ECCLES Alfred

Native of Liverpool, England.

Alfred Eccles was born on 12th April 1890.  He entered Evesham Boys National School on 22nd June 1908 having last attended the local Infant School.  His parent is given as Alfred Eccles, 4 Vine Street.  Alfred attended Evesham School from 4th April 1898 until 31st December 1898 when he left to attend a Private School.

1901 Census
4 Vine Street, Evesham
Alfred A. Eccles, head, aged 40, Watch Maker & Jeweller
Margaret A. Eccles, wife, aged 34
Alfred F.C. Eccles, son, aged 10, born Liverpool
Nellie F.M. Eccles, daughter, age 9
Florence A. Eccles, daughter, aged 7

Alfred enlisted as a Private in the 3rd Field Ambulance, Australian Imperial Force on 17th August 1914 at Pontville, Tasmania.  On his attestation form he gave his place of birth as Fairfield, near Liverpool, Lancashire, his age as 22, his occupation as Orchardist and his next of kin as his father, Alfred Eccles, 95 St John Street, Launceston.  The address was later amended to 27 Delamere Rd., Trevallyne, Launceston, Tasmania.  He had previously served 5 years with the Warwickshire Yeomanry, discharged ‘Time expired’.  Alfred was 5 feet 9½ inches tall grey eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion.

Alfred left Hobart on the S.S. Geelong on 20th October 1914, the first troopship from Tasmania.  He was killed during the landing at Gaba Tepe, Dardanelles.

Documentation within his service records reveal that Alfred was initially buried after he was killed but his grave must have subsequently been lost during later fighting in the area:
Australian List
Witnesses saw Eccles’s grave at Anzac in the cemetery to the left of Walker’s Ber, near the Clearing Hospital.  Eccles and Hudson were the two first men to be lost by the 3rd F.A. They were killed immediately after the landing and were buried side by side.  Witnesses saw the graves in Sept. 1915, not long after he joined the unit at Anzac.
Reference: Pte. H.A. Vionet. 6073. 3rd F.A.
26 Gen. Hosp.
Etaples. 18th. May. 1916.

Further documentation in Alfred’s records reveal that it was 14 weeks (28th July 1915) before his family received official notification of his death and that a portion of his army pay was allotted towards the support of his mother, who owing to the war, was still living in England.