Alexander Alphonsus Adair (SN 2450) from Hotham Street in Ballarat was educated at St. Patrick’s College. He was a 19 year old civil servant when he enlisted on June 9th 1915. Five weeks later he sailed from Melbourne on the Demosthenes and joined the 8th Battalion at Gallipoli for the final months of that campaign. After a period in Egypt his battalion moved on to France and in August 1916, at Pozieres, he received a severe gunshot wound to his left leg. He was evacuated to hospital in England for a lengthy period of treatment. In February 1917, while still recovering, he was deployed for a while to the Pay Corps in London but for him the war was over. He was assessed as unfit for further active service and was returned to Australia aboard the Suevic. He was discharged "medically unfit" on January 4th, 1918, but his service is remembered on the honour board at St. Patrick’s College.