Alfred Summelyn Waugh
Stephen LearmonthAlfred was born in 1897 at Corryong, Victoria. He was one of twelve children of Henry Hall and Elizabeth Jane (née Lewis) Waugh. The Waugh family lived on a property at Berrigama known as “Braemore”. Alfred and his siblings attended the Berringama State School No. 2967. A keen sportsman, Alfred was a member of the Upper Murray Rifle Club for two years.
On the last day of July 1915, Alfred walked into Dr Greenham’s surgery in Corryong. He was there for his physical examination to allow him to enlist in the AIF. Even though he passed as fit for service he was re-examined when he went to Melbourne to complete, and sign, his attestation papers. Alfred completed these on the 1st of September although he didn’t take his oath of service until the 8th. He was allotted the Regimental Number 3969 and placed into the 9th Reinforcements for the 23rd Battalion.
There were a number of other men from the Upper Murray in the same unit as Alf. These included; Jack Walton, Mark Wheeler, Albert Whitehead and Wilfred Whitehead.
In early February of 1916 Alf and the 9th Reinforcements boarded HMAT A69 Warilda at the Port of Melbourne. After completing extra training in Egypt the 23rd Battalion embarked on HMT Oriana at Alexandria On the 21st of March 1916. The journey across the Mediterranean took six days and he disembarked at the Port of Marseilles on the 27th. A three day train trip took the reinforcements to the 2nd Australian base Depot at Etaples. On the last day June Alf left the Base Depot and was taken on strength with the 23rd Battalion which were occupying the trenches at the Rue de Bois salient.
The 23rd Battalion was relieved by the 2nd Rifle Brigade on the 4th of July. Each Company moved independently to the rear, back to billets at Steenwerck. Four days later the commanding officer of the 23rd, Lieutenant Colonel George Knox, received orders to proceed to Lealvilliers in preparation for the coming operation against the fortified village of Pozieres in late July.
After the battle, Alf was listed as being missing in action. Jack Walton was a close friend of Alf and his family. He and Alf had enlisted together and were in the same battalion. Jack shared many letters with Alf’s sister, Annie. Annie wrote to Jack asking if he knew anything of Alf’s whereabouts.
“France 19/1/17
Dear Annie,
No doubt you will wonder what has happened to me as it is a long time since you have heard from me.I only received your letters (5 of them) a little while ago, as they had been very much delayed. I am extremely sorry Annie for you all in your distress about Alf. I intended writing you a long time ago but really couldn’t bring myself to do it. However now that you have asked me I will endeavour to let you know all I can. Alf & I were together up till the 27th July. On the night of the 27th we were carrying rations up to the trenches & of course we had a lot of shell fire to go through.
We delivered the rations without mishap, but had a couple wounded coming back. Alf was in front of me when one of our lads got hit & I handed my empty dixie to a pal whilst I assisted the wounded man along the road to the dressing station. Arriving at the Station I left him to the A.M.C. men, and ran on hoping to overtake Alf. Arriving at my dugout I was surprised to find that Alf wasn’t there, so started to make enquiries about him.
Well I hoped he would turn up by morning & felt like a fish out of water. The morning came he was till missing & I have not heard trace of him since. You can imagine how I felt at the time as we had been together for a long time.
A few days afterwards I got wounded & on getting into Hosp I wrote the Base in London & got a reply to the effect that Alf had not been wounded. I watched the papers as well as I could & eventually read my own name & Alfs in the one list. Alf was reported as missing.
That is all I can tell you Annie. If he were in hospital I fell [sic] sure he would write, both to you & myself. I certainly could have sent you this information long before this, but have been living in hope all the time of him turning up, or hearing from him.
This is not a pleasant letter to write, but as you asked me to tell you all I knew I have done so. Let us still hope for the best & I hope he will eventually be restored to you all. Well Annie I will now draw to a close. I thank you for the card and good wishes etc & will conclude with kindest regards from,
Sincerely yours,
Jack.”
Alf has no known grave. He is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Wabba and Berringama Districts Pictorial Honour Roll, the Corryong War Memorial and the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France). For his service during the First World War, Alfred was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Jack Walton, was killed in action on the 1st of September 1918 at the battle of Mont St Quentin. Alf was one of four of Henry and Elizabeth’s sons that enlisted. Fred, Robert and John all came home.
