Albert Edward Ballard was the second of nine children of John Nelson Ballard and Florence Emma Eugenie neé Hodsoll; husband of Bertha May. He was born in Islington, London in 1889. Albert emigrated to Rhodesia & for two and a half years was a member of the South African Police Force before arriving in Brisbane aboard the ship Themistocles on 26th March 1913. Albert was employed as a Railway Porter & he married & settled in Thistle Estate, Kedron, Brisbane. After the outbreak of war he enlisted as a private in the 5/42nd Battalion AIF at Brisbane, Victoria on 20th Oct 1915 & a after training in Australia and Britain, the 42nd deployed to France on 26 November 1916. Before this happened Albert's leadership qualities had been identified and he was promoted 2nd Lieutenant on 16 June 1916. The 42nd entered the frontline for the first time on 23 December & spent that winter in horrendous conditions with much of their time spent in the front line & the remainder alternating between training and labouring in the reserve trenches. In 1917, the 42nd participated in major battles at Messines on 7th June & Warneton on 31st July. Albert was Wounded in action on the 6th October receiving a gunshot wound to the abdomen and a fractured right femur at the Battle of Broodseinde. He succumbed to those wounds on 19th October 1917.

Paul Ballard