis, of Opp Woollen Mills, Church St., Parramatta, requesting information. United Ancient Order of Druids-Jersey Lodge 269- Katoomba Note;- Elson’s brother Roy Acland b 22 Apr 1899, Katoomba, Enlisted in Gosford with permission of both parents Alfred Albert Acland & Sarah nee Wilson. 29 Oct 1918, aged 20 yrs 6 mths, serving 64 days from 4/11/191831/12/1918. Medical examiner was Dr James H Paul. Father’s occupation listed as Ganger NSW Railways. He was a short nuggety built man thickset about the shoulders, & fair haired, we called him “Snowey” Killed early morning of 6th May 1917, by shell fire in a trench at Bullecourt Buried just behind the Hindenburg Line.

NSW BDM Birth;-ACLAND-Elson R 1896-31413 Reg Katoomba parents Alfred A & Sarah E

Above: Gosford Times, 7-6-1917

To the left: Gosford Times, 2-8-1917

LATE PRIVATE ACLAND Mr A. Acland, of Gosford, has received the following letter from France referring to the death of his son:â&#x20AC;&#x153;France, 28th May, 1917.- It is with regret that I write to sympathise with you in the loss of your son who was killed in action on the 5th May. He died at his post. I feel his loss very much, and he will be hard to replace. You lose a son and I a gallant soldier. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R McMAHON, Lieutenant, D. Dompany, 4th Battalion