Alfred Lennon

LENNON, (sometimes Lennan) Alfred- – – – SPC 1896-1899

DoB:- – 1887, Armidale NSW

Father:- – James Lennan

Mother:- – Catherine

Alf Lennon was a boarder at St Patrick’s from Melbourne. Despite being young for the Senior football team, -‘many of the Juniors showed fine form, notably A Lennon -¦’

Service No:- 822

Rank:- – Private

Unit:- – 34th Battalion

The first time that Alf Lennon enlisted, he had been two months in the AIF but was temporarily discharged due to gonorrhoea.

He enlisted again and was accepted as medically fit on 15 January 1916 as a single man, aged 29 years and one month. His occupation was miner. He was five feet, eight and a quarter inches tall, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair.

He embarked from Sydney on 31 January 1916, aboard the Hororata, arriving at Plymouth, England on 23 June. In early September he was reported Absent Without Leave (AWL) from midnight on 14 August to 1pm on 15 August 1916. He had to forfeit eight days’ pay in total for this crime. For 51 days throughout September and October 1916, Private Lennon was hospitalised at Bulford for treatment for veneral disease.

He was well enough by November to proceed overseas to France. In May 1917 he was forfeited six days’ pay for the crime of drunkenness. He rejoined his unit in Belgium in mid-June 1917. He sustained a gunshot wound to his left hand in July and was transferred initially to the Casualty Clearing Station on 3 July, and then on to the 54th General Hospital for further treatment. By 29 August 1917, he was able to march out to rejoin his unit at Havre, France.

By February 1918, Private Lennon was granted leave to England. Upon his return to his unit in France, he sustained a bullet wound to his hand. He was evacuated back to UK for treatment of this wound in April 1918, and was admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital at Horefield. While back in England he went AWL in London from 31 May to 8 June 1918. He had to forfeit 18 days’ pay for this crime. He was AWL again from 23 August to 17 September 1918, and this time was arrested and held for 50 days’ detention at the Lewes Detention Barracks, and had to forfeit 89 days’ pay.

On 6 November 1918, Private Lennon proceeded once again to France and rejoined his unit in the field. He remained in France until March 1919, at which time he returned to England to prepare for demobilisation. He returned to Australia aboard the Borda on 28 June 1919.

Alfred Lennon returned to Armidale, NSW. He married Teresa M Arndell in Armidale in 1923. The College could not trace Alfred Lennon’s movements after that time.