| Regimental number | 3451 |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Occupation | Labourer |
| Address | West Street, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Marital status | Married |
| Age at embarkation | 43 |
| Height | 5' 8.5" |
| Weight | 148 lbs |
| Next of kin | Wife, Mrs Marion Aland, West Street, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Previous military service | Nil |
| Enlistment date | |
| Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
| Place of enlistment | Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 25th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/42/2 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A55 Kyarra on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 1st Australian Entrenching Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Pozieres, Somme Sector, France |
| Age at death | 43 |
| Place of burial | Sucrerie Military Cemetery (Plot I, Row A, Grave No 27), Colincamps, France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 103 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Originally recorded as no known grave; name listed on the Australian National Memorial, Villers- Bretonneux. Remains discovered in 1936 and interred in Sucrurie Military Cemetery. |
| Family/military connections | Son: Captain Robert Clegg ALAND MC, 31st Bn, returned to Australia, 8 September 1919. |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 21 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 27 March 1916. Taken on strength, 1st Anzac Entrenching Bn, 25 June 1916. Rejoined 25th Bn, 13 July 1916. Killed in action, 29 July 1916. Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal Wife wrote to Base Records, March 1917 [date unclear]: 'I write to ask if you will be good enough to try & find out any particulars of my husband's death - I was certainly notified by an urgent wire signed by Major Darcy that Private E.R. Aland 3451 25th Battalion had been killed on the 28th July 1916 & the usual King & Queen's sympathy etc on the 8th Sept 1916. I am just thinking that as most other mothers & wives have been given a few more particulars as to burial, disc, personal belongings, undelivered letters in scores etc, I too might put in my modest claim for a few particulars, seeing I'm left with five children to care for. It strikes one very forcibly if "they" get the men they don't care a jot what becomes of the dependants. My husband, only son MC, & twenty nephews have all gone & this is the treatment I've got so far - but it doesn't matter. I don't expect an answer to this reply to a common old soldier's widow.' Wife wrote again to Base Records, 6 June 1921: '... I write to ask you, if you could help me find out whether my husband really has [underlined] a grave or not. I have not had one [underlined] item of particulars of his death yet - only a pink coloured notice at time of his death - saying he was killed at Pozieres July 28, & further particulars would be posted to me as they became available. Evidently they never [underlined] became available for I have never received any correspondence whatever on the matter. Surely some [underlined] body must know something.' |