47716 Rifleman Alfred Hugh Dungey, 28/12/1895-12/4/1918.

Alfred Dungey grew up in Dunedin the son of a coach driver and was enrolled in the Otago Infantry Regiment on enlistment.  He was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in February, 1918.  Unfortunately, the Official History of the Brigade has nothing to say about the events of April 12, the day of Alfred's death.  

It seems the Brigade were preparing to meet the German onslaught in this period as part of the policy of "active defence," - holding off the Germans and waiting for the expected reinforcements which would allow them to take advantage of the then exhausted state of their enemy.  Alfred was "killed in action" during this period and a paragraph in the Otago Witness of June 19, 1918 refers to this - it gets his middle initial wrong but his father's name fits: "Mr J. Dungey has received word from Chaplain Harvey, France, that his late son, Private A. D. Dungey, was returning from a working party, and had almost reached camp, when a shell burst, killing him on the spot. He was buried the same afternoon by the chaplain, one of his officers, and a firing party."

Alfred was 22 years old.

Private A. H. Dungey, who was killed in action on April 12, was the fourth son of Mr Dungey, 20 Anderson Bay road. He was educated at the Lawrence District High School, and on coming to Dunedin he worked for some time with Mr J. Hancock, grocer, South Dunedin. At the age of 18 he was sent to the Otago Heads to do garrison duty. On coming of age he enlisted, but was not allowed to leave. He was later called in the ballot, and left with the 25th Reinforcements. Of his other brothers, Jack left with the 10th Reinforcements, and was wounded at Armentieres, and returned some time ago. The other two — Gordon and Bert — enlisted, but were both rejected. The deceased had been about eight months in the trenches when he was killed.  - Otago Witness, 8/5/1918.

THE CALL OF EMPIRE. 

Before proceeding with the business the Mayor moved that the Council place on record its sympathy with Mr and' Mrs James Dungey and family in connection with the death of their son and brother Private Alfred Dungey. The motion was carried in silence.   - Borough Council Report, Tuapeka Times, 15/5/1918.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.  DCC photo.