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On the eve of Anzac Day, 2007, the National Archives of Aus­tralia have released a moun­tain of scanned doc­u­ments detail­ing the ser­vice records of World War I sol­diers, sail­ors, air­men and nurses.

As an exer­cise, I am tra­cing the his­tory of an Cor­poral Albert Ern­est Lock. I think he is the per­son who gave name to the town of Lock, South Aus­tralia. (Ser­vice num­ber 29888).

He died of wounds in late 1917, and was bur­ied in Bel­gium in 1917.

Fur­ther Notes from archives:

6^th April 1917 — Assigned 102 How­itzer Bat­tery, a part of 2^nd Field Artil­lery Bri­gade, 1^st Divi­sion Artil­lery, Aus­tralian 1^st Divison. He manned one of the 4 x 4.5 inch how­itzers in this Bat­tery. He was one of 71 other ranks; a part of one sec­tion, 116^th How­itzer Bat­tery, also con­sist­ing of Major Har­ris and 2^nd Lt C Groves.

16^th May 1916 — Pro­moted to Cor­poral from Gunner

20^th August 1917 — Pro­moted to Temp. Sgt from Corporal

22^th August 1917 — Wounded in Action, remained on duty (Bel­gium) The War Diary for the 1^st Divi­sion Artil­lery has no enemy action on this date.

9^th Octo­ber 1917 — Died of Wounds / Killed in Action; dur­ing the Battle of Poel­cap­pelle. (a part of Passchendaele). The 102 How­itzer Bat­tery was fir­ing on China Wood in a Search and Sweep at 11:27am. He was one of 9 ‘other ranks’ that died that week.

Bur­ied at Huts Cemetery, Dick­e­busch (Dikke­bus), Bel­gium. (Divi­sional Diary of that Month)

Father was Albert Lock, sta­tion­mas­ter at Bridge­wa­ter, South Australia.  Mother Mary Jessie Ann Lock. Sis­ter, Sis­ter Majorie Ellen Lock.

In will assigned Hun­dred of Roby County of Bac­claugh numbered 9, Pur­chase 6784 Register Book volume 573 Folio 9 to his father. Was he a clerk in the rail­ways on Eyre Peninsula?