SHOUT Alfred John
RANK Captain
UNIT 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division
DATE 9 August 1915
PLACE Lone Pine trenches, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey
A.J. SHOUT was born in New Zealand on 8 August 1882 to John Richard and Agnes Mary Shout. He was educated privately and at the age of eighteen went to South Africa with the New Zealand contingent. He attained the rank of sergeant and later served with the Cape Field Artillery from 1903 to 1907. He emigrated to Australia and worked as a carpenter and joiner, living in the Sydney suburb of Darlington. He joined the 29th Infantry Regiment of the militia in 1907 and was commissioned second lieutenant in that unit on 16 June 1914. He had married Rose Alice before he enlisted in the AIF. On 27 August 1914 he enlisted and was appointed to the 1st Battalion as second lieutenant and on 18 October embarked with his unit aboard A19 (SS Africa) for Egypt.
Shout, promoted to lieutenant on 1 February 1915, distinguished himself both at the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April and during the next ten days. He was twice wounded in action, on 27 April and 11 May, before he performed the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. For displaying conspicuous courage and ability in organizing and leading his men in the thick, bushy country under withering fire, exposing himself repeatedly to locate the enemy, and leading a bayonet charge on Turkish positions, he was awarded the Military Cross and mentioned in General Sir lan Hamilton's dispatches of 29 June. On 29 July he was promoted to captain.
On 6 August, at 5.40 p.m., at the commencement of the battle of Lone Pine, Shout's battalion attacked the Turkish trenches. The battalion had to beat off heavy counter-attacks the next day and was briefly withdrawn at 11.30 a.m. By 3 p.m. the battalion was back in the line repelling fierce attacks. These were defeated and there was a brief respite until 4.30 a.m. on the 8th. From then the unit fought continuously until 2 p.m. when it was relieved for a second time by the 7th Battalion. Early on the 9th the 1st Battalion re-entered Lone Pine and Shout performed the act at Sasse's sap for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
As a large portion of Sasse's sap was found to be occupied by the enemy, Captains Shout and Sasse decided to clear it. They gathered together three men carrying sandbags with which to construct barricades and then both officers charged down the trench, Shout bombing and Sasse shooting. They advanced in short 'hops', building a barricade at each stop. In the morning in one section of trench Shout killed eight enemy and routed the remainder. In the afternoon, gathering another party of eight and again accompanied by Sasse, he captured a further section of trench in similar fashion. They had just determined a suitable position for the final barricade when Shout lit three bombs for the final dash. The third bomb burst in his hand, blowing it completely away and shattering one side of his face and body. He was evacuated immediately but died of wounds aboard the hospital ship on 11 August. He was buried at sea.
After the war the citizens of Darlington commemorated the name of Alfred Shout on a memorial plaque which is now displayed at Victoria Barracks Museum, Paddington. His name is also commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial.
1st/19th BATTALION THE ROYAL NEW SOUTH WALES REGIMENT ASSOCIATION INC. P.O. Box 224 INGLE BURN NSW 1890 Tele: 0414 907 427
