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1325606

Title
Item 04: Notebook of Colonel Alfred Hobart Sturdee, 8 August 1914 to 25 February 1918
Call number
Online
Level of description
item
Date

8 August 1914 to 25 February 1918
Type of material
Textual Records
Reference code
1325606
Issue Copy
Digitised
Physical Description
1 volume - digital
ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Colonel Alfred Hobart Sturdee, CMG, VD, MRCS, was born on the 6 May 1863 at Southsea near Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom. He graduated from King's College Hospital, London, and served as a ship's doctor on a voyage to Australia in the 1880s. He settled at Williamstown, Victoria, where he established a successful private medical and surgical practice.

He was commissioned in the Colony of Victoria on 8 March 1889, and served as a Captain (Medical Staff) in the Boer War, 1900-1902, as part of the 4th Victorian Imperial Contingent. He was mentioned in despatches in July 1901, and awarded the Queen's Medal with 3 clasps and the King's Medal with two clasps. After being on the Reserve of Officers List from July 1903, he re-enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Corps in January 1905, was promoted to major in the 2nd Field Ambulance in August 1908, and lieutenant-colonel in the 16th Field Ambulance in December 1912.

On 18 August 1914, aged 51, he raised the 2nd Field Ambulance at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. He embarked from Australia on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 19 October 1914, arriving in Egypt on 11 December 1914.

On the 6 April 1915, he embarked on HMAT 13 Mashobra and anchored just off the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April. He served as the Principal Medical Officer at Gallipoli from the landing on 25 April 1915, until the final evacuation. On 15 December he left HQ (Anzac Gully) on board Heroic, and landed at Sarpi, Lemnos on 16 December. He returned to Egypt from Lemnos on 15 February 1916.

He commenced service on the Western Front on 30 March 1916 as ADMS of 1 Australian Division, and served in various locations in France and Belgium. On 21 November 1916, he was evacuated from the Front with chronic bronchial disability to London. He embarked for Australia on 10 February 1917, and arrived in Melbourne on 12 April, where he took up duty as DDMS 3rd Military District and later Director of Medical Services, Repatriation Department until he retired.

He was mentioned in despatches twice in 1916 and once in 1917, and awarded the Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) in 1916.

Colonel Alfred Hobart Sturdee died in Melbourne, aged 76 on 19 June 1939.
Scope and Content
Black notebook of Colonel Alfred Hobart Sturdee, AIF, 2nd Field Ambulance, AIF, 18/8/1914 to 25 February 1918; the last page comprises a brief record of Colonel Sturdee's military service
Copying Conditions
Copyright status:: In copyright
Copyright holder:: assignee of General Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee
Approval for reproduction required: from assignee
Please acknowledge:: UNSW Canberra, Academy Library and copyright holder.
Original held by
Original dairy held by UNSW Canberra, Academy Library Special Collection. Papers of General Sir Vernon Sturdee, MS 183, Box 1, item 6 ( no. 4) barcode 519821
Description source

Papers of General Sir Vernon Sturdee, Academy Library, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, MS 183. http://lib.unsw.adfa.edu.au/speccoll/finding_aids/sturdee_vernon.html#prefercite1 (accessed 23 March, 2015)
General note

Acquired in digital format. Access copy available on line.
Digital order no:Album ID : 1325627
Creator/Author/Artist
Sturdee, Alfred Hobart, 1863-1939
Subject
Soldiers--Australia--Diaries.
World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives, Australian.
World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Turkey--Gallipoli Peninsula--Personal narratives.
World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Turkey--Gallipoli Peninsula--Personal narratives, Australian.
Sturdee, Alfred Hobart, 1863-1939--Diaries.
UNSW Canberra--Archives.
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IE794526