SLOANE, Alexander James (1886-1971)Alexander James Sloane boarded at Geelong College from 1901. There is no indication of his departure date in the enrolment register though it may have been in 1905 as an A J Sloane is listed in Annual Reports as winning a number of prizes. These include: 1st in Scripture in Lower 4th Class, 1901; 2nd Geography in Lower 4th Class, 1901; 2nd Book Keeping, 1904; 1st Special Essay Prize University Form B, 1905.
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A J Sloane (Cherry Album 29).
He was born on 25 September 1896 at Bernara Station, NSW, son of James Sloane and Amy Elizabeth nee Robertson. He worked in the pastoral industry after leaving College. In 1911, he purchased Woodpark Station, Jerilderie, NSW, before enlisting (No. 6421) as a Driver on 3 September 1915 in 4 Field Artillery Brigade. He embarked on
HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 18 November 1915, and served in Egypt and France.
Alexander and Anne Sloane wrote in
To Fly Like an Eagle:
'Of the thirty men originally and continually in Alex's battery, there was only one other who survived to the end. In one of his letters, Alex reflected on this statistic, and wrote, 'Some are dead and their bones lie in Flanders and on the Somme. Nine in all gave their lives for the ideals they lived for. Seven are back in Australia, eight are in England (wounded), and six are in France in other units'. Apart from a few minor injuries, including being kicked by a horse, Alex came through the war physically unscathed. His battery was involved in every main battle, and Alex often had German shells falling around him while he moved ammunition to his battery positions. His two faithful horses also saw the end of the war, but they could not have withstood another European winter.' Alex had written a letter earlier, also reported in
To Fly Like an Eagle, which told of his early days in France:
'There I am 'right there' where the Germans fire at the Australian front, and the 10th Battery fire back at the Germans. I cannot say I have been under fire until yesterday (17th April 1916), a shell exploded about thirty or forty yards from where I was standing. It was a German anti-aero shell that had failed to explode in the air, but managed to do so when it landed. So far I have only been up to our guns with ammunition twice, and nothing has been done to shake up my horses, though our guns fired last time, but I was well out of the way on the road back and so can't tell you how they behaved under fire. I have had a great trip thru France in a horse truck. Selwyn Scott and I and eight horses, all around France. There is a bi-plane keeping off a 'Fokker' just overhead as I write. We are getting quite used to the 'Fokkers' now, one of our ' Battle planes' gave one some 'hurry up' just now The German got out' as fast as he could.
It has rained for days and the mud is like the Yarrawonga street in mid-winter. The trees are coming out in bud and the crops are all well up. But as for Spring, well I think it is only a way of saying Winter. The chums' tell us it will soon be bright and hot like our own Australia, but I can't quite get them. The Australian infantry are OK, and I can tell you this, that if ever they get the order to go at 'em, there will be a terrible battle, whether all the Australians will be outed, or the Germans will be 'finish' The boys who left Australia and have come right thru are men now. They all look much older than the chums, tho' in many cases their average ages are less. The English look so fresh faced and plump, while the Australian is a thin man with a hard chin.' Alex Sloane returned to Australia, embarking on 15 May 1919.
His younger brother, 2nd Air Mechanic
William Douglas Sloane (1890-1917), AFC (Old Geelong Collegian), was killed while crossing to France on 21 August 1917, and is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, London. His brothers,
Hume Robertson Sloane (1888-1972), and
William Douglas Sloane (1890-1917), were also educated at Geelong College.
The Australasian newspaper in June 1937 described the Mulwala property:
'Mulwala Merinoes
With an unbroken record of nearly 75 years of pure breeding, under one family ownership, this stud is one of the oldest in New South Wales.
Of the numerous pure merino flocks to combine to make south-western Riverina one of the greatest centres of stud sheepbreeding in the world, nearly all in existence to-day trace back to foundations derived from old Peppin studs of Wanganella and Boonoke. An exception will be founds In the Mulwala stud of James Sloane and Son, the foundation of which Auras laid in 1863, only two years after Peppins had established the old Wanganella stud.
The stud, therefore, ranks with in seniority as one of the four oldest pure flocks in Riverina, but as It has been held by the same family since foundation, it has the distinction of being the oldest stud in Riverina (and probably in New South Wales) that has been under the one continuous family control.
The founder, Alexander Sloane, bred the flock from 1863 till 1878; his son, James Sloane, who grew up with the stud took over the control in 1878, and carried on till 1932, when in turn his son, Alexander James Sloane, who also had been reared in an environment of stud sheep, took over the responsibilities, and is at present in control. It is a fine record of continuous devotion to studbreeding, and its reflection is to be found at Wood Park, in the Jerilderie district, in a magnificent flock, of which any breeder could feel proud. ...' Sources: The Australasian 5 June 1937 p56; 'Geelong Collegians at the Great War' compiled by James Affleck. pp 311-312 (citing Alexander Henderson, Henderson's Australian Families (1941); Alexander and Anne Sloane, To Fly Like an Eagle: the vision, achievements and War Service of Australian pioneer aviator, Douglas Sloane 1890-1917; The Pegasus; National Archives.