Alfred John Darling was born in Ballarat and was a Carrier by trade when he enlisted in the 29th Battalion, A Company on 24 July 1915 at the age of 38. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on 10 November 1915. On June 23rd 1916 he reached France where he served with the 13th Field Artillery Brigade and achieved the unusual distinction of being awarded a Military Medal for risking his life in the rescue of a horse. His recommendation read, 'On September 18th 1918 teams of 'O' Battery R.H.A., were returning from their gun position near VADENCOURT when they came under heavy shell fire, one team having all but one horse killed, two drivers wounded and the third knocked off his horse. Seeing that there was no one left with the team Sergeant DARLING, who was near, ran up and attempted to extricate the only surviving horse. All the time the enemy continued to shell heavily around this team. Finding it impossible for one man to get the horse clear he collected a party of men and succeeded in saving the horse.' He returned to Australia on the Orontes, disembarking at Melbourne on June 28th 1919.
Tree No 934