217582 Sgt. Albert Henshall MM.Australian Imperial Force 3rd Light Horse Brigade Albert Henshall was born at Hamilton, Victoria on 11th June 1982 to Albert Thomas and Jane Henshall. He worked as a clerk and spent time in the Signalling Field Artillery, Western Australia as well as the 20th Australian Light Horse and Hamilton Rifle Club.
Henshall enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 17th December 1914 at Hamilton, Victoria and was assigned to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train with the rank of private. He was shortly transferred to driver on 6th January 1916. He departed Australia for Egypt aboard HMAT Chilka on 2nd February 1915. After training in Egypt, Henshall left for the Gallipoli Peninsula on 9th July 1915. He was wounded at Gallipoli on 31st September 1915 and was evacuated to Alexandria, Egypt, for treatment.
Upon returning to duty on 31st March 1916 he was assigned to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Supply Depot in Egypt. Henshall then served with the 17th Depot Unit of Supply, 26th Company Army Service Corps, 4th Australian Divisional Train and 18th Australian Depot Unit of Supply, throughout France and Belgium until the end of the war.Henshall was awarded the Military Medal on 26th August 1918 for remaining at his post and issuing supplies whilst under heavy enemy shellfire on 10th, 20th and 21st April 1918.
After rising quickly through the ranks and achieving the rank of temporary warrant officer, Albert Henshall returned to Australia at his own expense. He left from Liverpool on the SS Adriatic on 20th January 1919 heading to the United States to visit family. He then left for Australia from San Francisco on 24th February 1919 aboard SS Sonoma. Henshall had reverted to the rank of sergeant on 16th December 1918, though he was discharged with the rank of honorary warrant officer class 1. Albert Henshall served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War and was discharged after four years' service on 18th August 1944 with the rank of flight lieutenant. Albert Henshall died at Mildura, Victoria on 1st July 1952.
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