The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Found guilty, Imbros, 26 June 1915, of absenting himself without leave from 6 pm, 26 June, till 27 June 1915: awarded 28 days' Field Punishment No 1.

Admitted to No 2 Field Ambulance, 24 July 1915 (haemorrhoids), and transferred same day to 16th Casualty Clearing Station; to HS 'Clacton', 25 July 1915, and transferred to Mudros; to Malta, 31 July 1915, and admitted to St Andrew's Hospital (piles); transferred to St Patrick's Hospital, 15 August 1915; to England, 7 September 1915, and admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham, 19 September 1915.

Found guilty, Monte Video Camp, Wymouth, 16 November 1915, of being absent without leave, 11-14 November 1915: awarded 4 days' stoppage of leave.

Found guilty, Weymouth, 27 November 1915, of (1) being drunk; (2) creating disturbance in the canteen at Mont Video: awarded 7 days' stoppage of pay and 7 days' confined to barracks.

Found guilty, Weymouth, 8 January 1916, of whilst on Active Service absenting himself from duty after being duly warned: awarded 28 days' detention.

Joined 17th Draft to rejoin the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, 4 February 1916; taken on strength, Overseas Base, Ghezireh, Egypt, 14 February 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force; disembarked Marseilles, France (dates not recorded).

Admitted to No 9 Stationary Hospital, Havre, 13 June 1916 (not yet diagnosed); transferred to No 18 General Hospital, Camiers, 30 June 1916 (syphilis: slight); discharged to duty to Details, 14 July 1916; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 32 days.

Admitted to No 1 Australian Division Base Depot, Etaples, 14 July 1916.

Found guilty, 21 August 1916, of being absent without leave from 6 am, 16 August, to 8 pm, 17 August: awarded 7 days' confined to camp, and forfeited 2 days' pay under Royal Warrant.

Found guilty, Etaples, 22 July 1916, of being absent without leave from 6 am, 19 July, to 8.30 pm. 21 July 1916: awarded 7 days' confined to camp, and forfeited 2 days' pay under Royal Warrant.

Tried by Field General Court Martial, 27 November 1916, on charge of (1) drunkenness; (2) when in covalescence escaping; (3) absenting himself without leave, 15 November: found Guilty; awarded 6 months' imprisonment with hard labour.

Marched in to Detention Barracks, 29 August 1916; rejoined Bn, in the field, 10 September 1916.

Admitted to 36th Casualty Clearing Station, 3 December 1916 (gonorrhoea); transferred to Ambulance Train No 5, 4 December 1916, and admitted same day to No 1 Stationary Hospital, Rouen; transferred to 51st General Hospital, Rouen, 7 December 1916; discharged to Base Details to duty, 24 December 1916; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 22 days.

Rejoined 6th Bn, in the field, 2 January 1917.

Found guilty, 11 January 1917, of disobedience of orders: awarded 21 days' Field Punishment No 1.

Admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 12 March 1917 (abrasions, heel); transferred to South Midlands Casualty Clearing Station, 18 March 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 19 March 1917.

Admitted to New Zealand Stationary Hospital, 19 March 1917; transferred to 59th General Hospital, Amiens, 19 May 1917 (gonorrhoea).

Court of Enquiry, 25 March 1917, declared that No 897 Pte Ashurst R.J. illegally absented himself without leave from 6th Bn AIF in the Field and that he is still so absent and that on 25-3-17 he was deficient and that he is still deficient of the following article viz. 1 Greatcoat value 1 pound.

Transferred to Ambulance train, 31 May 1917; admitted to 1st Australian General Hospital, Abbeville, 1 June 1917; transferred to 39th General Hospital, Havre, 2 June 1917; discharged to Base Details to duty, 6 June 1917.

Admitted to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, 18 July 1917 (cellulitis ruce), and transferred to Divisional Rest Station (7th Australian Field Ambulance); to Ambulance Train No 2, 22 July 1917, and admitted to No 1 General Hospital, Etretat, 23 July 1917; to England, 28 July 1917, and admitted to 3rd Southern General Hospital, Oxford, 29 July 1917 (cellulitis, left knee: slight).

Proceeded overseas to France, 7 September 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 22 November 1917.

Tried by Field General Court Martial, 22 March 1918, on charge of (1) when on Active Service deserting His Majesty's service; (2) when in lawful custody escaping; laternative charge: Absent without leave from 3 December 1917 till 10 pm, 17 January 1918; (3) offering violence to his Superior Officer. Finding: (1) Not Guilty, but Guilty of being absent without leave from 18-29 October 1917; (2) Guilty of being absent without leave from 18 January-21 March 1918; alternative charge: Not Guilty; (3) Guilty: senteced to 10 years' penal servitude.

Admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance, 23 March 1918 (synovitis, left knee), and transferred same day to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station; to Ambulance Train, 28 March 1918, and transferred same day to No 7 General Hospital, St Omer; discharged to Base Details, 15 April 1918.

Admitted to 10th Stationary Hospital, 23 April 1918 (not yet diagnosed); discharged, 3 May 1918.

Tried by Field General Court Martial, 22 March 1918, on charge of (1) when on Active Service deserting His Majesty's service; (2) when in lawful custody escaping; laternative charge: Absent without leave from 3 December 1917 till 10 pm, 17 January 1918; (3) offering violence to his Superior Officer. Finding: (1) Not Guilty, but Guilty of being absent without leave from 18-29 October 1917; (2) Guilty of being absent without leave from 18 January-21 March 1918; alternative charge: Not Guilty; (3) Guilty: senteced to 10 years' penal servitude.

Admitted to No 5 Military Prison, Les Attaques, 8 May 1918: sentence not previously suspended ordered to be put into execution.

Sentence of 10 years' penal servitude awarded 22 March 1918 commuted to 2 years' imprisonment with hard labour.

Released from prison, 7 December 1918, and despatched to unit; remainder of sentence suspended as from date of release.

Marched out to England for return to Australia (1915 personnel) (as under suspended sentence of 2 years' imprisonment with hard labour); marched in to No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, 18 January 1919.

Marched out to No 2 Training Brigade, Codford, 19 February 1919.

Commenced return to Australia from Devonport on board HT 'Kildonian Castle', 21 March 1919; found guilty, at sea, 9 April 1919, of absenting himself from picquet when duly warned: awarded 5 days' Field Punishment No 2; disembarked Melbourne, 7 May 1919; discharged, Melbourne, 17 September 1919.