Who do you think we were?

As mentioned previously in this blog, we have recently put together an album of photographs from our collection and asked for public help to  identify the  people and events portrayed in these images. You can view the album at Sam Merrifield Library or online.


 
The soldier in this image has been identified as Saddler Sergeant Alfred Robert Shurey of Ascot Vale. Fred, as he signed himself in this photo, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, AIF, in October 1915. Records from the National Archives of Australia show that he served in France from March 1916 until the end of the First World War in 1918. He returned to Australia in April 1919. At the time of his enlistment he was 35, with a wife and 3 children. Fred died in Essendon in 1974 at the age of 93. His brother, Charles,  also enlisted in 1915 as a Saddlers ironmonger. Charles served in France and like Fred returned to Australia in 1915.

Jennie

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