Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Fred enlisted in the AIF 30th Battalion from 31/7/1916, service no 4878;
having served prior to this date as a member of the Citizen Forces (35th
Battalion). He left Australia on 24/1/1917 after undergoing training at the
Liverpool Depot, Sydney NSW. The ship that Fred sailed on was the HMAT
"Anchises" A68.
The Anchises was 63 days at sea, arriving Plymouth 27/3/1917. From
Plymouth he was "marched" into Hurdcott Camp, Salisbury, England.
Training took some months and on 23/10/1917 Fred was "marched out to
Southhampton". From 24/10/1917 until 01/04/1919 Fred was in France, with
some time spent on leave in England and in hospital in France. From
01/04/1919 until 01/07/1919 Fred was employed and billeted with the Marks
family in Wilton. On 02/08/1919 he embarked on the HMTS Argyllshire to
return to Australia, being discharged on 31/10/1919.
We have numerous postcards, photos and letters sent by Fred during his
time overseas. Many of the postcards are numbered and dated, some cards
are missing in the sequences and are not dated. Some of the cards were
used by Fred to write home after he had left France. Reading from the
cards Fred wrote he did a fair amount of exploring the English
countryside, presumably while on leave from active duty and whilst staying
in Wilton.
As a descendant of Fred's I donated to the AWM some of the cards that
were of interest to the AWM for the archives. The AWM also accepted a silk
handkerchief that was autographed by many of Fred's unit. This enabled
the research team to locate other members of Fred's unit.
When WW2 was declared Fred was a member of the civilian force during the
first half of the war. He was not required to offer his services as he was
employed in a reserved occupation at the Repatriation Hospital in
Concord.
(It is possible that Fred was a volunteer ambulance attendant in the years
before WW1 was declared)
submitted by grand daughter - Christine Payne (nee Wailes)