Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank Martinelli, whose true Christian name is Franco, was born in Isera, Italy, on 5 June 1922, the son of Lodovico and Fiore Anna Martinelli. His father brought his family to Australia on 13 November 1927, settled in Five Docks, New South Wales, and opened a Terrazzo factory. Frank Martinelli worked in his father’s factory as an assistant terrazzo worker when he enlisted in the CMF on 5 November 1941. He was required to produce his naturalisation papers at the recruiting office; the family had been naturalised in 1937.

He was appointed to the 1st Australian Division Signals and assigned the service number N185581. On 9 December, he became part of the 28th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and was transferred to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 5 July 1942, at which time his service number changed to NX105693. On 3 October, he transferred to the 6th Australian Division Signals. After undergoing training in a Signals battalion, he was reassigned as a wireless operator. On 12 February 1944, he was assigned to the Australian Chemical Warfare research and experimental section located in Innisfail, situated in far north Queensland. He returned to his unit on 12 March and subsequently departed from Cairns for New Guinea on 7 November. On 25 February 1945, he was assigned to the 2/6th Australian Infantry Battalion in the capacity of a radio operator. This battalion was involved in challenging patrol operations aimed at eliminating Japanese forces from the Torricelli and Prince Alexander Mountain ranges. On 12 June, he was evacuated to the 104th Casualty Clearing Section due to an unspecified illness. Six days later, he rejoined the 6th Australian Division Signals, where he remained until the end of the war on 15 August. From December until January 1946, he served in a detachment with the 4th and 35th Infantry Battalions until returning to Australia. On 16 April, he was discharged at his request on compassionate grounds.

He rejoined his father’s Terrazzo factory, where his sisters, Elia, and Louisa, were also employed. In 1954, he lived with his mother in Kingsgrove, New South Wales, and worked as a manufacturer. At some point, he married Averil Greta. She was 17 years younger than her husband. By 1968, he had settled in Enoggera, Queensland, and his occupation was a plasterer. He was listed in the Australian Electoral Rolls up to 1980, but his wife, Averil, was not recorded.

Frank Martinelli passed away on 22 May 2006 and was cremated in Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium in Plot Memorial Place-332, aged 83 years. His wife, Averil, passed away on 28 December 2016, and she was also cremated at Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium in Queensland.

His Father, Lodovico Martinelli, further declared at the time of his naturalisation that he was formerly of Austrian nationality. But now, by virtue of the Treaty of Versailles, deemed to be of Italian nationality, born at Lizzana, in the Province of Trento, formerly Austria, now Italy. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919. As his father was Austrian throughout the First World War, it is possible he fought for the Germans.