Pte
Alfred Oswald Binger
Information about birth
|
Year of birth: 1896 |
|
Place of birth: Inglewood, Victoria, Australia |
General information
|
Profession: Labourer |
Army information
|
Country: Australia |
|
Force: Australian Imperial Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 1271 |
|
Enlistment date: 09/07/1915 |
|
Enlistment place: Inglewood, Victoria, Australia |
|
Units: — Australian Infantry, 29th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 26/09/1917 |
|
Place of death: Cameron House, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 21 |
Memorial
|
Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 23EE |
Distinctions and medals 3
|
1914-15 Star Medal |
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
My story
Alfred Oswald Binger was born in November 1896, in Inglewood, Victoria, Australia. He was the son of Janet and Samuel Henry Binger. Alfred worked as a laborer before he decided to enlist with the Australian Imperial Force. As he was younger than 21 he needed a written permission from his parents. Alfred served with the 29th Battalion Australian Infantry, part of the 8th Brigade, of the 5th Australian Division during the war.
From mid-September 1917 onward his unit participated in the Battle of Passchendaele. Their first action in Flanders was the Battle of Polygon Wood, on the 26th of September 1917, during which the 5th Australian Division attacked. The plan of attack went as follows. Firstly the 59th Battalion would capture and secure the first object. Once they had consolidated this Line, the 29th and 31st Battalions were to move through the 59th Battalion and had to capture the second objective. At 5.50 a.m. the troops advanced behind a creeping barrage. The 59th, 29th and 31st Battalions quickly got intermixed and the advance came to a standstill, when the attacking parties encountered German machine-gun fire coming from the direction of Jerk House on their right. The men came to a halt on the racecourse in Polygon Wood, 150 yards from the first objective. But notwithstanding the German machine gun fire, the 31st and 29th Battalions still moved through the 59th Battalion and advanced to the second objective. Moving through the remnants of Polygon Wood the Australian 5th Division lost contact with the British 33rd Division, on their right. Making the men in Polygon Wood an easy target for German bunkers, in the 33rd Divisional area. Machine-gun fire still came from Jerk House, as the area had yet to be cleared by the 33rd Division. Even when Jerk House had fallen, the men faced continuous machine-gun fire now coming from Cameron House. Subsequently the advance through Polygon Wood was checked again and it was decided to hold the attack till contact was reestablished with the 33rd Division. Disorganization crept in along the line and several Battalions of the 33rd Division were seen retreating. The 29th and 31st Battalions had no choice but to dig in and hold the line. All troops now remained in position, except the men on the right flank, who were to assist the advance of the 33rd Division. When contact had finally been re-established with the 33rd Division, the 31st and 29th Australian Battalions managed to consolidate the second objective at 11 a.m. At night burying parties were detailed to find and bury the dead in Polygon Wood. Most men were buried close to the place where they fell. But owing to the relentless shelling and machine gun fire very little could be accomplished.
According to witness testimonies in Private Alfred Oswald Binger’s Red Cross File, the 20-year-old was killed in action during the attack on Polygon Wood. Though testimonies vary about the exact cause of death, several witnesses describe him being buried in the same grave as Lance Corporal Francis Walter Facer, also from the 29th Battalion. Facer’s remains were exhumed after the war and were interred in Hooge Crater Cemetery Plot XVI Row C Grave 9. Francis Facer was initially buried on the eastern edge of Polygon Wood, to the northeast of Cameron House. He was found together with an unknown Australian Soldier who is now buried beside him on Hooge Crater Cemetery Plot XVI Row C Grave 10. This unknown soldier is probably Alfred Oswald Binger.
From mid-September 1917 onward his unit participated in the Battle of Passchendaele. Their first action in Flanders was the Battle of Polygon Wood, on the 26th of September 1917, during which the 5th Australian Division attacked. The plan of attack went as follows. Firstly the 59th Battalion would capture and secure the first object. Once they had consolidated this Line, the 29th and 31st Battalions were to move through the 59th Battalion and had to capture the second objective. At 5.50 a.m. the troops advanced behind a creeping barrage. The 59th, 29th and 31st Battalions quickly got intermixed and the advance came to a standstill, when the attacking parties encountered German machine-gun fire coming from the direction of Jerk House on their right. The men came to a halt on the racecourse in Polygon Wood, 150 yards from the first objective. But notwithstanding the German machine gun fire, the 31st and 29th Battalions still moved through the 59th Battalion and advanced to the second objective. Moving through the remnants of Polygon Wood the Australian 5th Division lost contact with the British 33rd Division, on their right. Making the men in Polygon Wood an easy target for German bunkers, in the 33rd Divisional area. Machine-gun fire still came from Jerk House, as the area had yet to be cleared by the 33rd Division. Even when Jerk House had fallen, the men faced continuous machine-gun fire now coming from Cameron House. Subsequently the advance through Polygon Wood was checked again and it was decided to hold the attack till contact was reestablished with the 33rd Division. Disorganization crept in along the line and several Battalions of the 33rd Division were seen retreating. The 29th and 31st Battalions had no choice but to dig in and hold the line. All troops now remained in position, except the men on the right flank, who were to assist the advance of the 33rd Division. When contact had finally been re-established with the 33rd Division, the 31st and 29th Australian Battalions managed to consolidate the second objective at 11 a.m. At night burying parties were detailed to find and bury the dead in Polygon Wood. Most men were buried close to the place where they fell. But owing to the relentless shelling and machine gun fire very little could be accomplished.
According to witness testimonies in Private Alfred Oswald Binger’s Red Cross File, the 20-year-old was killed in action during the attack on Polygon Wood. Though testimonies vary about the exact cause of death, several witnesses describe him being buried in the same grave as Lance Corporal Francis Walter Facer, also from the 29th Battalion. Facer’s remains were exhumed after the war and were interred in Hooge Crater Cemetery Plot XVI Row C Grave 9. Francis Facer was initially buried on the eastern edge of Polygon Wood, to the northeast of Cameron House. He was found together with an unknown Australian Soldier who is now buried beside him on Hooge Crater Cemetery Plot XVI Row C Grave 10. This unknown soldier is probably Alfred Oswald Binger.
Sources 7
|
"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 93-94. Sources used |
|
AIF-Project https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/search Sources used |
|
CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1597688/binger,-alfred-oswald/ Sources used |
|
CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/457973/facer,-/ Sources used |
|
Service Record http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx Sources used |
|
The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
|
War Diary Australian Infantry, 29th Bn. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1338583 Sources used |