Albert Frederick SULLIVAN [872] ¹⁶⁶⁶

   Another name for Albert was Brick SULLIVAN.

  General Notes:

Albert was raised by his Grandparents. Albert altered his date of birth to enlist in World War 1. He was killed in France and was a Lance Corporal No. 4937 in the 5th Battalion AIF. On the photograph of his grave he is known as A.F.J. Sullivan. His name is also on the War monument in Newstead Victoria as A.F. Sullivan.

He was known as Brick because of his red hair.

Bendigo Advertiser 14 July 1915 page 3
FOOTBALLER INJURED
Castlemaine, 13th July
In the football match played on Saturday between Campbell's Creek and Newstead, Albert Sullivan, a Newstead man, collided with another player and fell, sustaining a fractured collarbone. He was attended to at the Castlemaine Hospital.

Albert travelled to Melbourne to enlist on 1 December 1915 when he was just 15 years of age. He lied about his age saying that he was 19 years and 7 months old. He was 5' 8" tall and weighed 128 lbs. He had red hair, blue eyes, and freckles on his arms neck and shoulders. He gave his occupation at labourer as he has worked on his Grandfather's farm at Newstead, Victoria. He stated on his enlistment form that his parents were dead, although his mother was well and truly alive. He gave his next of kin as his brother Archibald who was also in the AIF.

He was sent to the 3rd Depot squadron at Seymour from 7.12.1915 to 23.12.1915 and attended the Signal School at Broadmeadows. His rank was private and he was in the 5th Battalion.

He left Melbourne on the HMAT Wiltshire on 7 March 1916, via Suez and disembarked at Marseilles France on 17 May 1916. On the 2nd May 1916 he joined his base depot at Etaples. In June 1916 he spent some time in hospital in France with Pyrexia (fever). In November 1916 he was admitted to hospital with trench fever and trench feet. He was sent back to England on 7 November 1916 and spent some time in hospital. In early 1917 he went absent without leave, for almost a fortnight and was detained for 14 days and forfeited 28 days pay. He remained in England until 26 April 1917 and returned to his unit in France on 12 May 1917, after only one month he was admitted to hospital once again on 19 June 1917 P.U.O. and sent back to England on 30 June 1917 on the ship Western Australia where he was admitted to Richmond Military Hospital with trench fever. He remained in England and was admitted to hospital at Sutton Veny again on 20 November 1917 with septic dermatitis. He remained in hospital until 18 December 1917. On 12 January 1918 he was charged with breaking off parade without permission and making a false statement to an NCO at Sutton Veny. On 7 February 1918 he returned to France via Southampton and rejoined his unit on 12 February 1918. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 2 June 1918 and on 7 July 1918 he was killed in action in France at the age of 18.

He is buried at La Kreule British Cemetery, 3/4 mile due north of Hazevrouck France, Plot 2, row F2. His personal effects were returned to his Grandmother, Mrs D J Sullivan of Newstead on 26 August 1918.

La Kreule is a small hamlet 2 kilometres north of Hazebrouck, on the road to St Sylvestre-Cappel and Steenvoorde. Leave Hazebrouck on the D916 heading north. The Cemetery is visible from the roundabout where the D916 crosses the Hazebrouck by-pass. The access road to the cemetery is 100 metres off the roundabout, on the left hand side.

Historical Information: La Kreule Military Cemetery was opened in April 1918 by the 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations, which came back from Outtersteene ahead of the German advance, and the 17th, which arrived from Lijssenthoek. These three stations, known collectively as "Ana Jana Siding", were posted to the north of La Kreule, but in the middle of April they withdrew to Blendecques, near St. Omer, and the cemetery was then used by heavy artillery and fighting units. In October 1918, the 17th Casualty Clearing Station returned with the 8th and the 64th and the cemetery was closed at the end of the month. The cemetery contains 576 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 11 German war graves. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. (information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

By 30 January 1920 Albert's mother, Julia Sullivan, now known as Snakenberg, had proved that she was in fact his next of kin. Albert was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. A memorial scroll was sent to Julia on 2.2.22 as was a pamphlet entitled "Where the Australians Rest" as well as a Memorial Plaque. The Victory Medal was sent on 19.2.1923 and the British War Medal on 14.11.1924.

Newstead Echo-Wednesday July 24th 1918
"The sad news was received on Saturday evening that Pte Albert Sullivan was killed in action in France on July 7th. The fallen soldier was only 18 years of age in last April and was 2 1/2 years fighting. Enlisting in Melbourne at the age of 15, he presented such a manly appearance that he passed as 21. Deceased had his 16th birthday while on the water. "

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Military: World War 1 SERN 4937, 1914-1918.