5112
FOX, Richard Halford
| Service Number: | 1616 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Beaufort, Victoria, Australia , 15 February 1883 |
| Home Town: | Rosewater (Greytown), Port Adelaide Enfield, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Norwood ,South Australia, 6 April 1937, aged 54 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Cheltenham Cemetery, South Australia Section FX, Drive A, Path 27, Site Number 155C |
| Memorials: | Wallaroo WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 1616, 48th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1616, 48th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1616, 48th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 16 Jun 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, 1616, 48th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Richard Halford Fox's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Richard was the son of Reuben Thomas FOX & Christina ABERCROMBIE and was born on the 15th of February 1883 in Beaufort, VIC.
His parents were married in 1880 in Beaufort, Victoria.
His father was the son of Reuben Andrew FOX & Maria PEAK and was born 1852 in Bristol, St Phillip and Jacob, Gloucestershire, England.
His mother was the daughter of William ABERCROMBIE & Agnes GRANT and was born in 1857 in Fiery Creek, VIC.
Richard was the second child born into this family of 8 children.
His father was a miner and the family lived in Beaufort, Victoria.
By 1890 they had moved to Raglan, VIC, where his father paid £200 for a prospecting grant.
The following year they moved to Raywood, VIC for a few years before moving to Darling Street, Maryborough where his father was employed on the Main Leads North mine, at Havelock,
After leaving school Richard gained employment as a miner and then the family moved to Newcastle Street, Rosewater, SA in 1911 and Richard gained employment as a railway porter.
On the 31st of December 1912 Richard was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital for 8 days with a needle stuck in his chest.
Richard married Ruby May STEVENS on the 21st of February 1914 in Moonta, SA.
Ruby was the daughter of William John STEVENS & Maggie JAMES and was born on the 12th of January 1890 in Wallaroo, SA.
They made their first home in Hughes Street, Wallaroo.
At the age of 30, Richard enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 22nd of February 1916 in Kadina and allotted the service number 1616 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.
He was transferred to the 32nd Battalion, 6th Reinforcements and then the 48th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.
Richard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916, disembarked in Egypt and marched into the 12th Training Battalion in Tel-el-Kebir Camp.
With the Training Battalions in Egypt being transferred to England Richard embarked from Alexandria on the 6th of June on board RMS Franconia, disembarked in Plymouth 10 days later and marched into No. 11 Camp in Rollestone.
Richard was hospitalized on several occasions suffering from Nephritis and was recommended for return to Australia.
Richard embarked from England on board HT Ulysses on the 13th of February 1917 and disembarked in Adelaide on the 12th of April.
Richard was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 16th of June 1917 and awarded the British War Medal.
On ANZAC DAY 1918 his brother Sydney enlisted into the AIF (55915) and was posted to the 2nd (SA) General Service Reinforcements. He embarked on the 5th of June on board RMS Orontes, disembarked in England and marched into the 9th Training Battalion in Fovant.
He was then posted to the reinforcements of the 43rd Battalion but became severely ill with Pneumonia and was admitted into the Fovant Military Hospital on the 9th of October.
Sydney died in hospital 7 days later.
It is unclear as what happened to Richard’s wife Ruby, but Richard then married Rose MADDOX on the 17th of June 1919 in the Exhibition Hospital, Carlton, VIC.
Rose was the daughter of William MADDOX & Sarah Ann BURNS and was born on the 30th of September 1889 in Ballarat, VIC.
They welcomed their first child; Christina Rose, in 1920 in Victoria.
Rose died on the 2nd of August 1935 and Richard buried her the following day in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section FX, Drive A, Path 27, Site Number 155C.
Richard then went to live with his father at 13 Ward Street, Everton (Pennington) and then moved to Webbe Street, Norwood.
On the 10th of January 1937 Richard was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital for 6 weeks.
A few weeks later he was readmitted on the 25th of March for a few days.
Richard died suddenly on the 6th of April 1937 at his home, Webbe Street, Norwood.
He was found lying on the kitchen floor.
He was buried the following day in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section FX, Drive A, Path 27, Site Number 155C, with Rose.
Military
At the age of 30, Richard enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 22nd of February 1916 in Kadina and allotted the service number 1616 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.
He listed his wife, of Hughes Street, Wallaroo, as his next of kin.
On the 16th of March he was transferred to the 32nd Battalion, 6th Reinforcements and then on the 1st of April he was transferred to the 48th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.
Richard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916, disembarked in Egypt and marched into the 12th Training Battalion in Tel-el-Kebir Camp.
With the Training Battalions in Egypt being transferred to England Richard embarked from Alexandria on the 6th of June on board RMS Franconia, disembarked in Plymouth 10 days later and marched into No. 11 Camp in Rollestone.
On the 17th of September Richard suffered from Nephritis and was admitted into the Fargo Military Hospital in Larkhill, Salisbury Plains.
He spent 9 weeks here before he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 21st of November.
Two days later he was discharged to 2 weeks furlo and then reported to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth.
Richard broke out of camp on the 8th of December and was AWOL until he was apprehended. He was awarded 28 days detention and forfeited 32 days pay.
On the 15th of December Richard was admitted into the Chelmsford Hospital at Hylands House, suffering from Nephritis.
He spent Christmas 1916 here before he was discharged back to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth on the 6th of January 1917.
Richard was classified medically unfit and embarked from England on board HT Ulysses on the 13th of February 1917.
He disembarked in Adelaide on the 12th of April.
Richard was discharged, medically unfit, from the AIF on the 16th of June 1917 and awarded the British War Medal.