Alexander Lawson Elder aka Alexander Croydon

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Wed, 14/10/2015 - 11:51

First Name:

Alexander

Middle Name:

Lawson

Last Name:

Elder

Mother's Name:

Betsy Bartlett

Father's Name:

William Elder

Date Enlisted:

Monday, November 13, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

45th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Sunday, April 28, 1918

Place of Death:

Villers- Bretonneux, France

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

Alexander Elder (Service No 4511) was born in Scotland around 1888. The Elder family travelled to New Zealand and settled on the North Island. It is believed Alexander travelled to Australia some time after 1911.

When Alexander enlisted he was 28 years old, single, and employed asa miner at Helensburgh, N.S.W. Alexander enlisted in Kiama, N.S.W.

Alexander enlisted using the surname Croydon. A letter on his file written by a Mary Boyd in New Zealand may explain why he left New Zealand and enlisted under another name. Mary had a court order for maintenance payments for a daughter born in 1911 which Alexander had ignored.

He embarked from Sydney on HMAT A72 Beltana with 12th Reinforcements, 30th Battalion on 22nd November 1916 and arrived in England on 31st January 1917. After training he was transferred to 45th Battalion in France on 8th July 1917. Alexander saw service on the Western Front with the 45th Battalion, A Company.

Alexander was killed in action during the fighting around Villers-Bretonneaux on 28th April 1918. He is buried in Adelaide Cemetery Plot III, Row P, Grave 8.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, CROYDON A