Alfred Arthur (Fred) Rouse
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth |
unknown "unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation. |
| Place of Birth | Victoria Park, Western Australia |
| Death | 11 Apr 1917 |
| Place of Death | Reincourt, France |
| Age at Enlistment | 27 years, 5 months |
| Description |
5'6" (1.68m) tall ; 117 lbs 53.07 kg ; dark complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair |
| Occupation | Grocer's Clerk |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Address | Kelmscott, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Mother , Mrs Mary Barber Rouse |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 5415 |
| Date of Enlistment | 15 Feb 1916 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 16th Battalion, 17th reinforcements |
| Date of Embarkation | 17 Apr 1916 ‒ 14 May 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A60 Aeneas |
| Fate | Missing in Action 11 Apr 1917, later confirmed Killed in Action 1st Bullecourt |
| Monument |
Kelmscott War Memorial (South panel) Villers-Bretonneux Memorial WA State War Memorial Australian War Memorial |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Contents
Pre War
War Service
Six weeks after commencing his military training at Blackboy Hill, Alfred was allocated to the 17th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, travelling with them to Egypt aboard HMAT A60 Aeneas which sailed from Fremantle on 17 Apr 1916 and disembarked its passengers in Egypt on 14 May 1916. On 7 Jun 1916, soon after arrival in Egypt, Fred embarked on the HMT Ionian in Alexandria for Marseilles in southern France where he disembarked on 14 Jun 1916.
On arrival he was transferred to Étaples where he joined the 4th Division Base Depot, remaining there until 23 Aug 1916 when he left to join the 16th Battalion. He joined them just in time to participate in the attack on Mouquet Farm on the night of 29 Jun 1916. Nine months later, he was one of the large number of casualties suffered by the 16th Battalion in its attack on Reincourt during the 1st Battle for Bullecourt.
Declared at the time to be Missing in Action, his Red Cross file [1]. bluntly reveals that on 30 October 1917, as a result of a Court of Enquiry, AIF Head Quarters certified that Rouse was Killed in Action on 11 Apr 1917 - no reason was given, and no statements from his colleagues are included in the file.
Alfred's Mother received a 40/- per fortnight pension from 10 Aug 1917, in addition to the 15/- per fortnight she was already receiving for John Edward Rouse, his younger brother who had been Wounded in Action, (wounds to his thigh, shoulder and chest while serving with the 51st Battalion who had attacked Mouquet Farm on 3 Sep 1916.)
Her pension for John was reduced to 7/6 from 3 Jan 1918 as his ability to work improved.
Notes
No known grave, Memorialised at Villers-Bretonneux Cemetery Son of George and Mary Barber Rouse, of 44 Cargill St, Victoria Park, Western Australia
- ↑ "Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Files - Aldred Arthur Rouse". Australian War Memorial. 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.