Norman Austin Dalton, born in Ballarat and a Clerk by trade, enlisted in the 8th Infantry Battalion on 17 August 1914 at the age of 23. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A24 Benalla on 19 October 1914. On 15 May 1915 he was diagnosed with influenza and returned to England via a hospital ship where he was again diagnosed with neurasthenia*. On 27 October 1916 he rejoined his unit in the field, but a month later embarked on the H.S. Carisbrook Castle due to a strained back in conjunction with his neurasthenia. This injury proved to be troublesome, and Lt. Dalton was eventually returned to Australia aboard the H.S. Kanowna where he received his final discharge.

Lt. Dalton would later again answer the call of his country and return to Europe during World War II.

Tree No. 199

• As a psychopathological term, neurasthenia was used to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, neuralgia and depressed mood.