Five Anzac soldiers lived in Alma Road, Mount Lawley.
Frank Maxwell Ockenden lived at 3 Alma Rd, Mt Lawley. SN 28972
Gunner Frank Maxwell Ockenden was born in Willowie, South Australia on the 12th October 1895 to parents Archibald Edward (1869-1953) and Florence Kate Rix (1866-1942) He had one brother, Eric Archibald (1899-1945), and a sister, Marjorie Ethel (1893-1981).
He gained military experience for two-and-a-half years in the 37th Battery in Perth and was working as a warehouse man when he enlisted on the 22nd December 1915.
He embarked on HMAT Ulysses in Melbourne in 25th of October 1916, and was sent to France as a Gunner in the Howitzer Brigade 24th, 7th Reinforcements.
He spent some months in hospital after frequent illnesses with mumps, influenza, trench foot, debility and finally a sprained ankle.
He returned to Australia in April 1919 and was discharged in August the same year.
The family had lived at 3 Alma Rd since 1913 and stayed in the house until around 1925.
Frank died on the 6th September 1921 and is buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.
He is memorialized on the Mt Lawley War Memorial.
Arthur Norman Rutter also lived at 3 Alma Rd, Mt Lawley. SN 28572.
Gunner Arthur Norman Rutter was born in 1894 at Balmain, New South Wales to parents John Wallis Rutter (1850-1901) and Alice Ross (1853-1929). Arthur had three older half siblings and three siblings.
Arthur married Frank Ockenden’s sister, Marjorie Ethel Ockenden (1893-1891) in 1915.
He enlisted on the same day as his brother-in-law, Frank on the 22nd December 1915. He left Australia on HMAT Ulysses in October 1916, arriving in Plymouth England on 28th December 1916.
Like Frank, Arthur became a Gunner, serving with the 10th Field Artillery Brigade. In April 1917 he attended a course at S.C. Signalling School in Weymouth and qualified as a 2nd class instructor in the United Kingdom depots. He left for France in August 1917, and he was transferred to the 4th Division Artillery Column.
As acting bombardier, Arthur Rutter was awarded a Military Medal in April 1918 for bravery in the field and conspicuous services.
Arthur returned to Australia, disembarking at Fremantle in June 1919.
Arthur and Marjorie had one son, Eric Ross (Nick) Rutter (1931-1978)
They later moved to 59a Rookwood St, then Thongsbridge St (1928-1936) in Mt Lawley.
Arthur died on the 27th April 1948 and was cremated at Karrakatta. His ashes were placed in the family grave.
Private Ernest James Milson was born in Brisbane to parents James Dowling (1886-1937), a chemist, and Anna (1866-1951) as well as his sister, Beatrice Anna (1893-1977) lived at 6 Alma Rd.
Ernest enlisted in Perth on the 19th April 1916 after working as a salesman and embarked for England on HMAT Medic A7 on the 1st August 1917, arriving in October 1917.
Ernest was deployed to France with the Army Medical Corps 10th Field Ambulance. In July 1918 he was wounded in action with a severe gunshot wound to his right foot. He was evacuated to England for treatment.
He returned to Australia in July 1919 for nursing care and lived with his parents at 6 Alma Rd.
His sister Beatrice married Fritz Rodd in 1916 and moved to New South Wales. They had three children and moved back around 1925 to live with the family at 6 Alma Rd. They stayed until 1954, when they moved out.
Ernest died on 21st June 1946.
John Harold Coffen 10 Alma Rd, Mt Lawley SN 960.
John Harold Coffen was born in Perth in January 1894, the second youngest of seven children of Agnes and William Coffen.
Working as a sleeper hewer, John enlisted on the 17th August 1914 in the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion shortly after war had begun. He embarked for Egypt on HMAT Ascanius on the 31st October 1914. He was one of the original members of 11th Battalion, pictured in the Cheops Pyramid photo of the men of 11th Battalion Western Australia.
John was part of the initial landing at Gallipoli in April 1915.
He survived without injury at Gallipoli, but later was hospitalised with medical problems such as defective teeth, mumps, pyrexia, vertigo and influenza and debility.
Eventually he contracted chronic trench fever and was returned to Australia in June 1918 on hospital ship HMAT Kanowna. He was discharged in August 1918.
He married Jean Buchanan Sherrard (1898-1994) in 1919 they lived at 53 Walcott St, Mt Lawley. John became a French polisher.
John and Jean had three children. In 1923 they moved to Victoria after marital problems with his difficulty in adjusting to life post war, his heavy drinking and his violence towards the family.
John died in 1966 at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Victoria.
Fred Smith Woolhouse 47 Alma Rd, Mt Lawley SN 3684.
Lieutenant Fred Smith Woolhouse was born on the 21st of February 1886 in Roebourne to his parents Henry Barzillai Woolhouse (1847-1904 and Louise Ellen nee Smith( 1859-1937). He had four sisters and one brother.
Employed as a sign writer, Fred enlisted on the 12th October 1916 aged 20, joining the 11th Battalion.
He was sent to England and then to France. Wounded in action in June 1916 with a gunshot wound to neck and arm, Fred was hospitalised and recovered.
In March 1917 he joined the 70th Battalion and promoted to Lance/Corporal. The next month he was on command with the School of Aviation in England. In September 1917 he applied to transfer to the 4th Squadron Australian Flying Corps where he was promoted to Lieutenant.
On the 10th March 1918 his machine crashed after shot down by gunfire and he was killed in the wreck.
He had married Margaret Ellen Tait but she is only noted in his Army records as living in Scotland.
He was buried in Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord Pas de Calais.
He is also memorialised on the Mount Lawley War Memorial.
His mother remained living until 1934 at 47 Alma Rd .