ABLE SEAMAN HENRY LEVETTE SANDERSON 2129 RAN
Henry Sanderson was born in West Wyalong New South Wales in March 1898, his father Robert passing away from heart failure four weeks after he was born. Mary Sanderson moved to Victoria after Robert’s death with Henry and his five siblings. Henry enlisted in the RAN in September 1912, he was one of the youngest in the second intake of boys on HMAS Tingira.
Henry was advanced to Boy 1st Class in June 1913 and posted to the Battle Cruiser HMAS Australia in October of that year. He would remain on Australia until April 1918, except for four months in 1917 when he was landed to the RAN'S depot. He was no angel and between August 1915 and December 1917 he would be sentenced five times and committed to Cells for a total of 61 Days. Henry was advanced to Ordinary Seaman in June 1916 but was not rated as an Able Seaman until January 1918, almost certainly because of his poor disciplinary record.
He returned to Australia in May 1918 to Cerberus but appears to have spent some time employed on the ex-HMAS Psyche. He was probably in ill health and although his application for a war pension was denied, he was allowed to be discharged “Invalided” in March 1920.
He remained in Victoria living with his mother in West Warburton until her death in 1931. In 1933 Henry married Mary Craig in Victoria and he worked as a “Packer” until WW2. In June 1941, Henry lowered his age by four years and enlisted in the 2/AIF with the number VX57930. He was discharged within months due to a deformity in his spine and possible TB.
After being discharged from the AIF Henry moved to Mildura, initially on a pension and later working as a Foreman.
Henry Sanderson passed away in Thorpdale Victoria on the 23rdof May 1960. He is buried in the Roman Catholic section of Coburg Cemetery in Melbourne, Compartment H, Grave 86.
Note: His gravestone has a DVA plaque, and may be at the end of a row, from a photo on Ancestry.
Sources
Service Record - Australian National Archives
Service Record - Australian National Archives
Nominal Roll - Department of Veterans Affairs
DVA Commemoration Details
