Leanne Scott shares the story of Alfred Stanley Stringer, her mother’s uncle.

Alfred Stanley Stringer, 2nd Lieutenant 5th Battalion, enlisted on 18 August 1914.

He boarded the Orvieto on 21 October 1914.

Before enlisting in the army, Alfred Stanley Stringer was a bank official. He made daily entries into a diary from the earliest days of his enlistment, which include living at Maribyrnong, parading down Flinders Street “where the women went mad over the boys”, and embarking on the HMAT Orvieto.

In his diary he talks about the German prisoners from the Embden, who looked young but were a fine lot, and the Sydney’s firing was too superior for them getting three telling shots in before the Embden got their range. He also describes his life in Cairo, and of course the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 where he glimpsed the effects of the war: “dead and wounded lying about”.

He was shot twice at Gallipoli – once into his Vaseline tin in his pocket and once into his leg. As luck would have it, every time he was wounded he was promoted and sent back to the front line.

Alfred eventually died at the Battle of Pozieres in France, on 25 July 1916 aged 24, and is buried at the British Cemetery, Pozieres.

My mother and I were lucky enough to finally visit his grave in Pozieres this year and place a poppy on the headstone. It was a very emotional event for our family.

Embarkation Record