Straker, Albert Edward

BORN HULL 1877. SON OF FREDERICH EUSEBIUS HORATIO STRAKER (1846-1915) & HARRIET HARRISON (1848-1914), AT 10 HOLBORN STREET. HE HAD SERVED IN THE 5TH ROYAL IRISH LANCERS, FOR 12 YEARS. SAW ACTION IN THE BOER WAR. EMPLOYED AS A CORPORATION STORE WEIGHER (1911 CENSUS). HE MARRIED IN 1897. HIS WIFE ELLEN PARR (1875-1938), AND THEIR TWO SONS, SAMUEL AND ARTHUR, LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS. HE LEFT HIS FAMILY AND EMIGRATED TO AUSTRALIA, ON 05/07/1912. AN EXPERIENCED HORSE MAN. HE WORKED AS A FARM LABOURER. HE ENLISTED IN MELBOURNE, ON 09/11/1914, AGED 38 YEARS AND 5 MONTHS. JOINING THE 9TH AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE. SERVED AT GALLIPOLI, FROM 05/08/1915. PROMOTED TO CORPORAL IN THE FIELD AND THEN TO SERGEANT, ON 01/11/1915. EVACUATED TO HOSPITAL IN ALEXANDRIA. RETURNED TO UNIT AT TEL-EL-KEBIR, ON THE 18/04/1916. SERVED WITH THE IMPERIAL CAMEL CORPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO HOSPITAL, ON 06/08/1917, WITH AN ANEURISM OF THE HEART. CONDITION WORSENED. RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA, ON THE TRANSPORT SHIP ‘WILTSHIRE’ ON 17/12/1917. DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY, AS PERMANENTLY UNFIT, ON 15/02/1918. HE DIED OF HEART FAILURE, ON 14/08/1919, AT THE ANZAC HOSPITAL, BRIGHTON, AGED 42. HE IS BURIED IN BRIGHTON GENERAL CEMETERY, VICTORIA. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE MEMORIAL AT CAULFIELD SOUTH, GLEN EIRA CITY, VICTORIA.
HIS BROTHER, FREDERICK STRAKER, DIED IN CANADA, ON 25/02/1919, AGED 36. HIS SON, PRIVATE, SAMUEL ALBERT STRAKER, 53238, 5TH LINCOLN REGIMENT, WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 15/04/1918, AGED 18. HE LEFT A WIDOW AND SON AND SISTER, MRS LILIAN WINN AT 32 BRINDLEY STREET HULL.