George Sanderson

Personal Information
Date of Birth	20 Jan 1893
Place of Birth	South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
Death	16 Sep 1967, aged 74
Place of Death	Heidelberg, Victoria
Age at Enlistment	23 years, 9 months
Description	5'2½" (1.59m) tall; weight 135 lbs (61.2kg); fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair.
Occupation	dairyman
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Brother Mr William Sanderson
Military Information
Reg Number	2482
Date of Enlistment	30 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	51st Battalion, 5th Reinforcement / 13th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	20 Sep 1916 - 15 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A66 Uganda
Date of Return	28 Aug 1917 - 14 Oct 1917
Ship Returned On	HMNZT Pakeha
Fate	Wounded in Action 6 Apr 1917 Returned to Australia
Monument	Mundijong
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Emigrated to Australia, arriving in Fremantle on 4 Jan 1913 aboard the SS Armadale from London, listed as a 19 year old agricultural labourer.

Electoral Roll entry - 1916 Mundijong, dairy farmer.

War Service

A month after commencing his military training, George was allocated to the 5th reinforcement draft for the 51st Battalion, and travelled with them to England

On arrival in England he was sent to a Training Battalion for less than a month before he proceeded overseas to France on 12 Dec 1916 aboard HMT Arundel from Folkestone.

Another month was to elapse before he was taken on strength at Bazentin, France by the 51st Battalion on 19 Jan 1917. Some of that time was spent in an isolation or segregation camp in Le Havre.

On 6 Apr 1917 the battalion was in the front line at Vaux-Vracourt in the Somme valley when George was wounded in action. His injuries were to his shoulder, arm and buttock, described as severe so more than likely the result of shrapnel. Seen by the 9th Casualty Clearing Station on 8 Apr 1917 before being passed to the 12th General Hospital in Rouen on the 9th.

On 18 Apr 1917 he was evacuated to England aboard HMHS Panama from Le Have, and on the next day he was admitted to the Auxiliary Hospital in Exeter until 13 Jul 1917 when he was released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford. Here he was assessed and then sent on furlough from 16 - 30 Jul 1917, before reporting to the No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth to await a ship home.

Medical Discharge 5th Military District 2 Nov 1917. Placed on pension of 30/- fortnightly from 3 Nov 1917.

Post War

In early 1931 George married Rose (Emily) Burrett in the Canning District. Electoral Roll entries - 1931 George street, Cannington, labourer. In May 1967 was living in Port Melbourne, Victoria.