7/10/1916- Completed Medical Examination Perth, WA
10/11/1916- To 93 Depot Company Blackboy Hill as Private
16/11/1916- To 91 Depot Company , Blackboy Hill
2/12/1916- To 44th Battalion 7th Reinforcements Blackboy Hill
13/12/1916- To 48th Battalion 8th Reinforcements Blackboy Hill
6/03/1917- To 12th Training Battalion Codford England ex Camp Details Sutton Mandeville
8/05/1917- Reported Sick at 12th Training Battalion Codford England
9/05/1917- Admitted Military Hospital Sutton Veny England ( Shingles ) ex Group Clearing Hospital Codford
21/05/1917- Discharged to Duty 12th Training Battalion Codford ex Sickness
19/06/1917- Proceeded Overseas to 4th Australian Division Base Depot Havre France ex Southampton England ex Codford
9/07/1917- Joined 48th Battalion in the field France ex Base Depot
16/09/1917- With 48th Battalion, moved into front line at Glencorse Wood/Westhoek, Belgium
28/09/1917- Moved into Front Line at Anzac Ridge, Belgium
8/12/1917- Admitted 57th General Hospital France ( Trench Fever ) ex 53rd Casualty Clearing Station ex Ambulance Train
16/12/1917- Admitted 7th Stationary Hospital Boulogne France
5/02/1918- Admitted No. 7 Convalescent Depot Boulogne, France ( PUO )
15/02/1918- Transferred to  No. 3 Rest Camp Boulogne
18/02/1918- Transferred Australian Infantry Base Depot Havre France
4/03/1918- Rejoined 48th Battalion in the field France ex Sickness
3/04/1918- Reported to be Deserter

SERVICE MEDALS AWARDED

No Service Medals were issued to the Family, due to Soldier’s status as Deserter.

Memorial Inscription

Yarloop War Memorial, WA.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

23/05/1918 – Court of Enquiry finding – Soldier had been illegally absent from 3/04/1918.

I believe the decision to label Alford as a Deserter, to be  flawed, and caused significant impact on the Soldier’s wife and children who were  thrust into destitution.

The Hon. Thomas James MOORE M.L.A. , Perth Parliament, wrote a strong statement in support of Alford, once all facts had been presented to the Court of Enquiry, being highly critical of the outcome.  He wrote :-

” In view of these facts I am of the opinion that a grave injustice has been done to the ALFORD Family by posting George as a deserter, and I trust that the mistake may be rectified “.

A summary of the complete story extracted from documentation in the Soldier’s service file is posted under the Anzac Heroes  Website Heading –  ” Short Stories “.