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Died: 8th June 1917 Killed in Action Messines, Belgium.
Mother: Mary Ann Mather. nee: Selby. (18..-1889)
• He was an excellent horseman, interested in all things military, becoming a Lieutenant in the local New England Light horse Squadron in his teenage years. During this period, Alan made a welcome home speech to returning Boer War veterans. • It was reported in the local paper that Alan was well known and liked in the district, being involved in various sporting and cultural activities, including athletics, officiating at meetings, the Masonic Lodge and his beloved Light Horse Squadron. • After studying viticulture at Hawkesbury College, Alan managed his father’s Inverell property ‘Roslyn’. He proved to be an excellent winemaker, winning many medals and prizes in wine-shows throughout Europe. Alan purchased his own property ‘Flaggy’ on the Severn River in the Ashford district of NSW and listed his occupation at the time of enlistment as ‘Grazier’.
• Alan did not marry, and his oldest living relative is his niece Kath Mitchell (daughter of Alan’s sister Marion), who was born on 16th June 1913. Kath is the family member who provided the DNA sample that helped identify his remains. • In March 2010 John Mather was contacted by the Army History Unit asking for a possible DNA donor to help with the identification of ‘the Messines Soldier’. Subsequent discussions with family members established that Kath was the best donor for this purpose. The Mather family has always maintained an interest in Alan Mather, and John and his wife Doreen have spent many years researching Alan’s military service history in an effort to find out what had happened to him. • The identification of the Messines Soldier as Private Alan James Mather has brought a satisfying closure to that endeavour.
Australian Army History Unit
Alan James Mather enlisted with the 2nd Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion AIF on the 12th of January 1916.
He embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A15 "Port Sydney" on the 4th of September 1916
Alan served with (D Company 33rd Battalion) and was Killed in Action Messines Ridge, Belgium
8th June 1917.
Alan is remembered with honour and is commemerated in perpetuity by the Commonweath War Graves Commission at the MENIN
GATE MEMORIAL, Ypres.
28/08/1917
Informant; Private: 1227 Alfred Henry PITKIN. Private: 1983 Alan James MATHER
D Company 33rd Battalion. "AT Messines he was blown to pieces by a shell when in the trenches. I was right alongside of him when
knocked. He was a mate of mine, nuggerty, fair age, about 43 came from Inverell, N.S.W. I think his father was Mayor if Inverell."
Ward 38 Harefield Hospital.
02/09/1917.
Informant; Private: 1924 Herbert Leslie TAYLOR. I saw Private: 1985 Alan James
MATHER killed at MESSINES. He was caught by a shell which hit him in the head, killing him instantly. I do not know place
of burial as I was wounded the same morning and I cannot refer to anyone. I knew him well, we left Australia together and
there was no other that name in the company.
3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, England.
24/09/1917.
Informant; Lance Corporal: 1098 Ralph Fry CLARENCE. Private: 1985
Alan James MATHER was killed during a charge at Plug Street Wood on June 8th 1917. We were near each other and crossing
No Mans Land when a shell exploded near MATHER, killing him instantly. He was carried back and should be buried in
one of the cemeteries just behind the line. I left the line wounded during the same day. We were in the same company and knew
each other well.
No: 7 Command Depot, Hurdcott, England.
28/09/1917.
Informant; Private: 2371 Oscar Leslie OBERG I saw Private: 1983 Alan James MATHER
lying dead in No Mans Land at Plug Street Wood on June 7th. He had been hit in the head with a shell. i examined him and made quite
sure he was dead. Cannot say if he was buried as I left the Battalion myself the same day having being wounded. MATHER came from
Inverell, N.S.W. and I knew him quite well.
No: 3 Command Depot, Hurdcott, England.
05/11/1917
Informant; Private: 1965 John Joseph ROSS. I was told by Private:
1852 Walter Frederick GINGER that he had buried Private: 1983 Alan James MATHER after the advance at Messines on the
field and that he had been killed instantantaneously by a piece of shell.
Military Hospital, Devonport, England.
17/12/1917.
Informant; Private: 1234 Arthur ROURKE. I saw Private: 1983 Alan James MATHER
killed outright in Fritz 3rd Line at Messines just off Ploegsteert Wood. He was in same company as myself. I was wounded about the
same time and cannot say if he was buried. The ground was take and held.
D Company, Hut 19 Westham, England.
Alan was a single 36 year old Grazier from "Roslyn" Inverell, N.S.W. upon enlistment. He served with the Mounted riffles for 3 years.
His parents Thomas and Mary Ann Mather married 25/10/1877 at Bundarra via Armidale, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:1999/1877 and had at least 4
children. (Twins) Marion H Mather born 1878 at Inverell, N.S.W. Birth Cert:14639/1878 Flora A Mather born 1878 at Inverell,
N.S.W. Birth Cert:14640/1878. Alan James Mather born 1897 at Inverell, N.S.W. Birth Cert: 15725/
1879 and died on the 8th June 1917 Messines, Belgium. Elsie Christina Mather born 1884 at Inverell,
N.S.W. Birth Cert:23089/1884 and died in 1954 at Inverell, N.S.W. Death Cert:32916/1954.
33rd Battalion, Australian Imperial Force
Killed in Action on 8th June 1917 at the Battle of Messines, Belgium.
• Alan James Mather was born in Inverell, NSW on 25th October 1879 to Thomas and Mary Ann Mather. He had older twin sisters, Flora and Marion, as a younger
sister, Elsie. Alan also had a half-brother, Doug, and a half-sister, Jessie.
• Alan attended New England Preparatory School, now known as The Armidale School, and later studied at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College. Alan won an
upper school prize in history, being presented with a book ‘Prize Writings of Heine’ at NEGS in 1894.
• He was an excellent horseman, interested in all things military, becoming a Lieutenant in the local New England Light horse Squadron in his teenage years.
During this period, Alan made a welcome home speech to returning Boer War veterans.
• It was reported in the local paper that Alan was well known and liked in the district, being involved in various sporting and cultural activities,
including athletics, officiating at meetings, the Masonic Lodge and his beloved Light Horse Squadron.
• After studying viticulture at Hawkesbury College, Alan managed his father’s Inverell property ‘Roslyn’. He proved to be an excellent winemaker, winning
many medals and prizes in wine-shows throughout Europe. Alan purchased his own property ‘Flaggy’ on the Severn River in the Ashford district of NSW and
listed his occupation at the time of enlistment as ‘Grazier’.
• Alan did not marry, and his oldest living relative is his niece Kath Mitchell (daughter of Alan’s sister Marion), who was born on 16th June 1913. Kath is
the family member who provided the DNA sample that helped identify his remains.
• In March 2010 John Mather was contacted by the Army History Unit asking for a possible DNA donor to help with the identification of ‘the Messines Soldier’.
Subsequent discussions with family members established that Kath was the best donor for this purpose. The Mather family has always maintained an interest
in Alan Mather, and John and his wife Doreen have spent many years researching Alan’s military service history in an effort to find out what had happened to
him.
• The identification of the Messines Soldier as Private Alan James Mather has brought a satisfying closure to that endeavour.
(Australian Army History Unit)
(Australian National Archives)
Under Construction 20/06/2010.
1983 Private Alan James Mather
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