Alfred Shorten

A Private with the 16th Battalion, Alfred died on 11th of April 1917 at the age of 31.

Alfred was born at Freethorpe, Norfolk, on 11 May 1885, a son of Alfred and Martha Shorten. In 1891 his family lived at Shipdham, Norfolk. By 1901 they were living at Yarmouth Road, Oulton, and Alfred was an agricultural labourer. In 1911 they lived at Park Hill, Oulton, and Alfred was a brickfield labourer. Later his family lived at 24 The Street, Oulton. He was a brother of Hubert Shorten. 

Alfred moved to Australia in 1912 to work as a farm hand. He settled at Katanning, Western Australia. 

Alfred attested for the Australian Army at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia, on 18 January 1916. He joined the 45th Depot. On 28 March he was posted to the 55th Depot and joined the 14/28th Reinforcements and on 12 April 1916 he joined the 19/16th Reinforcements. He embarked at Freemantle on 9 August 1916 and landed at Plymouth on 25 September 1916.

On 21 December 1916 he went to France on the Princess Clementina, sailing from Folkestone, and he joined the 4th Australian Base Depot, at Etaples, on 22 December 1916. Alfred joined the 16th Battalion, in the field, on 2 January 1917. 

On 11 April 1917 the 16th Battalion, as part of the 4th Australian Brigade, attacked positions on the Hindenburg Line between Bullecourt and Queant. The Brigade reached the second line objectives but then encountered heavy machine-gun fire and were unable to withstand German counter-attacks. The Battalion fell back to their original start line. The battalion’s casualties that day were 17 officers and 623 other ranks.

Alfred was reported missing in action on 11 April 1917. A Board of Inquiry, in November 1917, received evidence that he had received a Church of England burial, possibly on 30 October 1917, and it was concluded that he had been killed in action on 11 April. He was buried at map reference 51.B.U.24.A.4.9. along with several unidentified Australian soldiers. Alfred grave was marked with a cross. In 1919 he was reburied at Queant Road.