Battle of Cocos Island 1914
ABLE SEAMAN ALFRED CHARLES WOODS 7123 RAN/ PRIVATE VX34804 2/AIF
Alfred Woods was born in Bunyip in Gippsland Victoria in March 1897, the son of Henry and Sarah Woods. He was the fourth of five children born to the couple all five of whom lived to adulthood. Alfred enlisted in the RAN on the 1st of June 1912 as a Boy 2nd Class on HMAS Tingira. On enlistment he was just 159 cm tall only reaching 162 cm at adulthood. Alfred was advanced to Boy 1st Class in March 1913 and he posted to the Light Cruiser HMAS Melbourne in May of that year.
Alfred was advanced to Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class on his 17th birthday. In May 1914 he deserted for 23 days and after being apprehended he was sentenced to 25 days in cells at HMAS Cerberus. On being released he was posted to the Light Cruiser HMAS Sydney. He would serve in Sydney until January 1919, including during the Sydney-Emden Battle and operations in New Guinea and the North Sea. He would be sentenced to cells, for 14 days in 1916, five days in 1917, 26 days in 1918 and ten days in 1922. It appears to have become his annual holidays and as a result he never was awarded a Good Conduct Badge.
Alfred was repatriated to Australia in January 1919 serving initially at Cerberus before joining the Light Cruiser HMAS Brisbane for three months before being posted to HMAS Penguin where he served his final stint in cells. He discharged end of engagement in March 1923.
On leaving the navy Alfred returned to his family, who were now living in Geelong taking employment as a seaman and later as a rigger and as a labourer. In 1925 he married Ethel Lunnon, and the couple would have three daughters. In July 1940 Alfred enlisted in the 2nd/AIF falsely stating that he was born in 1901. In September he posted to the 2/2nd Pioneer Training Battalion but was soon after hospitalised with a hernia resulting in him being discharged medically Unfit for Service “Occasioned by his own default”.
Alfred Charles Woods passed away in Geelong on the 1st of July 1974 aged 77. He was buried in the Geelong Western Public Cemetery Lawn Section 03-422
Sources
Service Record - Australian National Archives RAN
Service Record - Australian National Archives 2AIF
Nominal Roll - Department of Veterans Affairs
