Albert Inder Goss
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Albert Inder Goss was born in 1897 at Hucknall and was the son of the late Simeon John Inder Goss a coal miner and Lily Maud Goss Crampton, of Poowong, Post Office, Victoria, Australia. His father Simeon was born in 1859 in Yeovil and his mother Lily Maud Andrews was born in 1875 in Middlesex, they were married in 1890 at Pontypool and went on to have 15 children 4 of whom died in infancy or early childhood, their surviving children were John b1892 Monmouthshire, Elizabeth b1894 Monmouthshire, their remaining children were all born in Hucknall and were Albert Inder b1897, Edith Maud b189, Lilian Adelaide b1901, Lonnie Dennis b1905, Ivy Gwendoline b1905, Doris May b1909 , Eva Lottie b1910 and Percival Robert Goss b1914 Korumburra, Victoria, Australia. . In the 1911 census the family are living at the rear of the Wesleyan Chapel, Watnall Road, Hucknall and were shown as Simeon John Inder 52 yrs a coal miner, he is living with his wife Lily Maud 36 yrs and their children , Albert Inder 14 yrs a coal miner, Edith Maud 12 yrs a scholar, Liliian Adelaide 10 yrs a scholar, Lonnie Dennis 6 yrs, Ivy Gwendoline 4 yrs, Doris May 2 yrs and Eva Lottie 1 yr. His parents Simeon and Lily emigrated in 1912 to Australia, they are shown with their family departing as passengers on the ship SS Commonwealth (P & O line) on 26th September 1912 from London, bound for Melbourne Australia. By the time of Alberts enlisted in Australia on 13th January 1916 his father Simeon was dead and his mother later remarried to become Mrs Crampton.
Private Albert Inder Goss, enlisted on 13th January 1916 at Melbourne, Australia; he gave his age as 19 yrs and 1 month and that he was a miner, he stated that his father was deceased and his next of kin was his mother Lilly Maud Goss of Shellcotts Road, Korumburra, Victoria. He served with the 22nd Battalion Australian Imperial Force, and left to join the British Expeditionary Force on 9th May 1916 from Alexandria on 9th May 1916, disembarking at Marseilles, France, on 18th May 1916. Upon disembarkation he was suffering from Influenza and was admitted to No 2 General Hospital. Following his recovery he was taken 'on strength' on 31st July 1916. On 5th August 1915 he went missing in action near to Poziers and following a court of enquiry on 26th November 1917 he was deemed to have been killed in action on 5th August 1916. His body was subsequently found and identified along with 7 other Australians in an isolated grave near to Poziers. His body was finally reburied in Serre Road No. 2 Cemetery on the Somme, grave reference 33.J.3 A note was sent to his mother to inform her of this fact and a copy contained in his army service record is included below.
Undated letter sent to Mrs LM Crampton, PO Poowong, South Cippeland. V. by OIC Base Records: Dear Madam 'I am in receipt of advice from the Imperial War Graves Commission that during the course of recent exhumation work in France the remains of eight Australian soldiers, members of the 22nd Battalion killed in action between 27.7.1916 and 5.8.1916 were recovered from an isolated grave near Posieres. 'Among those identified was your son, the late No. 4110 Private AI Goss, 22nd Battalion, and his body will be removed to the nearest available military cemetery for final interment. 'Full particulars of burial location will be furnished in due course, and any articles of intrinsic or sentimental value found at the time returned to Australia for disposal.'
