Victory Medal, Impressed “13381 GNR. A.E. MASON 1 D.A.C. A.I.F.”
Born in 1897 in Clunes, Victoria, the son of Mrs. C. Mason, Albert Ernest Mason was a carpenter by trade upon his attestation for the Australian Imperial Force at the age of 18, enlisting on the 9th July 1915 as Private 13381 of the 11th Reinforcements to the 5th Battalion. Although the 11th Reinforcements departed Melbourne aboard the ‘Nestor’ on the 11th October 1915, Mason remained in Australia and re-attested as Gunner 13381 with the 1st Division Artillery Details on the 3rd February 1916. Mason embarked at Melbourne aboard the H.M.A.T. R.M.S. ‘Malwa’ on the 21st March 1916 amongst the 15th Reinforcements to the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column, and disembarked at Tel-el-Kebir on the 20th April 1916. He was taken on strength into ‘Miscellaneous Reinforcements’ and trained at the Combined training and general base depot until leaving Egypt aboard the H.T. ‘Scotian’ on the 10th May 1916.
On the 30th May 1916, Mason marched in to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot, and on the 4th July was taken on strength into the 1st Australian Divisional Ammunition Column of the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery. The following month he was sick to hospital on the 5th August which unfortunately required his transference to England, leaving from Boulogne aboard the H.M.H.S. ‘St Denis’ on the 20th August and was admitted to the 3rd General Hospital with varicocele. Following his discharge, he moved between company depot No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 until staying in No. 3 company depot Camp ‘D’ for a time.
It appears that Mason’s service thereafter, throughout 1917, 1918 and early 1919, was away from active fighting zones and characterized by frequent transfers and many visits to the hospital. Similar to his aforementioned visit for varicocele, he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford, England with Venereal Disease on the 2nd April 1917, later between 25th January and 30th April 1918 for the same reason, then on the 29th January 1919 admitted to the Group Hospital at Sutton Veny with influenza. In terms of his position, Mason was taken on strength for a small period into the No 1. Company depot on the 22nd September 1916, returned to the 1st D.A.C., then taken on strength into the 36th Heavy Artillery Group on the 26th June 1917. On the 27th September 1917 he attended musketry school ‘B’, then was taken on strength into the 55th Australian Siege Artillery Battery in France on the 5th November 1917, and later attended the 2nd Army Auxiliary School on the 8th June 1918.
Following the end of the Great War, Albert Ernest Mason returned to Australia on the 22nd April 1919 aboard the H.M.A.T. ‘Derbyshire’ from England, and later discharged from service on the 6th June 1919.
An affordable WWI pair to the Royal Australian Artillery, medals well kept, good Very Fine.
