Alexander Duncan Gordon Laurie, third and youngest son of Mr Joseph E. Laurie, of ‘Invergordon’, Gloucester River, was born on 15th December 1892, at ‘Fairview’, Dingo Creek, his grandfather McPherson’s place.
Bothers, and always ready to do a kindly act, and with that rare old smile of his made him a favourite with everyone, and one always felt the better for meeting him. A deadly shot and a lover of horses. He, like his uncles, the McPherson family, was a fearless horseman. He knew that his going would be keenly felt, and that he could be ill spared at home, however his sense of duty was so strong that it overcame all other thoughts. It was in Newcastle that the grazier enlisted into the 30th Battalion on the 2nd of August 1914.
The 30th Battalion was originally raised for service as an Australian Imperial Force (AIF) unit, as part of the 8th Brigade. Formed in early August 1915, the battalion concentrated at Liverpool, New South Wales and drew most of its personnel from various parts of New South Wales, with a large contingent coming from Newcastle.
On the 9th of November Alexander was assigned as driver and embarked Sydney aboard the ‘HMAT A72 Beltana’ on the 23rd of November to arrive at Suez, Egypt on the 16th of December 1915. Upon the battalion’s arrival in Egypt, the 8th Brigade had been unattached at divisional level, but in early 1916, it was assigned to the 5th Division, after a reorganisation that saw the AIF expanded from two infantry divisions to five.
Alexander spent a long time in the transport service in Egypt, but fearing he would not see service in the firing line, he got transferred back to the infantry on the 8th of May to the rank of private. On the 16th of June 1916 he embarked aboard the ‘HMAT A20 Hororata’ with the 30th Battalion at Alexandria to join BEF. They disembarked at Marseilles on the 23rd of June.
The battalion’s first major action came at Fromelles on the 19th of July where they were initially tasked to provide a supporting role, carrying ammunition to the assault troops. Alexander was ‘Killed in Action’ during the fighting at Fleur Baix, on that night of the 19/20th, aged just 23 years. He was believed to be buried 2 ½ miles Southwest of Armentieres. Of the 410 dead removed from the engagement only 1 was identified, which was not Alexander.
Pte Andrew Joseph Bruce Laurie, his brother, heard the sad news on the eve of his departure for England with his company of the machine gun section.
Awards: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Cemetery: VC Corner Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour;
Gloucester Memorial Clock Tower
“Lest We Forget”
Early history source: Dungog Chronicle: Durham and Gloucester Advertiser, Tuesday 19 September 1916, page 2.
Contributed by Geoffory Gillen (VWMA) & edited by Admin