4th Light Horse Regiment
Memorial Association
2658 Trooper Alexander Frederick Reimers
The family proudly acknowledges that Alexander was so keen to join up that he fibbed about his age, both times.
He put his age up for WW1 and down for WW2.
On his enlistment form in January 2016, Alexander claimed to be 18 years and 8 months. His birth records have him as being born in 1899.
Inglewood, up the Calder Highway from Bendigo, was a significant centre for that part of Victoria but you must wonder if it was so populous that nobody realised that the six foot tall, good looking boy from the butcher shop, and the footy club, and the rifle club was a few years short of being the correct age.
(Nothing really to do with this story but the town is proud to claim that Sir Reginald Ansett, founder of Ansett Airlines, was born in Inglewood in 1909.)
You also might speculate if the family’s earlier German origins were ever an issue. Trooper Reimers was the son of Alexander Friedrick Reimers, born on the goldfields of Kingower in 1866. On the enlistment form his father’s name is given as “Frederick”.
By July 1916 Alexander was on board the RMS Mongolia as part of the 18th Reinforcements, 4th Light Horse Regiment.
The records are still to reveal the details of Alexander’s service experiences. In 1918 he was transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Battalion. In that year he appears in the photo with some, apparently no longer thirsty, members of D Company 1st Machine Gun Battalion, in Egypt.
In 1919 while waiting to return home, he was a member of the Light Horse Brigade Australian Rules Football Team that was preparing to play an exhibition match on ANZAC Day.
That match never occurred as the Australian troops remaining in Egypt were required to deal with anti-
Alexander was safely RTA on 15 May 1919. He moved down to Melbourne and returned to being a butcher.
On 20 Apr 1920 he married Muriel Alice Harper at the Presbyterian Church in Brunswick.
Over time they produced four boys and two girls.
On 3 Sep 1939, on every national and commercial radio station in Australia, Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies stated that it was his “melancholy duty” to announce the beginning of Australia's involvement in WW2.
On 4 Dec 1939 at West Preston, REIMERS Alexander Frederick, now apparently born on 27 May 1905 (a loss of six years) again enlisted in the Australian Army.
Assigned the number VX9403 he was posted to the 11th Australian Field Butchery Platoon. He worked his way up the ranks, and was promoted to sergeant towards the end of 1942.
His service records are difficult to read so it is hard to follow his postings. Palestine can read in one entry and Colombo on another down the page. Along the way we know he received both the African Star and the Burma Star. So he was certainly on the move.
Alexander was discharged 24 Sep 1945.
After such a full life Alexander passed away on 1 Jan 1984, aged 84.
Thank you to Alexander’s daughter Mrs Joan Farr for alerting us to his story and for providing the photos.
Alexander Reimers, possibly looking much more like 16 than 18
Light Horse Brigade Australian Rules Football Team. Alexander is at the rear, left, marked x.
Back in uniform, Alexander’s WW2 enlistment photos,
This time, probably looking younger than his true age.
D Company 1st Machine Gun Battalion, Egypt, 1918
