Alfred Richard Hintz

Alfred was born in Adelong, New South Wales in 1884. He was one of twelve children to William Frederick and Eliza (née Gallear) Hintz. The family spent some time living in a variety of locations in the region, including Wodonga, Adelong, Tumbarumba, Corryong and Bethanga.

Alfred enlisted on the 6th of June, 1916 at Melbourne. While he stated on his enitsment papers that he was a natural born British subject, his father had been born in the Baltic seaport of Kiel which, at that time, was in Denmark. The city of Kiel became a German city in 1871, the same year that Frederick emigrated to Australia. It’s not sure how this information, and a German sounding name, was taken by those around him. However, he passed his medical and became Private Alfred Hintz (1868A) of the 2nd Reinforcements for the 3rd Pioneer Battalion.

After initial training the 2nd Reinforcements embarked on HMAT A32 Thermistocles at Melbourne on the 28th of July 1916. Also part of the 2nd Reinforcements was George Pardon from Allan’s Flat, but who’d enlisted at Tallangatta. George made it to England only to be returned to Australia in March of 1917 suffering from rheumatism. George was 54! The Thermistocles arrived at Plymouth, England on the 11th of September, 1916. 

In early November of 1916, Alfred boarded the SS Onward and made his way across the English Channel to Etaples, France. On the 20th of that month he was taken on strength with the 5th Pioneer Battalion, which was then in the field near Longueval, France. The battalion moved to the area around Waterlot Farm and for the next few weeks were involved in cleaning up and duckboarding trenches. Snowstorms made work more difficult with the snow having to be removed before the floors of the tranches could be maintained. Regular shelling from German artillery resulted in casualties. On the 21st of December the battalion’s war diarist recorded that “Xmas parcels are arriving in large numbers for the unit. Men are fairly done up especially A & B Coys.” 

Although there are no recorded casualties in the war diary, Alfred is listed as being killed in action on the 22nd of December. The absence of a Red Cross file means that we may never be sure how Alfred died.

Alfred was buried in the Guards Cemetery in Lesboeufs, Picardie, France. He is also remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Bethanga Roll of Honour, and the Towong Shire Boer War and WW1 Roll of Honour. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.