Alfred Shout - Legacy

Legacy

Considerable confusion reigned following Shout's death. On 15 August the Army sent a cable telling Rose Shout that her husband had been wounded a second time (she had already received notification of his 27 April wound). Initially, records showed Shout died on 11 August but they were then altered on 20 August showing him 'Not Dead' on Thermistocles returning to Australia. The press in Australia published news of his return, adding that he would arrive in Sydney mid-September.

Shortly after the war the citizens of Darlington commemorated the name of Alfred Shout on a memorial plaque. This plaque is now held at Victoria Barracks having been removed from Darlington.

Until 2006 Shout's medals, including his Victoria Cross, remained in the possession of his family—at the time, the only one of the nine VCs won by Australians at Gallipoli not in the collection of the Australian War Memorial. On 24 July 2006 the medals were auctioned with the VC fetching a record A$ 1.2 million, surpassing the previous record price for the VC of Norman Cyril Jackson. Shout's medals were bought by Kerry Stokes, and donated to the Australian War Memorial.