Rolf Montgomery Allom

Rolf Montgomery Allom

Personal Information
Date of Birth	11 Apr 1899
Place of Birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Death	4 Jan 1997
Place of Death	Bullcreek, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 years, 3 months
Description	5' 6¼" (1.68m) tall ; 120 lbs 54.431 kg ; fresh complexion ; grey eyes ; fair hair
Occupation	Office boy
Religion	Church of England
Address	NOK: 5 King's road, Subiaco, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Rose Allom
Military Information
Reg Number	52129
Date of Enlistment	12 Oct 1917
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 1918 Reinforcements / 8th Brigade, 5th Division
Date of Embarkation	8 May 1918 ‒ 10 Jul 1918
Ship Embarked On	SS Port Darwin Fremantle to Taranto via Egypt
Date of Embarkation	25 Jul 1918 ‒ 28 Jul 1918
Ship Embarked On	unknown ship Taranto to Southampton
Date of Return	15 Jul 1919 ‒ 16 Aug 1919
Ship Returned On	SS City of Exeter
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial (West panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Arrived in Australia from New Zealand aboard the SS Ophir on 11 Nov 1907 in Sydney

War Service

A member of the generic reinforcement draft known as "Western Australian Reinforcement 1". Unusually, the SS Port Darwin left from Albany, but this was only the beginning of a different journey than most of his colleagues. At Port Suez on 7 Jun 1918 Rolf was taken from the ship and hospitalised, before re-embarking on the SS Port Darwin in Alexandria for England.

However, he was again ill and taken from the SS Port Darwin and landed in Italy where he entered hospital at Faenza on 10 Jul 1918.

Eventually Rolf arrived in Southampton on 28 Jul 1918 and was dispatched to the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone for training prior to proceeding overseas.

He left for France from No 3 Camp Fovant, via Southampton, and arrived in France on 17 Oct 1918. From there he joined the 28th Battalion on the 26th October, too late to participate in hostilities.

At the time of the Armistice the battalion was resting and rebuilding in the small village of Berteaucourt, north-west of Amiens. Soon after the Armistice the 28th Battalion and the rest of the Australian 7th Brigade was initially earmarked as part of the British 4th Army to relocate to Coblenz as part of the Army of Occupation. They began their move on 23 Nov 1918, travelling through Amiens and Peronne by train, and then marched via stops at Busigny, Ribeauville, Grand Fayt, Beaufort, and Cousolre into Belgium. At this point it was decided that the Australian troops would not proceed into Germany, but wait in Belgium for their return to Australia, with the 28th Battalion basing itself in Marcinelle, some 2 miles from the large industrial city of Charleroi.

Rolf was discharged by the 5th Military District on 1 Sep 1919.

Post War

In 1925 Rolf was on Lyndon Station in the Murchison as a station hand.

Rolf married Bridget McKenna in 1933, and in 1936 Rolf was the married licensee of the Gingin Hotel, and President of the newly formed golf club. By 1939 he was running the Bedford Hotel in Brookton, again involved in golf and other local community committees.

On 5 May 1942 during WW2 he served as a Corporal with the RAAF, enlisting from Brookton, and served with Regimental Number 80370. His unit at the time of discharge was the 26th Radar Station.

By 1949 he was at West Brookton, farming, before retiring to Mandurah by 1968.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Memorial