Keith Herbert Sloan

Keith Herbert Sloan

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown 1896
Place of Birth	Perth, Western Australia
Death	23 Nov 1980
Place of Death	Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 years, 9 months
Description	5'3" (1.60m) tall ; 120 lbs 54.431 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation	Brickyard employee
Religion	Church of England
Address	'Dunrolun', Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Clara Sloan
Military Information
Reg Number	4793
Date of Enlistment	21 Feb 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements / 7th Brigade, 4th Division
Date of Embarkation	17 Apr 1916 ‒ 14 May 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A60 Aeneas
Date of Return	16 Jun 1919 ‒ 24 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	RMS Ormonde
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Armadale panel) Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Allocated to the 12th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion on 1 Apr 1916 six weeks after entering Blackboy Hill camp. On 17 Apr 1916 he embarked in Fremantle for Egypt aboard HMAT A60 Aeneas disembarking in Suez on 14 May 1916. Soon after his arrival in England, he required a stay in Fargo Military Hospital to deal with bronchitis from 13 Jul 1916 and again from 6 - 19 Jan 1917. In between he was with the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone.

This delayed his entry to France through Southampton until 9 Oct 1917, and so he was not taken on strength by the 28th Battalion until 14 Oct 1917 at Montauban Camp near Steenvorde where they are recovering after taking heavy losses on Broodseinde Ridge. Before they were ready to be thrown back into the fray they were needed to participate in the Battle of the Ancre. The 28th Battalion's attack at Gird Trench failed and they were driven back sustaining heavy loses. Withdrawn from the line on 19 Nov 1917, they moved back, first to Fricourt and then to billets at Buire where Keith wrote home "It is surprising how warm it is while the snow is about. We had some good fun, three of us went out to have a fight with snowballs. There were two of us onto one big chap. We were going for a good while when I threw one from behind and just as I did he looked around and caught it fair in the eye so then he was picking snow out of his eye for the next fine minutes."

In July 1917 the battalion was training in the Flanders region when Keith wrote "I have been out on the range shooting and came second in all the practices. The chap that beat me is a Boer War soldier and has about twelve years service, so I could hardly expect to beat him. We started our final test yesterday, but was too wet today to carry on with the shooting. I have got 42 marks out of 50 so far. If I get 125 out of 175, I will get a First Class Marksman and be entitled to wear the crossed rifles on my left forearm."

On 1 May 1918 he was seen by the 6th Field Ambulance and sent on the same day to the 4th Casualty Clearing Station, and then to the 3rd Stationary Hospital in Rouen on 2 May 1918 before being evacuated on 9 May 1918 aboard HMHS Panama to the Exeter War Hospital with what was described as a slight case of Trench Fever. [During May 1918 the 28th Battalion lost 112 men to hospital sick, in addition to 152 war caused injuries.]

Transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford from 12 - 14 Jun 1918, he was then released to the No 3 Command Depot in Hurdcott before transferring a month later to the No 1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny. Found to be fit to return to duty he travelled to France again on 6 Nov 1918, rejoining his battalion two days later at Berteaucourt.

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 is 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.

On 13 Apr 1919 he proceeded to England to begin his journey home to Australia. Discharged 5th Military District 8 Sep 1919.

"..enlisted in January, 1916, and sailed with the 12th Reinforcements of the 28th Battalion on 9th April, 1916. Salisbury camp.".

Post War

In 1923 married Amelia (Lena) Budd Godwin who died on 16 Aug 1984, aged 78.

Electoral Roll entries - 1922 at 16 Silas street, South Fremantle, a labourer, with mother Clara. 1925 with Lena at 57 Wardle street; 1931 shopkeepers at 168 Mandurah road, South Fremantle; 1936 & 1937 shop assistant at 12 Harvey street Buckland Hill, Claremont; 1943 a grocer at 133 Stirling Highway, Cottesloe; 1949 grocer at 495 Stirling Highway, Cottesloe, with daughter Beryl Jean (1927 -  ?? ) as bookkeeper; 1954 Beryl moved, and brother Keith Budd (1929 - ?? ) listed as clerk; 1958 - 1980 Keith and Lena only. Eldest child was Rhondda May (b. 8 Jul 1933, d. 1980)

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial