"Spanner" Albert Frank Robinson SPENCER

Born 5 June 1915 in Northam, Western Australia ^[16]
Son of Clarence and Clara SPENCER ^[17]
Farmhand for Frederick J. KAU on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow for a number of years ^[P15]
Resided in the men's quarters on Meadow Dale Farm in Coorow ^[P15]
Member of the Coorow Tennis Club in 1936-37 ^{[5: 4-Dec-1936]}
Competed in the Carnamah Tennis Club's Easter Tennis Tournament at Centenary Park in Carnamah in March 1937 ^{[5: 2-Apr-1937]}
Played for the victorious Single Men in a cricket match against Married Men in Coorow on Sunday 6 December 1936 ^{[5: 11-Dec-1936]}
Member of the Coorow Football Club in 1937 ^{[5: 14-May-1937]}
Donated a trophy for the Most Improved & Fairest Player to the Coorow Football Club in 1937 ^{[5: 16-Apr-1937]}
Worked in the Coorow and Waddy Forest districts for a considerable time ^{[0: image 03998]}
Member of the No. 2 Troop of the "C" Squadron of the motorised 25th Light Horse Machine Gun Regiment in 1939 ^[P15]
The No. 2 Troop was a local militia unit made of people from the North Midlands and trained in Carnamah once a fortnight ^[P15]
Enlisted in the Australian Army on 4 December 1939 ^[16]
He was one of the first people from the Coorow district to enlist in the Australian Army following the outbreak of war ^{[0: image 03998]}
Prior to embarking overseas he married "Joy" Joyce CROFT of Coorow in Perth in 1940 ^{[0: image 03998] [66]}
Corporal WX1135 in the Australian Army's 2/11 Australian Infantry Battalion during the Second World War ^[16]
Killed in Action in Greece on 20 April 1941 ^[18]
Buried Phaleron War Cemetery near Athens in Greece (3, D, 20) ^[17]
His name is on Carnamah's Roll of Honour and the Carnamah War Memorial (although with the incorrect initial) ^[35]


From The North Midland Times newspaper, May 1941:
"Obituary - Private A. Spencer Killed in Action. The horrors of modern war-fare was borne forcibly upon local residents late last week when it was made known that Private A. ("Spanner") Spencer, of Coorow, had paid the supreme sacrifice. The late Private Spencer was well and favourably known throughout the Coorow and Waddy Forest districts, and was amongst the first men from these districts to answer the call to arms. Prior to enlisting in the A.I.F. Private Spencer had been employed in the districts for some considerable time, and during that period he had become a well known figure, particularly in football circles. Before sailing for overseas he was married to Miss Joy Croft of Coorow, and the sympathy of the whole district goes out to the young widow in her sudden and sad bereavement."

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